Custom Fender Telecaster

SX Telecaster Copy

My first telecaster style guitar was built by SX. It was a vintage TV yellow body with the standard maple 21 fret neck. I promptly removed the SX neck and sold it. It took a couple of weeks and I found a nice Fender MIM maple neck with the skunk stripe on back. Surprisingly, the genuine Fender neck bolted right in the neck pocket with a nice snug neck to pocket fit. The screw holes even lined up perfectly!

Well, I played that guitar for a while, and simply loved it! It was a joy to play, and got me to thinking about making another telecaster project guitar. So I began the search and located an inexpensive dual humbucker routed body made from two pieces of poplar joined in the center. That was a pretty piece of wood! Minimal wood grain, and a very smooth texture were the main things I noticed and liked about this body.

SX Telecaster-Style Guitars

Custom Telecaster Body

I wanted to have a protected piece of wood with a matte finish, and with no staining, so I chose to finish the raw, but well sanded, body with tung oil. Over four weeks, I applied fifteen coats of the tung oil. I hand rubbed each one to warm the oil with friction, and wiped it down after each coat dried for thirty minutes or so. After each coat dried for approximately 24 to 36 hours, I lightly sanded with very fine sandpaper (600 grit, I think) to remove any sheen that may have built up.

The wood soaked the oil in for the majority of those days, and when it seemed that it could take no more oil in, I let it dry for 5 days. Then I final sanded the body and rubbed it down with a lint free cloth. Smooth and matte! I slapped in some "fat ass" humbuckers, wired it just like a tele with a 3 position switch, 2 - 500 ohm pots, and a tone cap. I used a hard-tail bridge and a genuine Fender MIM telecaster neck. I

was disappointed with the sound, because it didnt have the clear ring of the single-coil pickups. Boo, hiss! So... The quest for the ultimate telecaster guitar tone really began!

Quest for the Ultimate Custom Fender Telecaster

Here's that story, in full:

I disassembled the entire poplar tele, and sold everything but the neck. It was a nice Made In Mexico maple on maple genuine Fender Telecaster neck, so I thought that was a very nice starting point.

What I did next was to create a worksheet to be absolutely certain that I would have ALL the necessary components on hand when I started the construction on the custom electric guitar project I had formulating in my mind. It looked good on paper, and using the plan, I could see how my choices would affect the overall price. The price was a major factor in how long the project took to complete, because I didn't just have the money to do it all at once!

Custom Telecaster Project Worksheet

With the electric guitar project plan in hand, and with the internet as another tool, I set out on a quest for the ultimate Custom Fender Telecaster. I had already acquired the neck, so that was out of the way. I started the search for the perfect body. Aren't we all searching for that? heh.

Anyway, I started comparing ALL the possibilities; new, used, vintage, relic, raw wood, finished, etc... The one thing I knew was that I wanted something that had that vintage look and feel. It didn't have to be a vintage instrument, it just needed that vintage vibe, and it needed to contain the two single coil pickup, three position switch configuration.

Custom Guitar Parts Sources

My search took me down what seemed like a million different paths. The one thing I knew I had to focus on was patience. I knew then as I know now that IF I can remain patient, I will be thorough and certain of any electric guitar project details.

I started with my obvious choices, eBay, Craigslist, Stewart MacDonald, Mighty Mite, AllParts, etc. What I discovered through some meticulous searching is that there are a handful of excellent sources for custom guitar parts, including custom hardware, bridges, pots, switches, control and neck plates, nuts, and so on... One of the gold mines of electronic guitar parts and bridges is Callaham Guitars.

Callaham Guitars Custom Parts

It was after countless hours of searching for vintage style and other types of string-thru bridges, that I happened upon Callaham Guitars. I actually found them while searching for parts for ANOTHER electric guitar project, my Mexican Fender Strat. I was searching for a replacement trem block for added sustain, because the OEM blocks are quite substandard. They are nearly lifeless when compared to the amazing stainless steel block that's in there now.

Anyway, I have an article on the MIM Strat - check it out... What a deal there...

What I found on the Callaham Guitars site shaped my next few decisions. They have a fairly expensive, perfectly constructed vintage telecaster .075" thick specially treated steel bridge plate with brass or stainless steel compensated saddles. Since stainless steel doesn't corrode like brass, I set my sights on that one item. Add that to the electric guitar project list!

I also noticed their cryogenically treated pots and switches. After reading up on that, I hadn't yet decided on those parts, but noted them anyway. It is always nice to use a single source for parts if you can. Less guitar parts and guitar parts suppliers to keep track of is always good.

Visualizing Completed Custom Guitar Project

OK... I thought about the custom telecaster project for a while, and visualized a sunburst or tobacco burst finish. So I continued my search for the perfect body ... um ... the ultimate telecaster guitar body for my project.

I had seen some of the Mighty Mite and Allparts bodies on eBay, and on the internet at their respective guitar parts websites. The AllParts body that most impressed me was their double-bound (cream binding) sunburst body. The price was WAY out of my range, expecting to keep the cost below $100 for the body...

