fenderbender Posted April 22, 2023 Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 Hello all first post and starting first ever build. It will be a tele slimline with p90s. Here is the body i will be using and i am waiting on other parts. I will def be needing a lot of help on this lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusader Posted April 22, 2023 Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 Hello Fenderbender, welcome to the forum, hope you find interesting discussions here and helpful advice. Nice looking body you have to start with, looks like a flamed maple top, so the pressure is already on to do a good job LOL! The first thing that comes to my mind, you say you want P90's but the body appears to be routered for a Humbucker at the Neck and Tele PU at the Bridge. If you want to go ahead with P90's things will be difficult from the start because it would require extra routing and will leave gaps. P90's are longer and thinner than Humbuckers. I would suggest using Seymour Duncan "Phat Cat" pickups. They are Humbucker-shaped P90 style pickups that will slot straight into the neck and you can get Tele bridges made for Humbuckers https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/185652470690?chn=ps&_ul=AU&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A130YWYHh-RQ6BzJP_A5nmWA15&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=185652470690&targetid=&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1000653&poi=&campaignid=15984321586&mkgroupid=&rlsatarget=&abcId=9300814&merchantid=664028163&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsv2_ybm9_gIVSLaWCh0mKQJZEAQYASABEgKfAvD_BwE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted April 22, 2023 Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 Hi and welcome! Nice body indeed. As @Crusader said, re-routing for P90s in the neck position will leave gaps so humbucker sized ones is a viable option. There's a bunch of variations of them in all price groups but because of the shape the sound may not duplicate that of "real" soapbars. Reviews like this may help: https://www.premierguitar.com/10-humbucker-sized-p-90s-you-should-try I've built one with cheap soapbars and a couple with cheap blackface HB sized ones. I can't tell how different they are compared to "original" P90s as I've never been able to compare them side by side but they all work and they all sound different to both Strat/Tele single coils and humbuckers. That said, even the expensive boutique P90s differ from each other as every maker wants to create a unique sounding pickup. If you want to take the easy route, put a HB sized P90 into the neck position and use a standard Tele bridge pickup. That way you don't have to change any holes, minimizing the risk of tearout or worse. Other than shape that's a combination even Fender has made so it will work and give you something that sounds different to a standard Tele. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted April 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 Thanks for the welcome. I do realize about the re routing and the gaps. Ir is HB p 90s I plan to use. I did also consider the option of one p90 and a single coil in the bridge. I oredered a humbucker bridge so it would hide tje gaps but i doubt i would leave it at that. I want to do a better job than that. Once i get my hands on the parts i will get a better idea of what i want to do. In the mean time i purchased so keda dyes so i will start experimenting on some scrap wood so when the time comes to do the body i have feel for working with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted April 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 Ok here is my first of many questions lol. My plan for the re routing was to mount the humbucker rings on the guitar where they would be going. With a sharp knife trace the inside of the rings to cut through the veneer. I thought that might help stop the router from messing up the edges of the veneer too badly. Would this work ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted April 22, 2023 Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 Ummm... Free hand routing requires steady hands... Tracing the outline may help especially when dealing with a thin veneer, that's not a bad idea. But I'd also make a template and use a bit with a bearing in the stem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted April 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 Ya i plant to either mount the pickup rings and use that or buy a template. Im just having trouble justifying the cost for something i may only use once.I def will not be doing it free hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted April 22, 2023 Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 3 hours ago, fenderbender said: i plant to either mount the pickup rings and use that or buy a template. Im just having trouble justifying the cost for something i may only use once. I wonder if a plastic template ring is strong enough to be used as a template. The bearing may become so hot it melts the plastic. That said, don't you have access to a pile of scrap pieces of mdf or plywood? An A5 size piece can be cut to have several template holes on one board large enough to provide enough support for the router not to tilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted April 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 (edited) I have metal rings i def wouldnt trust plastic. In any case i will likely hust buy a template if i do go with two p90s. Here is what i would be looking at for a gap Edited April 22, 2023 by fenderbender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted April 22, 2023 Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 1 hour ago, fenderbender said: I have metal rings i def wouldnt trust plastic. In any case i will likely hust buy a template if i do go with two p90s. Here is what i would be looking at for a gap Yes, you shouldn’t use those rings as routing template. There’s not much support for the router. Also, to me those rings look like humbucker rings not P90. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted April 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 (edited) Its humbucker size p90 im using . And i agree they wont make a very good template. Edited April 22, 2023 by fenderbender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted April 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 (edited) Ok problem solved. I just discovered the lindy fralin split steel tele pickups and dam are they nice. And very similar in sound to a p90. I just found one on reverb and bought it. I think it will pair nicely with the p90 in the neck and it will make life a lot easier Edited April 22, 2023 by fenderbender 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted April 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2023 (edited) Was finally able to get a Start on this while I wait for parts. I decided since there wasnt a lot too take off to fit the p90 i went the safe route and used a hammer and chisel. Edited April 29, 2023 by fenderbender 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted May 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2023 Got my neck. I took a chance and ordered one from china. To my surprise the neck is excellent.. smooth as butter straight and ends of the frets are very nicely finished. Even better than my squire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted May 2, 2023 Report Share Posted May 2, 2023 Lots of stuff is made in China. The thing about single items is that you never know whether you get a salvaged reject or a quality item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted May 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2023 I lucked out and got one thats near Perfect. If anything the nut may need tweaking but thats it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted May 6, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2023 So far i have managed to get everything on straight. Waiting on some veneer bits to shim the neck pocket before i drill the neck. I also have a gold switchplate but its a different shade of gold than everything else so im not sure what to do about that yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted July 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 Well i havent been posting but have been working away. Just gettihg ready to install the hardware . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 11, 2023 Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 On 5/7/2023 at 1:31 AM, fenderbender said: I also have a gold switchplate but its a different shade of gold than everything else so im not sure what to do about that yet. Seeing it in colour tells that the black switchplate was the right choice! A golden knob, or at least a black knob with a golden top/ring would be nice, don't you think? That's really looking classy, like a blast from the past. Something that an upper class youngster would grab on the deck of his yacht in the roaring twenties or so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted July 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 Its hard to see in the pic but the knobs are gold with a white tip. Im not sure they will be my final choice but they will def be gold. Overall i am pleased with how its turning out. Especialy being its my first try. I thought it has kinda of a retro/ vintage look myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 11, 2023 Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 Oh, I meant the knob of the switch, sorry for being inaccurate. Vintage, that's the word! And I mean pre-electric vintage. Steam era gentlemen's clubs, luxurious steam boats and trains furnitured with exotic woods, new inventions paving the path to the world as we know it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted July 11, 2023 Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 I’m not usually big on gold hardware or flamed maple but I think you nailed the color choices here. Really nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted July 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.