To: Goncalo man, aka CB

[nathan a]

I'd love to see and hear a video of that goncalo necked tele you rave about. I'm really considering one for a swamp ash tele body I'll build this winter, but I've never ever heard one played. I want to hear the beast, get some idea of what I'm getting myself into.

Enlighten me!

 

[-CB-]

Sorry no video, but here's the stills.....

Has the Fender 52ri pickup set, and its a thinline with no f/hole.  The tone is very round, although still very much tele.  Thing is, it was roud no matter what guitar I put the neck on - goncalo is a round tone.  That whole neck swap experiement covinced me, except for pickups, the tone is in the neck... then thinline vs solid, then wood choice, then fretboard choice... but the biggie, to me, is the neck.  The neck being the most resonant part, that seems to hold water in a technical sense as well.

I think I recounted that famous tone man, and blues virtuoso Kenny Blue Ray, somehow got nearly the exact same guitar as this - wild maple on mahogany, with solid goncalo neck, same pickups.  I think his had an f/hole though.  I saw his online years ago, and we were both amazed that the guitars were nearly identical, yet we had no collaboration.

 

[RLW]

Caramba!!! 

That is outstanding.

 

[Music Man 91]

where'd you get that Fender logo for the headstock? I know warmoth doesn't sell them and they must be under copyright. just wonderin'

 

[Phrygian]

Did you tung oil that neck, CB?

 

[guitlouie]

Good golly miss Tele!  That thing is gorgeous!  I know you like the solid Goncalo, have you ever tried it with another wood on the board?  I've heard good things about it with pua ferro.  Anyway, enough with the questions, I'm going back to ogle that bad-ass Tele some more!

 

[jackthehack]

People sell the fender waterslide decals on eBay and all over the internet, just Google...

 

[-CB-]

That logo is an actual Fender made, Fender supplied Tele logo, from the early 70's, sold as a replacement, and never used.  I was able to get several back... back when things were not so crazy.

 

[-CB-]

Did you tung oil that neck, CB?

The finish on the neck is Warmoth's clear satin finish, with gloss headstock front (sort of semi gloss now, as it sunk into the grain a bit).  The body is clear gloss, and ... also, it sunk into the grain considerably on the back and sides, less on the top.  Then again, its not new, I think this was built 10 years ago or so.

 

[nathan a]

CB what was it that you didn't like about the raw wood? Having only used factory finished necks, I'm anxious to try the raw wood thing; definitely planning that for a rosewood/ebony expedition, but if there was something specific you didn't like about raw goncalo, then I'd reconsider this tele neck.

 

[-CB-]

Hey, vanilla, chocolate, blondes, redheads, brunettes... finished, raw... each man chooseth the path unto his own destruction, or so its said.

 

[guitlouie]

I hear ya buddy.  I don't care how many people tell me, here or elsewhere that raw is where it is at, I just don't like it.

 

[m4rk0]

Does Goncalo darken over time, or did you get it all brown-red like this?
I Really like it this way, while most goncalo in the showcase is usually really light.. almost like streaky maple.

 

[nathan a]

Does Goncalo darken over time, or did you get it all brown-red like this?
I Really like it this way, while most goncalo in the showcase is usually really light.. almost like streaky maple.

Personally, I really like the streaky maple look some of the showcase stuff has / had. There was one goncalo on goncalo strat neck up there a bunch of months ago.. anyone remember it? Pretty light colored with these amazing thick swirls all across the fingerboard. One of the sexiest showcase necks I can remember.

 

[NonsenseTele]

Caramba!!! 

That is outstanding.

Hey! Do you speak portuguese or americans speak "caramba" too?? 



Cool guitar!

 

[RLW]

Caramba!!!   

That is outstanding.

Hey! Do you speak portuguese or americans speak "caramba" too?? 

Here in Southeast Texas you have to know a little English, Spanish, Cajun, Yiddish and Redneck just to go to the store!

Speaking of Brazil, Felipe Massa won the race in Turkey Sunday, so I'm a happy man.

:hello2:

 

[-CB-]

Does Goncalo darken over time, or did you get it all brown-red like this?
I Really like it this way, while most goncalo in the showcase is usually really light.. almost like streaky maple.

That neck is dark, with darker streaks.  The latest neck is lighter, almost a reddish, the fingerboard, also goncalo is medium tan and brown.  I grain filled, and dyed the new neck... shot clear gloss too.

I'll get a picture later tonite

 

[-CB-]

Not the best pictures, but you can see the grain filled peghead - plain fretboard.  Harder to see is the natural (lighter) fretboard, and darker (dyed) peghead - and back.

 

[jackthehack]

Is that a goncalo fret board on a mahogany neck?

 

[nathan a]

That board is a beauty, though the inlay dots are tricky. The wood's almost an in-between color, where neither black nor clay dots would look normal. I'd like to see MOP, but then, I'm a MOP-kinda-guy.

I can't decide if a neck like that would look weird or not on an otherwise standard swamp ash tele. There's something special about the classic one piece maple + ash body, black guard combo.