Hi Guys! New Tele Deluxe build.

[Loobs]

Hi guys, some of you may or may not recognise my name from HC, I am also Loobster on TGP.

I am just about to begin a Warmoth project after a long and fruitless search for a second guitar to even come close to my number 1 - a black on black with gun oil tint maple  US G&L ASAT Special, nothing I have been able to find has touched it, so I thought, what the hell perhaps I just need to make my own guitar. Anyway, I've always been a fan of the Tele Deluxe with big CBS headstock, just a really funky cool guitar that totally has it's own vibe going on. For me, buying an original is out of the question, nice as it would be, and to honest the necks and frets on the 70s one always feel kinda crappy unless you find a really pristine one. The reissues aren't really doing it for me either, the pickups aren't what they should be (definitely not Wide-Ranges) and it'd be cool to have something a little more individual.

So I'm about to order a Tele Deluxe body from the Showcase and a 'CBS' m 'aple neck, with a slight birdseye. I have a few questions...the body says it's drilled for a 'Nrrw Strat® Flt Mnt' bridge, which bridge would I be able to install on this? Is there one available on Warmoth's site that would fit right in, or would a US Standard Fender hard tail bridge work? Also, is the 'standard thin' neck carve akin to a 'modern' Fender C-shape on say, a US Std. Strat or Tele? Don't want to order it and it be too thin, the flipside of that is that there aren't very many CBS finished necks in the Showcase, and I'd rather order from there to keep the price down. If the neck carve isn't too thin, that's not a problem.

Apologies for the long first post, can't wait to get underway with this build. Really loving looking at everyone's awesome builds.

Ben

 

[Nando Vallart]

So I'm about to order a Tele Deluxe body from the Showcase and a 'CBS' m 'aple neck, with a slight birdseye. I have a few questions...the body says it's drilled for a 'Nrrw Strat® Flt Mnt' bridge, which bridge would I be able to install on this?

Narrow Strat bridge:
http://www.warmoth.com/Narrow-Spaced-Strat-C705.aspx

Is there one available on Warmoth's site that would fit right in, or would a US Standard Fender hard tail bridge work? Also, is the 'standard thin' neck carve akin to a 'modern' Fender C-shape on say, a US Std. Strat or Tele? Don't want to order it and it be too thin, the flipside of that is that there aren't very many CBS finished necks in the Showcase, and I'd rather order from there to keep the price down. If the neck carve isn't too thin, that's not a problem.

How much is too thin is totally personal taste... Never played on a USA Fender nor W Standard thin neck, but people say it's pretty much close the feel on both...
About the pickups, can't remember exactly but I think Lollar or Fralin pickups make some good Wide Rangers for what I've heard

Welcome to the board!

 

[Mor Paul]

Fralin's p92 is a split coil humbucker.

 

[Loobs]

Thanks for the replies guys. Guess I will go for the 'standard thin' and take a gamble on it.

The bridge looks fine too. As I understand it, nobody is making a 'true to original' wide range - they used CuNiFe magnets, an expensive alloy that doesn't seem to be used by any current pickup builders. The Falins look nice, as do the Harmonic Design Z-90s and Bare Knuckle Mississippi Queens, all 3 are pretty expensive though so I'll have to think carefully about that. At the other end of the market there's the GFS Mean 90s (or Dream 90s) which seem to get really great reviews, and they are really cheap. Choosing pickups has always been a real pain in the ass for me, I never know where to start. I know if something sounds good, but do I know if it sounds as good as it should...etc...

 

[Loobs]

So I'm about to order a Tele Deluxe body from the Showcase and a 'CBS' m 'aple neck, with a slight birdseye. I have a few questions...the body says it's drilled for a 'Nrrw Strat® Flt Mnt' bridge, which bridge would I be able to install on this?

Narrow Strat bridge:
http://www.warmoth.com/Narrow-Spaced-Strat-C705.aspx

Is there one available on Warmoth's site that would fit right in, or would a US Standard Fender hard tail bridge work? Also, is the 'standard thin' neck carve akin to a 'modern' Fender C-shape on say, a US Std. Strat or Tele? Don't want to order it and it be too thin, the flipside of that is that there aren't very many CBS finished necks in the Showcase, and I'd rather order from there to keep the price down. If the neck carve isn't too thin, that's not a problem.

