custom telecaster idea

phaeton

from somewhere, most likely the jag i have this thing about tail pieces being right at the back and ive had the idea of building a telecaster (or maybe even a strat) with a TOM and the LP tail piece all the way at the back.

my main concerns are do single coils fit in the tele neck position or do they have to be tele pickups?

also would it be wierd or possible to have a floyd rose on a tele?

Robbmonster

As far as 'regular' single coils fitting in the neck pickup position, I don't think they would with the scratchplate as it is on a standard tele.

But I think a regular pickup would fit fine in the actual body cavity itself. All you would have to do would be cut the scratchplate to accomodate it.

I remeber seeing on this site a pic of a Tele that had a Bigsby tailpiece attached to it. I tried to find the thread so I could link it, but no luck.

As far as a Floyd Rose goes, I have no idea how they work. If they substitute for a strat-style vibrato system (ie: reaching down through the entire guitar, accessed from underneath) then no, a Floyd Rose would not fit on a tele. I'm sure they exist, but I have never seen a stock tele with a strat-style bridge. Most tele's have a fixed bridge with six holes drilled through the guitar through which to feed the strings, and my tele (a Squier) has a fixed bridge and no holes, meaning the strings are fed through the back of the bridge where the intonation screws are. I think fitting a Floyd Rose to a tele would require taking out a rather large chunk of the body.

However, I am far from an expert on this matter, and someone will probably come along and correct what I have said soon enough 😀

edit: changed "likk" to "link" and "Flod" to "Floyd"

Mustang-Pete

To fit a floyd rose on a tele would technically be possible (with lots of routing) but you'd probably have to get a whole new neck (one that accomodates the locking nut).

Too much trouble to go to to make a great guitar quite a bit worse.

melvin-man

Robbmonster said: I remeber seeing on this site a pic of a Tele that had a Bigsby tailpiece attached to it. I tried to find the thread so I could link it, but no luck.

were you thinking of this?

its rob(og)s

Mustang-Pete

You do get Telecaster Bigsbys though. They are cool looking. I'm pretty sure I saw one when I was browsing over at shortscale.org...

Robbmonster

Robbmonster said: I remeber seeing on this site a pic of a Tele that had a Bigsby tailpiece attached to it. I tried to find the thread so I could link it, but no luck.

Almost, melvin-man. If I remeber rightly, there were two hot-rodded teles pictured in the same post, and I think the other one was packing a Bigsby.

Seeing those teles got me thinking, and I ain't trying to stir up trouble here...

But how many mods can you make to a guitar (in this case a Telecaster) and still call it a Telecaster? Different neck, pups, bridge, tailpiece, pup selector, and even (I think) custom finish!

Is there an actual point where a Telecaster ceases to be a Telecaster, or is it a case that the body dictates what the guitar is? I mean, would Rob's tele sound anything remotely like a Tele anymore?

Just thought I would put it out there... 😉

phaeton

thats kind of like it actually, and oddly enough i looked at my jag today and though hmm, what would it look like if i had a jag tailpiece on a tele?

and to your question, i always see the body shape of a guitar being the base defining part of its name, i dont think you can look at robs tele and call it something else, unless you want to mix names like a jazzocaster or a telemaster.

sweet quilted top

Robbmonster

phaeton said: thats kind of like it actually, and oddly enough i looked at my jag today and though hmm, what would it look like if i had a jag tailpiece on a tele?
and to your question, i always see the body shape of a guitar being the base defining part of its name, i dont think you can look at robs tele and call it something else, unless you want to mix names like a jazzocaster or a telemaster.
sweet quilted top

I guess even a modded guitar has to be called something, and the body is as good a thing as any to go by 😀

edit: by the way, I was gonna comment on the finish too, but I didn't know the proper word, so thanks for that 😁

phaeton

bitch of it is i suddenly realised that TOMs are designed to be mounted high for the LPs angled neck where fenders have in line necks.

