First build-need some help possibly along the way.

[bagman67]

As for what your options are for pickup cavity reversal, I think at this point you will want to pick up the phone or fire up the email to Warmoth themselves.  We can offer a great deal of support, but we cannot definitively confirm what Warmoth can and cannot do in non-run-of-the-mill situations. 


Some folks reverse the orientation of the bridge pickup on a Strat because they think it sounds better to their ears.  Same effect is likely to obtain here, but since most Telecasters have the fixed bridge with the pickup mounted in the brass plate, it's a bigger pain in the butt than having a plastic pickguard cut to accomodate the reverse orientation.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Anybody have any other suggestions on bridges and what not that would give me a similar look to the tune o matic or something that might give it a "wow" factor or "you don't see that much"?

I'm partial to Bigsbys on my Teles... Both of these have 3-saddle bridges with the rear lip machined away to allow the strings to pass from the tension bar up to the saddles. It's an easy enough mod to do to any standard "Ashtray" style bridge, but you can also find them available from some of the custom parts guys. The black one has a Rutters bridge, the Blonde has one from Taipan Tone. They were functional without shimming the neck, but I wanted more break angle over the saddles so I raised them and then had to shim to compensate. No biggie.

 

[Fat Pete]

I'm just looking around for that bridge plate with the pickup hole the right way now...

These guys do one here.

 

[mayfly]

Here you go:  Left handed telecaster bridge plate for bigsby B5 virbrato:

http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/B5TBL.htm

 

[mayfly]

I'm just looking around for that bridge plate with the pickup hole the right way now...

These guys do one here.

Great minds think alike

Now onto the next problem - the holes for the bridge studs.  Do you think warmoth will do that or will they need to be drilled on a press by a guy who knows drill presses?

 

[Kbowers6948]

I'm just not sure he's a vibrato fan. None of his guitars have a wammy bar. :/ I know, tough customer. I appreciate all the help guys, don't give up hope on me!

 

[Kbowers6948]

I sent musicman  (?) The maker of the steve Morse guitar, about the low profile stop bar tailpiece to see if they offer it, is there anything I'm going to have to worry about going that route? I known the neck pocket angle which I'm hoping warmoth can take care of and I'm hoping they can cut the bridge pup pocket opposite of what it would normally be on a left to accommodate the right handed bridge. Anything I need to worry about?

 

[mayfly]

I sent musicman  (?) The maker of the steve Morse guitar, about the low profile stop bar tailpiece to see if they offer it, is there anything I'm going to have to worry about going that route? I known the neck pocket angle which I'm hoping warmoth can take care of and I'm hoping they can cut the bridge pup pocket opposite of what it would normally be on a left to accommodate the right handed bridge. Anything I need to worry about?

Some notes:
1 - Music Man probably won't sell you the bridge.  They are kinda funny - they don't do anyone any favours unless you buy one of their guitars.  No harm in trying though.
2 - if you get the recessed TOM bridge, you don't have to angle the neck pocket.
3 - if you end up angling the neck pocket for whatever reason, the standard tele pickups won't work.  They will be too far away from the strings.

 

[Kbowers6948]

Would they not work even with just 2.5 to 3 degree positive angle change for that guitar fetish bridge?

 

[Kbowers6948]

And if they won't sell me one (you'd think companies wouldake money where they can) anybody know any custom people tat could make one for me?

 

[Kbowers6948]

Update: got some lines out to some custom shops on the stop bar tailpiece just in case music man won't sell me one.

 

[bagman67]

I think that Guitar Fetish bridge is a drop-in replacement for a standard Tele, and includes string-through holes that could be used with the standard through-holes that come with the Tele body.  Just a thought.

 

[Kbowers6948]

Is the 1/16 of an inch in adjustment on the neck going to be enough to make it not work with the single coils??

 

[Kbowers6948]

Bagman, you're right about the string holes and being able to use it by itself. I may end up doing that unless I can come up with someone who can make that stop bar for a decent price in which I may roll with that. We'll see when the emails start coming in. Now I've got to find out if warmoth would be willing to cut the bridge single coil slot opposite of what it should be on a lefty to use the bridge.

 

[stratamania]

I would say it's almost a certainty Musicman won't sell you one. It's a proprietary part.

The guitar Steve Morse made himself known as the Frankenstein Tele, had four pickups and a lowered Tuneomatic on a Tele body with a Strat neck.

The trapeze tailpiece he used was of an old 12 string. Here's a link to a few different types of trapeze types that might work with a recessed TOM.

https://www.allparts.com/trapeze-tailpieces

Perhaps this may be a solution but the more off the beaten path you go, the more chance there is that your brother may not like what you think is cool as much as you do.

Wish you luck with the build in any event and look forward to seeing the pics...

 

[Kbowers6948]

That's why I'm not trying to go with the trapeze part like steve originally did lol

 

[stratamania]

Probably a wise move...  ccasion14:

Though I've thought a couple of times of replicating the old Frankenstein.

 

[Kbowers6948]

Anybody with a steve morse guitar willing to tell music man they're stop bar broke or went missing and needs a new one?  :glasses9:

 

[Kbowers6948]

I got to thinking, since that guitar fetish bridge sits 1/16" higher than a traditional bridge and calls for angling the neck 2.5 to 3 degrees in the positive direction to be able to use it, wound it be anything to have them recess the whole bridge location that 1/16 of an inch to bring it all back to normal and if that was possible would that have any negative side effects?

 

[Kbowers6948]

Found somebody that can make the steve Morse style tail piece of music man won't sell me one. The company is hantug out of turkey, it'd be titanium. And said it'd be shipped 7 days after I paid for it.

Gonna have to get with warmoth and see about getting a recessed bridge cavity and the tele pickup cavity routed backwards to use the bridge.