NGD. Not for Tele purists - VOTING RESULTS

barneyd

Really nice!

chromatuna

ooooh lovely looking guitar

really like the control layout and the way it balances the appearance of the pick guard, I think you have created quite a classic there.

as a fan of mid positions the blend knob is a great idea, I usually set the height of the lesser used (by me) neck pickup to achieve what I like 

wouldn't have that particular guard myself but the shape works

minus the vibrato I would have one 

Jimbro66

^^ Thanks for your feedback @chromatuna. As regards the guard - watch this space......

stephen.wood125

Wow, that's gorgeous- beautifully executed!

Tenebrous

Love that. Kudos on a job well done!

Teyeplayer

Looks awesome! Couldn’t agree more that a tele is the perfect blank canvas -they are just the perfect starting point for modding and adapting.

chrisj1602

I think it looks great, and very well thought out too.

fftc

Love it!
I'd rather have P90s and a hardtail but then it would be mine and not yours!

Jimbro66

Once again thanks for all the positive and complimentary comments. Much appreciated. The slightly recurring negative was the pickguard, - I think mainly the graphic rather than the shape. So I've been having a look at options.

No pickguard is not an option because firstly it serves a very practical purpose for me and secondly its absence would leave six 'orrible 'oles.

@gordiji I tried black and white guards and neither complemented the guitar particularly well. MOP/marbled guards in various shades also tried but none quite right, at least not in my eyes.

In the earlier days of the guitars development I decided on a clear guard and had one made:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4910/46820705332_cc0f8e7d44_b.jpg

The logo is an early thought that was later dropped. The clear guard was OK but a wee bit bland I thought, which eventually led to the rat-rod graphic in the opening post. The latter (and to some extent the guitar concept) harked back to my rockabilly roots in my teens. BTW the clear guard would have nickel screws to match the other metalwork but I don't have any handy in Gibson size at present. Fender screws are too big.

Looking for possible other options (guards are cheap enough to have made) I found that tortoiseshell doesn't look too bad and is more mainstream. Here's an idea as to the effect:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4817/46872564101_9801979a83_b.jpg

So, what are the thoughts? @@UnclePsychosis, @King85, @chris78, @gordiji, anyone? Other ideas warmly received

I could end up with a guard for each day of the week and/or to suit my mood

Tenebrous

I like the clear guard, but I'd like chrome screws to offset it/match the rest of the hardware... I think. I can't quite picture it.

Honestly, what I'd really do is have the pickguard & the knobs the same colour as the pick ups, but at that point, it's pretty much the same as my Troublemaker Tele anyway

Jimbro66

Tenebrous said:

I like the clear guard, but I'd like chrome screws to offset it/match the rest of the hardware... I think. I can't quite picture it.

Honestly, what I'd really do is have the pickguard & the knobs the same colour as the pick ups, but at that point, it's pretty much the same as my Troublemaker Tele anyway

I meant to mention that the screws would be nickel with the clear guard. I just don't have any to hand at the moment. All the other metalwork is nickel.

Tenebrous

Jimbro66 said:

Tenebrous said:

I like the clear guard, but I'd like chrome screws to offset it/match the rest of the hardware... I think. I can't quite picture it.

Honestly, what I'd really do is have the pickguard & the knobs the same colour as the pick ups, but at that point, it's pretty much the same as my Troublemaker Tele anyway

I meant to mention that the screws would be nickel with the clear guard. I just don't have any to hand at the moment. All the other metalwork is nickel.

My bad, but I look forward to seeing it with the appropriate screws!

enjo

I like the original, second choice would be clear.

gordiji

The clear one is perfect. I hadn't even considered it and the paintjob/colour choice is so good it allows more of it to be seen. It would be back on if it were mine  

PhilW1

Lovely guitar,the scratch plate makes it a real one-off,
what about an engraved mirrored one or plain highly polished one with matching  knobs?

King85

Clear is definitely the one for me as it really let's the colour be the focus.

I'd be very tempted to try a white pearloid on there and see how it looks but that might be because i'd put one on every guitar if I could.

Jimbro66

King85 said:

Clear is definitely the one for me as it really let's the colour be the focus.

I'd be very tempted to try a white pearloid on there and see how it looks but that might be because i'd put one on every guitar if I could.

LOL. I did try white pearloid but it didn't look quite right with the ivory pickup covers nor against the binding. A slight mis-match.

ICBM

Jimbro66 said:

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

This is absolutely brilliant. There's an interesting optical illusion with it where it almost looks like you're looking through a pickguard-shaped 'window' into the artwork behind.

The clear and tort guard options just look dull by comparison. If forced, I'd pick the clear... but really, keep the art one.

dazzajl

ICBM said:

Jimbro66 said:

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

This is absolutely brilliant. There's an interesting optical illusion with it where it almost looks like you're looking through a pickguard-shaped 'window' into the artwork behind.

The clear and tort guard options just look dull by comparison. If forced, I'd pick the clear... but really, keep the art one.

This!

King85

King85 said:

Clear is definitely the one for me as it really let's the colour be the focus.

I'd be very tempted to try a white pearloid on there and see how it looks but that might be because i'd put one on every guitar if I could.

100% the clear then. I'd put it in my top 5 teles tbh with that on. I'm mildly jealous.