Planning first build - something unique

[toat]

I've been interested in Warmth for a decade and I think I'm finally close to my first build.
Before you go thinking this is too weird, here's the inspiration of design: http://www.mike-sabre.com/Models/JohnMcLaughlinsModel/johnmclaughlinsmodel.html. Although obviously the look I'm after here is my own taste.

Body:
Model: TELECASTER®
Scale: 25-1/2 IN.
Right/Left: RIGHT HANDED
Wood:
Core: MAHOGANY
Control Cavity: REAR ROUT
Pickup Rout: HUMBUCKER - NONE - NONE
Control Rout:
3 WAY SWITCH (TELE®)
VOLUME (TELE®)
Bridge Type: TREMOLO
Bridge Rout: SEMI-RECESSED WILKINSON TREMOLO
Jack Rout: 3/4" (19MM) SIDE JACK HOLE
Neck Pocket: TELE® SHAPE
Mounting Holes: STANDARD 4 BOLT
Contours:
CONTOURED HEEL
Binding Top: TORTOISE BINDING
Stud Install: USE INSERTS FROM BRIDGE ON ORDER
Top Finish: MARY KAY WHITE
Back Finish: MARY KAY WHITE
Finish Type: SATIN FINISH

Neck:
Style: Vortex
Construction: Gibson® Scale (24-3/4") Conversion Tiltback
Scale: 24-3/4 in. Conversion
Neck Wood:
Shaft Wood: Mahogany
Fretboard Wood: Indian Rosewood
Right/Left: Right Handed
Nut Width: 1-11/16"
Neck Profile: 59 roundback
Radius: 10-16" compound
# of Frets: 22+
Fret Size: 6130
Tuner Ream: Gotoh/Grover (13/32" 11/32")
Inlays:
Inlays: Cream Face Dots
Side Dots: White Side Dots
Pre-Cut Installed String Nut: GraphTech White TUSQ XL - Standard Nut
Mounting Holes: Standard 4 Bolt
Finish: Clear Satin Nitro
Binding: Tortoise

Open to suggestions or any possible pitfalls here.
Controls: the switch will be simple on/off for the humbucker (no volume pot) with possible a few different cap options, and then a tone pot.
Also, one specific question is that I saw in the "in-stock" section they offer super lightweight mahogany bodies. How would I order that for my build and how much extra does it cost?

 

[Logrinn]

That will indeed be an unique guitar. No volume? :icon_scratch:

As for extra light body wood, I believe you'd have to call Warmoth and ask them to chose a light piece. I'm not sure about the cost - $80 perhaps? - but I'm sure someone else here can shed some more light. I believe I asked them once about it but I can't remember the cost, since it was such a long time ago. Or did I ask for a one piece body ... hmmm ...

You could also get a chambered or even hollow body and then you would definitely get a much lighter body.

But it will definitely be interesting following your build :icon_thumright:

 

[toat]

No volume? :icon_scratch:

Hmm, I feel like for a decent population of guitarists (myself included) the volume pot is simply an on/off anyway. This is I never liked the distinct tone that the "rolled volume" effect produces. This is essentially tone suck imo. And I play through a pedalboard with a volume pedal for actual volume control.

 

[Logrinn]

I thought about the volume pedal option. That would make the volume pot unnecessary on the body.
But as for the volume being a tone suck, then I guess you haven't equipped your previous guitars with a treble bleed? It's a drastic change to the tone when turning down the volume.
Personally I find that I use the volume all the time. Couldn't live without it.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/e0SLdOWvz3c[/youtube]

 

[rgand]

Sounds definitely unique. I'll be interested in seeing how you wire that 3-way blade switch. Looking forward to your progress.

 

[BroccoliRob]

Dat tortoise binding is killer. i don't know much about the Wilky, tho. Does it do something the Am Standard trem the notorious WGP (warmoth guitar products) offers doesn't? They seem verr similar. Also, re: Vol control tone suck ---- LOL, as if 99% of people's favorite guitar tones through history didn't come from a guitarr with a volume control.

 

[Cagey]

That's a fine design! And I do see a volume knob hole. If using a volume knob does unattractive things to your tone, you can put a treble bypass on it that eliminates that problem. Some don't like them as the trial & error involved in finding the perfect cap/resistor pair to eliminate other side effects of a treble bleed (sometimes turning it down enhances the the treble), but there are fancier bleeders...

...that have a trim pot to get the thing matched up without a lotta goofing around - see here, for instance. It's not obvious from that picture, but that little board is small enough to stick on the back of a pot. Conveniently, they also sell pots configured that way...

I knew a guy who used a volume pedal in lieu of a pot on the guitar, but found out that the effect the pot has on tone exists regardless of whether it's inside or outside the guitar body. It affects the impedance match between the instrument and the input of your sfx or amp. Going without a volume control altogether is an option, but I'm not sure I'd wanna live with that. If nothing else, there'd need to be on on/off switch on the guitar. You can't have the thing feeding signal all the time, otherwise you can't put it down.

