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preeb · January 29th, 2009, 10:56 AM

OK.... so here we go again...
I already have a couple of pre-cbs bass builds posted on the "The Bass Place" section (1956 p ,1957 p ) and I was asked to post guitar builds as well, so I promissed to do so as soon as I'll get a new guitar ordered. I'm working on a 1955 Strat and a 1955 Telecaster at the moment and in this thread I will show the Tele build process.

This is a late 1955 reproduction with a fat soft V neck, feather weight, white guard (although I was trying to talk the customer into a black bakelite without luck) and thin nitro blonde finish.

The templates were made from a 1954 original Telecaster which will be OK for 55-58 models as well. It took 3 days to measure and cut the templates very accurately, after all this is a critical stage in the build and will be reusable in the future too.

Body basic template

Complete set

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:02 AM

I start with the neck (for some reason I always do...).

Old growth maple blank is selected and neck shape outline is penciled

Shape is cut right outside the line

template is attached correctly (pre-cbs screw locations) to the back

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:07 AM

Very carefully flush trimmed with a special spiral router bit

Thin period correct truss rod channel is routed on the back

twangcaster1 · January 29th, 2009, 11:10 AM

Looks like you know what you're doin', man! Cool stuff.

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:14 AM

Headstock is thinned down to allow the truss rod insertion channel drill

Headstock plug side hole is drilled with a jig - aligned and in the correct angle

Came out nicely - in the middle and flushed with the channel bottom

Same for the heel side

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:23 AM

I could never find an after market period correct truss rod so I build my own to match the pre-cbs rods 100%

Rod is inserted (actually - hammered in)

Washer and nut are installed and rod is tested to function properly

Headstock transition is partialy shaped and koa plug is glued in

Koa skunk stripe is cut

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:28 AM

Skunk stripe is sanded and shaped for a tight fit

tight fit is a must

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:30 AM

When dry it is flushed and sanded

tuner holes leads are drilled

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:35 AM

Back of neck is shaped the pre-cbs way with a 56 cutter/shaper (I made a special cutters for each pre-cbs year 1950-1965)

Shape is roughly done. it will be transitioned and sanded smooth of course

some transition shaping here

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:41 AM

more shaping

shaped to original type specs

7.25" Radius is cut "the old original way" (sorry - no jig picture here...)

BritishBluesBoy · January 29th, 2009, 11:44 AM

Beautiful.

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:44 AM

Headstock transition is cut

once again - period correct radius and plug shape

nut and fret slots are cut on the jig

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:49 AM

My daughter thinks the neck is OK. Fat soft V is her favorite neck shape !!!

position marks are ... well... marked

and drilled

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:53 AM

position markers are hammered in (Yes, they are bakelite of course)

and flush sanded (notice the greenish bakelite dust - lots of fun...)

nut slot is smoothed

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 11:57 AM

Nut is cut from yellow cammel bone (the bone is yellow not the cammel... well... maybe both)

...and hide glued very tightly (tightly is important)

Neck is done for now. I'll get to the body.

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 12:06 PM

Body is made of feather weight old growth swamp ash. Same kind Leo used in the mid 50's. Some of the lightest and greatest guitars were made in the mid 50's period. This is my personal favorite period for Fender guitars and basses.

Those blanks are carefuly stored...

Outer shape location is selected and penciled

Cut right outside the line

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 12:10 PM

Roughly cut body

Template is attached (once again, with period correct screws location)

Body is drum sanded to save router bit labour

... and flush trimmed on the router table

Lobstapickin · January 29th, 2009, 12:11 PM

This is great!

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 12:15 PM

Neck mounting holes are drilled

Top routing template is attached (correctly...) to the body

Routs are made to correct depth (I say "correct" too much... I know... I don't care...)

Body roundover is shaped on the router table

preeb · January 29th, 2009, 12:20 PM

Neck is fitted to body to check that fitting is as tight as a... whatever

It's very tight alright

Bridge holes are drilled from the top (hope the holes will not come through the back in a straight line... if you know what I mean)

January 29th, 2009, 10:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	1956 Telecaster build OK.... so here we go again... I already have a couple of pre-cbs bass builds posted on the "The Bass Place" section (1956 p ,1957 p ) and I was asked to post guitar builds as well, so I promissed to do so as soon as I'll get a new guitar ordered. I'm working on a 1955 Strat and a 1955 Telecaster at the moment and in this thread I will show the Tele build process. This is a late 1955 reproduction with a fat soft V neck, feather weight, white guard (although I was trying to talk the customer into a black bakelite without luck) and thin nitro blonde finish. The templates were made from a 1954 original Telecaster which will be OK for 55-58 models as well. It took 3 days to measure and cut the templates very accurately, after all this is a critical stage in the build and will be reusable in the future too. Body basic template Complete set Last edited by preeb; January 31st, 2009 at 01:24 PM.

