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12-string telecaster project done.

exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
edited February 2011 in Musicians and Gearheads
Warmoth body and 12-string neck with 59 profile. The tuners and bridge were new as well. The rest was scavenged from parts. I finished the neck with a bit of tung oil. it's still feels pretty much raw. Still designing headstock logo. A bit of fiddling to get the string spacing right. i had to cut all the height screws to recess them below the surface of the saddles. Despite having only 3 saddles it intonates well enough.

it's wired with a 5 way switch which gives;
-neck
-neck and bridge parallel
-bridge
-neck and bridge series out of phase
-neck w. bass cut.

The toggle turns the middle pickup on independent of the blade switch position. Normal master tone and volume.

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https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_G6CI ... G_0671.JPG

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https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_G6CI ... G_0679.JPG

Only bummers are that it's heavy and a little neck heavy as well and the truss rod adjust is at the heel which means disassembly to make any adjustments.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    That's a really cool piece!
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    thanks. i'm really happy with it overall. i've been playing "i can't explain" and "breakerfall" all afternoon. :D
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    How heavy is it? I like the idea of the middle pickup, as I think for clean tones, position 2 and 4 (on a Strat setup) is where it's at!
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • RedMosquito22RedMosquito22 Posts: 8,158
    Thats friggin sweet!!!
    Member 164xxx

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  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    STAIRWAY!!!

    Seriously, it looks like a solid piece. Too bad you couldn't find a bridge to surround the pup, but it looks great otherwise.

    5-way switching, with the middle pup on it's own toggle?
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    mccreadyisgod wrote:
    STAIRWAY!!!

    Seriously, it looks like a solid piece. Too bad you couldn't find a bridge to surround the pup, but it looks great otherwise.

    5-way switching, with the middle pup on it's own toggle?


    yeah, i'm not crazy about the bridge either but it's the only one i could find that would work for me. couldn't find a full plate one that was top load and string through. at some point i'll just buy a fender vintage style bridge since those are available lefty and drill some top loader holes but that's a pain of it's own since the holes would have to be carefully deburred etc or else i'll break strings all over the place. all the strings are angled to some degree to get the spacing right (thus the threaded saddles).

    yep, 5 way for various neck/bridge combos and then bring the middle in whenever you want. the only thing i don't get this way is middle on it's own which is unfortunate because with an SCN, that's a cool tone.

    wiring diagram at the bottom of the page.
    http://www.tdpri.com/wiring5wayStrat.htm

    as for weight, haven't weighed it yet but i fear it's in the 9-10 pound range. the neck is heavy, which isn't shocking.

    the bigsby'ed ash tele will be done tonight too. 8-)
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    If ya don't mind me asking, what do these builds generally cost?
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    it's more trouble that it's worth for right-handers in my opinion given all the good stuff fender produces right now (all the mexican stuff that is cool but not offered lefty). a 12-string conversion is pretty easy.

    the neck is $222 unfinished (the nut was installed and the profile are both extra cost options. base is like $157 depending on woods). finishing is $75-90.

    the body specs out to $360 but i bought it out of their showcase sale for $285.

    so for a finished neck and body you're already over $600 shipped. figure another $200-300 for the rest of the parts and electronics.

    for right-handers, there are lots of ways to get cheaper stuff via ebay etc. etc.
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    exhausted wrote:
    it's more trouble that it's worth for right-handers in my opinion given all the good stuff fender produces right now (all the mexican stuff that is cool but not offered lefty). a 12-string conversion is pretty easy.

    the neck is $222 unfinished (the nut was installed and the profile are both extra cost options. base is like $157 depending on woods). finishing is $75-90.

    the body specs out to $360 but i bought it out of their showcase sale for $285.

    so for a finished neck and body you're already over $600 shipped. figure another $200-300 for the rest of the parts and electronics.

    for right-handers, there are lots of ways to get cheaper stuff via ebay etc. etc.
    Fair enough, I have a debated jazzmaster concept in my head, kinda debating which way to go.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    if you have something in mind that departs from the norm, then definitely warmoth or some of the others are the way to go. i was thinking in the context of pretty conventional fender designs not being worth it for right-handers.

    and if you are looking into jazzmasters etc. join offsetguitars.com because there are lots of guys doing custom builds there so there are lots of ideas to be seen etc.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    edited February 2011
    awesome Greg! It would be expensive but Callaham can build you a bridge for that purpose if you wanted.

    That's a really cool guitar though, I like the switching you went with.
    Post edited by Pacomc79 on
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    keeponrockin wrote:
    exhausted wrote:
    it's more trouble that it's worth for right-handers in my opinion given all the good stuff fender produces right now (all the mexican stuff that is cool but not offered lefty). a 12-string conversion is pretty easy.

    the neck is $222 unfinished (the nut was installed and the profile are both extra cost options. base is like $157 depending on woods). finishing is $75-90.

    the body specs out to $360 but i bought it out of their showcase sale for $285.

    so for a finished neck and body you're already over $600 shipped. figure another $200-300 for the rest of the parts and electronics.

    for right-handers, there are lots of ways to get cheaper stuff via ebay etc. etc.
    Fair enough, I have a debated jazzmaster concept in my head, kinda debating which way to go.


    Go to warmoths website, and play around with the "Build" stuff. gives you costs right there.
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

    https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    Greg really does look awesome. Something to be proud of..
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

    https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    thanks guys. i'll do some clips in the next few days putting it head to head with my rickenbacker. i think the rick sounds better by a hair but the tele is more playable with the wider neck.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    here's the bigsby 6-string.
    IMG_0680.JPG

    IMG_0684.JPG

    IMG_0681.JPG

    IMG_0682.JPG
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    That is a gorgeous guitar. One of the prettiest Tele's I've seen.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    it's not as pretty in person being that it's not grain filled or anything and the neck is too light but i'm hoping that with time it ages well and turns into something fairly ratty looking.

    greg keelor has this old telecaster that looks like it was dragged behind a truck. i can't find a picture but it's sort of what i'm shooting for. this is the guitar that will get taken to jams (if i ever do that again) or to jobs sites etc. down the road so that i'm not taking my actual "good" guitars anywhere. if this one gets beaten, all the better.
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    exhausted wrote:
    here's the bigsby 6-string.
    IMG_0680.JPG

    IMG_0684.JPG

    IMG_0681.JPG

    IMG_0682.JPG

    Change the saddle screws to allen heads, and you'll be set. Lot more room than with a the Fender logo Bigsby

    That turned out great. And I love the idea of a beater for sure.
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

    https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    for intonation? yeah, i already made myself a right angle screw driver with an old allen key with a dremel. it works fine.
  • RedMosquito22RedMosquito22 Posts: 8,158
    You got yourself 2 fine looking axes brother!!!!!
    Member 164xxx

    8/15/92, 9/28/96, 8/28/98, 8/29/98, 9/18/98, 8/3/00, 8/9/00, 8/10/00, 8/23/00, 8/25/00, 9/1/00, 9/2/00, 4/28/03, 6/18/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 10/1/04, 10/3/05, 6/19/08, 10/27/09, 10/31/09, 5/21/10, 9/3/11, 9/4/11, 10/21/13

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