Warmoth Telecaster Project--September, 2003
After losing about 300 eBay auctions in the last few months, I decided to say "screw it" and build my own damn guitar. This page will document my progress in acquiring and assembling my version of a 1972 Fender Telecaster Custom guitar.
09-23-03
Just ordered the body from Warmoth. This is the picture of the exact body from their website. Warmoth is a small, specialty shop in Washington State that makes bodies and necks for idiots like me who think they can put these types of things together all by themselves, even though they are inept and should know better...
Here are a couple of my former projects (ok, they are actually all the same guitar).
Velcro-top guitar, complete with velcro-backed picks. Even after I made this, I still dug around in my pocket for guitar picks!
The short-lived bar code guitar. Looked better in the pictures than in person. Savvy viewers will note that the numbers were my address and zip code in Oak Park.
The final version (I hope). Pink Fleckstone finish with a new Lindert "Thumbs Up" neck and the emblem from my first car, a '74 Buick LeSabre convertible.
10-02-03
Guess what the postman brought me today!
I know it is in here somewhere...
10-04-03
Spending the better part of the weekend applying copper shielding tape and finishing the body (in my bathtub and closet). Applied four coats of white stain, two coats of Minwax Gel Stain (almost foolproof) in antique maple, and am now working my way through a bottle of Formby's High Gloss Tung Oil.
My so-called workshop.
Finished back with ferrules installed.
Just missing a few miscellaneous items...
10-24-03
Installed Electrosocket output jack and switch wiring. Ordered a RWRP Kent Armstrong P90 for the neck position p/u. This is a real nifty unit that fits in the standard humbucker space. Also have knobs, pots, switch, neck plate etc. ready to install.
Will probably have to cool it for a while due to the unfortunate combination of lack of fundage and my wife turning the screws a bit lately...
11-08-03
Making some progress finally. Got the pickguard from Warmoth today. Those guys really do nice work, even though I'm going to have to re-work it a little to fit my needs. Now that I have most of the electronics and something to mount them to, I am realizing just what a big job this is going to be! Because of the design of these bodies, you need a heck of a lot of wire to connect the pickups, knobs and switch to each other, and there is really no convenient place to put all that stuff once you do. Plus, I've seen about six different wiring diagrams, and they are all totally different!
Picking out a neck in the next couple weeks. Should have most of this all together by the end of the month, if all goes well.
11-13-03
Found all the parts (as Cheap Trick would say). Everything is heading to my house from various locales. Scored a nice-looking birdseye maple neck w/Grovers for a decent price from eBay. Did most of the wiring for the pots and pickups, too. My big challenge will be altering the pickguard to fit the Gotoh humbucker Tele bridge. Guess I can always order another pickguard if I mess it up.
Final assembly phase.
11-17-03
Picture of the neck I just installed. As you can see, there were already two sets of holes drilled in it, but of course neither set matched up with the body! If anyone is motivated to build their own guitar after reading this page, you should be prepared for the fact that very few things will bolt up to your body without needing some modification.
Just need the bridge, strap, and some extra wire for the switch and I should be all set. Apparently, this whole thing just bores Francis to tears.
11-18-66
Turned the last screw this morning. The Tele project is complete, and I really couldn't be happier with it. I'll be sporting it next month at our band's next gig, and hope to be using it as my main axe from now on. Now I gotta find something else to build me!
12-21-03
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