First build, TeleGib-ish, does it make sense ?

[brk303]

Hi guys,

Lurking here for a while now, learning and planning my first build.

I have a LP, 335 and a Strat so I'd like a Tele (shape) next.

I haven't decided on wood etc, but I know what I want sound wise.

A strat-ish (think SRV) sounding neck pickup, perhaps Texas Special or similar.

Gibson sounding bridge PAF type humbucker.

Now the questions, does this make sense ? Is this doable ? How far off will it sound ?
What sort of wood choices for the body and neck would be good or bad for the sound I'm aiming for ?

I understand Gibson construction is different to what Warmoth offers, but is this a deal breaker ?

Warmoth approach is to start of Fender-ish and attempt to make bridge humbucker sound Gibson-ish.

Would it make more sense to start of with a set neck construction and try to make neck pickup Fender-ish ?

I know this might be a bit vague, but I am a beginner at this, so any pointers are appreciated.

 

[ben]

Is it doable? Anything is doable! :headbang:

"Gibson tone" comes from a combination of things - pickups, wood choice, scale length, construction technique, hardware, etc.

Pickups will get you a lot of the way there (if you primarily play with heavy distortion or fuzz, your tone is 99% pickups anyway), but you could also try a mahogany body and neck, rosewood board, and the 24.75 conversion neck option.

Check out the Tele Deluxe - it was basically Fender's attempt at competing with the Les Paul - 2 humbuckers, 2 vol, 2 tone, and a 3-way switch in the LP position. That would be pretty cool in mahogany with a short scale neck on it.

 

[zebra]

There's some good discussion at this thread, that might give you some insight:
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=26122.msg375440#msg375440

Here's my favorite example of the genre that I've seen at this board:
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=25708.msg369807#msg369807

Now here's a few personal opinions:

The key differences between Gibson and Fender platforms are:  Look, construction, tone, feel, hardware/features.

Look:  It's up to you.  Like fancy carved maple tops?  Like solid pastels on flat tops?  Up to you.

Construction:  They key difference here is "set-neck v. bolt-on."  The only Gibson-y thing that Warmoth can't offer is a set-neck.  If that's a deal-breaker for you, then I suggest you go elsewhere.  Otherwise, bolt-on necks are very stable, easy to replace, and I'd rather have access to the enormous array of options, both body and neck, that a bolt-neck design neck from Warmoth would open up.  There are other parts manufacturers that offer kits with set-necks.  However, Warmoth's unique combination of features, quality, and price is appealing.

Tone:  Most of what people describe as "tone" comes from pickups and wiring, and little from the wood, so I consider this to be a matter of "humbucker v. single coil."  Scale length can figure a little bit into tone, some folks saying that longer scale has slightly more top-end, and gives a snappier, spankier response.  But for me, scale length is more about feel (slightly easier reaches, easier bends).  Some folks make a big deal about the a Les Paul's sustain.  I think a lot of that talk came from how humbuckers would drive amps more than single coils, but with all of the over-wound single coils, single-coil sized humbuckers, boost pedals, and master-volume knobs on amps, needing to use a humbucker to get sustain isn't such a thing anymore, in the year 45 PB (post-Boogie).  I have a feeling that the most important element in getting sustain is just not using a trem.  But like I said, lots of opinions here, and I could be wrong.  Some folks have asked the question:  How much (clean) sustain does one really need?  Most folks are only interested in sustain when using gobs of distortion anyway... 

Feel:  The differences here are scale length (24.75" v. 25.5") and neck angle, the former having a slight affect on tone, the latter not affecting tone at all.  Things like a flatter fretboard radius and a '59 Roundback neck contour will give a more Gibson-vibe, but for considerations of feel, I would stick with what I like, as opposed to what's considered to be "appropriate" for a particular model.  If what your building is a Tele-Gib, you've already strayed into hybrid-territory, and adherence to convention is out the window. 

Hardware/Features:  As mentioned previously, I think the big thing here is trem vs. non-trem.  Some folks have a "better to have it and not need it" attitude.  Whenever I find myself with a guitar that has a trem, I almost never use it, so I'd rather not have it - just one more thing to have to set-up and fiddle with. 

Besides that, do searches at this forum with terms like "tele gib paul" and "first build."  Those searches will yield plenty of posts that will give you tons of ideas for the tele-paul combo, as well as forum favorites for other features (raw necks, stainless steel frets being particularly poplular right now).

 

[musicispeace]

You could go tele format with Gibson scale and even a stop tail bridge if you want. I used to be a humbucking guitar guy who quit for awhile and this time around I find the Fender design to be extremely more comfortable. One thing I would put forward in the very subjective topic of pickups is that if you do a tele format and are looking for a smoking neck pickup I would check out the Klein Epic '52 and the Klein Dallas Blues for tele would probably be a good SRV type contender as well. But both are tele pickups. You could also have the body routed for a strat pickup and use what you like in the neck. Just my humble opinion. Any good, dynamic, bridge humbucker is going to sound like a humbucker in the bridge. I have two HSS strats that sound like great humbucker guitars when you go to the full size PAF replica in the bridge. Don't overthink or lose sleep about the set neck vs bolt on neck debate. If you play well and express yourself well no one cares what you use and in a given room I would challenge anyone to honestly say they hear something aside from an electric guitar plugged into an amp....period. Again, my opinion. I don't remember seeing any bands where an audience member yelled out "that's a Tusk nut" at the guitar player.

Woodwise, it would be easy to go mahogany body and roasted maple neck with rosewood board. You already have a LP so perhaps you are looking for variation on a theme rather than trying to replicate an LP sound per se. It sounds like a cool project so proceed once you finalize it all. You may end up trying different pot values to find what makes you happy if you are mixing single coil and humbucker pickups but people do it everyday. I have 300k pots in my HHS strats and don't find the humbucker to sound "dark" but we all have to try and decide. I have a tele project in waiting and am looking forward to the day.

 

[stratamania]

These type of posts about trying to make a Tele, with different pickups always remind me of Steve Morse's Frankentele, which basically is the early experiments of what later became his Musicman signatures.

It might be worth searching about that Frankentele as its quite interesting what he did and may give you some ideas.

Until very recently I owned a Steve Morse, with four pickups, HSSH and it was incredibly versatile. I could get lots of Strat, Tele and LP ish type tones out of it. None of them I would say as exact as the individual guitars but certainly versatile for a single guitar.  I sold it as I was approached by a collector who needed an example in the colour that I had. I may make something based on some of the ideas from it at some point.