Assembling an interesting guitar

[schmerf]

I'm piecing together another guitar and thought I'd share what I have in the works with y'all.

Here is the plan:


The control plate will have no switch slot just volume and tone

Here is the body:

Two piece super lightweight swamp ash from USACG


Here are the parts I have so far:
-TV Jones TV Classic bridge pickup
-Wilkinson VG300 bridge
-Warmoth Maple neck with Kingwood fingerboard in Boatneck contour

Here is What I will be getting soon:
-Taipan Tone custom control plate with no switch slot
-Taipan Tone neck plate
-Gotoh Staggered Vintage Tuners
-3ply white/black/white esquire pickguard
-two 500k audio pots
-electrosocket jack cup

So far everything is going according to my current plan. I put this project on hold for a long time and it was originally going to have a T.V. Jones neck pickup and a standard Tele 3 way switch but I decided to go one pickup with it. I ran into a slight complication with that change of plans because I didn't know off hand where to get a control plate without the switch slot. I did some searches here and found some info and ended up emailing both Callaham and Taipan Tone but ended up going with Taipan Tone. I liked the idea of the control plate sitting flush with the pickguard and when I emailed Taipan Tone I found out they were having a 10% off sale for TPDRI members. I'm really itching to get this guitar all put together but it'll probably be a little while longer since I'm still waiting on parts and haven't finished finishing the body.

[e-merlin]

Cool! One question, why not a Bigsby? Just curious.

[guitarzan13]

Oh man!!!! I love those Wilkinson whammys!! The purists are gonna' flip...I say Let Em!! Go Man Go!

[guitarzan13]

Originally Posted by e-merlin

Cool! One question, why not a Bigsby? Just curious.

Cause with the right nut and locking tuners(Gotoh Vintage Locking) NO tuning issues and super smooth whammy action..

[schmerf]

I didn't go with a Bigsby because I didn't want the bulky look of one, the Wilkinson trem works great, and I didn't want to use the type of bridge that a Bigsby would have pushed me towards.

[Wardpike]

That loooks like a GREAT Esquire variation for rockin' tones! You could also consider a stealth pickup (hidden just under the pickgaurd) in the front or middle pickup for added (but unseen) tonal variations.

Cheers! Keep us updated on your project.

Ward

[schmerf]

Not really sure if the hidden pickup would really be that useful. I've got the T.V. Jones Super'Tron I was going to put in the neck originally. I think I may save it for the neck of my a more traditional tele styled guitar's neck pickup or sell it.

[schmerf]

Well it is put together and sounds great. Now all I need are knobs.

[dc098]

That looks great. Is it normal to have the seam not centered on the 2 piece body? that would really bother me.

[schmerf]

I requested it that way. I wanted the bridge to be anchored to a single piece of wood.

[sean79]

Does the edge go from green to real dark to natural?

Do you have plans for a future neck pickup, or is that big route up front from something else?

[schmerf]

The edge goes from the Green/Blue to White.

I wasn't sure what pickups I wanted when I started so I got the big route. I don't have plans for a neck pup now but I do have a TV jones supertron that I had thought about putting in the neck.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by dc098

That looks great. Is it normal to have the seam not centered on the 2 piece body? that would really bother me.

I think the seam location works fine. I find, once you have studied lots and lot of pieces of ash, you can see where the join needs to be. Tommy does plenty of center join, but I actually prefer this offset on a Tele, most especially on a whammy.

Looks great, schmerf! I agree, save the 'tron for the next project. But I have a question: I understand Vince's neck plates can be recessed into the body. Did you do so, and if so, did you do the routing or did Tommy take care of that? I know this is blasphemy, but I was thinking about a Tele with a recessed neck plate and a recessed control plate, both.

Congrats!

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by schmerf

Thanks for posting this.

I've been finishing on a 69 Thinline style T body from Tommy + USACG for a good while, 2 piece ash back and bookmatched lacewood cap. The lacewood is about the color of a dark piece of white oak, against the contrast of the pale ash with tons of chicken feet.

Based on how yours looks, I will do mine nitro gloss, clear, all surfaces. I like the idea of the side being perceived as a single binding, that sounds good to me.

Much obliged.

[schmerf]

I didn't recess the neck plate. Any control plate could be recessed I think on that build thread for the taipan tone guitar the neck plate was recessed because his neck plate is slightly thicker (it really does make for a very solid feeling neck attachment). One of the nice things about his control plate is that it does match up with the pickguard. I hadn't really noticed control plates not before until I put this one on.

[giginthesky]

pretty cool schmerf! got anymore pics? me likes very much. truly original and classy.
j.

[e-merlin]

That's sooooo nice! I really like all these variations on the Tele theme everyone is coming up with.

[schmerf]

This is the only other picture I have right now.