**New Telecaster Build Started** - Page 3

amp boy · February 2nd, 2008, 05:41 PM

holy ****.

and wow !!!
dig that bracing.

boris bubbanov · February 2nd, 2008, 06:11 PM

Nah, I don't like those steel barrel saddles; I prefer a guitar with brass saddles.

And, I'm not sure about the neck toning, a bit too yellow for me.

Bubbanov

Well, I had to think of something, cause mainly I'm speechless.
This is the Telecaster of 2008, never mind the American Standard Yawn.

Nick JD · February 2nd, 2008, 06:41 PM

Your use of the neck pickup as the center of the radial braces gives it a great symmetry in both directions - the resulting triangles also create a character of strength and lightness. It reminds me very much of the chrome-molybdenum Ducati frame or the sparse alloy lattice chasis of a Bimota Tesi.

I think it's fantastic, Jack.

TheDev01dOne · February 2nd, 2008, 06:48 PM

My girlfriend said it's a spiderman guitar.

It's pretty cool but where's the soundclips? Looks like it would have some interesting tone.

rednwhiteblues · February 2nd, 2008, 06:53 PM

thats pretty amazing work! Thanks for not letting us down after all the hype! It reminds me of a few electric violins i've seen:

I'm loving the fact that its not just the frame, the glass (plexiglass?) top and bottom look great! cant wait to hear it!

gtech · February 2nd, 2008, 07:20 PM

Hey... I love it.

I would love to have a plexi guitar, but I always thought it was too heavy. You found the solution.

I give you a 10

Gilles

martyb1 · February 2nd, 2008, 07:55 PM

Now thats just WAY COOL
Way to go Jack!!!

jwells393 · February 2nd, 2008, 08:11 PM

A few more pictures. I have to leave for the evening but tomorrow I'll answer questions and start showing some of the construction process if anyone is interested.

......

......

KDAD · February 2nd, 2008, 08:39 PM

That is too cool for school...well done, jwells393

eryque · February 2nd, 2008, 08:43 PM

All I can say is WOW. That's pretty cool. What's it sound like? What pickups did you use? Does Spiderman know you made a guitar for him?

yegbert · February 2nd, 2008, 09:25 PM

That's awesome, Jack. Great work!

martino · February 2nd, 2008, 10:16 PM

[quote=jwells393;1098576]A few more pictures. I have to leave for the evening but tomorrow I'll answer questions and start showing some of the construction process if anyone is interested.

Stewart MacDonald caled he wants his clear acrylic templates back

That paint is not easy to get a even coat with !
your guitar looks GOOD!!!

I think you have to do a youtube video so we can realy see and heare your
creature come to life Dr. Wells.

hugo · February 3rd, 2008, 01:11 AM

Very inventive. Personally I love it. I love the way traditional teles look but I need to see something "wild" once in awhile. That would have looked cool in a bright green too. Like that censor box on the one pic.

How hard would it be to buy a piece of plexi and route it out like that Armstong guitar? I think I'm right about the name of it??
Can you even buy it that thick and how hard would it be to work with...hmmm
You guys are so freaking talented. It blows me away. Very cool. Very cool indeed.

Justin Crouse · February 3rd, 2008, 07:37 AM

looks awesome jack!!!

Bob Marlec · February 3rd, 2008, 03:51 PM

All i can do is take my hat off, shut my mouth and wait your explanations about the construction process, especially about radiusing and polishing the plexi eges!

And why not a f-hole in the plexi to add if possible some coolness? It's not too late!

varakeef · February 3rd, 2008, 04:54 PM

Wow indeed!

Reminds me of the clear (acrylic?) guitars Kith Richards used in the seventies.

I would like to know how it sounds with and without the plexis.

Arlo · February 3rd, 2008, 05:05 PM

Very Cool Jack!! I guess I wasn't expecting that but I love it!

You should post an audio clip when you get the chance.

jwells393 · February 3rd, 2008, 05:17 PM

Thanks everyone for the comments. Hope it ranks as one of the more unique builds seen here........... along with Tom S's cutaway Tele, NickJD's Feathercaster, and Wilsondooda's Doodacaster.

Along the way, there were a few guesses on where I was going. Fatman came close with this one.

Quote:

He's covering the whole thing in Res-O-Glas and making the world's first "AirlineCaster"

ehawley was on the right track with this.......

Quote:

.....!....maybe a ...a..."PLASTICASTER"??

...... and KDAD was right on with this one.

Quote:

Maybe a chambered body covered with clear plexiglass to reveal the innards?

Sorry guys .......... there are no prizes.

To answers a couple of questions .......... The weight is 7 lbs. 11 oz. The neck pickup wires run through the center spoke to the bridge pickup cavity. I didn't want an F-hole because there would be the problem of dust getting into the chamber.

The idea for this began back in eary January. At that time there was a discussion about an acrylic Telecaster built by Dillion. It reminded of a Custom Shop Stratocaster built by Steve Boulanger and John English back in 1995. That guitar consisted of a 'spiderweb' core milled out of aluminum with acrylic covers on the front and back.

