OffsetGuitars.com

Quick photo and update on this long-ago project.

I bought a neck from Warmoth, and it seems like a good one. Now that it's on the body, the not-Fender-icity of it isn't particularly bothersome to me. Got a Fender Tele bridge plate from someone called Bridge Works, saddles are brass Gotoh compensated from StewMac (along with a lot of other hardware). The electronics are a "modded Eldred" setup from Tym Guitars in Brisbane. Lollar pickup as mentioned above.

I need to do some drilling on the headstock for tuners and tree, and somehow I ended up with one too few pickguard screws. I won't know if the neck mounting geometry is right until I can get strings on it... but the neck plate is wonky, so I'm vaguely concerned. The plate is a cheap one and the holes don't look perfectly equidistant from the edges of it, so I'm hoping that's the issue, and not the mounting holes in the body.

Domestic life demands 99.9% of my time, so it's frustrating how slowly I get work done on my instruments. That's how it goes.

Finished the Esquire.

ADH body, swamp ash, maybe 4-piece
Warmoth Vintage/Modern Boatneck with dark rosewood
Lollar Vintage T pickup
Tym wiring - this was the first “modded Eldred” circuit Alex had ever made, and he liked it so much he made another one for the Tym shop Esquire
Gotoh compensated brass saddles
Fender toploader bridge
Fender and StewMac hardware
Joe Parker paint job

I assembled it and had some trouble dialing it in, but Joe recommended a guy named Matt Baker at Sound Guitar Works, turns out he loves fat-neck Esquires... so I got a deal on a setup! There was a little bit of finish in one corner of the neck pocket that was keeping the heel from seating correctly. Now it plays great, but I put 9s on it as an experiment - I usually play 11s on everything - and I feel (and sound) like a gorilla mashing the strings. I need to try some 10s and see if that will work better.

That's lovely!! I love some good Teles

That's a lovely finish.

Jan Deal wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 19, 2020 1:44 am

That's a lovely finish.

Yeah, Joe Parker knows what he’s doing, and he builds some beautiful guitars of his own. Paul Rhoney suggested him, and I’m glad I got him to do it. I also bought one of Parker’s delay pedals, and it’s great, too. Look him up.

I also have an Esquire Project. My 2004 MIM Fender Esq body is currently at my Tech having the poly stripped. It will then get a nitro coat, probably Olympic White, still undecided.

Beautiful!

Dynamite stuff. Gotta love an Esquire.

Thanks, y’all!

Joey Ace wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 23, 2020 7:16 am

I also have an Esquire Project. My 2004 MIM Fender Esq body is currently at my Tech having the poly stripped. It will then get a nitro coat, probably Olympic White, still undecided.

You better post pics when you’re done!

I'll post in-progress pix, you can count on it.

I'm aiming for this look, without having to sell the house:

Gorgeous look for sure. I would like a black Esquire with a white guard someday. Sounds pretty boring, but I love it.

Joey Ace wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:09 pm

I'll post in-progress pix, you can count on it.

I'm aiming for this look, without having to sell the house:

Hell yeah.