Andy Summers Tele

[mkern]

I'm not going to spend $10k on the Andy Summers tribute anytime soon but I would be interested in building my own version...maybe using a Squire. Its not the brass saddles/bridge I wish to replicate, rather I'd like to build the electronics that Andy's tributre sported (note I don't say his guitar sported becuase he disabled the micro switches in later years). Anyone done this or have some info that could get me moving in the right direction?

[Tuxedo]

Have you seen the YouTube interviews? Andy is aces!

[Mack]

These are between £6-8k in the uk which is a heck of a lot so I'm also in the early stages of doing the same thing using a *** 62 Reissue as the donor guitar and a really nice relic'd maple USA Tele neck.

Im using the same SD '59 Humbucker in the neck slot as Fender are and a Fender Custom Shop Texas Special in the bridge hole. I have a replica brass bridge from Armadillo and relic'd hardware to fit through out. Only part I havent managed to figure out yet is the out of phase switch and the pre-amp... both slightly beyond my capabilities as a guitar builder.

Also curious to know if anyone has some idea on how to approach this bit.

Mack.

[andromeda673]

Originally Posted by Tuxedo

Have you seen the YouTube interviews? Andy is aces!

Andy is a guitar wiz, and easily has one of the best right hands in the business. He is also very gear orientated. His signature telecaster is nothing short of excellence.

Building one of these shouldn't be too hard, get the body and the correct eletronics and everything should be set.

[austintele]

I would use a zvex sho as the booster; very small circuit board and the battery lasts forever.

For the out of phase switch go to seymour duncan wiring page.

good luck

[JimiBryant]

Originally Posted by austintele

I would use a zvex sho as the booster; very small circuit board and the battery lasts forever.

I never would have thought of that but it's a great idea!

the Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 or an Alembic Stratoblaster would
be cool as well, although it would take some artful modification
to re-house either in a Telecaster and retain a stock input jack.

the SHO is a wonderful pedal and it'd be brilliant as an onboard
boost.

[mkern]

Austintele= brilliant.

Wish I would have figured that out for myself considering I already own two ZVEX pedals myself.

[austintele]

Glad to help

[sugarinthegourd]

Stratoblaster would have been my first thought for the onboard preamp, that or one of the CAE preamp/buffers.

But the SHO is an interesting idea. How small is the circuit board?

[Torsten]

I tried an Andy Summers Tele in Sam Ash, NYC last summer. I fell in love and just had to buy it. I must say it is the most awesome new guitar I have EVER encountered! The playability is out of this world and the same goes for the sound of that beast!
I like the phase/boost circuits so much, that I'm actually planning on installing it in my '71 Tele (which allready has the Gibson PU installed in the neckposition).
To do so I'll have to replicate the circuit from the guitar. It's gonna take a while, but I'm thinking, really...; "How hard can it be?". Duplicating the playability and comfort of my Dennis Galuszka Summers-replica however is going to be impossible.

[HoodieMcFoodie]

Originally Posted by Torsten

I tried an Andy Summers Tele in Sam Ash, NYC last summer. I fell in love and just had to buy it. I must say it is the most awesome new guitar I have EVER encountered! The playability is out of this world and the same goes for the sound of that beast!
I like the phase/boost circuits so much, that I'm actually planning on installing it in my '71 Tele (which allready has the Gibson PU installed in the neckposition).
To do so I'll have to replicate the circuit from the guitar. It's gonna take a while, but I'm thinking, really...; "How hard can it be?". Duplicating the playability and comfort of my Dennis Galuszka Summers-replica however is going to be impossible.

Welcome to the forum Torsten. You'll find a wealth of information on all things telecaster here. The unwritten rule is that new members post a photo of their tele.

I request you post a photo of the back of your Andy Summers, with the access cover removed.

[mkern]

I second that. Torsten, we would all like to see a picture of your Andy Summers guitar especially with a close-up of the back with teh covers removed to reveal the electronics.

[Torsten]

Ok, then

Here's a picture of the guts (my Canon digicam is currently not working, so you'll have to settle with a pic from my cellularphone)



...and a picture of the Tele on the wall. Alongside with some of my other guitars (Right now it's sunburst-theme in the livingroom )



left to right; 1959 Jazzmaster, CS Andy Summers Tribute Telecaster, NAMM 2007 limited edition CS 1960 heavy relic Stratocaster, 1966 Stratocaster, 1973 Telecaster Custom. And finally, on the floor; Orange Rocker 30 combo, '63 Reverbtank, Sandberg California PM4 aged bass and a '59 Bassman RI.

[andromeda673]

sweet setup and nice collection of axes, you have a very valuable collection there

[mkern]

Hey thanks for posting so quickly. You have a fantastic looking collection. There's an Andy Summers Tele at my local Fender dealer in a case and I'm so tempted to request a test drive but I know myself and if I touch it, I will buy it.

[austintele]

Originally Posted by sugarinthegourd

Stratoblaster would have been my first thought for the onboard preamp, that or one of the CAE preamp/buffers.

