DasBeef Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 (edited) First of all I would like to say 'Hello to you' all. I am currently starting my first projuct guitar. I am attacking my Mexican Telecaster, and am currently at the planning stage. Here is my plan so far. I would appreciate and comments, pointers, and even ideas any of you may have to help me make this guitar a cracker! So here goes.... I'll start by posting a blank picture of a standard Tele... http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Das...r/TeleBlank.gif Right! Here is the first draft of what I am thinking about doing to it.... http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Das...ulletpoints.gif Pics too large - please review picture rules. Changed to links. Right, the bullet points... 1. The guitar is currently NOT strung thruogh the body, and I quite fancy making it so that it is strung through the body. The back bridge already appears to have holes for the strings to go through, if I were to do this. I know I will need to drill holes through the body, and put ferrels to hold the strings in the back. I don't know, if anything, what else I would need to do. Any advice? 2. I intend to completely change the metal plate at the back of the guitar, and make a bigger hole underneath so I have room for 2 volumes, 2 tones, an onboard effect, and to move the jack so it plugs in on the front of the guitar. Not quite decided whether to fabricate something to fit from stainless steel, or buy a square of scratchplate material, and fabricate a scratchplate, that will be one piece, and cater for the alterations at the pots, and selector as well as the pickups etc. 3. Intend putting in a full size double coil. Any suggestions? I played a Seymour Duncan pearly gates pickup once, and it sounded sweeeeeet!!! Also, I own a '72 custom, and may consider putting the humbucker in at the bridge. 4. Two volume pots. Intend to have one for each pickup. 5. Two tone pots. I intend to have one for each pickup. 6. Jack. This is where I intend to plug my lead into! 7. On-boar effects pot. Quite fancy the distortion one, but not quite decided... 8. I intend to turn the original jack point into where the battery will go for the onboard effects. 9. This I am not quite sure about. I have 2 options which I will call 9a, and 9b. Will be open to other suggestions.... ____9a. Straight forward on off swith. One for each pickup. ____9b. Three way on/off/on switch. Do the wiring like the mustang so I can have the pickups on off, and in and out of phase. (2x3 way selectors with 8 terminals) I want the wiring somewhere between a Les Paul, and a Fender Mustang. ie. I would like to have on/off for the pickups, and an out of phase selection like the mustang, but I want each pickup to have it's own volume and tone. I also want to incorporate some kind of onboard effect. (Purely because when I move the jack point, I'll have a gaping hole, and a battery would fill it. Oh, and it would be nice) I have aquired wiring diagrams for Les Pauls, '72 custom Tele's, Standard Tele's etc. I am struggling howerver to find a good diagram for a fender mustang. Oh, and any wiring suggestions would be very much appreciated. Any input at all would be appreciated. Thanks..... Keith 'DasBeef'. Edited April 28, 2006 by lovekraft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 I have a few minor "concerns," but keep in mind that I'm a complete amateur numpty despite (or because of-- indicating where my time is actually spent) my post count. 1. The pickguard/electronics cover. I'm glad you're not 100% decided on this yet, because in the mockup it looks odd. I know you want to be mainly tele-style, but I think that a double-sized metal plate is going to look strange. I'd suggest either making a custom pickguard that extends down (rather than 2 separate ones), or mount at least some of the controls on a "bare wood" area, like the Yamaha 302S: Now, I'm not saying "exactly" like this, but split up the duties from pickguard to 'bare wood' somehow, or that panel is going to look like a beast, IMO. 2. Forget the on-board FX, or if you DO get something, get something other than distortion. Distortion is such a personal and heavily-tweaked thing that I can't imagine you'll be pleased with it. In general, it's only a matter of time before either you're displeased with the FX, you replace it with a "better" stompbox, or it craps out. 3. If you want the Les Paul style 2-vol, 2-tone, I personally (and admittedly, conservatively and boringly!) think it's look better in a typical "diamond-shape" configuration rather than all lined up straight like that. Combine staggered knobs with my point #1 (some bare wood mounting) and I think the controls will look a lot more organic and less like an afterthought. 4. In conjunction with my point #2, since you wouldn't then need the battery deal, I prefer "side" output jacks rather than front ones. Front ones look wonky IMO, though there are certainly exceptions. ---- What I liked: - Neck humbucker on Tele = sweeeeeetness. - Mustang-style pickup switches aren't my thing, but they looked fine on your mockup! ---- PS, I've only seen Sons of Butcher once, but it was teh funnay. