Mary Black Tele

[peter.k]

She is in progress, so here it is.....

I read somewhere here that dark hardware brings out the grain of the body, and bright hardware tones it down. So I have gone with all black on a Mary Kaye body.

I have fitted the Wilkinson short bridge and the ferrulles. The pics here are with various black parts sitting on the body to get the effect of what I am after. Personally loving it of course.....

The pickups will be exposed and black.

The black Strat knobs are perfect and I had them in the parts bin. Tuners will be black as well.


I thought a maple neck would be good but it looks too yellow compared to the black hardware and cream body....

Check out the pics of my own virtual guitar builder (ie laying the body on top of various guitars.....)

I love the rosewood board, really like the black headstock and ebony board, but don't like the maple board at all...opinions please!!

I am leaning towards a mahogany neck with rosewood board (Gibson player from way back......)

This is my first build and I'm trying to cut out the marathon google sessions for pickups, hardware, neck options etc....

 

[Patriot54]

I like the second picture - the one with the dark neck, dot inlays and binding. Except I'd go with a traditional Tele headstock painted black.

 

[Eric Banjitar]

+1 for the second choice.  Go get em.

 

[jackthehack]

No good at Photoshopping, but how about this?

Maple neck with jet black ebony board; paint the neck May Kay as well? You could still do the peghead face black if you wanted...

 

[Patrick from Davis]

It almost looks like Frank Black's contemporary tele when he was in the Pixies.

Patrick

 

[Tweed]

My vote is #2.
And I strongly request to see details on the bridge p/up install, because I'm planning one with the cutaway bridge.

 

[slashin_velvet]

Wenge Tele neck with a rosewood or ebony board (depending on preffered fretboard).

Wenge is seriously underrated (and doesnt require a warmoth finish)

 

[swarfrat]

There's still two all ebony necks left in the showcase:

Would look sharp with this guitar. Yeah, they're pricey but ... it's ebony!h

 

[DangerousR6]

It almost looks like Frank Black's contemporary tele when he was in the Pixies.

Patrick

I like that... :icon_thumright:

 

[ZionWarmoth]

Get the black ebony neck, looks KILLER!!!

 

[peter.k]

Keep in mind everyone that this is a 7/8 Warhead body. There are slim pickings in the Showcase. A dark neck is the way to go now that some of the hardware is fitted. And not long ago I was settled on a Maple neck......All I know for sure (at the moment) is the neck will be a Fatback 12" radius. I might head over to the neck builder and get the bad news on the price of choice woods........I will post pics when the pickups are in. No probs.....

EDIT: I just realised I made no mention of the 7/8 Warhead body....D'oh!

 

[leo12.]

I've seen some real nice Macassar Ebony fretboards on here, that grain would look good with the Mary Kaye trans finish.

 

[DangerousR6]

Personally I like the all maple neck... :dontknow:

 

[peter.k]

UPDATE!!!!!



First of all, the neck is temporary. It's off a 70's Japanese Les Paul type copy I had lying around. I just had to attach something to the body and bring it to life. It is thicker than a 59 roundback with an infuriatingly narrow nut ....btw, the intonation is spot on, go figure....

Everything else is done. Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound in the neck and Fender Noiseless in the bridge. The Quarter Pound sounds awesome. i am very happy with it. A full warm sound, very responsive to the volume knob.

I have decided on a rosewood neck and fingerboard, fatback. After putting on the test neck I like the block inlays. Might go with these as well.

There is one problem though. Each pickup sounds great individually. With the switch in the middle position the sound is about half the volume, and very out of phase sounding. Not pleasant at all. Is there an easy fix or should I post this question in the pickup section? The Fender Noiseless pickup in the bridge is of course two stacked coils. Is this type of pickup compatible with the single coil in the neck?

Tweed asked:

And I strongly request to see details on the bridge p/up install, because I'm planning one with the cutaway bridge.

Sorry for no reply Tweed. All I did was put the bridge in place with the mounting screws pressing onto the body to mark the holes. I then drilled pilot holes and used the stock pickup screws directly into the timber. Really as simple as that. I was going to put wood inserts into the body and screw into these, but it seemed like a fix to a problem that did not exist. The pickup is not going to move anywhere soon....

 

[Cagey]

There is one problem though. Each pickup sounds great individually. With the switch in the middle position the sound is about half the volume, and very out of phase sounding. Not pleasant at all. Is there an easy fix or should I post this question in the pickup section?

Just swap the hot/ground on one pickup or the other.

 

[JazzX]

Don't change the neck, it looks great!  :hello2:

 

[peter.k]

Don't change the neck, it looks great!  :hello2:

Yeah it does look good, but the neck needs a tidy up on the paintwork and some serious fret work......

 

[peter.k]

There is one problem though. Each pickup sounds great individually. With the switch in the middle position the sound is about half the volume, and very out of phase sounding. Not pleasant at all. Is there an easy fix or should I post this question in the pickup section?

Just swap the hot/ground on one pickup or the other.

Thanks Cagey! Fixed in five minutes

 

[ThePhilosopher]

That's quite the looker; I'm beginning to like Mary Kay more and more.

 

[Cagey]

That's quite the looker; I'm beginning to like Mary Kay more and more.

It's an attractive finish. I'm surprised more people don't opt for it.