But the SHO is an interesting idea. How small is the circuit board?

tiny..about 3/4" square

[HoodieMcFoodie]

Thanks Torsten for posting your photos. You are a legend!

I wasn't really expecting you to actually do it, so thanks a heap. You've solved a couple of mysteries for me, although the circuit looks a lot more complicated than I imagined.

I'm in the process of building one myself. For the booster circuit I've been considering these;

• DIYstompboxes "Beginner Project"
• Alembic Stratoblaster
• AMZ Mini Booster

All of these can be built on very small boards, but by the look of Torsten's photo it doesn't have to be too small.

I thought the stratoblaster was too "clean" so it's down to the DIYstompboxes and the AMZ.

Regards,

Hoodie

[Mack]

I have a quick question please...
Is the scratchplate on the Summers tele white or mint finish?

Progress so far...
Japanese '62 Reissue received...
Reliced maple neck received...
Brass Armadillo works bridge received...
ZVex SHO ordered....
Seymour Duncan '59 received and Wiring web page consulted...
Aged hardware received...
Friendly neighbourhood woodworker with router engaged...
Soldering iron placed on standby...
watch this space.

Mack.

[Torsten]

Originally Posted by HoodieMcFoodie

Thanks Torsten for posting your photos. You are a legend!

I wasn't really expecting you to actually do it, so thanks a heap. You've solved a couple of mysteries for me, although the circuit looks a lot more complicated than I imagined.

Whenever my digicam is up and running again I'll take shorts of both sides of the PCB and make a diagram / layout so it should be possible to recreate the circuit. It cannot possibly cost more that 4-5 bucks to make a recreation of that - and a hell of a long time of course

[Torsten]

Originally Posted by Mack

I have a quick question please...
Is the scratchplate on the Summers tele white or mint finish?

It is mintgreen.

[TeleHonk]

Torsten, I know it may go a bit off topic, but I couldn't resist. Wouldn't you like to give us the pleasure of seeing your whole guitar collection? I would be already sufficiently impressed with your '56 Esquire only, for example, but you posted photos in which it appears surrounded by even more and more jewels. Now you come with these strats and this pretty Jazzmaster.

Are you still hiding something from us?

Let us know.

Congratulations.

[Windfeld]

I know Torsten from a danish forum, and there is definetely more than meets the eye here. Come on Torsten. Show us the whole collection:D

[mkern]

The pickguard on the Andy Summers tele is mint green? Awwww... I just sold a collection of pickguards including a mint green. I thought it was white.

[cbucki]

Mack,

You've got the proper goods to build a beauty! I tried one, but did not go the full distance with the electronics.

I had mine built slightly prior to the official release, when details were sketchy. It has a 4-way switch, brass bridge, and mint pickguard. The Armadillo bridge was discovered well after my build, so mine's an old Fender.

I'd love to know if you feel the added electronics are justified.

Good luck to all Summers-builders!

[HoodieMcFoodie]

Originally Posted by mkern

The pickguard on the Andy Summers tele is mint green? Awwww... I just sold a collection of pickguards including a mint green. I thought it was white.

Just in case you were wondering the specs for the Andy Summers Tribute Telecaster can be found here.

[mrmorrison]

I'm actually in the middle of building my own replica of the Andy Summers tele and lemme tell ya, it's a project. I've been doing research for over a month now, since I want to get all the parts together and make sure that the electronics are correct. Torsten, you've been a big help by posting the pics!

[Torsten]

Originally Posted by TeleHonk

Torsten, I know it may go a bit off topic, but I couldn't resist. Wouldn't you like to give us the pleasure of seeing your whole guitar collection? I would be already sufficiently impressed with your '56 Esquire only, for example, but you posted photos in which it appears surrounded by even more and more jewels. Now you come with these strats and this pretty Jazzmaster.

Are you still hiding something from us?

Here you go; ...or at least it's all the Fenders (but then again....In my world Fender IS the only guitar )

[mkern]

Hey cbucki what kinda of tele did you use for your build? I'd love to find the exact same.

[lupowitz]

Originally Posted by andromeda673

Andy is a guitar wiz, and easily has one of the best right hands in the business.

I wonder what makes you say that?

I mean the right hand thing.

What is so special about it?

When I think of spectacular right hand technik, I think of players like Nuno Bettencourt (ultimate percussivness), Brian Setzer (swinging with a pick, smooth changes to fingerpicking), Al DiMeola (alternate picking), Frank Gambale (sweep - economy picking), Danny Gatton (no explanation needed on a tele forum I guess).
Actually I have never ever noticed Summer's right hand technik.
What makes him great I think, it is his harmonic vocabulary.
Or his tastfull use of cutting edge technology of his days (he was as vintage as an Iphone 3G).
But what I most appreciate is his solos, which are really overlooked I think. There were only a few on the five Police records, but Ms. Gradenko, Bombs away, Driven to tears are prime examples of how to implement very interesting instrumental work into popular music.


So please explain it to me, I might miss out on something and I'd be more than happy to find another reason I could appreciate his contrabution to the world of music even more.

