First Build-Hollowbody/Acoustic Telecaster

[SweJim]

Ok.. Hi, if anyone reading this thread..
I'm Jimmy, lives in Jonkoping, Sweden. I found Tdpri just a month ago and now I think I have enough ideas and stupidity to try out to build my first own Telecaster. (Please excuse my sometimes bad "swe-english").

And so to the plan:

An acoustic/hollowbody Telecaster with a JTS CX-500 microphone.
Routed out of one block of pinewood with a mahogany top
Thickness of the body 8 mm
Top 6 mm
Bridge made of (some) wood.. just an idea for now..

Just have to figure out how to include a picture here of my plans, don't know how to do it. And a question, would it be an acoustic Telecaster or a hollowbody Telecaster or just a bad idea of a crazy swede..

[crazydave911]

Originally Posted by SweJim

Just have to figure out how to include a picture here of my plans, don't know how to do it. And a question, would it be an acoustic Telecaster or a hollowbody Telecaster or just a bad idea of a crazy swede..

Not a bad idea................but 8mm is awfully thin for a body, was that a typo?

Oh, and welcome to the forum! , I suggest you read through the Build Challenge archives at the top of the page. There's tons of helpful ideas in there

[nickhofen]

Originally Posted by SweJim

Ok.. Hi, if anyone reading this thread..
I'm Jimmy, lives in Jonkoping, Sweden. I found Tdpri just a month ago and now I think I have enough ideas and stupidity to try out to build my first own Telecaster. (Please excuse my sometimes bad "swe-english").

And so to the plan:

An acoustic/hollowbody Telecaster with a JTS CX-500 microphone.
Routed out of one block of pinewood with a mahogany top
Thickness of the body 8 mm
Top 6 mm
Bridge made of (some) wood.. just an idea for now..

Just have to figure out how to include a picture here of my plans, don't know how to do it. And a question, would it be an acoustic Telecaster or a hollowbody Telecaster or just a bad idea of a crazy swede..

Hi Jimmy
Welcome aboard.
The totel thickness of your guitar seems to be 14mm? Am I right? something is wrong here,I believe this is going to be a very slim guitar

[nickhofen]

If you want to include a picture, click "Go advance», write a comment in the white box and then at the additional option box click manage attachments.
When the "Upload File from your Computer" box appears click on the search button, find the picture and then click upload

This is the easy way I send you with email another way crazydave911 teach me, that is better but more complicate, at least at the beginning.

[SweJim]

Oh.. yeah, that should be 8 mm thick at the walls... a total of 45 mm would give a whole lot of more feeling to it than 8 mm... :-D and sound I hope. I will try to upload some pictures of the "project" tomorrow.

[dazzaman]

If you are wanting a reasonable acoustic sound then I think 6mm is too thick for the soundboard. I would suggest it would be around 2.5 to 3mm, and that you bar it like a "normal" steel-string guitar - plenty of images are available on the net. Your 8mm for the back and sides is in the ballpark for carved out of a solid plank, although personally I would go a bit thinner (about 6mm) and glue a couple of bars on the back to help ensure it doesn't warp. This sounds an interesting project.

[SweJim]

Thanks. Yes, now when you mention the bars it's a great idea. Thinking of an real acoustic 3 mm/6 mm would give a better sound. I think I'll have some sanding to do today then. The routher is not a friend of mine right now, the cuttingtool got loose and made a deep cut at the wall, but maybe to trim it down to 6 mm it would cover the worst.

[SweJim]

Ok. Here are some pictures of the work on my Tele up to now.

[SweJim]

These things you might be more familiar with than me, but this is how it came out, and I didn't cut through the template-line..this time anyway.
Looking forward to do some f-holes with the scroll-saw, it would be a lot easier. Routing was a fun thing to do, but quite easy to go a little wild as you can se on the missing part on the bridge/stringthrough-block, so I finished it by hand.

[SweJim]

This is how it looks like for now.

[printer2]

I did my acoustic with a top around 0.110" for what it is worth.

