A question regarding lumber thickness.

As most people are well aware, modern "lumber" cuts are less than the posted sizes, i.e., 2x4s are not 2"x4". Older lumber may actually be proper dimensions but certainly not most modern lumber.

Here's my question: how thick does a tele body need to be to be considered close to proper? I recognize that the schematic says 1.75" deep. Is 1.5" too thin? What problems will I encounter if I'm missing that extra 0.25" of depth? I've read that the neck attachment screws are one notable area. Any others?

Some jacks can be too deep, additionally some types of tremolos (jazzmaster, for example).

Control cavity might not be deep enough for some switches.

Ive measured some vintage teles at 1 5/8", 1 9/16" and 1 3/4"

You can make a tele 1 1/2 inches ( I believe some Squier models are). The control cavitiy would be 1 3/8" deep instead of 1 1/2".

Ive measured some vintage teles at 1 5/8", 1 9/16" and 1 3/4"

You can make a tele 1 1/2 inches ( I believe some Squier models are). The control cavitiy would be 1 3/8" deep instead of 1 1/2".

+1. I've actually done 1 1/2" guitars and I liked them.

I've made a lot of guitars that are only 1-1/2" thick. No issues to report. :wink:

1.5" is ok. I've been using Les Paul type switches lately in my builds which aren't very deep (I'm not concerned with being totally authentic and I want to be a bit different). You can get by with a shallower control cavity that way. After that...everything else is the same...I route my pickup cavities 3/4" deep and the neck cavity 5/8" deep. I've also been using the oval jack plates which don't seem to take up too much real estate.

And regarding the neck screws...you'd still route your neck pocket 5/8" deep even if the body was only 1.5".

As most people are well aware, modern "lumber" cuts are less than the posted sizes, i.e., 2x4s are not 2"x4". Older lumber may actually be proper dimensions but certainly not most modern lumber.

Here's my question: how thick does a tele body need to be to be considered close to proper? I recognize that the schematic says 1.75" deep. Is 1.5" too thin? What problems will I encounter if I'm missing that extra 0.25" of depth? I've read that the neck attachment screws are one notable area. Any others?

...

And regarding the neck screws...you'd still route your neck pocket 5/8" deep even if the body was only 1.5".

But that 1/4" you're missing can make the screws too long. Shorten them a little.

Yep...you can get shorter screws at Ace.

But that 1/4" you're missing can make the screws too long. Shorten them a little.

Thanks, all for the input! I'm trying to remove any excuses for giving my first attempt at a guitar a go. Rather than wait for "ideal" lumber, I wanna go ahead and start practicing my jointing and shaping with the stock and scrap that I already have available to me. Odd that all this should be a problem, considering my father has a full-sized kiln and a portable sawmill. He has a thing for oak, though, so there's not much in the way of traditional tone woods to be found around the workshop...

Don't wait for the ideal...I built this before built my first Tele clone.

133245

It's been my main gigging guitar since!!

Thanks, all for the input! I'm trying to remove any excuses for giving my first attempt at a guitar a go. Rather than wait for "ideal" lumber, I wanna go ahead and start practicing my jointing and shaping with the stock and scrap that I already have available to me. Odd that all this should be a problem, considering my father has a full-sized kiln and a portable sawmill. He has a thing for oak, though, so there's not much in the way of traditional tone woods to be found around the workshop...

Don't wait for the ideal...I built this before built my first Tele clone.

133245

It's been my main gigging guitar since!!

Gives a whole new meaning to the term "slab guitar"! Love that green burst. :D

Thanks...done with a childrens water color set!!

Gives a whole new meaning to the term "slab guitar"! Love that green burst. :D

I have two teles that are 1 1/2" thick, no problems.
Might not work for a trem bridge, though.

As most people are well aware, modern "lumber" cuts are less than the posted sizes, i.e., 2x4s are not 2"x4".
I used to work in a planermill and a 2x4 was actually 1 9/16" x 3 9/16" before drying.

A Paulownia GFS blem Tele-style body that I recently bought that is 1 7/8" thick.