Since I don't work in metal, I started thinking about doing something similar with wood. I had a hard maple body blank left from the time I built my avatar guitar and thought it would be a good wood for the project. With paper and my Telecater template, I drew up the following. It has a much less complicated core than the Custom Shop Stratocaster.

......

Super Bowl is starting .........more later.

Moggl · February 3rd, 2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwells393

Hope it ranks as one of the more unique builds seen here...........

Kudos, jwells. You're not just a really creative builder, you're also a master of understatement. I've been lurking here for quite a while before I joined, so I know most projects. This latest one is really great. Thumbs up!

boris bubbanov · February 3rd, 2008, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Marlec

All i can do is take my hat off, shut my mouth and wait your explanations about the construction process, especially about radiusing and polishing the plexi eges!

Great info, Jack. We want more! More more more!

7 pounds 11 ounces, right in the zone. Congrats.

Essex Boy · February 4th, 2008, 05:56 AM

That is SO cool.

jwells393 · February 4th, 2008, 07:18 AM

After working out the design on paper, I drew it on 1/4 in. MDF. This project gave me an excuse to buy a new tool ......... the Hitachi CW40 scroll saw......... $159 at Lowes ...... so far I'm very happy with it.

......

Here's the 1/4 in. template. After rough cutting the cavity areas, I used the spindle sander, files and various sanding blocks to sand to the lines.

......

I then used the 1/4 in. template to make a 3/4 in. template. Below I'm rough cutting one of the acrylic covers.

......

Here are the three body parts in their rough cut state. The acrylic which I purchased at Home Depot, was covered with a thin plastic film that wouldn't stay on so throughout the project I had to take great care to not scratch the acrylic.

......

jwells393 · February 4th, 2008, 07:25 AM

The working template was screwed to the body core and the cavities were traced onto the core. Below I'm drilling holes in the cavity areas.

......

......

Rough cutting the cavities. I'm using a spiral-tooth blade that cuts in any direction.

......

After rough cutting the cavities, the template was attached to the core and the cavities were routed on the router table. In the picture below the template has been removed to make the final passes.

......

February 2nd, 2008, 05:41 PM	#81 (permalink)
amp boy Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: toronto, Canada Age: 27 Posts: 330 4 Photos	holy ****. and wow !!! dig that bracing. __________________ I'm kinda like class act simplicity with a raw edge that can rip out yer bones.

February 2nd, 2008, 06:41 PM	#83 (permalink)
Nick JD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: May 2007 Location: North NSW, Australia Age: 35 Posts: 1,642	Your use of the neck pickup as the center of the radial braces gives it a great symmetry in both directions - the resulting triangles also create a character of strength and lightness. It reminds me very much of the chrome-molybdenum Ducati frame or the sparse alloy lattice chasis of a Bimota Tesi. I think it's fantastic, Jack. __________________ It was such a lovely day I thought it a pity to get up. W. Somerset Maugham

February 2nd, 2008, 06:48 PM	#84 (permalink)
TheDev01dOne Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Staffordshire, England. Age: 20 Posts: 464	My girlfriend said it's a spiderman guitar. It's pretty cool but where's the soundclips? Looks like it would have some interesting tone. __________________ '86 MIJ Esquire Squier Standard - Heavily Modded Bastardised '80(?)s Vester Esquire

February 2nd, 2008, 06:53 PM	#85 (permalink)
rednwhiteblues TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Chico, CA Age: 20 Posts: 48 6 Photos	thats pretty amazing work! Thanks for not letting us down after all the hype! It reminds me of a few electric violins i've seen: I'm loving the fact that its not just the frame, the glass (plexiglass?) top and bottom look great! cant wait to hear it! __________________ "I'm in the right place at the wrong time..." - Jack White III My Walnut Thinline Build

February 2nd, 2008, 07:20 PM	#86 (permalink)
gtech Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Quebec, Canada Age: 59 Posts: 1,915 171 Photos	Hey... I love it. I would love to have a plexi guitar, but I always thought it was too heavy. You found the solution. I give you a 10 Gilles __________________ Back to practice now...to make my Teles sound good.

February 2nd, 2008, 06:11 PM	#82 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 5,897	Nah, I don't like those steel barrel saddles; I prefer a guitar with brass saddles. And, I'm not sure about the neck toning, a bit too yellow for me. Bubbanov Well, I had to think of something, cause mainly I'm speechless. This is the Telecaster of 2008, never mind the American Standard Yawn.

February 2nd, 2008, 07:55 PM	#87 (permalink)
martyb1 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Age: 44 Posts: 1,253 3 Photos	Now thats just WAY COOL Way to go Jack!!! __________________ Before throwing it out,make sure it's not 16x13x1.75

February 2nd, 2008, 08:11 PM	#88 (permalink)
jwells393 Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Albuquerque, USA Age: 64 Posts: 10,790 101 Photos	A few more pictures. I have to leave for the evening but tomorrow I'll answer questions and start showing some of the construction process if anyone is interested. ...... ...... ...... ...... __________________ Jack's Disclaimer: When I say something.... always ask yourself ..... "What the hell does he know?" _ Guys - learn to disable the flash on your digital cameras.

