Mini/Travel Telecaster - mostly from scratch build (non-Warmoth)

[BrotherJack]

This was really just an experiment that for various reasons got carried on through to completion.  The idea for this one was I wanted to build myself a replacement for my (now sold) Stienberger that fit so nice in a 30 x 9 case.  It fit so nice in the overhead bins while flying, and I never had to have that panic-attack we all get when we see airline staff walking away with our guitar in-hand.  So, I started playing with designs.  Headless parts are too expensive, and I wanted it to look more like a 'regular guitar' anyway, so I ended up with this.  It' s approx 31 x 9 inches, and fits (with some room to spare) in a 1/4 size guitar case (Amazon, $29).  The neck is a full 24.75 scale with a custom 'mini snake-head' headstock of my own design.    It plays remarkably well for such a small instrument, and the balance when hung around a neck is really not much off a regular telecaster - which is to say a bit neck heavy if you're used to a Strat, but otherwise not bad.  I even got so carried away as to put a custom headstock decal on it (JLCustom - JL being my initials).    The controls I put up top, because the body is so small that down-low in the normal location, they got in the way of my picking hand.    The body is red fir.  I sketched it out on the wood till I was happy with it, cut it out with a jig-saw (how redneck is that, eh?!), shaped it using a drum sander attachment for my drill press, and routed and drilled everything by hand.  Finished in a dark stain and rattle can min-wax matte clear lacquer.    I thought it came out pretty cool, all things considered.   

Now that the experiment is a success, I am going to go back and re-do it 'for real this time', with a proper Warmoth neck and a body that's more in the neighborhood of a mini-PRS than a Tele (I've done some experiments, and it would balance more like a strat with a upper horn instead of the rounded tele shape)

Anyway, I yack too much, and we all know - #thisthreadisuselesswithoutpics - so here you go - any questions you have, ask away. 

 

[zebra]

Oh that's great!  Every time I travel, I wish I had a travel-sized guitar.  I've considered something along the lines of an Ibanez Micro on the small side, or a 22" Fender-style on the large side - but keep coming back to the idea that I should just build something myself.  Thanks for sharing your work - I definitely got some ideas/inspiration from it!

 

[BrotherJack]

Cool, glad you enjoyed.  I definitely love having a travel guitar - once I had my stineberger, and realized how nice it was to travel with, I've been enamored with them.  But I've tried short-scales of various kinds (Ibanez Mikro, Squier Mini, etc), even a 24 scale fender, and they all just feel too short/uncomfortable somehow.  A 24.75 is as short as I can go and still feel like 'real guitar' in my hands (and to be honest, 24.75 is my preferred length, a 25.5 feels just a touch long to me). 

I had no idea if this was going to turn out good or not when i started, but I'm really over the moon by how good it came out.  My only quibbles are some design stuff I'd like to do different next time, no complaints at all with any of the techniques or results.

 

[zebra]

I want to accomplish on of these by Christmas, and FULLY INTEND to consult you on your continued impressions for guidance! 

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Cool - I'm working on a travel guitar as well.  Have been for a long time but illness and winter have gotten in the way a couple times.  About to get back to work on it - only have to route the control cavity and then finish it.  One of the things I've been waffling on now though is the location of the strap buttons.  I see where you put yours and wanted your input.  Here's a picture of mine:

and here's what the back side looks like:

I had built a bracket to put the lower button right in the middle like normal but have rethought that and don't want to use that bracket now.  So I'm looking at either having the button right in that thin area of the body which I'm afraid may be too fragile, or putting it just to the top of that opening where the tuners are (like yours) or just below it.  How is the balance of your guitar when it's on a strap with the button to the top like that?  Mine would be virtually in the same location as yours if I put it there.  Thanks for the input.

 

[fdesalvo]

These are way cool!

 

[BrotherJack]

Derp - somehow I missed getting notification for replies to this thread.    Thanks for all the kind words guys, and yeah, anyone gots any questions, I can run my mouth some yeah, I'll tell you what I think. 

So, the strap button location.  I actually did some testing on that to get the little guy to balance as best as it could, given the geometry of the situation.  Moving the rear one upwards seemed to my subjective testing to make it feel less neck heavy.    The front one is less important - get it on the point that is as far forward as you can and call that a day.    Yours being a rear tuning rig, you probably won't have any issues at all with balance,  but for handiness sake, I'd still mount it high at the back to make it easy to get your hand down to the tuners.

 

[BigSteve22]

Every time I see a post from you, I think of more ways to spend my $$$.

I especially like the part about the jig saw! Red neck indeed....