Custom LUKE-N4-CARVED TELE Hybrid FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[felipeak]

Hello everyone... I'm new in here, posting from Chile, South America.

This is my second Warmoth project, very challenging for me.
I've always loved Steve Lukather's sound, telecasters, carved tops and I own a Washburn N4 Vintage that I am realy used to it's neck profile. So I blended all these into one guitar.
First, I ordered a tele body (flat-top), no control rout, just HSS pickup and wilkinson bridge rout.
I customized the body, inspired in Don Grosh's carved top telecasters ( http://gallery.me.com/grosh.guitars#100730&bgcolor=black&view=grid ) by changing the shape a little and carving the top. (check out grosh's guitar gallery....amazing)

Here are some pictures:

I just ordered the neck with 14 inch radius, wizard profile, 6105 frets, earvana black tusq nut and reverse headstock (like the N4). I hope that the final product woud be as planned:

Hope tele purists don't hate me for doing this. See you.

:blob7:

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Welcome! That looks absolutely killer.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

Hello everyone... I'm new in here, posting from Chile, South America.

Welcome to the forum! I hope you'll enjoy yourself here!

Hope tele purists don't hate me for doing this. See you.

If they do, tell them to go bite some aluminum foil to get their mind off it. That's a fine-looking design that I'm sure will work well and you'll be happy with.

 

[JaySwear]

AWESOME! very one-of-a-kind. the only thing i don't like is the reverse headstock, but that body is killer... cool guitar

 

[Mor Paul]

AWESOME! very one-of-a-kind. the only thing i don't like is the reverse headstock, but that body is killer... cool guitar

+1. Maybe a modified strat headstock, or CBS...  :icon_thumright:

 

[pabloman]

Eff me that's some fine wood workin there. I've been wanting to do somethin like that for a while. Good job! ccasion14:

 

[felipeak]

Tanks for all the feedback!!!!!!!!!

Other specs of the final guitar are:

1. Full flotating wilkinson tremolo
2. 18v mod for EMG pickups
3. toggle switch: 3 position for Humbucker, Middle+Neck SC and Neck SC. (I've never used middle PU alone and B+M sounds horrible in this EMGs)
4. Locking tuners
5. Transparent finish

 

[big bob]

WOW..that is just cool, I love a do it yourself gone right.. Keep up the good work..

 

[Kostas]

Congrats! Great work on that body  :icon_thumright:

 

[JaySwear]

i was trying to figure out what this reminded me of, and i figured it out! the carved top SGs gibson had a couple years ago. the Diablo i think it was.

 

[elfro89]

Hello everyone... I'm new in here, posting from Chile, South America.

This is my second Warmoth proyect, very challenging for me.
I've always loved Steve Lukather's sound, telecasters, carved tops and I own a Washburn N4 Vintage that I am realy used to it's neck profile. So I blended all these into one guitar.
First, I ordered a tele body (flat-top), no control rout, just SSH pickup and wilkinson bridge rout.
I customized the body, inspired in Don Grosh's carved top telecasters ( http://gallery.me.com/grosh.guitars#100730&bgcolor=black&view=grid ) by changing the shape a little and carving the top. (check out grosh's guitar gallery....amazing)

Here are some pictures:

I just ordered the neck with 14 inch radius, wizard profile, 6105 frets, earvana black tusq nut and reverse headstock (like the N4). I hope that the final product woud be as planned:

Hope tele purists don't hate me for doing this. See you.

Thats some amazing looking work! can't wait to see it finished!

 

[pabloman]

Speaking of the 18 volt mod has anybody tried it? I have a couple of old school ivory 58's that i would like to hear and when I put them in a home I planned on feeding them 18 volts. Has anyone heard these pups? I'm curious what they sound like.

 

[OzziePete]

Speaking of the 18 volt mod has anybody tried it? I have a couple of old school ivory 58's that i would like to hear and when I put them in a home I planned on feeding them 18 volts. Has anyone heard these pups? I'm curious what they sound like.

OK the 18v mod you refer to is running two 9v batteries in series to give you 18v, correct?

I have been working a project for years (no joke  :sad: ) that involves EMG 89s with 18v. On the times I have been able to get the pickups working (not a problem with the EMGs I must add, it's my own stupid fault this project hasn't been done and dusted by now) the 18v does give a little more headroom in the dynamics of the pickups. Tone, to my cranky old ears, sounds the same. I believe the 18 v battery system is more noticeable on bass guitar pickups...

You might wanna check if the old 58s can firstly handle 18v, and then if there's any introduced noise that might be amplified if the power to them was upped. I think some of the old EMG designs were a bit noisy so I don't think giving a noisy pickup more headroom is beneficial.

http://www.emginc.com/products/index/84/6/1

On topic: That is some great woodworking done here. Any plans to finish or stain the wood?

 

[exaN]

Pictures won't show for me

 

[felipeak]

my picture webpage server is down for maintenence for a while. pictures should appear in a few houres. sorry

 

[felipeak]

PICTURES ARE BACK!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MedianMusic1]

I like the body. You are real good with a router. What was your first Warmoth project?

 

[Watershed]

Great job!
Very respectable work there.

James

 

[felipeak]

my first project was 7 years ago (a halfmoth)... I changed a Line6 variax neck for a warmoth..... easy work.
Now, i have been working with my hands for years (I'm a dentist) so I'm very used to rout and carve things. This carved top was done 90% with dremel's sandrums and hand sanding. Just the edges were cut and rounded with a router.

Thanks for all the feedback!!!!!!!!!!

 

[taez555]

Dude, that's crazy awesome.  Can't wait to see the final guitar.