So, I watched and waited, and researched telecaster upgrade parts some more. I looked at so many guitar parts auctions and guitar equipment web pages that it is now, in retrospect, a blur.

Building Custom Guitars ... Takes Patience

All throughout this time, I did other research, as well. I looked into effect pedal mods, bass guitars, midi instruments, studio software and hardware. I even explored the principles of home studio recording as well as sound reinforcement gear for live stage performances. I bought and built two bass speaker cabinets, one is a 2x10" and the other is a 1x15" - they fit together like a glove and push volumes of tone, yeah!

All this to say, the custom Fender telecaster project wasn't the only thing I was doing... After several months of planning and searching, I settled on finding a tele body that had vintage american routing, so I could fit the Callaham Guitars custom vintage tele bridge right in place.

Here's the list of what I ended up with (body acquisition details to follow):

1. Fender MIM Maple/Maple neck with stock tuners & string tree. eBay $125
2. Fender American white pearloid pickguard w/fender American single coil neck pickup. eBay $35
3. Fender American single coil bridge pickup. eBay $35
4. Fender strap knobs. eBay $0.99
5. Fender Neck plate and screws eBay $2
6. Callaham Vintage Telecaster bridge with stainless steel compensated saddles Callaham Guitars $109
7. Callaham Guitars (2) 250k pots, (1) 3-way switch, (1) orange drop capacitor, (6) thru-body ferrules, cloth wire. CG $55
8. Callaham Jack plate (the solid screw-in kind) CG $8
9. Fender Control plate eBay $5
10. Fender Chrome Knobs eBay $20
11. Copper sheet for shielding eBay 15
12. AllParts double bound sunburst body (off eBay) $250

Allparts Fender Telecaster Body

Now for the body story...

I saw an Allparts body on eBay, and researched the price using the Allparts website. It was fairly difficult to navigate, and missing a LOT of pictures and such. After some diligence and patience, I located the body that I was seeing on eBay. The list price was WAY TOO MUCH for my budget! $325. Ouch!

The eBay auction was a Buy-It-Now offering for somewhere around $250. I thought that was a pretty good deal considering the list price, and what list price versus reality. So $250 looked "better" than the listed price.

Anyway, sometimes I procrastinate. This was yet another example of how I wait too long, and miss out on something good as a result. There really is a "cost" associated with every decision we make. Auction ended, game over.

Hey! That wouldn't make a very good story. And, I still needed a body to complete my custom Fender Telecaster!

That's when I got busy and rounded up some of the things I mentioned earlier, created a series of auctions with the intended outcome of covering the $250. Items sold at reasonable prices, money started to build up, and I was getting closer to my goal...

Then, I looked up the auction, and noticed that the seller hadn't re-listed the body, so I contacted him to inquire. I understand it is against eBay policy to make deals outside the eBay confines, but we mutually agreed to discuss the body and did so. After communicating several times, he made an even better offer to sell it, and I accepted. With shipping and such, this BEAUTIFUL Allparts Fender licensed double-bound completely finished and routed for vintage American telecaster body was on its way to me. eBay funds from other auctions came in, and the payment was completely covered. YAY! All I had to do then was wait for it to arrive. In five days it was here!

... On to the Fender 'Made In Mexico' Maple Neck...

Genuine Fender MIM Maple Neck

The beauty of the Fender Mexican maple neck is that I already had it, and I like the way it felt in my hand on the other guitar! That, and... I can always swap it out later if I get that wild hair ... I like having that flexibility. And it will be as easy as slap out - slap in! Re-string, couple of tweaks, check & set intonation and viola! Gotta love the versatility of a good old fashioned Telecaster!

The screw holes didn't line up, so I plugged the holes using some small dowel rod stock and a good wood glue. The hole fill time was about 45 minutes because I had to sand the dowel to a slightly smaller diameter. Once that was finished, it was all good. I sanded the excess dowel flat and let it dry for weeks because I plugged the holes weeks in advance of the custom telecaster build. I looked at the neck project as a separate DIY guitar article anyway.

When the body was in and I started the project, I decided to start with the neck, in order to get it set right. I seated the tele neck in the neck pocket, and it fit snugly in there. I had to apply some pressure to get it to seat all the way snugly in place! I was very pleased at the perfect fit, because that joint can make or break the superior tonality of any instrument...

I selected the correct drill bit size, measured the depth and carefully dirlled the pilot holes using the body as my template. Then, I removed the neck and finished drilling the pilot holes to their final depth.

Installing The Maple Tele Neck

I installed the maple neck using a genuine fender neck plate and 4 screws. I use an electric drill with a phillips bit (very carefully) so I can get the neck mounting screws nice and snug with less effort. I move the neck around with my hands and then finish the job with a screwdriver. Works great every time!

Well, except once where I got very lucky... I slipped and gouged a huge scratch in ... the neck plate of my custom mahogany stratocaster. Yes - my heart sank. It's all good though. No harm done to any of the wood or other components. Gotta be careful to make sure everything is just right before bearing pressure down on the screw!

Installing The Custom Telecaster Bridge

Next, I laid out the bridge plate assembly and measured the distance from the nut to the 12th fret. After determining that distance, I measured from the 12th fret to where the bridge saddles would generally line up.

