Warmoth "Uber Tele" project.

[OzziePete]

Hi folks

Been on hols and able to get stuck into some long overdue work on guitar projects. Have started putting this one together, in dedication to our Forumite friend on here, Death by Uberschall who - when I was contemplating the purchase of the neck & body, had a lot of his gear stolen. Hence the name "Uber Tele".....
Story behind this project is of having some expensive quality EMG pickups and EQ pots that I tried to install into a Jazzmaster project (my infamous "Jazzmonster" project). Simply put, the EMGs wouldn't fit due to the tight cavities within the JM standard routing, and well, it seemed like I was trying too much.

A few months back the neck was up on the Showcase and it really got me thinking......mmmm Flamed Koa would be nice tonally, but Ebony - bit bright for the EMGs - I dunno? Then I thought 'what the hell', and snapped it up after it had been on Showcase for a while. Body was then ordered to fit in with the quality of that neck, a one piece mahogany body (solid)  finished in Trans. Brown with a Unique Choice Quilt top done in Tigers Eye Dye.

Heres' the specs
NECK:
25.5 " scale
Flame Koa neck
Ebony Fretboard
MOP inlays
Ivoroid neck binding
1 11/16" neck width
Corian nut.pre installed
Planet Waves self trimming tuners
Terrapin Truss Rod Cover "Warmoth Uber Tele"
Clear gloss finish.

BODY:
One piece Mahogany solid construction
Unique Choice Quilt Maple top (carved top)
Mahiogany finished in Transparent Brown
Quilt Maple finished in Tigers Eye Dye.
Humbucker - X - Humbucker rout
Upper toggle switch
LP control layout
Double Battery box rout
VS100 Wilkinson recessed rout
Ivoroid binding on top
Strat neck pocket

Dangerous R6 custom neck plate "Patience"

Electronics:
1 X EMG 89 dual sound humbucker
1 x EMG 89R dual sound humbucker (neck position)
Volume - Volume - EMG SPC - EMG EXG
3 way toggle.

While this would appear to be a very much completed poroject that is not the case...... The electronics are a nightmare!
Because I had owned these EMG 89s for some time, they are the older soldered style of pickup yet EMG have now switched over to a solderless system.
My suggestion to anyone thinking of mixing and matching a solderless system and the older style soldered joints is DON'T. Too much adaption and cutting and soldering in to achieve the end result. Best to go one way or the other.
I DO have about 50 wires snuck into that rear control cavity. Hauling the 6-in-1 EMG89 wires AND the 4 toggle switch wires through the routing for wiring underneath the neck position was - how should we say this? - a 'challenge'.
Also I would advise against buying the solderless long shafted pots with the DPDT switch attached from EMG IF you are doing a CT Tele project, they are too tall to fit in. I have had to adapt an old pair of long shaft DPDT/Pots and they fit, but the soldering was not successful and I am waiting on parts from EMG to try and implement a solderless pot there (short shafted DPDT/Pot).

Other pix at:
http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz274/ozziepete_2009/UberTele%20Project/P1000207.jpg
http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz274/ozziepete_2009/UberTele%20Project/P1000205.jpg
http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz274/ozziepete_2009/UberTele%20Project/P1000206.jpg
http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz274/ozziepete_2009/UberTele%20Project/P1000208.jpg
http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz274/ozziepete_2009/UberTele%20Project/FlameKoahead.jpg
http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz274/ozziepete_2009/UberTele%20Project/FlameKoa.jpg

 

[bagman67]

What a loathsome excuse for a guitar.  And by "loathsome excuse," I mean "one I would not mind having at all."  Nicely done.

 

[m4rk0]

I love it! It's perfect!!!

 

[graceshredder]

OzziePete,
I haven't seen many Teles with block inlays on the neck. And my God!  That looks stunning!  The body/neck combo is top notch.

 

[OzziePete]

Thank you for the kind comments folks, much appreciated.....

I forgot to add that the knobs are from Q-Parts, I have them and they are top quality too. Nice and heavy and well machined. Chrome Ringos with MOP inlay. :icon_thumright:

I must also add a great big thank you to Eric at Warmoth who was fantastic in the planning & ordering stages of the body and came up with some great advice about the CT Tele at the time, to make this project the class it is. Thanx mate. :headbang:

 

[Firebird211]

It slighty reminds me of my Schecter C-1, of course yours is much better. Just Gorgeous!!

 

[SustainerPlayer]

I approve!  :cool01:

 

[pabloman]

18v mod?  I would have sex with that guitar.  :headbang1:

 

[Nando Vallart]

Very nice!

 

[mgaut051]

What a sorry excuse for a pickup holder (according to your story, that's exactly what this is)

Love the neck and the body, the look is killer. Personally not a fan of emgs, or trems, but for this axe, I'd make an exception. Well done.

 

[pabloman]

I have a pair of ivory 58's that would love to be in that guitar. :headbang1: :headbang1:

 

[Mor Paul]

Pete, it came out great looking, if nothing else  :headbang:

 

[Jusatele]

Nice work Ozzie, looks great

 

[Firebird211]

If you entered that in GOTM this month everyone else would be in severe trouble of getting votes.

 

[Patriot54]

OMG - the Uber Tele is f****** insane! It's so unique yet classy.

 

[Nando Vallart]

Now I saw the links of the neck! JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I can only give a big THANK YOU to OzziePete for the dedication. I feel honored to be the inspiration for this guitar with it coming into being a combined influence of BLUE and BURN UNIT in one guitar. The touches OzziePete added to it really set it off, a beautiful build. I couldn't believe it when I saw pictures of it a while back. If my two Warmoths had a love child, this would be it. I'm sure it will play and sound awesome.
:headbang1:



BTW, of all the forums I belong to, this one still feels the most like friends and family. This thread is a good example of why.  ccasion14:

 

[OzziePete]

OK here's the lates update on this...
I had to order some shorter shafted DPDT pots for the guitar, the old ones were scratchy after being soldered two or three times in their lifetime...They'd had it.

Got those pots in pretty fast, EMG delivery is good for Australia, but only accessories and stuff like that. They won't sell pickups via internet direct from the factory....

Made some time and opened the back cavity up and adapted the pickup wires into the solderless plugs and put in the new pots which fitted well, just.

I didn't have any strings with me (and it was Sunday so the local music stores were shut) to tune this beasty up, but the tap tests are encouraging. The EQ circuits changed the tone of the screwdriver taps onto the pickups, so if it does that for a simple percussive tap, I'm keen to hear them on strings! So I can safely say that the soldering and fitting out of the electronics for this guitar is now complete.

Next step is to string it up and hear it. Then if all OK, tweak the bridge and set the intonation as best I can, the Peterson strobe tuner will come in handy there... If I am lucky the neck might not need tweaking. As the neck came with a pre cut nut I might not need to do much more.

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

Man, that's one tasty tele. Expect me on your doorstep next time i'm in sydney.

 

[dmraco]

That neck is awesome.  I love these "hot-rodded" teles!  Do you think LEO would approve?

That Warmoth Style headstock goes surprisingly well with the tele body.  GOTM winner terriroty here for sure!!