The Stubblecaster

[Stubblecat]

Started in February 2007 and finished in June, I've finally got around to uploading some pics.
I can never get photos that I like so I just decided to say 'the hell with it' and just upload the best I could do.
And yeah, I should have polished it a little before taking the pics, but hey, it's gonna get fingerprint-ey at some point.

Anyway...

The body is Mahogany, the top is Ziricote.
The neck is raw Ziricote, and I've noticed that the fingerboard darkens a bit as you play.  I like the effect.
Pickups are Kinman 60s Customs.

 

[nathan a]

That raw neck back looks smooth as a baby's bottom. And a wonderful choice with the gold hardware.

I've never heard of those pickups though... Kinmans. How do you like 'em?

 

[RLW]

That's almost exactly how I want my future rear-routed Esquire to turn out. That's gorgeous.

Was that a showcase body? I swear that I recognize it.

 

[-CB-]

I LIKE IT, but I think what that guitar needs is a white pearl pickguard - in the thinline hybrid shape (which works great on regular tele's too)

I had the top of this one bare....but was never really satisfied with it... it looked nice, but... in a way plain.  I added this some time before Vic got it.

I dunno... to me, the pickguard makes it look "finished" and offsets and compliments the visual presented by the body and neck.

 

[Alfang]

I vote    No PickGuard    It looks totally bitchen as is

 

[Nando Vallart]

Nice guitar! :icon_biggrin:

 

[Stubblecat]

Thanks for the kind words!

RLW asked if that was a Showcase body...  It sure was.  Both body and neck were picked out of the showcase.

nathan a asked about the Kinman pickups...  That's part of the reason it took 5 months to build the guitar.  I can't really put into words how this axe sounds...  The strings *should* be dead by now but every single day it sounds like I just put on a fresh set.  When I switch from bridge to neck it's like I'm playing 2 different guitars.  I'd almost call the pickups 'organic'.  I'd endorse Kinman pickups in a heartbeat.  They're worth the extra quid a thousand times over.
The raw Ziricote is medium smooth.  You can feel the wood as you play, but it doesn't add friction.

-CB- noted the lack of a pickguard...  A tortoiseshell pickguard was the original idea, but it is sort of a *busy* guitar to look at.  In the early designs I tried lining a pickguard up with it and the guard just ate away at the look of the wood grain and it completely covered the cool 'lightning bolt' mark between the pickups.  I will, however, admit that if I had the choice I would have gotten it rear-routed so the wood grain would be the complete focal point.  But that would have had to be a totally different body...  Oh, don't get me started...

 

[-CB-]

Well that tele of Vics was a rear route.  It has great grain and a really birdseyed neck.  I dunno, just seemed like it was lacking something, as nice as the grain was, it didn't look complete, and I think, the pickguard actually makes you notice things more (sort of like naked babe vs one with a skimpy triangle n' buttfloss bikini). 

 

[Stubblecat]

I know what you mean completely.  The pickguard just didn't work on this one though.  Odd how sometimes you can put a pickguard on a complex grain pattern and it works fine, but sometimes a pickguard just doesn't seem right on certain pieces of wood.

 

[givememytoys]

man it looks just as nice from the back as it does from the front
nice job

 

[-CB-]

Hey I like it (even without the pickguard!)

 

[JR]

nice job. the gold hardwear really compliments the wood.

 

[m4rk0]

Great Guitar! I like all the Ziricote!

 

[Micahbell]

This is almost exactly the guitar I am looking to build, with the exception of wanting a ebony on wenge neck, but Zircote is a possibility as well.
I am looking for something that sounds like a Fender American Tele (maple neck, swamp ash body) but just a bit darker.
Do you find that is the sound you get, or is it something completely different?

 

[thepriebster]

Great looking guitar, dark wood, gold hardware, mirror finish, nice grain...I give it a 9.8

 

[kboman]

Ooooo that is one smooth Tele! Absolutely lovely!

Good thing you didn't go for a pickguard - especially not tortoiseshell, that stuff is an absolute abomination and has completely ruined several guitars on this forum for me. But hey, they were not built for me!

Again, I love this guitar. Congratulations on your build! Now, how does it sound?

/Karl

 

[Stubblecat]

Hey, my guitar's been bumped!  Sweet!

I can't explain how great this guitar sounds.  It has a super-bright vintage tone.  It's the most Telecaster-ey of any Tele I've ever played (if that makes any sense).  The fingerboard already looks vintage, thanks to my sweaty fingers on the unfinished Ziricote. 
I now sort of feel bad that my Les Paul and my Strat spend a lot more time in their cases...