Cabronita-ish (maybe?) Telemaster "The Right Way"

[fever606]

I picked up this super-rad Telecaster body from weed_killer because I need another project like a need a hole in the head... I'm pretty well set on putting a Jazzmaster neck and neck pickup in it, and a standard Tele bridge. And I want to do some sort of cut-down pickguard because look at that glorious high-school-bleacher woodgrain!

I am of two minds, though, on how to proceed from there... do I go the "la Cabronita" path and rear-route for the controls, or do a "more normal" Tele guard and control setup? Or am I missing some other, much cooler option?





Hardware will probably all end up being Glendale "Raw Deal" jank, and the pickguard will either be a similar raw metal or black anodized aluminum.

[kdanie]

I like the second version with the rear route controls.

ken

[fever606]

I'm still debating the layout, but now comes the neck/headstock question... I was originally just going to go with a Jazzmaster neck to stick with the vibe of the neck PU...



But the someone saw my mockup and suggested the Tele "Snake Head" headstock, which - I have to admit - is kind of appealing because 1) it's quirky as shit, 2) it jives with the cut-down guard in that "protocaster" way and 3) did I mention the quirkiness?



Thoughts?

[kdanie]

The JM is my favorite headstock, CBS is TOO big-Strat is a little small-Tele is just ugly-OK, maybe just un-inspiring (like Leo was having a bad day). The snake head IS quirky but to me not in a good way. BUT it's your guitar so make it what YOU want.

ken

[Jumpchamp]

Id go rear route and snakehead. Damn the torpedoes!

[Telenator]

Love the body!

Beggin' for a black bakelite pickguard!

JM peghead for sure.

[fever606]

The JM is my favorite headstock, CBS is TOO big-Strat is a little small-Tele is just ugly-OK, maybe just un-inspiring (like Leo was having a bad day). The snake head IS quirky but to me not in a good way.

Agreed on pretty much all counts... the JazzMaster headstock just looks "right". I think the snake head looks way better on guitars without a neck PU, so maybe if I ever build an Esquire...

Id go rear route and snakehead. Damn the torpedoes!

Rear route is slowly winning me over... I have a pair of Glendale raw Broadcaster knobs on the way, I have a feeling I'll like the "less cluttered / more contrast" look versus having the big control plate down there.

Beggin' for a black bakelite pickguard!

Oooooo I never thought about bakelite!

[PorkyPrimeCut]

I'm a real sucker for the Tele control plate/standard Tele pickguard combo so my vote goes with that.

Glad to see someone else favouring a larger headstock over the crappy sliver that Tele's usually have (sorry, Tele lovers). Although, I actually like them CBS big. Certainly no smaller than a CBS Jazzmaster. Each to their own, I guess.

[FunkyFlash5]

I vote snakehead, but I'm pretty anti-strat when i comes to headstocks, or really anything except the 5way switch.

[wadeaminute]

My only thought is a cut-off tele bridge with no bridge pickup. So just a neck Jazzmaster pickup.

[davewrites]

Thinking out loud...

JM neck and headstock to honour the JM pup (like the Squier VM Special).

No bridge pup (you can always add one later).

Rear route, no plate. One knob for volume. On toggle switch for coil tapping (I know a guy who handwinds single coils with multiple "tap" points--affordably).

Backelite or leather guard.

[Telenator]

My only thought is a cut-off tele bridge with no bridge pickup. So just a neck Jazzmaster pickup.

You could put one of these on there too!

[fever606]

My only thought is a cut-off tele bridge with no bridge pickup. So just a neck Jazzmaster pickup.

No bridge pup (you can always add one later).

Hmmm... that would certainly simplify matters / cut costs. Though I really like the typical Tele bridge sound, I also like being challenged / limited as a method of forcing me to concentrate on what a particular guitar does well.

JM neck and headstock to honour the JM pup (like the Squier VM Special).

I have nearly picked up ones of those Squiers so many times... I think I actually cheered out loud the first time I saw that.

Rear route, no plate. One knob for volume. On toggle switch for coil tapping (I know a guy who handwinds single coils with multiple "tap" points--affordably).

Backelite or leather guard.

I've been thinking hard about the Novak JM-180 for the neck, with volume (and the tap, on a push/pull pot) and a blend to the bridge pickup (no tone control... I almost never touch 'em anyway, and I'm building a "varitone in a box" pedal anyway sooooo...). The knob-and-toggle (aside from sounding like a seedy Cardiff bar) is more of a traditional Cabronita (Especial) layout though. Not that anything on this guitar would qualify as "traditional" in any way...

Oh yeah and bakelite guard is fighting hard against anodised aluminum for the spot. Hard.

[fever606]

Inspiration...


Bakelite guard. UNF.


Glendale "Raw Deal" half bridge. UNF.

[Jumpchamp]

LOVE that glendale!

(chanting 'snakehead snakehead snakehead' off in the distance.....)