NGD. Not for Tele purists - VOTING RESULTS

Jimbro66

This guitar represents a long-term project - almost exactly 2 years in fact but there was never any particular urgency. I've always liked the sound and look of Gretsch guitars but to me a Tele is like a comfortable pair of old trainers. It just feels right.

I like a blackguard Tele as much as anyone and have had a few but I've also always regarded a Tele body as a blank canvas to create different configurations and aesthetics. I'm not precious about them at all. At one time or another I've had just about every Tele configuration possible - but not a Gretsch-influenced one. Yes I know the Cabronita sort of does that but it's not for me.

With a Tele starting point and the love of an earlier owned '57 Duo-Jet in mind I sat down to sketch out some ideas that later turned into detailed drawings and specs. It ended up as this, my Self-Indulgence-Caster:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4858/46837668511_b65175fc44_b.jpg

Here are the specs:

The body is chambered mahogany with a maple cap and no f-holes, in other words similar construction to my old '57 Duo-Jet. The neck is mahogany with ebony fretboard. The body is bound on front edge only. All mahogany is stained slightly darker and finished in clear nitro-cellulose. The front is Shoreline Gold metallic laid on by Rexter.

The pickguard was made to my design by Tim at Scratch-It! The graphic is a poster I have by the American hotrod artist Larry Grossman. My other half deemed it perhaps not not quite PC for display in the house so I instead displayed it on the pickguard

Pickups are TV Jones Filtertrons in P90 format. I always liked the look of a Tele with P90s and this was a chance to combine the two pickup formats.

Controls are pickup selector switch, master volume and master tone. The third knob is a pickup blend control that works only when the selector switch is in the middle position. To achieve that I used a 4PDT (12-terminal) selector switch. It made the wiring a little more complex but it means the pickups are unaffected by the blend control when the selector switch is in the neck or bridge position. With that blend control arrangement I can achieve any degree of mix of the two pickups and switch to it instantly. The knobs are from TV Jones. All wiring is shielded, as is the control cavity, so the amplified guitar is silent even close to the dreaded dimmer switch.

The trem is a Bladerunner which seems to work well. The machine heads are locking Klusons. I prefer Sperzels but the set I received were not up to their old standard so I sent them back and got the Klusons. We'll see how they perform.

I thought about stringing it with flatwounds but at present I'm trying a set of D'Addario EHR370 half-round 11 - 49. I've not used them before so it's a trial. If it doesn't work out I'll go to EPN115 pure nickel round wound.

Playability is good after the usual fettling and it sounds excellent through my DRRI.

I know this guitar won't appeal to the Tele purists and may even get me tarred and feathered and run out of town As I said, it's a Self-Indulgence-Caster. @skullfunkerry and one other kindly WOW'd it in Rate My Guitar so there's hope

HAL9000

Looks great.

downbytheriver

I like that a lot

koneguitarist

I think that looks gorgeous to be honest, well done. 

kin

Ace

TheMarlin

I do like that, very smart!

Strat54

Nice, I like pretty much any variant of Tele that retains the original body shape.

johnl

Looks great - who made the body and neck?

UnclePsychosis

Cool guitar, like that a lot...

...with the exception of the scratch plate if im being honest. Sorry! 

Seriously though the rest is ace. 

sev112

How much to make me one? Fabulous guitar

Sassafras

I'm a Tele-purist but I don't mind that, at all.

King85

Scratch plate doesn't do it for me personally but the rest of it is bloody lovely!

Did you make it yourself?

Bridgehouse

How dare you take an ugly but functional workhorse hammer and chisel spade of a guitar and turn it into something that looks really classy. 

sixwheeltyrrel

Yes I like that a lot. It looks really stylish. Interesting choice of pickups too. 

dazzajl

The only thing not totally satisfying here is the lack of a full picture. But I’m sure it’s just as gorgeous to the very top. 

chris78

A blackguard tele is perfection for me, but also agree that the tele is a great modding platform. I love what you’ve done and frankly if these were production models, I’d order one in a heartbeat (without the scratch plate- sorry)

Jimbro66

Thanks for all the complimentary comments fellas. I'm well chuffed.

Yes, even I blow hot and cold about the scratchplate. Sometimes I'm OK with it and other times not so sure but at least it's not boring   I do have another scratchplate for it that is clear perspex for my more conservative days   Maybe I'll fit it and post a picture to see which is preferred.

@johnl @King85 the body was made to my specs and drawing by Guitarbuild as a custom job. The neck was made for me by the FB's own GSP Basses. Both made extremely well. I did all the installation work, electrics and setup.

@sev112 the whole thing cost me more than you'd believe - I've not added it all up (too scared) but probably not too far off £1K. It's been worth it to me to get exactly what I wanted and still a lot cheaper than a Custom Shop model.

@dazzajl sorry about the lack of a full length view. You're not missing much - mahogany standard Tele headstock. No innovation at that end

horsehead

I'm all in

skullfunkerry

That's another wow from me - it's ace, and I love the scratchplate... I've bookmarked the Scratch It! site so that I can get a Calvin & Hobbes scratchplate for my Strat

I'm a big fan of non-pure Teles:

Jimbro66

skullfunkerry said:

That's another wow from me - it's ace, and I love the scratchplate... I've bookmarked the Scratch It! site so that I can get a Calvin & Hobbes scratchplate for my Strat

I'm a big fan of non-pure Teles:

That's nice and thanks for the WOWs.

gordiji

Looks great apart from the pick guard which would be better in black or white..... but it's your build !