HB modding challenge TE-30 Tele.

stimpsonslostson

I've got 2 Vintage brand guitars (a Lemon Drop LP and an SG Jr) both have Wilkinson hardware throughout & I have NO complaints.

One of the reasons that I'm going with a Te52 is that it comes with the Wilkinson pickups- I intend to add a Wilkinson brass bridge too. As you rightly say, they seem to tread the line between quality and affordability. 

JudasVigilante

stimpsonslostson said:

I've got 2 Vintage brand guitars (a Lemon Drop LP and an SG Jr) both have Wilkinson hardware throughout & I have NO complaints.

One of the reasons that I'm going with a Te52 is that it comes with the Wilkinson pickups- I intend to add a Wilkinson brass bridge too. As you rightly say, they seem to tread the line between quality and affordability. 

That's my sentiment exactly. I don't want to put £120 pickups in a £66 guitar! Though something 'decent' is still required to make the guitar gig/studio worthy. I must admit the quality of the te-30 when it arrived was very impressive for the money. I imagine one of the Wilkinson equipped ones would be a dream of a bargain. I just didn't want to take the risk, but I will next time.

How do they do it?

stimpsonslostson

I've ordered the Te52 this afternoon. I'll start a thread when my big box arrives!

JudasVigilante

stimpsonslostson said:

I've ordered the Te52 this afternoon. I'll start a thread when my big box arrives!

Way to go. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

axisus

I'm going for a tele. The cheapest one they have!

Can the headstock be reshaped to a regular Fender design?

stimpsonslostson

axisus said:

Can the headstock be reshaped to a regular Fender design?

Looking at it, I'm not sure it can be done "properly" I intend to round off the point on the tip of the headstock to give a smoother shape (in a rough approximation of the F design).

JudasVigilante

axisus said:

I'm going for a tele. The cheapest one they have!

Can the headstock be reshaped to a regular Fender design?

Not sure it can, there wouldn't be enough material on the headstock to start off with. I think you'd end up with a fender shaped head, but very small. The head prob could be smoothed as @stimpsonslostson said. But an exact match, I'm not sure.

JudasVigilante

Here's a pic of the headstock closeup, hope it helps:

stimpsonslostson

Thanks @JudasVigilante, it appears to confirm what I thought, it isn't going to be "perfect" but I think it could look rather good… here's a high tech mock up of what I have in mind. I'm debating whether I'll sand the whole head down and "rebrand" it.

How did the wrapping go? We NEED more (or indeed SOME) pictures!

http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b625/stimpsonslostson/Mobile Uploads/image_zpsmscrotux.jpg

JudasVigilante

@stimpsonslostson The wrapping may or may not have taken place yet. My brother-in-law is doing that for me. He does that for a living and I've only ever wrapped the bonnet of my dad's vintage tractors before. A bit rough and ready compared to the fine polished look i'm after for the guitar. Plus a guitar is so much curvier and tighter than a straight square edge etc.

I should have it back sometime this week and pics will be posted ASAP after that. 

About the headstock, you may be able to get away with that, but the curve at the end that you're looking to round is very small. Also, about the rebranding, do you intend taking the HB decals off and putting something custom on? Which would leave the guitar more valuable? Leaving the guitar as is or removing it? HB is hardly a top end brand, so I imagine by removing it and putting a custom decal on wouldn't do any harm? I don't intend selling the HB custom tele, but you never know, maybe someday? I like your headstock mockup and if you can get it as round as that then it'll totally hide prob the only remaining clue it's aHB. Not a bad idea actually. I'm not pinching your idea, but may take a closer look at it.

I have a pdf file of 2 o3 tele headstocks and a 72 deluxe strat (too big). You simply print them out onto A4 paper and cut out and trace. If you PM me your email address I can send you the file if you want. I got it from a luthiers website on the web, but, to my surprise it took some searching. My wife bought me a jazzmaster type kit from G4M for xmas which I completed mid january of this year. That's why I needed the headstock shapes as the kit came with a large ugly paddle type headstock.

All the best.

JudasVigilante

Should be getting back the guitar body on Friday, so pics of it to follow sometime soon.

stimpsonslostson

Cheers Judas. (that just sounds wrong!)

It's been shipped, once it gets here I'll take a look "in the flesh" and make a decision about what I'm going to do to the headstock- I have a plan, but due to family & work commitments, I can't see much work taking place before june.

JudasVigilante

Call me Paul @stimpsonslostson. ;

JudasVigilante

Well I Got the body back from my brother-in-law this morning. Was instantly impressed with his wrapping skills. Far beyond mine.

Here's the result below, also the Wilkinson 60's Vintage Voice pickups arrived yesterday so there's a snap of them also. They were around £29.00 from Vanson Guitars shop on Ebay. First class service on my first transaction with them. So I went back and bought Wilkinson EZ LOk machineheads, strap locks and something else I've forgotten now. They should arrive on Monday.

Cost of the Carbon Firbre wrap for the 1m (smallest quantity you can buy) was £37 and then 'family' rate from bro-in-law for labour.

Here's the pics.

Guitar body, wrapped in carbon Fibre from MDP in Craigavon, Co. Armagh. Wrapped by Jimmy Smith.

Here's a rough mockup with the old hardware that came originally on the guitar. NB this is all being replaced completely.

JudasVigilante

Just a note, the photos don't do this justice, it really has to be seen first hand or in daylight, but it's raining outside at the moment. Murphys' Bloody law!

WezV

awesome

Andyjr1515

Oh My, @JudasVigilante. That is SO well done. I think you've won this challenge, then. So what's the 2016 challenge going to be, @Ttony )

TTony

WezV said:

awesome

Indeed!

stimpsonslostson

THAT. LOOKS. AWESOME. 

Well done Paul (& brother in law!)

stimpsonslostson

Is it going to be rebranded as a Carbonita by Fibre?

I kinda want it to end up getting all black hardware & looking like a stealth tele (or a Jim Root).