It's nearly as thick as one of my hollowbodies. :shock:

For a 1.5" body... only two things are affected.

The neck screws need to be .25" shorter, if you can't find shorter screws cut some to the right length and sand a point on them with a belt sander.

The control cavity is just barely deep enough tor a Tele 3 way switch. Mount your switch on the plate and rest it on top of the body and bark how deep it needs to be and set yout router to that depth. You may need to bend the lugs at a 90 degree angle.

This guitar is made out of the 2x4's from a shipping pallet... I have played 80 gigs with it.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/733/medium/IMG00161.jpg

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/tele-home-depot/51920d1276467866-tres-recogida-especial-img00356a-jpg

The first Esquires were made of pine and 1.5" thick. Someone here wrote that Fender glued together two pieces of the 3/4" pine they were using for their amplifier cabinets.

Don't wait for the ideal...I built this before built my first Tele clone.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/tele-home-depot/133245d1341346501-question-regarding-lumber-thickness-imag0083-jpg

It's been my main gigging guitar since!!

That's actually really cool! I really like it :cool: It's kind of like a Bo Diddley guitar.

No fancy schmancy gut cut there! :mrgreen:

Sweet guitar Mike!!

For a 1.5" body... only two things are affected.

The neck screws need to be .25" shorter, if you can't find shorter screws cut some to the right length and sand a point on them with a belt sander.

The control cavity is just barely deep enough tor a Tele 3 way switch. Mount your switch on the plate and rest it on top of the body and bark how deep it needs to be and set yout router to that depth. You may need to bend the lugs at a 90 degree angle.

This guitar is made out of the 2x4's from a shipping pallet... I have played 80 gigs with it.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/733/medium/IMG00161.jpg

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/tele-home-depot/51920d1276467866-tres-recogida-especial-img00356a-jpg

Thanks...this is my main gigging guitar too. Someone in the audience always comes up to ask about it!

That's actually really cool! I really like it :cool: It's kind of like a Bo Diddley guitar.

No fancy schmancy gut cut there! :mrgreen:

I used to work in a planermill and a 2x4 was actually 1 9/16" x 3 9/16" before drying.

A Paulownia GFS blem Tele-style body that I recently bought that is 1 7/8" thick.

It's nearly as thick as one of my hollowbodies. :shock:

Wow, that's deep! Still, I'd imagine a slightly thicker body would impart less of a "hey this is a cheap guitar" feeling than one that was way too thin.

For a 1.5" body... only two things are affected.

The neck screws need to be .25" shorter, if you can't find shorter screws cut some to the right length and sand a point on them with a belt sander.

The control cavity is just barely deep enough tor a Tele 3 way switch. Mount your switch on the plate and rest it on top of the body and bark how deep it needs to be and set yout router to that depth. You may need to bend the lugs at a 90 degree angle.

This guitar is made out of the 2x4's from a shipping pallet... I have played 80 gigs with it.


Now that's a beauty! I'm loving the triple P-90s.

The floor of the control cavity ends up being about 3/16" thick so be careful.

Also it is easier to accidentally drill through the back when drilling the hole for the wires from the bridge pickup to the control route, just be aware of that and be careful.

I actually prefer guitars closer to 1 1/2" than 1 3/4". Probably 1 5/8" would be about as thick as I would personally go for most guitars, though some do need to be thicker occasionally (like for a super switch or something).

I actually prefer guitars closer to 1 1/2" than 1 3/4". Probably 1 5/8" would be about as thick as I would personally go for most guitars, though some do need to be thicker occasionally (like for a super switch or something).

Is the reason for that more about the feel of the finished guitar, or some other more sinister reason?

Is the reason for that more about the feel of the finished guitar, or some other more sinister reason?

I just think that 1 3/4" looks a little thick and feels a little heavy. After I made my first 1 1/2" thick guitar, it just seemed so much sleeker and more streamlined. And no, I'm nowhere near a shredder, I just think something like a Les Paul is way too thick for my liking.