| Official Luthiers Forum! http://www-.luthiersforum.com/forum/ |
|
| Finished a tele http://www-.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=6010 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | James Orr [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 2:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Check it out here. Hi everyone. The other day I set up my tele, so I guess it's done now. After three years since I didn't want to finish the finish :) I used the design I did for my blog and threw in some pictures of the guitar, so it's nothing special and the design doesn't really relate. <g> Check it out anyway! |
|
| Author: | Anthony Z [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 2:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
James -- that's a beaut! Nice job on the finish. I love tele's one of my fav electrics. |
|
| Author: | Bruce Dickey [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 2:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Hey good looking axe. I bought my son a Tele and he turned his nose up at it. In his mind: "That thing ain't nothin' but Country". So, I sold it and put the money elsewhere. But me likes yours a lot, a whole lot. Congrats on getting her done. I'm putting a finish on my number one right now, after finishing five...... 
|
|
| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Don't know much about electric guitars but i can tell a nice one when i see it and yours has style! 
|
|
| Author: | James Orr [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Guys, thank you :) Jury's still out on the drawing. I'm kind of surprised by that, Bruce (the snubbed tele). When I look around, I see Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, and other rock groups all over the tele. I love the way they look, but LOVE their sound. Mine has Van Zandt pickups and has a big warm sound, but with a decent amount of mid. It's really a rock guitar, but I love it's warm, slightly overdriven sound for blues, soul, and traditional jazz. Tele's sound so big and open to me. :D Thanks again! |
|
| Author: | James Orr [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
If I were to do it again, I'd get more appropriate hardware for the older look I was thinking of. At the time I wasn't really keyed in on some of those things (tuners, strap buttons, bridge, heel contour). I went with the wilkinson bridge because at the time it was the only one that actually said "brass" saddles. I'm very happy with it regardless. |
|
| Author: | Colin S [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Always preferred the tele, miss my old '63, the sacrifices we make to get married! Nice looking guitar James, really nice. Colin |
|
| Author: | Mark Laura [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
James, I am a Tele man all the way...always loved those rascals! Trying (for a long time) to finish a custom I'm making...but already have some beautiful flamed maple for my next.....a TELE of course! I have a 1976 that I've had for a LONG time now and I love it. But, I do plan on making more than one more Tele for myself thats for sure! What kind of pick-ups did you use? I love the stain color and the finish looks real nice. Hey if you don't like the bird drawing you could allways inlay them in and refinish....they look kind of cool, very diffrent! Did you buy or make the neck? Mark Laura |
|
| Author: | CarltonM [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:58 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
James, That's a sweet-lookin' axe! I'd say keep it looking purtty--make it earn that "used" look (in fact, I'd replace that hardware with something nice and shiney). The "distressed" look was something perfected by forgers--I've never understood how Fender (and now Gibson) gets away with using that as a special feature. I guess you can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time. 
BTW, I REALLY like the headstock drawing! It's got that "quick sketch by a good artist" look. Distinctive enough to be an instantly recognizable logo.
Oh, and what is the body wood--alder? It's exceptionally nice! Could I ask where you got it? |
|
| Author: | KevinA [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:04 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Very nice. Another guitar on my build list. Kevin |
|
| Author: | Roy O [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Good looking guitar there Jim. Thanks for sharing. We don't get too many of those electric thingys around here. 