How much is too thin is totally personal taste... Never played on a USA Fender nor W Standard thin neck, but people say it's pretty much close the feel on both...
About the pickups, can't remember exactly but I think Lollar or Fralin pickups make some good Wide Rangers for what I've heard

Welcome to the board!

Btw, your Tele Deluxe looks utterly sexy.

 

[tfarny]

Standard thin is almost identical the the basic new USA strat shape. It's on the thin side but it's not a Jackson type of thin. I personally like a thicker one.
Your pickup choice is the single most important choice you'll make as far as sound, I would say it's not a place to try and save money, in general, if you are really trying to make the best guitar of your life.Personally I'm too cheap to consider Bardens or some of the other "next level" choices but Fralins and Lollars etc. have made a lot of people really happy. GFS stuff is hit or miss, some people swear by them others swear about them. I've had both good and bad pickups from them.
Never tried the ones you are after. I have heard that vintage vibe or someone else will actually make a wide-range bucker to order. You might call Lollar and ask if they'll do it or if not do they know someone who will.

 

[Loobs]

Thanks for the reply. The neck shape sounds perfect then, it's pretty much what I have on my asat and have had on many Fenders I've owned in the past. I guess saving up for some excellent pickups probably is the way to go. The Lindy Fralins are serious money, I bet they sound awesome though.

 

[Loobs]

Just ordered the body from the showcase. It was the vintage white 'blem' one, $207. It only had a tiny little scratch near the neck pocket. I am stoked, now the planning begins. I will order the neck soon.

 

[Mor Paul]

What item number?

 

[Loobs]

pt1367 I believe.

I need to start thinking bout a neck. I was gonna go with a 'normal' vintage tint maple from the showcase but this is really temping:  http://www.warmoth.com:80/Showcase/ShowcaseNeck.aspx?i=SN7031&Body=1&Path=Neck

I worry it might be too dark though - I like bright guitar sounds. I'm trying to keep the cost down on this project, and also I guess I'm really testing the water. I'm a poor student so both the body and neck have to come from the showcase. It's dangerous to start speccing out necks on the neck builder!

 

[Nando Vallart]

Will look awesome!!!

 

[OzziePete]

Sounds like agreat project, good luck!

BTW, I think you've posted this Thread in the wrong section of the fourm, so don't be surprised if the Mods end up moving it.

 

[Loobs]

Yup, my mistake. I think it was a case of an over-exuberant first topic.  

 

[jay4321]

Thanks for the replies guys. Guess I will go for the 'standard thin' and take a gamble on it.

The bridge looks fine too. As I understand it, nobody is making a 'true to original' wide range - they used CuNiFe magnets, an expensive alloy that doesn't seem to be used by any current pickup builders.

I spent a good amount of time looking into this for my Deluxe project, and came to the conclusion that you pretty much need to fork over the $ for the real vintage ones, or go with something else. There really isn't a true substitute and the next-best-things are really quite different (and as you've found many of those are very pricey in their own right). Now you COULD go with the reissue pickups and toss 500k pots in your guitar, though opinions vary on their sound.

 

[Mor Paul]

Look up Telenator. He has done some wide-range pickups.
It might be at telenator.com

 

[Schlieren]

Look up Telenator. He has done some wide-range pickups.
It might be at telenator.com

Please note that Fender's wide-range pickups varied... widely... since the first ones were made.

 

[Loobs]

Yeah, I think finding a WR pickup is out of the question - I'm not too bothered. I'm more than happy to have some humbucker sized P90s in there - most likely from Bare Knuckle, being in the UK.

 

[-CB-]

The Fralin p92 "twangmaster" is probably a better approximation of the original WR pickup than any of the re-issues.  Tjhe orginal WR had split coils, and the "pole screws" were actually the magnets.  Yah the Fralins aren't adjustable on the twangmaster, but... barring that, they're made pretty close to the same way.

 

[Loobs]

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=10332.0

Here's a build thread I've started on it, the body arrived today. Hopefully the neck time I have something to post in here it'll be the completed guitar. 

 

[The Dealer]

I also have a G&L ASAT, though mine is a Blues Boy, and I cannot find anything stock that compares. I,ve ordered a nice Warmoth Tele body and neck and I,m going from there. I like your guitar it's really got a lot of Mojo. :icon_thumright: