Here's my new Thinline Tele, completed just a few days ago:
Thinline body, rosewood top on swamp ash; had Warmoth route the neck pocket at an angle (like for a TOM bridge) - still had to add a bit of shimming, though.Finished with TruOil (at least 20 coats...)
Bigsby B16, Wilkinson roller bridge, Kluson locking tuners.
Fender CS Nocaster pickups; 5-way Superswitch; No-load tone pot.
Maple neck w/ pau ferro board, 1-3/4" wide; Graphtec nut, SS med. jumbo frets.
A very complicated build, lots of little details to tinker with to get that B16 working (if you want to add a Bigsby to your Tele, by all means use the B5 and a notched vintage ashtray bridge - like I did on my first Partscaster - MUCH easier to install; on the upside for the B16: it has much softer, less stiff action than the B5 - kinda like the Bigsbys on archtop guitars).
Sound: NOT a traditional Tele sound: it does not have the typical bright, slightly aggressive, slightly tinny Tele twang (but I have that base covered with my other Tele already); instead, while it does have a bit of twang, it's more of a Jazzmaster/Gretsch/Danelectro-type twang, almost a chimey tone; very sweet, complex, sophisticated, lots of harmonic overtones going on; much softer, laid-back than the in-your-face Tele sound.
BTW, if you want traditional Tele twang & a Bigsby, use the B5 & notched ashtray bridge mentioned above - as I said, that's what I have on my other Partscaster, and this one twangs plenty; here's a pic of that one:
Thinline body, rosewood top on swamp ash; had Warmoth route the neck pocket at an angle (like for a TOM bridge) - still had to add a bit of shimming, though.Finished with TruOil (at least 20 coats...)
Bigsby B16, Wilkinson roller bridge, Kluson locking tuners.
Fender CS Nocaster pickups; 5-way Superswitch; No-load tone pot.
Maple neck w/ pau ferro board, 1-3/4" wide; Graphtec nut, SS med. jumbo frets.
A very complicated build, lots of little details to tinker with to get that B16 working (if you want to add a Bigsby to your Tele, by all means use the B5 and a notched vintage ashtray bridge - like I did on my first Partscaster - MUCH easier to install; on the upside for the B16: it has much softer, less stiff action than the B5 - kinda like the Bigsbys on archtop guitars).
Sound: NOT a traditional Tele sound: it does not have the typical bright, slightly aggressive, slightly tinny Tele twang (but I have that base covered with my other Tele already); instead, while it does have a bit of twang, it's more of a Jazzmaster/Gretsch/Danelectro-type twang, almost a chimey tone; very sweet, complex, sophisticated, lots of harmonic overtones going on; much softer, laid-back than the in-your-face Tele sound.
BTW, if you want traditional Tele twang & a Bigsby, use the B5 & notched ashtray bridge mentioned above - as I said, that's what I have on my other Partscaster, and this one twangs plenty; here's a pic of that one:
