travis Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Hello everyone. This is my first post here. About 5 days ago I decided I needed a new hobby - one that I could work on WHEN I had time - as opposed to house projects and brewing beer that required dedicated time. So I am thinking the ideal project for me would be to build a tele. I don't have one now, and have always wanted one. I have read hundreds of posts here and have spent the past 5 days searching for templates etc. I am really no further along than I was 5 days ago - except the shop is now clean, some pegboard is up, and I found what I think might be a free body blank. You can see the wood here: Body Blank This piece is 1.75" thick, 8" wide, and almost 4 feet long. My thought was to make a two piece body out of it. I know it wouldn't be book matched - but I don't think I care. I like the idea of starting on scrap wood. Since it is only 1.75" thick already, I am thinking I might need to top it with something. My two obvious choices would be Lacewood or Maple. You can see my lacewood OM acoustic at Doolin Lacewood OM So considering this, and the fact that I am only 5 days into this, I need some learned advice. Tools I am fine with, woodworking I do now etc. My real questions are: 1. Will this work for a body - I know it isn't ash or alder - but it's free and looks pretty cool. 2. Is capping it a good idea, or should I just live with a slightly shallower body depth for my first try? 3. Where would you get a good routing template if you were me? Tried and true? I have the cadd file - but I want to start a little easier than making my own template. 4. Am I crazy for starting this? Thanks everyone for the annoying newbie post! Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 First and foremost, welcome to the forum! Second, mahogany is a great body wood; it is the wood of choice for LPs and many other guitars. While it won't give you that twangy ash tone, it'll still be great (and free)! 1.75" is the standard for guitars. Go with it. And you're not crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 A quilted maple top would complimet that well. You will lise a small amount of depth when you sand after gluing. Hollowing it out would help. Much like I did with my mahogany tele. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Concerning the Mahagony: This really depends on what you want. If you want to build the tele to get a classic tele sound then using mahagony for the body is no good idea, as it will sound different then the original. If you just want a good sounding guitar then the mahagony is a good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis Posted July 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the assistance. As for going for the classic tele sound - I really don't care about that much. I picked the tele because it appears to be the easiest to make in the sense of no carved top etc. I also like the body shape. I will look around for photos of your tele litchfield. THanks for the tip! Gone to work for the next 10 hours or so. Thanks everyone for the help! Can anyone help with where to get a good template? Thanks - Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Hi Travis, Congrats on the wood find. I wish....... I too have built a Tele out of Mahogany, and I love it. It is heavy, but what the heck. You can see itHere. Scroll down and click on the Yellow Guitar. Somebody commented that it won't like a "real" Tele, and that is true, if you a purist. I say #&%$ them! Take care and take photo's. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Since you're new, I won't blame you (this time), but templates have been discussed more times than you can shake a stick at... I guess you could still shake a stick at them, but it wouldn't do you too much good. Here's a previous thread about tele templates. http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...lywood+template Next time, search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Did you say it was 8 inches wide? If you did, it won't be wide enough for a tele, I don't think. If I remember correctly, at the widest point, Teles are about 12 inches wide. EDIT: Please ignore this post, as I just saw you are going to do a 2 piece body. Seems I should read more carefully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 My favorite recipe for Mahogony bodied Tele's is this: Use a 24 3/4" scale neck on it Or 25 1/2" if you really like those Use a P-90 at the neck pkp Use a Rio Grande S-90 in the bridge An S-90 is a Tele bridge pkp that is modeled after a P-90 tone So you'll wind up with a 'LP JR with bite' sort of sound. Worthless .02. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis Posted July 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Thanks everyone. I had done the search on tele templates - and the post you mention was the only one I noticed - giving one source. I know I am new - but it seemed to me that asking again made since considering I am sure that you guys have used numerous template sources. I was also looking for a "Review" of sorts - saying I bought this template and it works great etc. - but I will go with this one company if that is definately what is recommended. I will definately make tbe body two pieces - Since it is my first guitar, a two piece body will work fine. Drak - I very much like your thinking - and your choices. Someone else here at work just commented that I should really be making a les paul jr. I know nothing about them - but you may have given me the combination of both that I would be looking for. By the way - I have looked at both your (drak's) teles and guitar ed's teles and all I can say is wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really like the idea of carving out the mahogany and capping it, but I don't know that that is a good idea for a "first" guitar. Thanks everyone! Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis Posted July 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 OK - I just found the short scale necks at warmoth. Now that is cool. I had no idea I could get a short scale tele type neck. This thing is really working out for me! Thanks so much guys! Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morben Guitars Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Travis, Welcome to our crazy hobby... I'm a huge fan of the mahogany teles.. I've built a bunch. Two of them are in the gallery here. One has a natural finish and may give you a good idea as to what you're planning. The other is chambered with a maple cap & Sunburst finish. Remember, the original tele thinlines were mahogany... I'm working on a customers now, and his main complaint is that it's just "Too Twangy!" So you can get that tele twang... single coils and the tele bridge will contribute to that sound.. So we're putting in a Seymour Duncan Lil '59 in the bridge, and a pearly gates humbucker in the neck...this thing will growl with the best of them! Drak's pickup selections are great too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 heck, go with EMG zakk wylde set hahah joking, but that is a beautiful peice of wood and wish all the best of luck, and if you say that is good enough, IT AINT! just take a break and tackle it again, i have found a few problems with my first guitar and they are going to be hard to fix, so i aint going to bother Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Somebody commented that it won't like a "real" Tele, and that is true, if you a purist. I say #&%$ them! And I say #&%$ YOU! I am no Tele purist at all. I don't like the Tele shape and I don't like the Tele sound. I just wanted to warn him in case he was looking for THE Tele sound.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis Posted July 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Just so everyone knows - the main reason I am building a guitar is to have a me project - that I can work on at night without waking my 18 month old. Second reason is that it is supposed to be fun Reason I chose a tele is because I do like the simplicity of the body shape - and mostly because I like a fixed bridge. My 1990 fender heartfield has a floyd rose on it - and I don't play like that. I have small hands, and play frequently in alternate tunings - thus the want for a fixed bridge. Believe me - if I could build a PRS I might - but for a first guitar I think the tele body size is easier - the parts are readily available - and by god it's gonna be fun! As for sound - I am going for the Travis Adams guitar sound - the one I build will sound like the one I build - even if it is a perfect tele copy. I am perfectly fine with that. And I appreciate both replies - as someone that doesn't know the exact sound I am going for, it's good to understand that it won't sound as twangy as a tele. And as someone who doesn't know what he is doing it good to hear some people say it doesn't mean you can't build it! How many lacewood OM's have you seen? And my Doolin is the best sounding guitar I have ever played. It already sounds old and broken in. I chose something, went for it, and it worked out great. This guitar might not - but oh well - it will be mine, that I made. Thanks everyone! Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 As everyone already said Mahagony is a very good wood for building guitars, so it will defintaley sound good as long as everything else is done properly. There are many guitars built with mahagony like most Gibsons for example. Be careful: Building guitars is addictive....After one there is no turning back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 As for chambering it ala thinline, No worries. It aint that haed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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