January 29th, 2009, 11:10 AM	#4 (permalink)
twangcaster1 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 2,335 21 Photos	Looks like you know what you're doin', man! Cool stuff. __________________ Louisiana Twangmaker

January 29th, 2009, 11:23 AM	#6 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	I could never find an after market period correct truss rod so I build my own to match the pre-cbs rods 100% Rod is inserted (actually - hammered in) Washer and nut are installed and rod is tested to function properly Headstock transition is partialy shaped and koa plug is glued in Koa skunk stripe is cut Last edited by preeb; January 29th, 2009 at 01:50 PM.

January 29th, 2009, 11:44 AM	#11 (permalink)
BritishBluesBoy Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 12,233 62 Photos	Beautiful. __________________ BBB.

January 29th, 2009, 11:44 AM	#12 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Headstock transition is cut once again - period correct radius and plug shape nut and fret slots are cut on the jig Last edited by preeb; January 29th, 2009 at 12:30 PM.

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January 29th, 2009, 11:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	I start with the neck (for some reason I always do...). Old growth maple blank is selected and neck shape outline is penciled Shape is cut right outside the line template is attached correctly (pre-cbs screw locations) to the back

January 29th, 2009, 11:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Very carefully flush trimmed with a special spiral router bit Thin period correct truss rod channel is routed on the back

January 29th, 2009, 11:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Headstock is thinned down to allow the truss rod insertion channel drill Headstock plug side hole is drilled with a jig - aligned and in the correct angle Came out nicely - in the middle and flushed with the channel bottom Same for the heel side

January 29th, 2009, 11:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Skunk stripe is sanded and shaped for a tight fit tight fit is a must

January 29th, 2009, 11:30 AM	#8 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	When dry it is flushed and sanded tuner holes leads are drilled

January 29th, 2009, 11:35 AM	#9 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Back of neck is shaped the pre-cbs way with a 56 cutter/shaper (I made a special cutters for each pre-cbs year 1950-1965) Shape is roughly done. it will be transitioned and sanded smooth of course some transition shaping here

January 29th, 2009, 11:41 AM	#10 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	more shaping shaped to original type specs 7.25" Radius is cut "the old original way" (sorry - no jig picture here...)

January 29th, 2009, 11:49 AM	#13 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	My daughter thinks the neck is OK. Fat soft V is her favorite neck shape !!! position marks are ... well... marked and drilled

January 29th, 2009, 11:53 AM	#14 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	position markers are hammered in (Yes, they are bakelite of course) and flush sanded (notice the greenish bakelite dust - lots of fun...) nut slot is smoothed

January 29th, 2009, 12:11 PM	#18 (permalink)
Lobstapickin Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Maine Age: 55 Posts: 363	This is great! __________________ I wasn't born in Maine, but I got here as soon as I could. Hey, check out my OTHER passion; Reverend Guitars =R=

January 29th, 2009, 11:57 AM	#15 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Nut is cut from yellow cammel bone (the bone is yellow not the cammel... well... maybe both) ...and hide glued very tightly (tightly is important) Neck is done for now. I'll get to the body.

January 29th, 2009, 12:06 PM	#16 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Body is made of feather weight old growth swamp ash. Same kind Leo used in the mid 50's. Some of the lightest and greatest guitars were made in the mid 50's period. This is my personal favorite period for Fender guitars and basses. Those blanks are carefuly stored... Outer shape location is selected and penciled Cut right outside the line

January 29th, 2009, 12:10 PM	#17 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Roughly cut body Template is attached (once again, with period correct screws location) Body is drum sanded to save router bit labour ... and flush trimmed on the router table

January 29th, 2009, 12:15 PM	#19 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Neck mounting holes are drilled Top routing template is attached (correctly...) to the body Routs are made to correct depth (I say "correct" too much... I know... I don't care...) Body roundover is shaped on the router table

January 29th, 2009, 12:20 PM	#20 (permalink)
preeb Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Israel Age: 47 Posts: 5,681	Neck is fitted to body to check that fitting is as tight as a... whatever It's very tight alright Bridge holes are drilled from the top (hope the holes will not come through the back in a straight line... if you know what I mean)

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