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#1 I love my Telecaster

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:19 am
by andrew Ivimey
Are they all like this? battered, used CHEAP!, but such tones!!!!

Start me Up!

#2

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:37 am
by Dave the bass
Pictures of you dressed as 'Keef' or it didn't/hasn't happened.............. :)

DTB

#3

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:47 pm
by Paul Barker
I am hoping that the Axe I am building will be worthy of your fingers, so you can show me if it is any good or not.

i am having to use a pretty pants Japanease Neck because I can't keep spending money but I have a nice solid body which I am French Polishing and Seymore Duncan Alnico 2 pickups which should give soft vintage tones. I believe Alnico 2 doesn't have cobalt (even tho it has cobalt in the name) which makes it less aggressive and more smooth but lower output.

Anyway the tuning machines are chronic the neck is probably nothing special but brass intonation saddles (though in my hands intonation is highly unlikely to be correct, maybe you will adjust that for me?).

Do you think it is important to use through body stringing? I would need to drill holes to accomodate that. I suppose it would be a good idea.

#4

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:53 pm
by andrew Ivimey
Through body stringing means a different bridge piece which is probably better
all round than the classic arrangement.

#5

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:58 pm
by Paul Barker
andrew Ivimey wrote:Through body stringing means a different bridge piece which is probably better
all round than the classic arrangement.
Yes I have a Chinease trad style ash tray on it's way with the holes in it. Best I suppose is mount it guided by the pickup route and drill through said holes.

#6

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:10 pm
by Paul Barker
Here are the two bodies I am working on. the one on the left I like best as the grain seems better. It is Alder. the one on the right they didn't say what wood it was. Looks like pitch pine but has no nots so your guess is as good as mine. Might it be Ash? What I find odd is on forums they say Ash has better grain than Alder. I like the Alder much more out of these two.

My mistake I put low bids on two and won them both. Woops.

this is the very beginning of my French polishing. I am still a long way from the end. right now I am giving the polish a few days to harden and shrink before sanding down again.

Image

#7

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:31 am
by andrew Ivimey
Paul did you make a comment about bridge pieces for Teles?

The modern way of stringing through teh body is far superior to the traditional bridge where two strings share the same saddle, hence three saddles or the more modern version where each strings has its own saddle but still is not strung through teh body - the strings are fixed to the bridge assembly still. The problem with the two older types is that there often isn't enough tension and the strings cause bits of the saddles to resonate - bt like a sitar sound! This happens particularly with the 1st E string. One way to cure it is to jack up the 'action' by raising the saddles but I'm not a cowboy and prefer the smooth low slung Al Dimeola way of playing the guitar. I wish my Tele strung through the body.

#8

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:43 am
by Paul Barker
the bridge I have ordered has holes in it for through body stringing or can be terminated at back of saddle. So I'll just drill righ through the body through those holes once it is mounted.

But it has the shared saddles. Was that not how the original Fender Ash Tray was configured?

Is this original? because the Chinease one I ordered is like that.

The project has taken a back seat, beginning to wish I had decided for Danish rather than Shellac. It might look rather patchy. But what hay, sound shouldn't be any worse whether patchy or professional looking.

wish I could afford that proper neck though!

#9

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 4:48 pm
by andrew Ivimey
Yep that's the original config and you are doing the right thing to string through the body.

#10

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:28 pm
by The Stratmangler
If you don't use a traditional Tele bridge you won't get a proper Tele sound - those shared saddles are fundamental, and contribute greatly to the ballsiness of the Tele.

Intonation is compromised, but that's the way it has to be.
Jerry Donohue told me :)

#11

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:35 pm
by Nick
To echo what Chris said

Original bridge = Paper in oil + iron
Modern bridge = SS Constant Current Source

Just saying :-)