Super-Tele

[raffix]

Hello!
Theese days has  just arrived my first warmoth guitar. It's a Strato-Tele hybrid.  The neck is scalloped from the 7th to the 22nd fret. Stainless Steel Fret, Floyd Rose, 1 single, !Hum.  All the parts looks so beatiful an well built. I 'm looking forward to try my guitar.
I have  tried to assembly it only to see how does it look, next days I will set it up properly. Thank all the warmoth's staff.

Raf

 

[kataar]

was there reason a for scalloping from the 7?

 

[raffix]

I prefere a normal fretboard for chords, especially for 7th or 9th chords, where it should be difficult to keep all the notes in tune. But I like the scalloped neck for solos, not only Malmsteen style, but also for Ricky Sambora, Neil Zaza... The half-scalloped neck works well, But the part from 7 to 12 really sounds different if scalloped, I think.  It's not only a matter of hand feeling, in the 2nd quarter of the neck by varying the pressure of the finger you can add a little "cry" to the solos.  Anyway this is my opinion...

Raf

 

[dbw]

Wow, that's pretty cool.  How are you finishing it?

 

[SlingBass]

Congrats...very unique and interesting build - I look forward to seeing it's completion, and reading your take on the project  :guitaristgif:

 

[raffix]

I was just finishing to build the guitar when I wrote the thread. So, now is ready only need some set up and tuning. The intention was to build a guitar inspired by the 80's rock, a mixture of vintage and modern at the same time. Scalloped neck, stacked humbucker, P.A.F and Floyd Rose. With the reassuring shape of a Tele body.
This are the specs:

Body: 2-pieces Extra Light Swamp Ash with Contoured Heel
Neck: Strato Type 25 1/2" Maple Satin Finish
Nut: 42.85 mm with R3 Floyd Locking Nut
Fret:22 Stainless Steel #6115 Jumbo Fret
Fretboard: Maple (7-22 Scalloped) 10'-16' Compound Radius
Pegs: Gotoh SG38
Bridge: Original Floyd Rose with Recessed Cavity
P.U. Neck: Di Marzio Virtual Vintage '54 bridge
P.U Bridge: Di Marzio P.A.F. 23rd Anniversary neck
Control: 5 Position SuperLeverSW with ser/par, 1 Volume, 1 Dummy Pot, reversed layout .
Color: No finish yet (maybe tung oil or white flat)

This are the position of SuperSW from neck to bridge:

1-Neck PU
2-Neck PU & (Bridge Humbucker in parallel)
3-Bridge Humbucker in parallel
4-Neck PU & (Bridge Humbucker in series)
5-Bridge Humbucker in series

All the position are noiseless, the Neck PU with the inside dummy coil and the Humbucker with its own coil in serial or parallel wiring. The particularity is that the front PU is a bridge PU whilst the rear is a Neck PU. I wanted to balance the natural brightness of single coil whith the warmth of the Humbucker. The Volume pot is a 500k ohm.The position 1, as expected, sounds very Strat. bell-like tone with twang and vibes. With overdrive the sound is smooth an fluted like the HS-3.
In the position 2 the sound is very nasal, maybe some phase cancellation. Although the position is opposite (neck Humbucker bridge tele single coil) the sound is similar to Andy Summers' Telecaster. The position 3 has a flat response not so much character, but with an HI-FI sound useful for effect processing. The position 4 have more power and mid-range with little phase cancellation. The position 5 is the Humbucker in full glory: warm and powerful.
In all positions the level is quite balanced with the position 1 and 5 louder than 3. I use the position 3 for rithm and the position 1 and 5 for solos.
Sorry maybe I written to much, but I'm really proud of this guitar that goes further than i expected. About the finish... I was thinking a white wood-stain with tung oil. Any suggestion?

Raf

 

[Soloshchenko]

Cool Guitar, I really fancy installing a Floyd on a vintage style instrument like you have.

Did you have any dificulties installing it?

 

[raffix]

No difficulties at all! The warmoth's staff made a great job. They alsao install me the floyd studs for only $10. The only problem i had was to mount the humbucker directely on the wood (a-la Van Halen). I put some pieces of wood as you can see on the photos. The other problem I had was to put the superswitch in the small control cavity of the Tele.