I did a rough measurement on my jag and a TOM at its lowest setting would be a few mm higher than my already non low jag action

antoha

I think Khaler made some tremolos that could be fitted instead of LP style bridges with no routing.

melvin-man

phaeton said: bitch of it is i suddenly realised that TOMs are designed to be mounted high for the LPs angled neck where fenders have in line necks.
I did a rough measurement on my jag and a TOM at its lowest setting would be a few mm higher than my already non low jag action

You'll have to shim the neck, works a treat

robertoriginal

my tele sounds nothing like a tele, its really only becuz of the pups.

2-90's

you can do anything you want to a guitar, you just have to have the patience or knowledge to do it.

give it a shot and see what happens,

no matter what its a learning experience right?

Robbmonster

robert(original) said: my tele sounds nothing like a tele, its really only becuz of the pups.
2-90's
you can do anything you want to a guitar, you just have to have the patience or knowledge to do it.
give it a shot and see what happens,
no matter what its a learning experience right?

Exactly. I've been thinking about modding, and it's like a car. If you have a Ford Falcon and you swap out the engine, transmission, exhaust, put a body kit, spoiler, tint the windows, at the end of the day it is still a Ford Falcon. Same with guitars, I suppose.

I plan to do some modding one day, mainly along the lines of buying very cheap used guitars and mucking around with them, but I know nothing about electronics at all, so it is still a while away. Heck, I even managed to make the neck pickup on my Telecaster stop working after I took the pup cover off to see what was underneath 😀

Way I see it, the chances of finding a stock guitar that is absoulutely perfect in every way are extremely remote, so take that parts you like and change the rest.

I used to think it was a bit silly to buy a guitar and then start swapping parts out. If you don't like something, why buy it? But as I learn more about tone and sound, weight, and so on, I gain a greater appreciation for customizing. If I did get a Fender Strat and it had a heavy gloss neck, I would try all I could to find a repalcement with a light gloss or satin finish, so I understand more now.

Anyway, I've overtyped again 😁

melvin-man

Robb, your right, there is another picture on that thread "do you use your jag / jazz trem?" but i'm on my phone so i can't copy and paste the link

Robbmonster

junebug said: Nice man! I had a Bigsby installed on my tele. Love that thing...only kind of a bitch to change strings.

Thanks, Melvin-Man, I'll find it and try to link it 😀

edit: hope this works, phaeton, a wonderful-looking tele with a bigsby trem 😀

personally, I think this guitar looks wonderful. They even managed to keep the OG tele pup and ashtray at the bridge. beautiful guitar

nirvana23freak

someone said:
personally, I think this guitar looks wonderful. They even managed to keep the OG tele pup and ashtray at the bridge. beautiful guitar

the ashtray is actually a bigsby part too. then it goes to a rocking bridge like jag or stang bridge.

phaeton

actuallt ive always been more drawn to original teles, never liked the deluxe models, something about originals that have basic 'built to do what it was meant to do by the simplest means' kind of character.

and i used to hate the look of teles.

i saw a tele in guitarist magazine today (with john mayer on the front) it belonged to a guy called something van zandt and it was exactly what i'd want a standard tele to look like.

the only problem is id also love to build some kind of SRV tribute strat (not the over priced signiture series) just a strat in sunburst with a black pickguard and gold hardware and maybe a texas special

SRV strat or custom tele?

Robbmonster

I love tele's too much, so that would be my choice.

Strats are awesome too, and maybe more versatile than a tele.

But like you said, I too like the pure practicality of a tele. A working man's tool

tragictravisty

tele bridge strat neck+middle.

JaguarOW

phaeton said: i always see the body shape of a guitar being the base defining part of its name, i dont think you can look at robs tele and call it something else, unless you want to mix names like a jazzocaster or a telemaster.

my friend just got one of these

and i dont see how its a telecaster apart from the neck