travis

No personal experience with them...but here you go:

http://www.tailfeatherz.com/

Travis

I have been on the warmoth site hundreds of times and have never seen that page before! That is amazing! I am totally set.

Thank you guys soooooooooooo much!

Travis

worst case scenario approach would be to overrout them bigger, fill back in with a contrasting wood, and reroute...sort of like a built in ring.

Come to think of it...that could be pretty cool if you built it out sorta like a binding or rosette type deal using laminated wood.

Travis

It just occured to me that I could get a damaged body - since I am just wanting to take dimensions off of it.

And yes..I will cadd it up if I can... Then maybe I can help someone else out!

Thanks,

Travis

RGGR - thank you. I agree with you 100%....that was why I didn't like the cad file...because the one that is on guitarbuild isnt perfect.... And I want perfect...or better than perfect! That was my thought with buying the usacustom body...because I know it would be a great way to make a quality template that I did trust.

I will take a look at ebay and go and take some measurements...thinking about it today at work, the body shape doesn't matter at all does it....the key is like you said ensuring that the bridge is correctly located etc.

As for wood, I have a gorgeous piece of mahogany available for free.....

Mahogany Body Blank

I just don't want to screw it up!

Thanks for the advice guys!

Travis

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? :-) I am working OT today and have access to plotters and full blown cadd...so it would be wonderful if someone had a good cadd file that I could print out and get started!

Thanks - Travis

p.s. I would gladly trade anyone some sets of DR strings... I have electric and acoustic that I am never going to use. I don't know what sizes they are as they are home...but I know I have 6 sets total I think...some acoustic medium and some electric.

Thanks - Travis

Can anyone help me out with this? I would love to be able to use cadd files to truly start from scratch. For my first few guitars I don't want to "improvise" the locations of pickups and bridges etc... I am a structural engineer..I am annoying when it comes do doing things "correctly"... I hate the thought of building a body and putting the bridge 1/2" too far back and ruining all that hard work.

Thanks guys..

Travis

RGGR - I would totally do what you are suggesting if the cadd drawing was good...but as I see the tele drawing on guitarbuild.com, it shows pickups instead of cavity openings - it doesn't give neck pocket location or bridge mounting holes or through holes for strings etc. Am I missing something with the drawing? I thought i needed to have actually routing dimensions instead of just a finished picture of the guitar. Am I making this too difficult? I know I can cut the body out...it's the drilling and routing of cavities to make things line up and play in tune that I worry about!

Thanks!

Travis

Less than 100 bucks? 100 bucks is pretty cheap don't you think?

Travis

Simo - I did that...but it doesn't look too good... and it doesn't give you all the depths... which is what I thought having the already built body would be good for..

Travis

Hello all,

I have been playing with the idea of building a telecaster...or more than one actually. I have good woodworking skills and intend to build bodies from scratch. I would like to build several out of different woods, some chambered etc. I have big dreams...

At any rate, I was just going to purchase a template from Guitarbuildingtemplates.com when I noticed that usa custom guitars has 3 piece paint grade bodies on sale. That got me to thinking that it would be nice to have a body to compare my progress to - instead of just pictures.

So what do you guys think? Buy a template, or buy a body from usa custom guitars and make my own template?

Thanks - Travis

My opinion ain't nothin - but I like it.

The only thing I would do different is to make the headstock match "one" or the curves on the body - either the one on the upper part of the body or on the lower part of the body. Does that make sense? Just make the headstock angle match one of the body angles...

Travis

It isn't electric - but this is my lacewood guitar. I love lacewood!

Travis

Lacewood Doolin OM

pics pics pics...

Travis

That is why I told you to go and download the drawing. You can get everything but the neck pocket and the pickup routing from the drawing at guitarbuild.com

That way you can at least cut the body out and get started..

Travis

That is why I ask. To get you started you could download the dxf drawing from guitarbuild.com You can download a free viewer/printer from there as well. Print it out on several pieces of paper, tape them together, and you can start laying out your wood.

Travis

What template did you order?

Why the hurry?

Travis

Some wood stores also offer "milling services" - where they will thickness wood for you, cut it, whatever. That is one option. Look in the phone book under Lumber etc.

Another option would be to call cabinet shops and see if they would cut it out for you on the bandsaw.

Make sure that you have them cut a little outside the line and sand it smooth. If they mess up for some reason by cutting too close to your line they probably aren't going to buy you a new piece of wood.

Travis

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

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

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

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

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