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DasBeef Posted April 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 Thanks for your input! I'll certainly be taking some of that on board. I do fancy having the input on the front, more for original styling than anything else. I currently own a Jag, and a Mustang, which are both front mounted, and I like it. Yeah, the onboard effects probably would get boring, and distortion may well be a bad choice. I've been humming and haying with that. A few other ideas have come to light when I have been researching. I'm pretty definate about mounting the jack on the front so I will have a 'hole to fill'. Anyone got any other suggestions besides onboard effects? As for mounting the pots in the wood, I really wouldn't know how to go about that. I have ideas for how to put the switches and that in. May do some more research on that. Anyway, nothing's set in stone, and thanks again! Feel free to put forward any other ideas you may have... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 Mounting them "in the wood" requires a back rout rather than a top one, that's all. Like a Les Paul- (and many many others-) style control cavity on the back. Regarding the "hole to fill", nothings saying you can't just leave it empty and shape the cover (whatever it turns out to be!) appropriately! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 You'll ruin the look of the guitar completely if you get rid of that control strip. Seriously. Consider ditching the onboard FX idea --kind of a gimmick and probably limiting (especially if you play other guitars --you'll lose access to those fx). On the other hand, you can use stacked pots --that way you can get two volumes and two tones without needing to butcher the control cavity. There's room on the standard tele plate for an extra hole between the two knobs --you can add switches there, or you can add your jack there --it'd help to use an angled plug. But you can also shift the tone knob to the center of the plate and use the end hole for the jack. Filling up the existing jack hole won't be impossible --but you'll have to refinish the guitar for that. Of course, you can just leave it as is, as kind of an in-your-face thing. Or shove something in there, like a butchered doll's head. I like the mustang switch idea, and that shouldn't be too difficult to pull off --but you'll need to learn how to route and you'll want to do that from the back of the guitar. It's a great look , but it all depends on how much cutting and reshaping you'll want to do. And again, you'll have to refinish the guitar. So I'd consider mounting your switches in the lower horn --the pickguard will cover up the hole, so no worries about back routing, and you can use the existing wire routes too. As for the string-through the body thing, I didn't realize Fender made top-mounted tele bridges? Do a search here for how to make the holes for those --you'll find a lot of people moaning about how difficult that is (and you'll find lots of photos of poorly lined up ferrules). So that's probably the most difficult part of your project --and for what? I think any gain in sustain and tone will be illusory. Adding the humbuckers and turning up the gain on your amp will get you a lot more of a difference. So a lot of your choices come down to how committed you are to butchering this guitar --if you know what you're doing, it won't be difficult. If you don't...well...at least you have another guitar to play! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 On the other hand, you can use stacked pots --that way you can get two volumes and two tones without needing to butcher the control cavity. Totally agree with the stacked pots idea. Wish I had thought of it myself-- it's perfect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DasBeef Posted April 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 Thanks guys! I have posted this on another forum, and have had some very similar feedback! A few people have said 'Don't butcher the control plate. So, I am kind of thinking this... Mount the Mustang selectors on the scratchplate, above the pickups. Possibly fabricate a control plate, identical to the one currently on the tele, but make holes for 4 pots. (if I have the mustang switching, I'll have no need for a 3 way selector) Thoughts please... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 Mount the Mustang selectors on the scratchplate, above the pickups. Possibly fabricate a control plate, identical to the one currently on the tele, but make holes for 4 pots. (if I have the mustang switching, I'll have no need for a 3 way selector) Thoughts please... Sure, that could work out quite nicely. Bet it'll look great too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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