[HoodieMcFoodie]

Originally Posted by Mack

Im using the same SD '59 Humbucker in the neck slot as Fender are and a Fender Custom Shop Texas Special in the bridge hole. I have a replica brass bridge from Armadillo and relic'd hardware to fit through out. Only part I havent managed to figure out yet is the out of phase switch and the pre-amp... both slightly beyond my capabilities as a guitar builder.

Also curious to know if anyone has some idea on how to approach this bit.

Mack.

Bear in mind Mack that Seymour Duncan and Fender pickups are naturally out of phase to each other, due to differences in their respective wiring techniques. There is detailed info about this on the SD website, so it shouldn't be a showstopper.

Before starting my Summers Tele I had no soldering experience, so I decided to get some skills by building a couple of stompboxes. There's a great resource over at diystompboxes.com with a very thorough tutorial in the way of their beginners project. Not only will you pick up some soldering skills but you'll also learn a bit about circuits and schematics and buying components and all that stuff, which will come in handy when you get to the pre-amp bit of your build. I've no affiliation with diystompboxes.com, but thought it was worthwhile mentioning.

[goodtoots]

I have 2 That I built using parts, total price each= 2500 including labor
Body=All Parts Sunburst with banding (done bother trying to relic as the Poly finish does not do this well, too thick and look phony, I tried relicing 2 body's before setteling on the body as is)
Neck=Tele neck off Ebay many to choose from, usually come with Schaller tuners stock
Overdrive=Circut board from a Rat, this also has a built in preamp, I am still trying to acertain if the "preamp on off switch" only controls the preamp or both the preamp and overdrive, if it does not control the overdirive is it always on?? Both mine are setup with the on off switch controllinng the overdrive
If you do a search for" john cutler and preamp" or "Taylor Guitars" you can also find solo preamp units...
Brass Bridge=you can either strip a chrome plated one or find an old one and they can be found
Saddles=A little bit harder to find, but they are out there, getting them and the bridge to line up right and intonate it the real trick.
Neck PU=Seth Lover by Duncan Seymour, Bridge PU=Standard equip

[micpoc]

Thanks so much for all those pics, Torsten... especially the guts of the Summers model. I've always been curious about the origin of those electronics. AFAIK, there wasn't much available on the after-market at that time: only the Alembic Stratoblaster comes to mind. So, it will be interesting to figure out if it's a totally original circuit, or if it was hacked out from an existing pedal or other device.

If you do get it reverse engineered, I'm sure many would appreciate the layout.

[goodtoots]

http://www.caesound.com/cae_prod_new.html

Designed by John Cutler for Jerry Garcia

[timmer]

When I looked at the excellent post from Brendan this morning, I dug through the site he listed and came across this:

A Fender Eric Clapton Pre-Amp Kit Mid Boost 25 DB



Now, when you compare it to Torsten's picture:



You'll see its the same.

[hamish5178]

I was kindof disappointed when Summers said in his youtube video that the guitar was already modified when he got it. It's sort of cool to think that it just fell into his hands like that, but it's also lame that he didn't do it himself.

Is the "relicing" on these like the Gallagher and Strummer signatures? Where it's two dimensional?

[blacklinefish]

Originally Posted by HoodieMcFoodie

Bear in mind Mack that Seymour Duncan and Fender pickups are naturally out of phase to each other, due to differences in their respective wiring techniques. There is detailed info about this on the SD website, so it shouldn't be a showstopper.

If they are magnetically opposite, then switching the magnet on the SH-55 should be no problem. Just cut two solder connections, there is no wax potting to deal with. I've done it a couple of times on the same pickup (once to correct a mistake, lol). Some notes here.

The first time I went into that pickup I just wanted to flip polarity to see how that sounded. Then, I switched it back. Later, I put an alnico-5 in it to replace the alnico-2 magnet. I think it makes it much clearer. I love that neck pickup now.

[mrmorrison]

Originally Posted by timmer

When I looked at the excellent post from Brendan this morning, I dug through the site he listed and came across this:

A Fender Eric Clapton Pre-Amp Kit Mid Boost 25 DB



Now, when you compare it to Torsten's picture:



You'll see its the same.

It looks like it's the same. I would really like to find out whether or not it actually is. If so, I'll be putting that into my Andy Summers Telecopy and it'll be completed.

[ESQUIREoholic]

Wow what a collection!
But I sure like that 73' Custom:







QUOTE=Torsten;1453121]Here you go; ...or at least it's all the Fenders (but then again....In my world Fender IS the only guitar )

[/quote]

[goodtoots]

The guy who assembled my 2 andy's just got off the phone today with the Fender Custom shop and it is the eric clapton board with a couple changes, something about a tuning or voulme pot???. He as a Rat and a MXR in mine and thinks they are close enough so I am leaving as is. I will get the rest of the details and send asap.

[ccrnnr9]

Torsten, have you received the champ yet? Hopefully so and hopefully you enjoy it. Also if you ever get tired of that fiesta red jazzmaster hangin around let me know and I'll pay the shipping to the U.S. I know it must be a burden to have it taking up space...
~Nick