Matt just celebrated his 62nd birthday. I m thinking he is too busy spending his first social security check rather than building the tele.
LOL!!!! 43rd bday! Ha! I will finally be soldering this week. Life has been crazy busy, so this had to take a backseat temporarily. I'll be sure to share pics once it's done and a video of me shredding. (LOL)
Thanks for checking in, everyone. I haven't been here in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to play it!
I had an awesome Tele -- well, it was sort of a Franken-Tele -- but it's long gone now.
It was customized by Phil Petillo for Bruce Springsteen, who played it for a while before giving it back to Phil, who then sold it to my father, who then gave it to me as a gift. I got to play it for a few years before moving to a tiny apartment. I gave it back to my dad to hold for me until I got into a place that could take it's full power again.
When he died, my stepmother called to ask me if she could sell it to help make ends meet. I was living in an even tinier apartment at that point and the situation being what it was with her, I said sure.
I've actually thought about trying to find it out in the wild. I know the town where she sold it; I think there are two or three music shops there, but I don't know how long they keep records of the instruments they've bought and sold. I'd love to have that thing back someday, though, now that I've got a bigger place. The hunt for it could make a fun documentary for an audience of about 10.
I'd been totally up for see such a documentary, Dan. I love that kind of story. It's not always about the big splash stories that count. Yours is one of those that make up the great world of rock and roll.
I have only been able to track down when and where it was bought and sold.
In 2005, someone bought my old Tele from World of Music in Erie, Pennsylvania. World of Music still had my stepmother's name on file as the person they bought it from, but they don't keep such records for folks to whom they've sold the instrument.
you guys talked me into it. i had a good month in July so I am going to have a decent commission check coming next month. over the weekend i commissioned a luthier to build me a custom tele, to my specs. it is going to be based on the 1962/63 specs. will have an alder body, rosewood fretboard, vintage style klusen tuners, era correct bridge, and will have a double bound body. the only thing out of the ordinary it will have is a slightly angled pickup selector switch. instead of going parallel to the knobs, the neck pickup spot will be slightly higher and easier to use. i just need to decide on the pickups and the color. i am down to candyapple red or lake placid blue. i am super excited.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.- Hemingway
also, the neck is going to have a fat ass soft v profile from the nut down the neck and will gradually flatten out starting at about the 10th fret. i am a rhythm player so rarely am i ever above the 10th fret. the v fits my hand a little better. hopefully this will be the last guitar i ever need to buy.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.- Hemingway
you guys talked me into it. i had a good month in July so I am going to have a decent commission check coming next month. over the weekend i commissioned a luthier to build me a custom tele, to my specs. it is going to be based on the 1962/63 specs. will have an alder body, rosewood fretboard, vintage style klusen tuners, era correct bridge, and will have a double bound body. the only thing out of the ordinary it will have is a slightly angled pickup selector switch. instead of going parallel to the knobs, the neck pickup spot will be slightly higher and easier to use. i just need to decide on the pickups and the color. i am down to candyapple red or lake placid blue. i am super excited.
Very cool, man! For some reason I can see the pictures you posted. I hope I can see the finished product when it's done!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
you guys talked me into it. i had a good month in July so I am going to have a decent commission check coming next month. over the weekend i commissioned a luthier to build me a custom tele, to my specs. it is going to be based on the 1962/63 specs. will have an alder body, rosewood fretboard, vintage style klusen tuners, era correct bridge, and will have a double bound body. the only thing out of the ordinary it will have is a slightly angled pickup selector switch. instead of going parallel to the knobs, the neck pickup spot will be slightly higher and easier to use. i just need to decide on the pickups and the color. i am down to candyapple red or lake placid blue. i am super excited.
Very cool, man! For some reason I can see the pictures you posted. I hope I can see the finished product when it's done!
thanks man! i will share for sure when it's done. will probably be about 6 weeks from now, depending on when he is able to get the body and neck and pickups in.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.- Hemingway
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
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brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,732
Looking back through this thread that I started, I noticed something that's kind of embarrassing. I actually do have a Telecaster, but it's not a standard Tele, and not what I'm wishing for some day. Here's the story:
Back when Paul Westerberg's album Suicane Gratifaction came out, I loved that album and thought the guitar Paul used on it sounded and looked very cool. It's a 70's Tele Thinline semi-hollow body seen here:
I started telling people that I thought it would so oh so cool to have a
guitar like that. It was like I mantra: "Oh how I would love to have a white Fender semi-hollow body Thinline Telecaster with dual Humbucker pickups!"