February 2nd, 2008, 08:39 PM	#89 (permalink)
KDAD TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Thornton, Colorado Posts: 89	That is too cool for school...well done, jwells393

February 2nd, 2008, 08:43 PM	#90 (permalink)
eryque Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: albany, ny [not chicago] Posts: 6,749 44 Photos	All I can say is WOW. That's pretty cool. What's it sound like? What pickups did you use? Does Spiderman know you made a guitar for him? __________________ my blog: eryque.blogspot.com Updated 10.27.07 Subscribe_____________________

February 2nd, 2008, 09:25 PM	#91 (permalink)
yegbert Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Clinton, Maryland (US) Age: 54 Posts: 4,308 66 Photos	That's awesome, Jack. Great work!

February 2nd, 2008, 10:16 PM	#92 (permalink)
martino Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: LA CA US Posts: 363	[quote=jwells393;1098576]A few more pictures. I have to leave for the evening but tomorrow I'll answer questions and start showing some of the construction process if anyone is interested. Stewart MacDonald caled he wants his clear acrylic templates back That paint is not easy to get a even coat with ! your guitar looks GOOD!!! I think you have to do a youtube video so we can realy see and heare your creature come to life Dr. Wells.

February 3rd, 2008, 01:11 AM	#93 (permalink)
hugo Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sarnia,Ontario Age: 48 Posts: 812	Very inventive. Personally I love it. I love the way traditional teles look but I need to see something "wild" once in awhile. That would have looked cool in a bright green too. Like that censor box on the one pic. How hard would it be to buy a piece of plexi and route it out like that Armstong guitar? I think I'm right about the name of it?? Can you even buy it that thick and how hard would it be to work with...hmmm You guys are so freaking talented. It blows me away. Very cool. Very cool indeed.

February 3rd, 2008, 07:37 AM	#94 (permalink)
Justin Crouse Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maine Age: 36 Posts: 120 7 Photos	looks awesome jack!!!

February 3rd, 2008, 03:51 PM	#95 (permalink)
Bob Marlec Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brittany Age: 58 Posts: 201	All i can do is take my hat off, shut my mouth and wait your explanations about the construction process, especially about radiusing and polishing the plexi eges! And why not a f-hole in the plexi to add if possible some coolness? It's not too late! __________________ P.S. Don't mock my English because i learned it mostly while reading this forum !

February 3rd, 2008, 04:54 PM	#96 (permalink)
varakeef Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Finland Posts: 142 50 Photos	Wow indeed! Reminds me of the clear (acrylic?) guitars Kith Richards used in the seventies. I would like to know how it sounds with and without the plexis. __________________ If you remove the noisy stuff inside the piano it makes a great house for a dog.

February 3rd, 2008, 05:05 PM	#97 (permalink)
Arlo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Maine [in a van down by the river] Age: 49 Posts: 2,134	Very Cool Jack!! I guess I wasn't expecting that but I love it! You should post an audio clip when you get the chance. __________________ My music? It is free for my friends.

February 4th, 2008, 05:56 AM	#101 (permalink)
Essex Boy Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: London, England Posts: 674	That is SO cool.

February 4th, 2008, 07:18 AM	#102 (permalink)
jwells393 Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Albuquerque, USA Age: 64 Posts: 10,790 101 Photos	After working out the design on paper, I drew it on 1/4 in. MDF. This project gave me an excuse to buy a new tool ......... the Hitachi CW40 scroll saw......... $159 at Lowes ...... so far I'm very happy with it. ...... Here's the 1/4 in. template. After rough cutting the cavity areas, I used the spindle sander, files and various sanding blocks to sand to the lines. ...... I then used the 1/4 in. template to make a 3/4 in. template. Below I'm rough cutting one of the acrylic covers. ...... Here are the three body parts in their rough cut state. The acrylic which I purchased at Home Depot, was covered with a thin plastic film that wouldn't stay on so throughout the project I had to take great care to not scratch the acrylic. ...... __________________ Jack's Disclaimer: When I say something.... always ask yourself ..... "What the hell does he know?" _ Guys - learn to disable the flash on your digital cameras. Last edited by jwells393 : February 4th, 2008 at 11:52 AM.

February 4th, 2008, 07:25 AM	#103 (permalink)
jwells393 Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Albuquerque, USA Age: 64 Posts: 10,790 101 Photos	The working template was screwed to the body core and the cavities were traced onto the core. Below I'm drilling holes in the cavity areas. ...... ...... Rough cutting the cavities. I'm using a spiral-tooth blade that cuts in any direction. ...... After rough cutting the cavities, the template was attached to the core and the cavities were routed on the router table. In the picture below the template has been removed to make the final passes. ...... __________________ Jack's Disclaimer: When I say something.... always ask yourself ..... "What the hell does he know?" _ Guys - learn to disable the flash on your digital cameras.