My kingdom for one who can rout Strat-style vibrato cavities

[Joel Terry]

I asked Bobby Dylan...
I asked The Beatles...
I asked Timothy Leary,
But he couldn't help me either

They call me The Seeker
I've been searching low and high--for someone who can competently mod a Tele with a Strat-style vibrato rout.

The lovely and talented Mr. Rob DiStefano has informed me that he has shed himself of his templates and jigs. Anyone else out there whose skills at woodwork would work?

I would be most appreciative and would pay top dollar. Luthier must be in good, erect standing with the Early A.M. Wood Society; must be a Dan Erlewine stalker; must be bonded; and should remit no less than 20 references in the form of earnest, heartfelt testimonials (full names, please; no initials.)

Your pal and mine,
Joel D. Terry
Whammy fiend and one swell guy

[0le FUZZY]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!


...Watt chew drinkin my fren?






(deranged internet-based alter ego, with my own lexicon and all.)

Please visit my page

[Jack Wells]

What sort of body wood you talking about? A painted body? A few more details please.

[Paulprobuild]

??????????????????????????????????!!!!!!!

Confused a bit I am!!!!

Explain please

[Joel Terry]

Originally Posted by jwells393

What sort of body wood you talking about? A painted body? A few more details please.

Jack, it's this guitar:



OK, now some details:

• Paisley painted...well, actually wallpapered body. And I couldn't care less about it getting chewed up in the routing process; in fact, I'm going to have Tony De Lacugo paint it either silver sparkle or turquoise sparkle after it's routed for a vibrato.

• Basswood body. (I have a feeling such a soft wood might make some hesitant to rout and install a vibrato unit. But hope springs eternal: Just look at the Ibanezes with Floyd Rose-licensed whammies--all of those guitars are basswood.)

• The bridge pickup plate I would want cut back, just like with my 0le FUZZY Custom Tele with Strat vibrato:

• I would supply the Trev Wilkinson vintage Strat-style unit for fitting.

What else do you need to know, Jack?

Hey, while we're at it, do you do body contours?

Just let me know what other info you need.

Thanks,
Joel

[Jelly]

Well if you're going to have it painted after all, then why not just go with a different body altogether? Warmoth will route a tele body for a Strat trem - it's just a matter of ticking some boxes.

[Jack Wells]

I've got to agree with Jelly on that. It seems like a shame to waste the paisley body. Plus ......... who know what sort of problems one would encounter if you cut countours. I was on the USACG website and see that they also will do a Telecaster body with Strat Tremolo routing.

I'm sure there are plenty of guys in this forum who'd like to buy that body.

[Joel Terry]

Yeah, I've already considered USACG and might go that route. Tommy quoted a $200 job for what I want, so that's pretty cool. I simply considered using what I had on hand.

Thanks gents,
Joel

[gtech]

I will say it once again... It's strange how things happen sometimes.

This morning, while searching for something else about the Tele, I noticed this Ebay item for a second time this month:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...m=220085262477

I even almost posted it on the forum for another thread, but when I saw it was a Canadian company, I decided to wait just a bit more because I didn't know if someone else had the same in US for you guys...

Anyway, a bit later, while trying my homebuilt Tele once again, I remembered that I wanted to take apart my homemade Strat for a refin job. And I then wondered how the parts would sound on a Tele body...

Then I saw your post about routing a vibrato cavity in a tele body... so I went "Yeah... Why not?..."

... I ordered the templates kit for the Tele and the Strat cavities... I made my own templates for the bodies, but not for the cavities, so I was in need of these anyway

Not I know what to do with the last (well, the 4th one in fact) of the 5 Tele bodies I made. I will just put the Strat body in a bag for a while until I feel like refurnishing it.

Don't worry Joel, someday, you won't be alone...

Good luck with your search.

Gilles

and thanks for the idea...

[Jack Wells]

I don't like the looks of those templates expecially the one for the tremolo springs cavity. You're much better off with templates cut in larger pieces of masonite, MDF or plexiglas............ Less chance of the router tipping and messing up the work.

You'd also be better with the cavity shapes in full size Telecaster shaped templates so the cavities are automatically located and you don't have to measure.

[gtech]

I agree with you. What I had in mind is using the templates to make another large one with the cavities I would use at the correct places on that template.

I already have 2 body templates for the Tele, but never got around to do the cavity holes in the second one that I wanted to use just for that. I ended up using my router freehand for the cavities after drawing them...

But using templates is so much easier and faster.

Gilles

[Jack Wells]

My body shape template has the cutouts for the pickup cavities and the control cavity and holes marking the string through holes. I have a separate large template for the neck pocket. I think I will add the tremolo spring cutout to this neck pocket template ............. hmmm still would need a cutout for the tremolo front .......... looks like another template needed. Well MDF is cheap.

[gtech]

Yes indeed... you need another template.

I didn't use one when I built my Strat around 10 years ago, but I used a milling machine... But this time I would like to use a template too.

Ref: my other thread...

Gilles

[Rhomco Guitars]

of unused templates from Stewmac that I bought a year ago do do the strat trem rout to a celeb players tele. A year later and he still has not surrendered the tele for sacrifice! Still have the new Wilky trem too! I dont want to sell them, just thought I would take the long way to tell you Stewmac has them.
Rob