The Accidental Telecaster...

[Verne Bunsen]

This from Warmoth:

"Hi Vann,
We use the Green 3M tape.  It’s a lower tack so it doesn’t stick as hard but gets the same job done.  We’ve seen the blue tape cause this a few times.  It might react differently for house paint but we’ve found that it can stick too much for our products."

Looking into it there are a couple of varieties of 3M green tape: 2060 which is a high-adhesion "hard-to-stick surfaces" (advertises brick, concrete, stucco) tape which does say it is safe on lacquer, and 401+ which uses a solvent-free rubber adhesive and boasts high temp resistance for automotive applications. So, clear as mud...

I have a roll of that green stuff here, but I rarely use it because it's too aggressive. I mean, it's wicked sticky. Warmoth has taken to using it to secure the styrofoam wrapping on necks/bodies, and there's no peeling it off; you have to cut it.

To be fair, as you pointed out, 3M has a wide variety of products that look the same, but aren't. So, you can't just say "use the [insert color here] tape". You have to know which product is the one that's designated for use in helicopter airlifts vs. teasing your cat.

Yeah, I'm not sure what to make of it right now. I've used that same blue tape on every body and neck I've worked on with nary an incident (well, except for this one...) so I'm inclined to say there isn't a problem there. But, having said that, I don't ever ever ever (ever ever ever, ever ever) want to ever remove tape and see that nightmare looking back at me ever again so what's a feller to do? I guess I'll wait till the verdict is in on their inspection before I go getting too neurotic about it...

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Warmoth received the neck on Friday and got back with me today. They determined that the tape I was using was not the problem and are treating it as a paint adhesion issue. They will be stripping the neck and re-finishing it under warranty. Thank you Warmoth! I’m happy that the repair will be covered and relieved that they are making the repair rather than offering refund/replacement. I’d say it couldn’t have turned out any better for me. Again: Thanks Warmoth! ETA is 4-5 weeks.

 

[Logrinn]

Good for you! :icon_thumright:

 

[rgand]

What a fine thing to hear this morning. Congrats on getting the same one back. Hats off to Warmoth for taking care of the issue. It's nice to know that our parts are backed so thoroughly.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Indeed! This is the first issue I’ve had with a Warmoth part and I couldn’t ask for better handling of it. My hat is off to them for their service.

 

[stratamania]

That is good to hear  ccasion14:

 

[BigSteve22]

They will be stripping the neck and re-finishing it under warranty.....

:icon_thumright:

 

[fdesalvo]

Your accidents turn out better than my intentions!

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Your accidents turn out better than my intentions!

I dunno about that, I’ve seen some of your intentions come to pretty impressive fruitions around here    That said, things do seem to be coming together favorably for this one  :icon_biggrin:

 

[stratamania]

Your accidents turn out better than my intentions!

Frank, just in case you need the photo...

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Materials have begun accumulating for Accidental Telecaster: Phase II :headbang:

These LollarTron pickups were originally intended to go in my ES-137, but, while they did sound great, they just weren't ultimately what I wanted in that guitar. I suspect they may find a happy home here.....

I think this guitar was always going to get a Bigsby, but the question was: to F-Logo, or not to F-Logo? I decided that the F-Logo didn't belong here as there is actually nothing F about this Tele, so standard horseshoe it is.

Callaham string-through main shaft and 360 arm bracket, of course!

Callaham also makes a very nice front roller, but I have come to really like the smaller sealed-bearing front roller made by Brick's Biggs Fix.

It is the same diameter as the stock roller where the Callaham unit is a good deal larger, so whether or not increased break angle is desired is a factor in the decision. Also, I have a suspicion that the string locating grooves in the Callaham unit create a bit of a bind when the front roller is very close to the bridge, as in these Tele installations....

For purposes of comparison, the sealed-bearing roller next to the stock bronze bushing roller:

Ready for service!

Marc Rutters is making a 3-saddle half bridge for me, I anticipate seeing that before too much longer. The neck and a set of Gotoh locking tuners are in the capable hands of our very own Cagey for "the treatment". It will be my first stainless fret experience and my first Cagey Neck Wizardry experience all in one, so I'll probably be completely ruined.  :toothy12:

 

[rgand]

That B5 is lookin' good.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Verne Bunsen]

The Bigsby is a beautiful piece of hardware, ain't it? There is something about their utilitarian design that just appeals to me. Maybe it's the same gene that makes me love Teles? I've employed the B5 and B7, always had a hankering for a B16 build but never have done it yet....

 

[Hendrix]

very nice looking Bigsby .

I just wonder, bearing roller should be more smooth, but stock bronze bushing roller has more contact surface, that may have slightly different sounds characteristic, but probably we can't tell the difference.

 

[Cagey]

The bushing pivot is less desirable as it introduces friction that can interfere with the unit's ability to return to zero reliably. But, because it's simpler it costs less, so it has its fans.

 

[Fat Pete]

... because it's vintage/what they did in the 50s, it has its fans.

FTFY

 

[rgand]

The Bigsby is a beautiful piece of hardware, ain't it? There is something about their utilitarian design that just appeals to me. Maybe it's the same gene that makes me love Teles? I've employed the B5 and B7, always had a hankering for a B16 build but never have done it yet....

Yeah, I like 'em a lot. How does the B16 work? I don't find pictures of them with front rollers. They are fascinating looking.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

very nice looking Bigsby .

I just wonder, bearing roller should be more smooth, but stock bronze bushing roller has more contact surface, that may have slightly different sounds characteristic, but probably we can tell the difference.

I did some A/B testing with the Callaham roller some time ago and I seem to recall there being some perceptible-ish changes in the high frequencies, but as Cagey said, ultimately it's a tuning stability thing more than a tone thing.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Yeah, I like 'em a lot. How does the B16 work? I don't find pictures of them with front rollers. They are fascinating looking.

No, it doesn't have a front roller. The B16 relies on the taller bridge to provide the necessary break angle. The neck shim for a B16 is an impressive thing! I've heard they are kind of a nightmare to get set up nicely, but where's the fun if it's easy? :tard:

 

[rgand]

Yeah, I like 'em a lot. How does the B16 work? I don't find pictures of them with front rollers. They are fascinating looking.

No, it doesn't have a front roller. The B16 relies on the taller bridge to provide the necessary break angle. The neck shim for a B16 is an impressive thing! I've heard they are kind of a nightmare to get set up nicely, but where's the fun if it's easy? :tard:

Thanks, that looks substantial. You're right, one of those could be a fun build.