COMPLETED - Project #3 - GSP Thinline Tele

Philly_Q

Looks terrific, good work!  And I'm impressed by these Wudtone finishes.

thermionic

That's great, but I think pearloid is the classic Thinline Tele look...

The body is Wudtoned, but how is the neck finished?

PVO_Dave

thermionic said:

That's great, but I think pearloid is the classic Thinline Tele look...

The body is Wudtoned, but how is the neck finished?

I've still got the pearloid if I change my mind, I like the tort look a lot though. 

Not 100% sure on the neck! it was finished before I got it. It was hand finished though (not sprayed), so I suspect it was Wudtone as well. 

GSPBASSES

Megii said:

Looks fab with either pickguard, but I'm liking the tort more - with the maple fingerboard and light coloured body, it just seems to provide a bit more contrast, and a stronger look. I'm trying to resist the urge to build another tele, and this thread is not helping - heaven help me if GSP puts up another ad for thinlines... One slight concern I would have with a thinline is if it might be a bit neck-heavy on a strap - probably groundless, but would be grateful if you could let me know about that when the guitar is finished. Great job on putting this one together though, looks like the kind of "old faithful" guitar it would be nice to have around for years to come.

I make two types of thin lines one is as @PVO_Dave thats fully cambered with or with the “F” hole. I don’t use light weight Swamp Ash for these as the finished weight can go down to 2 - 2.5 lb that might be a bit neck heavy. I try for a finished weight of 3 - 3.5 lb at this weight the balance is just about right.

The other type of thin line I make is only cambered on the top half of the body so the weight will be around 4 - 4.5 lb.

I might have some more thin lines for sale late November along with may be two LPJ’s

Megii

GSPBASSES said:

Megii said:

Looks fab with either pickguard, but I'm liking the tort more - with the maple fingerboard and light coloured body, it just seems to provide a bit more contrast, and a stronger look. I'm trying to resist the urge to build another tele, and this thread is not helping - heaven help me if GSP puts up another ad for thinlines... One slight concern I would have with a thinline is if it might be a bit neck-heavy on a strap - probably groundless, but would be grateful if you could let me know about that when the guitar is finished. Great job on putting this one together though, looks like the kind of "old faithful" guitar it would be nice to have around for years to come.

I make two types of thin lines one is as @PVO_Dave thats fully cambered with or with the “F” hole. I don’t use light weight Swamp Ash for these as the finished weight can go down to 2 - 2.5 lb that might be a bit neck heavy. I try for a finished weight of 3 - 3.5 lb at this weight the balance is just about right.

The other type of thin line I make is only cambered on the top half of the body so the weight will be around 4 - 4.5 lb.

I might have some more thin lines for sale late November along with may be two LPJ’s

Do appreciate the information @GSPBASSES - thank you for that. I am presuming that the fully chambered type does add quite a bit of that semi-hollow character to the tone? In which case it might well be my sort of thing - I'm considering perhaps a future thinline tele build, oriented towards jazz and blues. Rosewood fingerboard probably... I will certainly be keeping an eye out for any ads you put up later in the year, cheers.

You've made a stunning guitar there @PVO_Dave - how are you finding it now you've had it a little while? Which Mojo pickups did you fit btw?

PVO_Dave

Megii said:

You've made a stunning guitar there @PVO_Dave - how are you finding it now you've had it a little while? Which Mojo pickups did you fit btw?

@Megii - It's currently with the guitar tech I use, waiting for me to collect following a setup

It has the 52's from Mojo, I'll try and put some clips together when I get five mins.

Megii

PVO_Dave said:

Megii said:

You've made a stunning guitar there @PVO_Dave - how are you finding it now you've had it a little while? Which Mojo pickups did you fit btw?

@Megii - It's currently with the guitar tech I use, waiting for me to collect following a setup

It has the 52's from Mojo, I'll try and put some clips together when I get five mins.

Nice one, clips would be lovely, cheers. Really a very appealing guitar, definitely my cup of tea.

koneguitarist

Lovely with the tort pickguard. Can't wait to hear how it sounds.

PVO_Dave

It's finally finished now

Plays great after the setup, as explained when I bought it, the nut would need work. Action isn't bad at all, would need a fret level to go any lower, but I'll see how I feel after it's all settled down.

String trees fitted before I sent it off for setup

Ferrules that also don't disappear into the holes in the back fitted

Strap locks / buttons also fitted, @Megii re: neck dive, it's very slightly neck heavy, but no issue at all with a strap, I played with a regular Levy's (non leather) strap and no dive bombing!

Lastly, a clip of my dodgy playing: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3f0jcrzfrb0hjva/Thinline.mp3?dl=0

First bit of the clip is me playing the same thing over with clean (DSL2000) then dirt (Morgan AC30) in all three positions, after that I was just messing about (which featured a Superlead '68 at one point, the meatier sound), as the sloppy chops will prove - Hopefully gives a good idea how the guitar sounds though, clips recorded on my Kemper via s/pdif into Logic, no tweaking or anything added to the profiles.

Lovely guitar, I'll certainly buy from Grahame again, really enjoyed my first build, even if someone else had done all the hard work

GSPBASSES

Megii said:

GSPBASSES said:

Megii said:

Looks fab with either pickguard, but I'm liking the tort more - with the maple fingerboard and light coloured body, it just seems to provide a bit more contrast, and a stronger look. I'm trying to resist the urge to build another tele, and this thread is not helping - heaven help me if GSP puts up another ad for thinlines... One slight concern I would have with a thinline is if it might be a bit neck-heavy on a strap - probably groundless, but would be grateful if you could let me know about that when the guitar is finished. Great job on putting this one together though, looks like the kind of "old faithful" guitar it would be nice to have around for years to come.