|
|
| Author: | James Orr [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:54 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
haha, thanks guys! This is a lot more encouraging than I thought it'd be! Yep, the body is Alder. I made both the neck and the body, but can't remember where I got the lumber. It wouldn't surprise me at all if it came from Larry Davis at Gallery Hardwoods. Carlton, that's exactly what I was going for with the drawing! I would LOVE to inlay it with some darker woods and india ink. Too bad I sprayed the neck a year and a half ago! Se la vie! I'm afraid if I did it again, it'd be another year before I decided to finish it. That's my track record on this. Mark, the pickups are both Van Zandt. I love everything about them except for the lack of a cover on the neck. But the awesome sound makes that ok. The bridge is absolutely tremendous. It's full, has body, and a great bridge pickup sound, but isn't too harsh and doesn't make me cringe. It's the first bridge pickup I've liked, actually. The neck has all of the same good qualities. It's definitely the neck pickup, nice, round, deep, but with just a hair of bite. And that bite is what I think makes it different from what I'm used too. I'm used to that pickup being a little soft. The stain was really easy for the neck. I just used some brown pigments and put them in alcohol. It's a real dilluted mix. I like browned necks way more than yellowed. I wanted to use this guitar in jazz band. I want to be able to rock a bit. Aesthetically and tonally, I think I can do both. Too bad I graduated a year too late for the band! |
|
| Author: | CarltonM [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
[QUOTE=James Orr]Carlton, that's exactly what I was going for with the drawing! I would LOVE to inlay it with some darker woods and india ink. Too bad I sprayed the neck a year and a half ago![/QUOTE] It's got lots of appeal just like it is! If you'd like to try an inlay, practice first off the instrument, then use it on your next effort. I bet it'll be difficult to match the spontaneity of the drawing with an inlay, though, unless you can reproduce it squiggle for squiggle. |
|
| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
James, i'm interested in learning more on Alder, would ya know it's latin name by any chance? |
|
| Author: | Don Williams [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Looks fantastic James....and I really liked the drawings! They're whimsical and artistic. The guitar is great. But I really like your web design even better. Wish I had a clue about that stuff! |
|
| Author: | Jim Kirby [ Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
James - Tele's got me into this addiction! My real numbers 1 and 2 are below, and were built in 2001 and 2003. (Well, number 2 isn't that much like a Tele ) Since then, I realized that if you make the body hollow, you don't need all that electrical stuff
Number 1 has a set of EMG-T's and a Fishman powerbridge. I like the EMG's - the bridge probably doesn't have as much bite as a really good one should, but the neck is a nice, full sounding beast. 
Number two is the complicated machine from hell. DiMarzio's (Super Distortion, SDS1, Super II) with a PUTW #27 under the bridge, Baggs Ctrl-X for mixing, blend pot to pan from magnetic to acoustic pickups, coil splitting for the humbuckers and phase switch for the single, yada. I like the first one better, but I got to do more woodworking on this one
I'm finishing a third for a friend right now - myrtle drop top over an ash body. It's a much more normal tele! I'll post a pick when done. |
|
| Author: | James Orr [ Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:59 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Oh wow... That must've been horrible to wire. Then again wiring it was difficult for me. I've grounded everything and can't get rid of the buzzing. I like them both a lot, and I love hollow electrics. Thanks Don. I really like this design too. I've done some real gophers. This has some others I've done. My first Flash experiment is in there, and the UPC site is something I'm just about to finish for my church, but the most current work is on the new server. The yosemite site is embarrassing to be honest. You have the link to my blog, right? |
|
| Author: | Jeff Doty [ Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Hey Guys, awesome tele's! I am going to remember you guys when I try to build one, I am sure I will have lots of questions, and it looks like you will have answers. Jeff |
|
| Author: | charliewood [ Sat Apr 08, 2006 4:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Those are some sweet units above - Good Job! I had to sell my Nashville B Bender a while ago for some cash when I was broke  - but its rocking down in New Mex somewheres, which is as good as place as it could be - I wish I were in NM sometimes, my absolutely fav state.
Good work and keep it up - those are nicer than any Fender custom shop axe's I have seen in a while - they got's "vibe" baby. Cheers Charlie |
|
| Author: | L. Presnall [ Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Sweet Teles men! I wouldn't have one when I was a kid, but after a 15 or so year hiatus from all things guitar, I bought an old "yeller" one...maple neck, best thing ever! Ended up selling it to get a Les Paul...the nostalgia just wouldn't let me go! 
|
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC - 5 hours |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|