Tele Deluxe - spacing/room questions; also looking for an odd bridge

[Ace Flibble]

I'm thinking of building a Tele Deluxe, but I've no clue how much room there actually is under the pickguard or between the controls, so I just want to double-check a few things before I click on confirm order.

- Will a straight LP-style toggle switch fit, or does a Tele Deluxe require an angled one? And are the toggle switches that Warmoth sell any good?
- Are the control pots spaced far enough apart to use Strat knobs?
- Is there enough room around what would normally be the bridge tone control for an input jack? I've seen a few people mod standard Telecasters to have the input jack on the control plate where the tone knob usually is, I'm thinking of doing the same thing on the Deluxe in place of the bridge tone.

Also, I want to use a Graph Tech Ghost piezo system and the saddles for this come in either 2 1/16" spacing or 2 3/16" spacing. My problem is that I can't find a black Strat hardtail bridge which fits this. I can find chrome bridges that do (the Fender one, obviously), but I'm going for all-black hardware. So, anybody know of any hardtail bridges that fit any of the three Warmoth bridge routings (vintage Strat, Am Standard Strat or narrow Strat) that come in a black finish with either 2 1/16" or 2 3/16" saddle spacing?

 

[tfarny]

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_non-trem_bridges/Gotoh_Hardtail_Bridge.html
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_non-trem_bridges/Schaller_Non-Tremolo_Roller_Bridge.html
There are your black narrow spaced bridges. In order to fit the graphtech battery and preamp circuit, I'd consider going with mini-pots, for instance from guitarelectronics.com, and not mounting the input jack on the control plate but in the traditional spot.

 

[Ace Flibble]

Well I'm actually going for a passive circuit, as far as controls go the piezo only takes up the space of one control. I'm not a fan of fake acoustic effects, but the plain piezo signal blended in with a neck humbucker is a pretty useful tool. So that part's not a problem really.

And sorry I should have specified before, I'm in the UK so I'm looking for British (or at least European) shops for the bridge. The cost of importing anything from America is crazy and a Warmoth order alone pretty much maxes me out. I've already looked at the usual two (axesrus and wdmusic) and neither sell a black bridge with the right spacing that fits any of the three Warmoth bridge routes but I'm hoping someone knows of some tiny backstreet shop or some such.

 

[AGWAN]

Schaller is German...

Also... is there a chance in hell that Roller bridge could be made left handed?

 

[JaySwear]

1 Will a straight LP-style toggle switch fit, or does a Tele Deluxe require an angled one? And are the toggle switches that Warmoth sell any good?
2 Are the control pots spaced far enough apart to use Strat knobs?
3 Is there enough room around what would normally be the bridge tone control for an input jack? I've seen a few people mod standard Telecasters to have the input jack on the control plate where the tone knob usually is, I'm thinking of doing the same thing on the Deluxe in place of the bridge tone.

1. yes, i believe so. i think i'm using a straight LP style switch in mine. i can't guarantee that, but i believe so. it's been a while since i've opened the thing up, but the toggle route is pretty deep if i remember correctly. don't know about warmoth's switches, i think i ordered mine from stewmac
2. definitely. i have the telecaster custom style knobs on mine (bigger than standard strat knobs) and they fit just fine.
3. i would think so. again, the routes are pretty deep. if you've opened up a p-bass then you know that you don't need a REALLY deep route for the input jack, so i think you'd be ok. it would be a risk if you left the output jack route OFF of the body and then found out it wouldn't work... but i think you would be ok. might be worth phoning warmoth about though

PS: good to see you on here, weren't you on ultimate-guitar? i posted there all the time (LifeIsABullet16), but got tired of answering the "what guitar for $200?" threads. anyway, definitely post a picture when you get this thing together! can't wait to see it.

 

[Ace Flibble]

Schaller being German-made doesn't mean it's easy to get hold of over here, sadly. It's like how Mayones are Polish but they're far easier to buy in America and Canada than they are in Poland itself.

And yeah, I used to be over at U-G a lot (under the name Mr Flibble). Stopped going because I got sick of having to explain eight times per day why running a Boss Metal Zone into a Line 6 Spider II wasn't a good idea.

Thanks for the info though, I did think it would all fit but no harm in checking these things. Going to put in my order ASAP.

 

[Big V]

Schaller is German...

Also... is there a chance in hell that Roller bridge could be made left handed?

I do believe that it is possible to use the bridge both ways, the only problem for a lefty would (maybe) be the set screw.

 

[tfarny]

If you intend on using the piezo in a passive setup, you obviously have not used that system before. You need the active preamp no matter what graphtech might say.

 

[Ace Flibble]

Tell that to the four guitars I have that already have it this way and work perfectly (granted they all have active magnetic pickups so there is power there, but neither of Graph Tech's actual preamps).