I make two types of thin lines one is as @PVO_Dave thats fully cambered with or with the “F” hole. I don’t use light weight Swamp Ash for these as the finished weight can go down to 2 - 2.5 lb that might be a bit neck heavy. I try for a finished weight of 3 - 3.5 lb at this weight the balance is just about right.

The other type of thin line I make is only cambered on the top half of the body so the weight will be around 4 - 4.5 lb.

I might have some more thin lines for sale late November along with may be two LPJ’s

Do appreciate the information @GSPBASSES - thank you for that. I am presuming that the fully chambered type does add quite a bit of that semi-hollow character to the tone? In which case it might well be my sort of thing - I'm considering perhaps a future thinline tele build, oriented towards jazz and blues. Rosewood fingerboard probably... I will certainly be keeping an eye out for any ads you put up later in the year, cheers.

You've made a stunning guitar there @PVO_Dave - how are you finding it now you've had it a little while? Which Mojo pickups did you fit btw?

I’m not sure a all Swamp Ash thin line T/C wood really give a jazz sound with standard pickups may be with P90’s or better still the body made of Alder and a Rosewood finger board would take a bit of the glassy sound away but not much. 

If you want T/C that can do a Jazz sound and a Les Paul but not a Tele sound then a fully chambered Mahogany body with a maple cap set neck Mahogany / Rosewood, standard P90 pickups or Mississippi Queen’s. I’m sure Oil City will make a pickup to fit the bill.

Some photos of  Mahogany T/C's

The one above is more a LPJ

Megii

PVO_Dave said:

@Megii re: neck dive, it's very slightly neck heavy, but no issue at all with a strap, I played with a regular Levy's (non leather) strap and no dive bombing!

That's good to know, cheers. I guess any not too slippery kind of strap would keep things in place nicely (why does that sound rude? ).

Megii

GSPBASSES said:

Megii said:

GSPBASSES said:

Megii said:

Looks fab with either pickguard, but I'm liking the tort more - with the maple fingerboard and light coloured body, it just seems to provide a bit more contrast, and a stronger look. I'm trying to resist the urge to build another tele, and this thread is not helping - heaven help me if GSP puts up another ad for thinlines... One slight concern I would have with a thinline is if it might be a bit neck-heavy on a strap - probably groundless, but would be grateful if you could let me know about that when the guitar is finished. Great job on putting this one together though, looks like the kind of "old faithful" guitar it would be nice to have around for years to come.

I make two types of thin lines one is as @PVO_Dave thats fully cambered with or with the “F” hole. I don’t use light weight Swamp Ash for these as the finished weight can go down to 2 - 2.5 lb that might be a bit neck heavy. I try for a finished weight of 3 - 3.5 lb at this weight the balance is just about right.

The other type of thin line I make is only cambered on the top half of the body so the weight will be around 4 - 4.5 lb.

I might have some more thin lines for sale late November along with may be two LPJ’s

Do appreciate the information @GSPBASSES - thank you for that. I am presuming that the fully chambered type does add quite a bit of that semi-hollow character to the tone? In which case it might well be my sort of thing - I'm considering perhaps a future thinline tele build, oriented towards jazz and blues. Rosewood fingerboard probably... I will certainly be keeping an eye out for any ads you put up later in the year, cheers.

You've made a stunning guitar there @PVO_Dave - how are you finding it now you've had it a little while? Which Mojo pickups did you fit btw?

I’m not sure a all Swamp Ash thin line T/C wood really give a jazz sound with standard pickups may be with P90’s or better still the body made of Alder and a Rosewood finger board would take a bit of the glassy sound away but not much. 

If you want T/C that can do a Jazz sound and a Les Paul but not a Tele sound then a fully chambered Mahogany body with a maple cap set neck Mahogany / Rosewood, standard P90 pickups or Mississippi Queen’s. I’m sure Oil City will make a pickup to fit the bill.

Some photos of  Mahogany T/C's

The one above is more a LPJ

Thanks for posting that @GSPBASSES - those all look rather lovely ideas. Although I do already have a maple fingerboard solid swamp ash body tele that I love to use for jazz - I'm quite keen on the standard type of tele neck pickup for that too. So you never know, if I see you advertising any thinline kits, I may just jump in - I do like the classic thinline look and design that PVO_Dave has brought to life so well there, and I'm sure I could make such a guitar work for me. Take your point about swamp ash not being the best choice for a thinline re balance of course - doesn't have to be swamp ash for me - I would just hope for a little extra openess in the sound from the chambering really.

Andyjr1515

Lovely job @PVO_Dave

andypwudtone

PVO_Dave said:

So 99% done!

Left to-do;

Pro setup (dropping off Monday if I can find the time), strap locks / buttons, string trees to be fitted and some bigger ferrules, the ones I have aren't big enough, they are currently just resting in place.

@GSPBASSES - You sell make very nice guitar kits, let me know when you are having another clear out...

Even without a decent setup, it plays pretty well, the pickups from Mojo sound great too!

Here it is

Some outdoors shots too

lovely guitar @PVO_Dave , after a couple more weeks, (if you want) to develop the gloss/patina by burnishing ( rubbing till it gets slightly warm)  it with some plain photocopy paper and it will gloss up , look more played in etc, especially on the curves edges. enjoy. PS great pickup choice , mojo's also in my fave tele, love them. Indeed every guitarist should have a dairy blonde tele +mojo's just for playing Em, C Am ( in that order) oooh and for recording!   

PVO_Dave

Thanks Andy, may give that a bash, looks great as it is though

Misterg

Only just seen this - very nice job, indeed @PVO_Dave