Nashville style Tele (middle pickup added), looks like a flat Tele plate replaced the standard tray.
Then regular JM bridge?
Regular JM Trem routed in?
I'm game. Anyone ever made such a a noise? Pointers?
https://youtu.be/lIlpQFweBbY
NashMaster
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bodhi
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 468
- Joined: Mon May 20, 2019 12:47 pm
Re: NashMaster
I'm converting a telemaster or offset telecaster body I got for cheap to have a tremolo route. The telemaster is just the telecaster with a Jazzmaster body shape, the only real considerations there seems to be that the pickguard shape is not the same, and because of that the telecaster switch plate is slightly closer to the strings. I think. You wouldn't have that problem with a telecaster body shape.
With regards to the required parts outside of common telecaster stuff, if you do an online search for "telecaster bigsby conversion" you should be able to find the bridge pickup plate. Then I guess it's up to you which bridge you'd like to use. The one in the WD kit I haven't used ever (I'm going with a StewMac golden age roller), but seems to be on tuneomatic posts but perhaps with oversized holes so it might slide around a bit? Not sure how that'll end up, but you can use thimbles and a JM style bridge with the bridge plate without issue if you like.
The tremolo cavity route probably needs to be adjusted from the JM placement. Eyeballing it with a laser cut template and a telecaster in hand, it might fit in the original location but that might have the trem a bit close to the back edge of the telecaster body shape. I'd say maybe 1 cm or less adjustment needed, so it's not that significant.
Especially if you're starting with a premade body, you probably also want to shim the neck almost regardless of the bridge used... in the video, the guitar seems to have a JM style bridge set very low, and a buzz stop to help with downwards pressure. The geometry is quite a bit different between JMs and telecasters.
So, it's not the most complex thing. Depending on if you're going to make your own body or use an existing one you have some of the above to consider. And maybe covering up the string-through holes on the existing body.
With regards to the required parts outside of common telecaster stuff, if you do an online search for "telecaster bigsby conversion" you should be able to find the bridge pickup plate. Then I guess it's up to you which bridge you'd like to use. The one in the WD kit I haven't used ever (I'm going with a StewMac golden age roller), but seems to be on tuneomatic posts but perhaps with oversized holes so it might slide around a bit? Not sure how that'll end up, but you can use thimbles and a JM style bridge with the bridge plate without issue if you like.
The tremolo cavity route probably needs to be adjusted from the JM placement. Eyeballing it with a laser cut template and a telecaster in hand, it might fit in the original location but that might have the trem a bit close to the back edge of the telecaster body shape. I'd say maybe 1 cm or less adjustment needed, so it's not that significant.
Especially if you're starting with a premade body, you probably also want to shim the neck almost regardless of the bridge used... in the video, the guitar seems to have a JM style bridge set very low, and a buzz stop to help with downwards pressure. The geometry is quite a bit different between JMs and telecasters.
So, it's not the most complex thing. Depending on if you're going to make your own body or use an existing one you have some of the above to consider. And maybe covering up the string-through holes on the existing body.
Jazzmaster project (got a body, placeholder neck, some pickups and ideas)
Tokai Telecaster Thinline with Creamery Pickups Filtertron and Tapped Tele
Blake Mills-inspired Strat project w/ Gold Foil and slide pickup
Tokai Telecaster Thinline with Creamery Pickups Filtertron and Tapped Tele
Blake Mills-inspired Strat project w/ Gold Foil and slide pickup
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BlingFree
- PAT PEND
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2023 6:12 pm
Re: NashMaster
Very informative. I appreciate the advice and see how brave I can be... 
