stratamania
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 11,587
That will do the job... :icon_thumright:
Telerauder Build
- Thread starter rgand
- Start date
rgand
Epic Member
- Messages
- 5,934
Thanks, Stratamania.
It still needs to be adjusted and dialed in but it's basically complete. I got it together and took a couple quick photos of it. I'll take some better ones later.
With the Broadcaster wiring, position 1 on the switch is the bridge pickup. In that position, what would normally be the tone pot is actually a blend to bring in the neck pickup as desired. Position 2 is the neck pickup only. Position 3 is neck pickup only, run with a .033 cap to warm it up. Since there is no tone pot, the pickups are pretty much wide open in positions 1 and 2. I'm looking forward to playing with this when it's properly set up.
One thing I did notice is that while holding it in a playing position, it felt like it had a shorter neck than the 25.5" one it has. I knew the neck was set a little further into the body than most guitars so I compared it to my JM with the 24.75" neck. The distance from the nut to the heel of the Telerauder (not the heel of the neck) is about a half inch shorter than on the JM with the Gibson scale neck. Heck, if it had a Gibson scale neck, it would feel really short. This would be a good guitar for players that prefer 7/8 scale guitars for reach. It might also be a good platform for a baritone neck.
Notice where the front strap button is in relationship to the 12th fret. No neck dive on this thing.
It still needs to be adjusted and dialed in but it's basically complete. I got it together and took a couple quick photos of it. I'll take some better ones later.
With the Broadcaster wiring, position 1 on the switch is the bridge pickup. In that position, what would normally be the tone pot is actually a blend to bring in the neck pickup as desired. Position 2 is the neck pickup only. Position 3 is neck pickup only, run with a .033 cap to warm it up. Since there is no tone pot, the pickups are pretty much wide open in positions 1 and 2. I'm looking forward to playing with this when it's properly set up.
One thing I did notice is that while holding it in a playing position, it felt like it had a shorter neck than the 25.5" one it has. I knew the neck was set a little further into the body than most guitars so I compared it to my JM with the 24.75" neck. The distance from the nut to the heel of the Telerauder (not the heel of the neck) is about a half inch shorter than on the JM with the Gibson scale neck. Heck, if it had a Gibson scale neck, it would feel really short. This would be a good guitar for players that prefer 7/8 scale guitars for reach. It might also be a good platform for a baritone neck.
Notice where the front strap button is in relationship to the 12th fret. No neck dive on this thing.
BigSteve22
Hero Member
- Messages
- 2,798
Very nice! I like that a lot! What a cool look, very impressive, BRAVO! :headbang:
Verne Bunsen
Hero Member
- Messages
- 2,472
What a project, great work! I re-perused the thread and maybe I missed it, but what is the neck pickup?
rgand
Epic Member
- Messages
- 5,934
Thanks, Logrinn. You might like it because with the 25.5" neck, it feels like it has one that's 24.75" or shorter. It would be interesting to try a Gibson scale neck on this thing. I may switch necks with my JM one of these days to see what it's like. But I need another guitar to play while the two would be out of service. Did I just invent a good excuse for another project?
Thanks, VB. The pickups are Wiggins Brand. The bridge pickup is a slightly hot Tele pickup and the neck is his sort-of version of a P-90 (on a mini-humbucker sized bobbin, I think) called a Badlander. It's also wound with a few extra wraps. His website says those are coming soon but when I asked, he made one for me.
Thank you, Kevin. I appreciate all the help and direction you offered during the build. Now I know everything. Right. :laughing11:
Thanks, VB. The pickups are Wiggins Brand. The bridge pickup is a slightly hot Tele pickup and the neck is his sort-of version of a P-90 (on a mini-humbucker sized bobbin, I think) called a Badlander. It's also wound with a few extra wraps. His website says those are coming soon but when I asked, he made one for me.
Thank you, Kevin. I appreciate all the help and direction you offered during the build. Now I know everything. Right. :laughing11:
Verne Bunsen
Hero Member
- Messages
- 2,472
Rgand said:
Wow, interesting stuff going on over there at Wiggins! I hadn't heard of them before. How does she sound with the Broadcaster wiring? I'm in the small minority of people who likes the dark circuit on a Jazzmaster, so I've been intrigued by Leo's "fixed bassy sound" idea for the Tele. Never have tried it for myself though...
stratamania
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 11,587
I am not sure if it was mentioned before, but a design detail that looks very good is the way the pickguard etc follows the line of the bridge pickup before flowing out to the control plate. Nice detail.
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
It's things like that that make it look like a thoughtful design, rather than a mish-mash of parts. Normally, I'm not a big fan of "hybrid" designs, but in this case that's not what it looks like. It looks like a deliberate design aimed at a particular result, which it pulls off nicely.
chapogrelo
Newbie
- Messages
- 14
stratamania said:
Yes this is genius. Fantastic build,I want one, even with the notch at the base of the neck.
rgand
Epic Member
- Messages
- 5,934
Thanks everyone.
VB, the neck pickup sounds good so far but I still need to get the string height and intonation set before it will sound right.
Stratamainia, I used the angle of the bridge pickup to set the angle of the pickguard. I've always liked the angle of the Tele pickup in all that chrome and saw this as an opportunity to play with it.
I guess I need a good piece of roasted alder now... :icon_biggrin:
VB, the neck pickup sounds good so far but I still need to get the string height and intonation set before it will sound right.
Stratamainia, I used the angle of the bridge pickup to set the angle of the pickguard. I've always liked the angle of the Tele pickup in all that chrome and saw this as an opportunity to play with it.
I guess I need a good piece of roasted alder now... :icon_biggrin:
rgand
Epic Member
- Messages
- 5,934
I do like the Broadcaster wiring. It's kind of fun to go from full bright to warm with the flick of the switch. The blend pot is nice to take the edge off the bridge pickup when needed. The Broadcaster wiring is cool because in positions 1 and 2, the sound isn't dulled by a tone pot.-VB- said:
Here's the SD wiring diagram I used. Instead of a 15K resistor, I just used a jumper. Rather than a .05 cap, I used a .033 one.
Once the string height was close to right (low but no buzzing) and got the intonation close to what it should be. I started plunking around with it because, well, after a year it's nice to actually play it. I need to work on it some more after I get something to measure string height. Setting up this one was all WAG.
This guitar sounds way brighter than my JM. It has cleaner mids and highs. With the switch in position 3 through the .033 cap, it's warmer but still cleaner than the JM adjusted to somewhere around the same amount.
The neck is 25.5" scale so that affects the tone. The bridge has brass saddles where the JM has stainless ones.
This guitar is a full pound less than my JM. The body is light weight swamp ash and weighs 11 oz less than the JM with nothing on it. There's no Bigsby on this one so that can account for another 7 or 8 oz but I may add one some time down the line. The finish is very thin and probably allows the body to resonate more. It'll probably look road worn much sooner than the JM will.
It's hard to tell how much of the difference is pickups and how much is all the other factors. I like this one a lot.