Several months later, I met up with good friend Patti (who is the mother of my Godchildren through a previous marriage) and her husband, Mark, for lunch. We met in the parking lot and I noticed Mark had a guitar in a gig bag. Mark started telling me about how his son, who plays, had a guitar that was run over by a car. I thought it was cool that Mark replaced the guitar for his son. So during lunch, I finally said, "Mark, I have to ask, what's in the gig bag." I wanted to know what the replacement guitar for his son looked like. So Mark pulls out this guitar and, lo and behold, it's a white Fender semi-hollow body Thinline Telecaster with dual Humbucker pickups! I told Mark, "Oh, man, good choice!"
Mark look over at Patti and they both started laughing. I handed the guitar back to Mark and he handed it back to me. Patti looked at Mark and said, "He just doesn't get it," then looked at me and said, "Your Godchildren used some of the money they inherited from their grandmother and bought that for you." I was floored!
But now here's the sad part of the story. Never wish for a guitar you have not played. I've had this guitar for several years now and have never been able to bond with it. It just doesn't sound good or play well for me. It's a beautiful instrument and because of it's history, I can't see letting it go. It looks great on a wall, but guitars were not meant to live on a wall. One day, when I'm gone, it will go back to one of the Godchildren.
Meanwhile, I still pine for that standard Tele that I did love oh so much (mentioned in the original post here) and hope to find one. Meanwhile, the Thinline does look great on my wall:
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Cool story, Bri! If it were mine, I would take that guitar to your local guitar shop (not Guitar Center) and ask to speak with their repair person. Explain to them what you don't like about it and see if they can set it up specifically for you.
That's the true beauty of Leo's designs: the ability to make adjustments, repairs and modifications easily to suit an individual player. A good setup can easily make the difference between a guitar that gets played and one that lives on the wall.
Nice space you made for yourself too!
If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
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brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,732
Cool story, Bri! If it were mine, I would take that guitar to your local guitar shop (not Guitar Center) and ask to speak with their repair person. Explain to them what you don't like about it and see if they can set it up specifically for you.
That's the true beauty of Leo's designs: the ability to make adjustments, repairs and modifications easily to suit an individual player. A good setup can easily make the difference between a guitar that gets played and one that lives on the wall.
Nice space you made for yourself too!
Thanks, Dudeman!
That's a great idea. I'll take in in some time and get it checked out. The action might be a little high- that might help.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
i have heard people say that about thinlines. sometimes they just aren't what you expect. do you know if those are the wide range humbuckers? i've heard great things about those.
it may sound strange to you as there is less wood in the guitar and they are humbuckers. I agree to take it to a guitar shop and see what they recommend. may need to adjust some amp settings as well.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.- Hemingway
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
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brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,732
i have heard people say that about thinlines. sometimes they just aren't what you expect. do you know if those are the wide range humbuckers? i've heard great things about those.
it may sound strange to you as there is less wood in the guitar and they are humbuckers. I agree to take it to a guitar shop and see what they recommend. may need to adjust some amp settings as well.
Thanks, gimme!
I never got any paperwork on the instrument, so I'm not sure what type of humbuckeres they are. I was messing around with the guitar this morning and thinking that maybe the action could be lower- that might help. I think I will take it down to Nicholson's Music next time I'm headed that way and let them look it over.
Meanwhile, I'm still thinking a standard Tele with single coil pick ups will be my ultimate Tele!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Comments
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
building the tele.
62??? We should all chip in for a walker or some Metamucil or something. Poor guy!
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
:
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!
43rd bday! Ha! I will finally be soldering this week. Life has been crazy busy, so this had to take a backseat temporarily. I'll be sure to share pics once it's done and a video of me shredding. (LOL)
Thanks for checking in, everyone. I haven't been here in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to play it!
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
In 2005, someone bought my old Tele from World of Music in Erie, Pennsylvania. World of Music still had my stepmother's name on file as the person they bought it from, but they don't keep such records for folks to whom they've sold the instrument.
It's the tiniest crumb, but it's a crumb.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
That's the true beauty of Leo's designs: the ability to make adjustments, repairs and modifications easily to suit an individual player. A good setup can easily make the difference between a guitar that gets played and one that lives on the wall.
Nice space you made for yourself too!
i have heard people say that about thinlines. sometimes they just aren't what you expect. do you know if those are the wide range humbuckers? i've heard great things about those.
it may sound strange to you as there is less wood in the guitar and they are humbuckers. I agree to take it to a guitar shop and see what they recommend. may need to adjust some amp settings as well.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."