Another Walnut Tele

[kellysmall]

Finally finished my new Walnut Tele.  Here's a list of everything that went into it:

Warmoth Body PT1132; Walnut chambered body w/ F-hole and forearm/tummy contours, Gloss finish
Warmoth Neck TN2020; Walnut w/ Ebony fretboard
Fender Custom Shop Texas Special pickups
Custom drilled extra thick control plate (from Guitarfetish; great quality piece)
Ebony control knobs
Controls: Volume Volume Tone
Gotoh Six Saddle Bridge
Gotoh Vintage Tuners
10-24 Stainless Steel Threaded Inserts installed in the neck
Allparts Neck Pickup Trim Ring

I'm really pleased with the final outcome, but my guitar tech talked me out of putting the pickguard on it.  He said he just couldn't cover up all that beautiful wood.  I'll see how I feel about it after a few weeks.  I had taken a standard Thinline pickguard and cut out the area where the standard Tele control plate falls.  I made a rendering of it that I'll add below.  Please provide comments as to whether I should just leave it off.

 

[kellysmall]

Here's the pickguard idea I had (see attached).

 

[blue313]

Wow, sweet build!  :headbang:

Your guitar tech has good instincts.  I vote to keep it as is.

How's she sound?

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I'd do the Warmoth Thinline Hybrid pickguard.  It would be a compromise, it still covers up some of the wood, but not as much.

 

[rockskate4x]

That's some beautiful DARK looking walnut... just gorgeous, man!

 

[Nando Vallart]

Looks good!

 

[guitlouie]

I love pickguards, but I vote no pg on that one!

 

[kellysmall]

Just plugged her up this morning since it was too late to do it last night without waking the neighbors.  Man, this is the sound I've been looking for.  Before now, all I've ever had was a two humbucker Strat.  The sound of a single-coil guitar is really nice.  I can get a cleaner sound out of this one, and the Texas Specials will get really nasty if I want to crank it up.  I have a separate volume knob for each pickup instead of a switch, and having the ability to blend the two together at whatever level I choose is really nice.  I bought an undrilled thick control plate from Guitarfetish and drilled it myself to mount the pots.  Running the bridge pickup as the main, I can slowly turn up the neck pickup to add warmth and fullness to the sound.  Man, I'm really pleased!

As far as installing the pickguard, it sounds like most opinions are to leave it off.  So, that's what I'm going to do.  Since I've already milled the Thinline pickguard out to accommodate the Tele control plate, I'll just save it for my next Tele build.

 

[Vol. Knob]

Very Nice.  I do love thinlines.  Yours is a looker.  Just wait til you crank it up.  Its at gig volumes that Thinlines really shine.

 

[tfarny]

Welcome to the thinline fan club. I agree with your tech, though the warmoth hybrid pickguard could work. Gorgeous guitar.

 

[blimpo]

I don't generally care for guitars with no pickguard, but in this case....that wood needs to show.

Super looking guitar there.

 

[JaySwear]

i vote no pickguard! that wood looks too nice. either way it does (or will) look great!  :icon_thumright:

 

[dbw]

Do you ship to my house?

 

[OzziePete]

I'd do the Warmoth Thinline Hybrid pickguard.  It would be a compromise, it still covers up some of the wood, but not as much.

+1 on that idea if you feel you must have a pickguard. The Thinline pickguard you detailed clashes, aesthetically, to the control plate IMHO.

Here's a link to Warmoth's hybrid if that is any help.

http://www.warmoth.com/Pickguard/TeleHybridPickguard.aspx

Mind you, the no pickguard is a goer too, as that wood looks good.

 

[kellysmall]

After playing this guitar for three months, I gotta say that I'm sold on the Warmoth hollow bodies.  This thing sustains forever!  I used 10-24 threaded inserts in the neck to get a really tight neck-to-body connection, and I'm sure that helped the sustain too.  For all you guys who voted for no pickguard, you win.  I left it just like it was in the pictures.  Having individual volume knobs on each pickup really gives me a lot of versatility in blending the two together.  I'm really diggin' that!  I'm incredibly pleased with everything.  Can't wait to start my next Strat build now.