Tele5128 Partscaster Build Commences

[Tele5128]

Tele5128 (formerly JazzGuy) here.

Well, you folks said it would happen. Originally, I'd came here to do "research" For a parts Tele that I planned to build "in the next year or so".

Well, I've been here all of a month and I'm already in the middle of my first Partscaster assembly. I'm doing this as a tribute to my late father who bought me my first Tele back in 1974 (... sure wish I still had it). I ebay'd some Bass equipment I never use along with a couple other "odds and ends" and all of the sudden find myself in the company of the $$$ needed to do the build.

I'm doing your basic classic Butterscotch Blackguard. Here are photos of some of the parts I've collected so far:

-G&G Vintage Repro "Thermometer" Case
-Warmoth light Swamp Ash Body (< 4 pounds) & Black Pickguard
-Calaham String Ferrules (installed today)
-Glendale Stainless Double-Cut Bridge with Brass compensated saddles
-Glendale Machined Jack Cup

[mistermullens]

Man that is lookin' great already. You always get extra mojo when you build a guitar "in honor". Love it. That case looks great too. Gonna look into those.

[Tele5128]

Originally Posted by mistermullens

Man that is lookin' great already. You always get extra mojo when you build a guitar "in honor". Love it. That case looks great too. Gonna look into those.

Thanks "mm"! Here's the Neck Plate with my father's photo and birthday (5/1/28) as the serial number.

[ehawley]

Tele5128....Beautiful...Mistermullens is right...The mojo of that guitar will carry long into the future! The best part is it will be fun to see it come together!
Cheers
ED

[Tele5128]

I would like to comment briefly on the G&G Thermometer case. I could not find one for less than $199 so that what's I paid (plus shipping).

OK, it is "vintage repro" and I'm sure that, along with the tooling necessary to get the classic shape add to its price. However, it's not really great quality. I mean it's not cheap or bad either, but honestly the poodle lining is a little thin and the hardware does not have the same heavy-duty feel that my Gibson Custom Shop 335 standard case has.

I realize that the original Thermometer Cases were probably not real heavy-duty either. I mean that's when Bands basically piled into the backs of Old Caddies, Chevys, etc. and headed for the gig with the Dog House Bass headstock sticking out a side window and its body laid across the laps of the poor smucks stuck riding in the back seat.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by Tele5128

Thanks "mm"! Here's the Neck Plate with my father's photo and birthday (5/1/28) as the serial number.

That is way cool!!!

[allen st. john]

Nice.
My Tele has my wife's birthday as the SN (vintage correct actually) and my Strat has a composite of my kids'.
Well worth the extra few bucks from Callaham.

allen

[Buckocaster51]

Neat!

Thanks for sharing.

That neck plate is cooler than the bottom side of a pillow!

[braderrick]

I paid the $199+shipping for one of those cases as well, I got the tweed version...sure wish I had went for the brown one now.

[Tele5128]

I think I'm going to have a custom padded Case Cover made for the G&G Thermometer Case. It's a small enough Case that a shoulder strap should work really well, yielding the convenience of a gig-bag with the protection of the "inner" hard case. Plus, this will also protect the case.

There are a couple of different outfits that will take a case tracing and do a cover. When I decide on one, I'll post the results here in case anyone wants to do it.

Years ago I did this with for a Gibson hollowbody case with great results.


Brian

[Ricky D.]

How did you get the photo on the neck plate?

[Tele5128]

Originally Posted by Ricky D.

How did you get the photo on the neck plate?

http://www.freeservicerequest.com/

William Larson at the FSR Custom Shop did it for me. He does great work and is very friendly and patient to work with.

I took a digital photo of an old glossy of my father and emailed it to FSR. William PhotoShopped it a bit. After my approval and PayPal payment, he did the custom engraving and 3 days later the Plate arrived, well packaged, via USPS Priority Mail.

I'm very impressed with FSR's work!


Brian

[Tele5128]

Here are the unfinished, unfretted neck photos for the neck I ordered from Warmoth. It should be here in 4 weeks or so. I'm having it done in vintage tint gloss with 6105 fretwire and a preslotted corian nut. It's one of their true-vintage necks with 7.25 straight radius. I like it because it has a combination of birdseye and some light flame in the maple.

[Tele Fan]

Groovy man! Really good sentiment there, there's not enough folks giving their folks there due these days(everyone on this forum is excluded from that statement).

[Tele5128]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

Neat!

Thanks for sharing.

That neck plate is cooler than the bottom side of a pillow!

Yeah in the neck plate photo, my dad kinda looks a cross between a FBI Agent and an musician in an "uptown 60's" style band.

If anyone is wondering from the photo, dad was legally blind in his right eye but even so had remarkable skills. He was one of the best drivers I've ever known. He knew how to point-to-point wire tube audio components, spent 18 years inspecting aircraft components for Boeing, was a great woodworker and later in life restorer of Classic 55'-57' Chevy Belairs. He had more "eye for detail" with one good eye than many men have with two.

He was also a gifted actor and played the (tragic) part of Mad Howard for several seasons in the Shepherd of the Hills Theater once we moved back to Branson, MO in 1970.

Of all the men I've known he was and is my greatest hero. He was definitely a lover of Telecaster Music as well!

[WickedGTR]

You should stamp the bridge plate with the SN like the old fenders...


Maybe could use something like this?:

[winny pooh]

Nice thread and the tele looks great

[robt57]

Originally Posted by Tele5128

Yeah in the neck plate photo, my dad kinda looks a cross between a FBI Agent and an musician in an "uptown 60's" style band.

LOL, true...

Originally Posted by Tele5128

Of all the men I've known he was and is my greatest hero.

Then you are a lucky man my friend! I never really got to get close to my Dad, divorce, etc. when I was young He went back to TN/KY where he hailed from, Born is the old Nashville Hospital which is long gone as well.

We all [Mom and Kids] stayed in NJ with a panoramic view of NYC where I grew up. Back in the 60s, the kids stayed with the Mom.

[mistermullens]

That neck plate sweet! I'd love to see ac actual photo of it.

[Tele5128]

How's this:

[mistermullens]

Looks fantastic!

[Tele5128]

Progress ... after taking Friday off from work.

Kinman 48' BroadCaster PUs and TK4 Control Plate installed. I'm waiting to get the neck on before I drill the pilot holes for the pickguard and the control plate.

Lesson Learned: Plug this baby in without strings on and she buzzes.

[doster]

Just wonderful! That's all I can say.

[Southern ILL]

Just think,if you was my neighbor...

I have a mock up neck loaded with some staggered Kluson style tuners that we could have bolted on and strung up in about 15 minutes....would love to hear this one...looks great....Enjoy!!