Finished my New Brent Mason Tele

[tdowns]

As some of you know I have done quite a bit of experimentation and analysis on the Brent Mason pickup configuration. I got the desire to make a Brent Mason Tele that was more like a replica of the real thing. This is a one piece swamp ash body that I used grey auto primer and 17 coats of nitrocellulose lacquer. I bet I spent 2 weeks doing grain filling.

This was my first time to put a push-pull switch on the tone control to change the middle pickup from series to parallel configuration. I had always wired it in series. The parallel mode really adds a lot of tonal variations not possible with the series connection.

I had also mounted the Gibson mini humbucker to the pickguard in the past, but here I mounted it in the beige ring to the body like the real thing. I've had been tapping it a lot with my finger, and it is more microphonic that the other pickups. After playing it, I think the body mounted Gibson mini is a little fatter. Maybe I'm crazy.

Anyway, I just thought I would share.

I will anxiously await a request from Fuzzy for a pic of the headstock.





Below is a link to a picture of the naked body. I was amused that I could read the name brand of the fluorescent light in the reflection of the guitar. I was dissapointed that the photo does not do it justice.

High resolution photo of the naked body front (full frontal nudity)

[PraiseCaster]

Terry! Nice Job! BRAVO! BRAVISIMO!

[Scotland]

That looks 100% and I bet it sounds as good as it looks. How about a duet with Brent, that would look cool seeing both guitars next to each other.
Excellently done T !!

[PraiseCaster]

....... that as soon as Brent see's it, he'll be chompin at the bit too play it!

[Flipped Mustang]

Wow! Very nice!

[tdowns]

You all are sooo nice.

A higher resolution pic of the body

Notice how sunk down the Gibson mini is. If I have learned anything, I have learned that a 3 pickup Tele needs it pickups set really low so the magnetic pull on the strings is minimal (or course this applies to any guitar). With pickups this quiet, you don't need close proximity. The sustain through the bends is especially increased with lower pickup height.

[Stumpy]

Beautiful job!

[Caper]

Excellent job Terry, it looks beautiful. I have used quite a siht load of that primer in my day. I always wondered what it would look like clearcoated :D Is Brent's clearcoated as well or just primed?

[benderking]

hey terry,
man that looks great! I'll have to say, yours looks way better than the one i built. I didnt do primer grey, but im talking about the finish quality as well. Now all you need is to drag yours behind a car to make it look more like brents. LOL. Is brent's middle pup series or parrallel? I always wanted to ask joe glaser, but i cant get him on the phone, i dont think he even bothers to go to his shop anymore. seriously. I did mine in series. Also, i did the mini-bucker to the pickguard, rather than the ring. I may have to swap change things, the only reason i mounted to the guard was i thought it looked better at the time, but after seeing yours i think i may change. Next question: where'd you find the red cover for the strat stack? I made my red cover out of another cover i had.

again, it looks great, and i bet it sounds even better

twang' on,
jerry

[Teletwang]

Wow, nice job. Very convincing.

Originally Posted by tdowns

This is a one piece swamp ash body that I used grey auto primer and 17 coats of nitrocellulose lacquer. I bet I spent 2 weeks doing grain filling.

Yea, ash does take a lot of filler and I'm guessing 17 coats is tongue 'n cheek ?

[poboy]

Nice job... how much difference in tone is realized by flipping the neck humbucker?

[gls500]

Wow, looks great!

Where did you get the 3-knob control plate? I have always thought that would be great for a 3-pickup tele.

Good job.

[bender72]

Hey Terry,

I see in your picture that the body is drilled for a vintage style bridge with the four screw holes in front of the sting holes. I know Brent has the newer standard style 6 saddle bridge, how did you mount the bridge? Drill new holes? or does someone make a standard bridge that will fit the older tele's with the vintage holes?
P.S. That is one beautiful guit-fiddle. 8)

[Dana]

Dang, that's awesome! Great job! I want one.

[JohnnyAtomic]

it's looking good. you should be proud.
johnny atomic

[blue water girl]

Wow Terry - that's a really good job! The middle pickup looks just like Brent's - his was installed in l982 so most people that try to find those have a hard time. The one thing that always makes me laugh though is how hard everybody tries to copy the primer finish. I have never seen anyone do it even close to the way Brent's really looks in person. His primer coat might not really be car primer unless car primer also comes in silver, because his guitar is not grey - it's silver. (he didn't paint it, it was like that when he bought it). It is really faded now, and alot of places the original wood finish shows through because the guitar hasn't been painted for 25 years and it's been used almost every day since then, but the paint on the guitar is actually more like the color of silver duct tape, it's silver with a metallic look to it, not a flat gray. If you've seen a valley arts copy in person they are also silver, not grey. And Brent's telecaster has no clear coat or laquer finish on it whatsoever, it's just that dull paint coating with the silver metallic color, but the valley arts model has a very nice glossy clear coat finish. BUT - I don't want to take away from the really beautiful job you have done and Brent took a look at it before he left for work and thought you had done a great job - the only visible differences as far as just looking at it is the maple neck on Brent's guitar looks darker like a dining room table - browner - and your guitar is a grey flat color instead of a light silver with a bit of sparkle to it. And of course to really make it look authentic you need to tie it behind your car and drag it around the road for a few days and hit it all over with a hammer to give it all the wear and tear Brent's has!!!!!!

[0le FUZZY]

HEE! HEE!

The only part I REALLY like.

I used tew haff a drawer full of them decals but mine all hadda PAT. NO.s. Did yew cut them off?




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No secrets !!

[Dana]

Wow, the more I look at it the more I want one.

Is it light or heavy? How much does it weigh?

[Teletwang]

Originally Posted by 0le FUZZY

No secrets !!

Fuzzy, are you figuring circuit impedance or attenuation?

[0le FUZZY]

Fuzzy, are you figuring circuit impedance or attenuation?

NAW!! neither won. I waz jes trynna figger out how ta show Terry how I found hiss files ta git that headstock pix.

That file waz in hiss index and I thought I'd haff sum fun.

I kant figger out watt all them hiro-gliff-fixs iss about let alone why folks want all them bells and whistles on their TELECASTERs. I reckon its jes fun.

I reckon I'll stan unner sum day watt blows folks skirts up HEE! HEE!





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[bluesy]

Originally Posted by 0le FUZZY

Fuzzy, you forgot to add the tone controls.

[Anonymous]

Originally Posted by 0le FUZZY

Hee, good one! :-) Don't tell me, let me guess: from the front to the back, the knobs are volume-volume-volume-volume-volume-volume-volume-tone, right? ;-) Now I'm just wondering how to fit the 14-position switch in the control cavity rout. Oh, and where to find a 14-position switch... ;-) CS

[0le FUZZY]

Yew cood alwayz dew witt li kiss--



HEE! HEE!

[Fret Wilkes]

Originally Posted by Teletwang

Fuzzy, are you figuring circuit impedance or attenuation?

See I thought it was an example of that "Fuzzy Math" I heard so much about during the last election.

Fret