[SweJim]

Originally Posted by printer2

I did my acoustic with a top around 0.110" for what it is worth.

Hi printer2: 0.110" seems to give a good acoustic sound. I think I started out my plans with too thick walls and top to get the acoustic sound. The walls are now at 6 mm, and the top also will be more thin than now, but I have not started with it yet. This top-board is 6 mm and I would have to plane it down a bit, but don't know wheter to use my electrical handplaner or do it by hand. But I guess this is my "all in one misstake Telecaster" so I rather do them all in one guitar and learn from that... if only that would happen. Allready have plans for my next guitar (learning NOT routing an acoustic body out of one piece, next time a separate top-body-back.)

[petevo_vintage]

Originally Posted by nickhofen

If you want to include a picture, click "Go advance», write a comment in the white box and then at the additional option box click manage attachments.
When the "Upload File from your Computer" box appears click on the search button, find the picture and then click upload

This is the easy way I send you with email another way crazydave911 teach me, that is better but more complicate, at least at the beginning.

I knew that advanced button was good for something

[petevo_vintage]

Originally Posted by SweJim

These things you might be more familiar with than me, but this is how it came out, and I didn't cut through the template-line..this time anyway.
Looking forward to do some f-holes with the scroll-saw, it would be a lot easier. Routing was a fun thing to do, but quite easy to go a little wild as you can se on the missing part on the bridge/stringthrough-block, so I finished it by hand.

That is great, for some reason I feel inspired every time I see pictures! =) By the way I am new to this (somewhat) just like you!

[crazydave911]

A fine job your doing!

[SweJim]

Thanks!

Just got up early today, saturday, and with -21 C and a lot of snow outside my window I'll stick to my plans and go down to my hobby-room to finish a small rounding on the chamber on the body then it's time for the top. I know I wrote about a mahogany-top but my router scratched it really bad. This is kind of a continuing problem, the router-tool loosing it's grip. I have tried to tighten the tool as much as I can but it will fall of anyway, and it's said to fit to this router. Anyone have a solution to this problem? Now I have bought some great white oak 7 mm woodfloor that I will make bars for, for stability. I know there are some oakguitars out there but I have never played one. Some of you knows about oakguitars/or have experience of your own oak-caster?
I will post some pictures later today or tomorrow about the workprogress.

[crazydave911]

I'm only guessing here Jim, but it sounds like your router has an 1/4" collet, but your bits are an 6mm shank. If that is the case, and the router is anywhere near new, you could tighten it all you want to and they will still fall out. If this is the case, there are 1/4" shank router bits available in Europe, there is a shop in the Netherlands (perhaps someone else can chime in. I'd PM Oigun ) if I recall correctly.
As for the oak, yes, I've used it on solid bodies, acoustic-electrics and full acoustics. It has it's own rules for applying a finish and for shaping...........it is heavy and it tends to splinter..............but the results are hard to argue with

[nickhofen]

I suggest at the area above the neck pocket, where you are going to place the strap button, to cut the wood you have left under the pencil line and replace it with a block of hard wood that you are go to glue instead.
This will prevent a crack appears in the future at the strap button area.

[SweJim]

crazydave911: That's right it IS 6 mm cuttingsteel and a 1/4" collet. well...still learning...I will send for a 1/4" set tomorrow and see if they also have this bits with ball-bearing in the top as I have seen so many others use on this forum. Yes oak is a fun material to work with. Your Tele on the pictures looks great and I really like the finish and the acousticstyle soundhole.

nickhofen: Thanks for seeing that and save me from ruin it all at once. I can see myself string it, plug it in the amp, and then...."#%&...that would be my usual luck

[nickhofen]

Originally Posted by SweJim

nickhofen: Thanks for seeing that and save me from ruin it all at once. I can see myself string it, plug it in the amp, and then...."#%&...that would be my usual luck

You are welcome Jimmy,and do not worry ,if it wasn't me someone else would have seen it.
We are here to help each other