Of course if you have an electronics setup with a modeler or fancy pedalboard, you could do things with that that would allow you to go controllerless, but then what if you wanna plug into something else?

 

[toat]

Dat tortoise binding is killer. i don't know much about the Wilky, tho. Does it do something the Am Standard trem the notorious WGP (warmoth guitar products) offers doesn't? They seem verr similar. Also, re: Vol control tone suck ---- LOL, as if 99% of people's favorite guitar tones through history didn't come from a guitarr with a volume control.

I don't know...are you saying I should go Am Standard trem instead of Wilkinson? I'm open to that.
I think you misunderstood on the volume pot. It's just that I don't use the pot aspect so I prefer an on/off switch for the guitar.

 

[toat]

That's a fine design! And I do see a volume knob hole. If using a volume knob does unattractive things to your tone, you can put a treble bypass on it that eliminates that problem. Some don't like them as the trial & error involved in finding the perfect cap/resistor pair to eliminate other side effects of a treble bleed (sometimes turning it down enhances the the treble), but there are fancier bleeders...

...that have a trim pot to get the thing matched up without a lotta goofing around - see here, for instance. It's not obvious from that picture, but that little board is small enough to stick on the back of a pot. Conveniently, they also sell pots configured that way...

I knew a guy who used a volume pedal in lieu of a pot on the guitar, but found out that the effect the pot has on tone exists regardless of whether it's inside or outside the guitar body. It affects the impedance match between the instrument and the input of your sfx or amp. Going without a volume control altogether is an option, but I'm not sure I'd wanna live with that. If nothing else, there'd need to be on on/off switch on the guitar. You can't have the thing feeding signal all the time, otherwise you can't put it down.

Of course if you have an electronics setup with a modeler or fancy pedalboard, you could do things with that that would allow you to go controllerless, but then what if you wanna plug into something else?

I mean use the volume pot location for  the tone pot in this case. Agree 100% on the volume pot effect regardless of in or out of the guitar, but in my case I put the volume pedal after all effects in my pedalboard which kind of makes it a moot point.

 

[Cagey]

Ok, well, if you're going to have an on/off switch on the guitar, then I suppose that'll all work out. Seems kinda limiting to me, when you can get the volume pot to behave as if it's not there, but whatever floats yer boat.

You could keep the pot, but make it a push/pull so you could bypass it for direct out, and use the bleeder so it's not a tone sucker when it's engaged. Y'know - just in case you ever want a way to lower output locally to work with a sfx/amp setup other than your own. Gets you the best of all worlds. Actually, the more I think about it, I may do that on something upcoming, just to see how it works out in practice. I already have a Tele in-house right now where we're going to do something similar, but we're going to use a discreet switch to bypass the volume and tone both.

Also, what are you going to do about that indexing hole where the bridge pickup cavity route is supposed to be?

 

[toat]

Good point about the index hole. I assumed they would fill it with wood or something since they are finishing the body?

 

[Cagey]

You might want to call to see if they'll do that for you. Normally, they don't. Look in the showcase. Lotsa bodies with finishes already applied but no pickup cavities routed yet, and the hole is right there in plain sight. If they were gonna fill it, they'd do it before finishing.

 

[Logrinn]

They will fill it with your choice of ..:

 

[Hendrix]

if it is non-transparent finish , can they fill it with wood made it flat ?

 

[Cagey]

How about that? Never saw that option show up before. Of course, I've never configured anything that would make it show up, so I shouldn't be surprised.

Seems strange they only offer inlay fillers. I would think wood would be the first thing somebody would want, rather than decorating the hole to make it stand out.

I couldn't wait to find out, plus I know Mr. Hendrix is overseas, so I called on it. They'll fill it with wood. You simply select one of the inlay options, but in the "notes" section of the order you say "please plug index hole with wood filler instead of inlay before paint".

 

[toat]

Great! Thanks for finding that out

 

[Cagey]

No problem.

And just as a side note for those overseas, calling Warmoth is fast and painless. They've recently implemented a call directory system, but still - it would be very unusual for you to wait more than a few seconds to get on with someone, and those guys are pretty knowledgeable right where they sit. Very rarely will you get a "I'll get back to you" or "I have to check on that". They answer you right on the spot. As a result, calls are very short, so they wouldn't be as expensive as you might imagine. I've probably called them 30-40 times over the years, and I don't think I've ever been on the phone for more than a minute.

 

[Hendrix]

thanks for side note for those overseas.

usually I just send email to ask , if in their working hour ( that mean in our night time , better for us after work. ) , they reply in a hour or so . if they reply in afternoon , I just read it after wake up.