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A long-time lurker's first build

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ThtOthrPrsn

Junior Member
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Hello Everyone!

Been browsing these forums for a few months now and finally got around to building my own.

Specs:
Solid-body Tele
H-x-H Configuration
Flame Maple on Swamp Ash
Black Top Binding (No back binding)
Top-rout Controls
No bridge rout (Planning to install a Schaller Hannes atm)
7/8 Jack
No Finish

8963631121_4483f7d9e9_c.jpg


I am EXTREMELY happy with the quality of the wood and it only took a few days shy of 4 weeks from order to arrival!!
 
Looking sharp! How's it going to be finished?

Interesting combination of top rout and non-tele bridge. Are you going to use a standard control plate and, I'm guessing, no scratchplate?
 
Thanks!
I want to maybe enhance the grain and go with a satin clear finish. I'm currently waiting on a matching, flame maple control plate and I plan on ordering a walnut burl pickguard.
 
Wow! That is a spectacular piece! I'm envious!

A Walnut burl pickguard is something wonderful to behold as well, but you're sorta out of the frying pan and into the fire with putting a finely finished piece of wood in harm's way. Plus, I think it'd be a bit too busy. The body is the star here; you don't want to draw the eye away from it and a Walnut burl will do that. Kinda like mixing a striped shirt with a plaid tie.

I think you could put a black 'guard on there to good effect. It would balance nicely with the binding, and you could do chrome for the hardware without clashing anywhere. A good example of that kind of contrasting shows with Bagman's Bête Noire Tele...

6917459853_e070bca00a_b.jpg
 
Thanks!
That's what's kinda worrying me. I kinda thought about doing a flame maple pickguard and painting te bevel black to match the binding, but it'd have to be the same color tone as the body for it to have the look I'd want. Plus I plan on ordering a neck with a figured ziricote fretboard as well. So the Walnut may just push the guitar too far visually. Bagman's Bête Noire tele was what initially inspired me to go with the black binding on natural color sceme. I can only hope my tele turns out as gorgeous as his! :icon_biggrin:
 
That's a lovely body, and I'm sure you're going to wind up with a wonderful finished product no matter which way you go with it.  I would tend to avoid a pickguard with that beautiful figured maple - except that most of the home-brew finishing options are not as durable as a precat urethane clearcoat, so preserving the finish really does require a pickguard.


Kinda makes me blush when I see my axe used as an example  of "how to do it right," but I do agree with the "don't mix plaids and paisleys" reasoning Cagey et al. are espousing here.  If your maple burl supplier can give you a guard in dark, regularly grained rosewood or black ebony, that would be especially sexy - otherwise plain black, or maybe a clear plexiglass job.
 
ThtOthrPrsn said:
That's what's kinda worrying me. I kinda thought about doing a flame maple pickguard and painting te bevel black to match the binding, but it'd have to be the same color tone as the body for it to have the look I'd want. Plus I plan on ordering a neck with a figured ziricote fretboard as well. So the Walnut may just push the guitar too far visually.
Click to expand...

The other problem with a Curly Maple 'guard is the top is already Curly Maple. What would you be accomplishing? There's almost no way it would match, and while it would certainly be an attractive piece you'd be no further ahead than just leaving the top as is, unguarded.

I'm still down for a black 'guard. And I think I'd do a black Ebony fretboard as opposed to Ziricote for the same reasons already mentioned. Let the body be the star here. You get too many figured pieces or colors going, and it starts to look desperate.
 
I can't help but notice there's no sort of bridge mounting holes. What's the plan there... :icon_scratch:
 
ThtOthrPrsn said:
Hello Everyone!

Been browsing these forums for a few months now and finally got around to building my own.

Specs:
Solid-body Tele
H-x-H Configuration
Flame Maple on Swamp Ash
Black Top Binding (No back binding)
Top-rout Controls
No bridge rout (Planning to install a Schaller Hannes atm)
7/8 Jack
No Finish


I am EXTREMELY happy with the quality of the wood and it only took a few days shy of 4 weeks from order to arrival!!
Click to expand...
 
Or, just a black poly pickguard like you can get anywhere for $15-$25. They don't need a finish, they wear well, they're inexpensive, on and on.
 
Well, sure - but that'd be cheating.


As it happens, though, I have  an unused single-ply matte black pickguard with a humbucker rout - I'd let it go for the cost of shipping. 


Here's how my tele could have turned out:
6894728935_2850f9fbfb_b.jpg
 
Yep, very dramatic difference.  That would have been a sexy guitar, too, but not the class act she turned out to be.
 
That's a beauty  :blob7:

I just love Black Binding .....  :icon_biggrin: ... http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=19269.0
 
Same here. Strange I don't have anything with that on it yet. Love that Strat to death.
 
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