Bête Noire - Double-bound black tele

[KaiserSoze]

Wow.  How classy is that?  I just put a Dream 90 in the neck position of my mahogany strat and I have to say its a really cool change from the paf I had there.  The pickup is a quality piece and a great value.  I've always been curious about trying a P90 and I'm tickled that I can do it for $35 and about ten minutes of work.

I have to say that I really like the sound of the pickup.  Not noisy, clear and rich and responsive and I find myself playing Stones tunes...hmmm

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I must say, in recent months the builds have increased in creativity and class all over the forum, it's very exciting to see the interpretations people come up with while still paying homage to some traditions.

 

[fdesalvo]

It's been said, but the word that sums it up is classy.  You've demonstrated a great execution of vision here.  I love it.

 

[bagman67]

Thanks, guys.  I'll work out the wiring this weekend, and should be able to get some clips up soon.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I must say, in recent months the builds have increased in creativity and class all over the forum, it's very exciting to see the interpretations people come up with while still paying homage to some traditions.

This is so true.

 

[bagman67]

Well, I started over on the wiring, and all I can say is, now that I have it sussed:


Oh. My. God.  I am very very happy with what I have done here.


The Dream 90 is the t!ts, to be sure -- and at a helluva price.  KaiserSoze, you hit it on the head.


The wiring scheme is completely usable.  The bridge pup is very well mannered (well, for a Tele bridge pickup) when tapped, and when it's wide open it's a snarly beast.  I did luck out in that the Dream 90 happens to be RWRP with respect to the Quarter Pound, so it's hum-cancelling in positions 2 and 3.


My new favorite way to beat up on my amp's preamp stage is to go to the bridge/neck series combo, with the Quarter Pound set on full-blast, and burn the mother down.


Still gotta get the action dialed in.  I haven't tampered with the (too shallow) factory nut slots, and the saddles could use some tweezing as well.  But I am very comfortable predicting good things for this axe once I settle that issue.

 

[59tele]

BEATUIFUL!!! SMOKING NICE MAN!!!!

 

[Updown]

Confidential to Updown:  Look, I kept the knob set-screws out of sight!

From above:

:icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:  :icon_thumright:

PERFECT  :icon_biggrin:

Now doesn't that look sooooooooooooo much better like that ?

Holy crap ..... I can't believe I didn't see that before now Bagman  :sad1:  (some 2+ months later)  :toothy11:
I've looked at this post heaps of times and even inserted it in my posts as a reference to others.

And missed that message to me, every time  :doh: 

 

[keeper006]

I was telling my brother about this Tele the other day, but told him even though it is a slick name, I explained to him that it was too classy to be referred to as a "black beast". Just to give him a visual, I referred to it as "The Tuxedo". Kudos to your choices.  ccasion14:

 

[DangerousR6]

Nobody told me it was a "Black Tie" event, I feel under dressed now.  ccasion14:

"Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots, and ruined your black tie affair....." :toothy12:

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Nobody told me it was a "Black Tie" event, I feel under dressed now.  ccasion14:

"Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots, and ruined your black tie affair....." :toothy12:

:laughing7:

 

[MichaelH]

Hi Bagman,

your Bête Noire is wonderfull - the black finish together with the cream binding looks great and the neck is incredible. I love ebony fretboards and I never saw a flamed maple neck with such a wonderful and even grain!

What is your experience with the ebony fretboard? Do you thing it has less 'twang' than a pure maple neck?

PS: This month it's reaaaalllllyyyyy difficult for me to choose a 'GOM'. All of them are great, but I will vote for the 'Bête Noire', cause she is the first, I would take from the wall in my favorit guitar shop to play and hear it  ccasion14:

 

[vic108]

Very VERY Nice!!

 

[bagman67]

Thanks, MichaelH and Vic108, for the kind words.  I'm very happy with how my Black Beast came out.


I'll tell you truthfully, I don't set much store by the fingerboard making much difference in the sound of a neck.  The meat of the thing is maple, and it's meaty indeed, being a boatneck.  And the macassar ebony's nice and tight-grained and hard and stiff, even more so than maple would be, so my guess is it's likely to be at least as snappy, if there's a difference at all.


As for this particular axe, the Quarter Pound is beefier than your typical Tele pup (at least when untapped), so while it's snappy, it's also got more midrange - and that tends to offset some of the Tele twang.  Likewise for the Dream90 (something like a P90 in a HB form factor).  So I can't make any statements as to how this would sound with a standard Tele pickup complement.  I just know I like it.


Bagman

 

[Cagey]

I'll tell you truthfully, I don't set much store by the fingerboard making much difference in the sound of a neck.  The meat of the thing is maple, and it's meaty indeed, being a boatneck.  And the macassar ebony's nice and tight-grained and hard and stiff, even more so than maple would be, so my guess is it's likely to be at least as snappy, if there's a difference at all.

I'm quite sure that's true, with some qualification. If you do a lot of hammers/taps/pull-offs (see Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen), I think the fretboard wood has an effect. The harder it is, the more pronounced those notes will be. That also goes for the harder frets, such as the "gold" or stainless parts. It's almost a form of reverse compression that occurs naturally, where the weaker notes gain prominence due to the abruptness/severity of their impact so they balance better with the picked ones. For most playing, I don't think the fretboard wood or fret material matters. In that case, the neck meat is the thing for overall tone. Its hardness, thickness and density will determine how much vibration it either absorbs or conducts to the body where it's subsequently either lost or maintained.

 

[peter.k]

Wow.....Bete Noire is the Miranda Kerr of guitars. Absolutely stunning

 

[Cagey]

Isn't it? He's lucky he saw that body before I did. Otherwise, I'd be sleeping with it. Just an absolutely gorgeous piece of work.

 

[Updown]

*BUMP  :blob7:

This totally deserves to be bumped, as it was voted GOTY for 2012.

Just simply awesome  :headbang: ............ Just simply perfect  :icon_thumright:

The only thing wrong with this guitar, is that it's not in my possession  :icon_biggrin:

Top notch Mr Bagman !!
(you should have made ten of them)

 

[Cagey]

It really is a star, isn't it?

 

[JaySwear]

I still can't help but wonder what this would look like with a black or tortoise pickguard  :icon_biggrin: I do love it though!