The distance to the bridge saddles put the bridge plate exactly in line with the through-body string holes, so I used a straight edge to carefully determine the side-to-side placement of the bridge plate. Again, the string-holes lined up perfectly. So, I carefully marked the body where the bridge plate mounting screw holes would be, using the bridge plate as the template. I selected the correct size drill bit, determined the proper depth and drilled the holes.

Mounting the Bridge Plate

The standard Fender Telecaster bridge plate is stamped from a generic nickel alloy, and has some generic flaws and other issues (See callaham guitars site for that discussion), so that's why I chose the Callaham Guitars upgraded vintage-style bridge with stainless steel, compensated saddles. Anyway, the bridge plate has 2 extra tiny holes toward the neck that help to secure the entire plate to the body. The theory here is that the screws will apply a more complete distribution of the surface pressure of the bridge plate to body union. I guess that is supposed to increase the overall sustain of the instrument.

I'm not an engneer, just an enthusiast, so I was enthusiastic that someone else had been the engineer in this awesome, perfect, custom fender vintage-style telecaster bridge! Thanks Callaham Guitars!

Installing the Bridge Pickup

I had purchased the pickups off eBay, and luckily (following my plan) had acquired genuine USA Fender Telecaster single-coil pickups and a white-pearloid pickguard. The bridge had to be removed again, which I did. I installed the pickup in the bridge plate using the three scres and surgical tubing for shock mounts. The tubing acts like a spring, absorbing shock and providing a snug fit.

I tightened the pickup screws slightly, estimating the pickup height knowing it would be adjusted to the correct height later. I routed the pickup leads through the hole in the body leading to the control cavity and screwed the bridge plate to the body again using the pre-sunk holes.

Telecaster Pickguard Shielding

Pickguard Shielding was an important consideration in the custom telecaster design plan. On eBay I found a full-sized pickguard-shaped sheet of copper that was pre cut to fit a Fender USA Pickguard. Since the holes lined up it was a simple matter to add that layer to the pickguard and install the neck pickup.

Installing the Neck Pickup

The neck pickup was purchased at the same time as the pickguard from an eBay auction. Because I shopped around patiently, I found an exceptional deal and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the tone after all was said and done!

Installation was fairly simple. After mounting the pickup to the pickguard and shield, using the pickup mounting screws and surgical tubing shock mounts, I estimated and adjusted the pickup height.

Installing the Pickguard

To install the pickguard, I routed the wires through the body and into the control cavity. Being careful to keep from pinching wires, I placed the pickup into the cavity that was routed for it. Then, adjusting from side-to-side, laid

the pickguard against the body to determine where it would fit best in relation to the bridge plate and the control cavity. Since they are all kind-of inter-joined it seemed important to lay it out first, and then drill the holes for the pickguard and control plate screws. That way they would have the best fit possible.

Adjusting the Pickguard

When doing the layout of the pickguard and the control plate, I noticed that the control plate screws would not line up well because there was a small amount of plastic in the way. There's a little semi-circle cut into the pickguard where the control plate fits into. Anyway, I had to grind about 1/16" off the side of the semi-circle to move the control plate slightly toward the bridge plate, thus allowing the control plate to fit correctly. Easy mod using a drill with a grinder bit, I took it nice and slow and got the perfect result!

Marking the Pickguard and Control Plate Screw holes

With the pickguard and control plate in place, I marked the screw locations with a fine-tipped sharpie marker. I double checked these locations before drilling any holes. Then, I selected the correct size drill bit, determined the screw hole depth and drilled all holes (10 in all).

I re-routed the pickup lead wires and secured the pickguard in place using the 8 screws.

Assembling the Control Plate

After deciding the layout for my custom fender telecaster controls, I drew a picture of the result I was looking for and checked it against some Fender Telecaster control drawings I found on the internet.

Following that plan, I carefully assembled the parts in their correct locations and soldered the connections. I double checked each step and when complete did a 100% quality inspection to be certain there were no flaws in the assembly. I took pictures to document the reverse control plate for an article you can find here.

Installing the Controls

The neck and bridge pickup wires were fed into the control plate cavity, so I stripped each wire a bit and tinned them. Carefully checking the switch positions, I soldered the positive lead of each pickup to their proper connections and the grounds to the back of the volume pot. Viola! Done.

I turned the control plate slipped it into place and secured it to the body with 2 screws. Woo hoo! ready to string up, adjust and test!

Setup and Intonation

String Height (Action) and Neck Relief

I installed a new set of strings (.46 - .010) and tuned up while gently stretching each string a few times to get the tension set on them so they'd stay in tune.

First check was string height at the nut and at the 12th fret. Since I installed a neck that had already been set up for use in another telecaster, I found the generic neck relief and nut height to be sufficient. I always play every string on every position to determine if there are any dead spots or fret buzzing in any of the locations.

I did find some deadness at the upper registers on 2 or three strings. This was quickly resolved with some quarter-turns on the allen screws that adjust the bridge saddle height.

After setting the string height at the bridge, I played all the positions on all the strings once again. Couple more slight tweaks and the action was nice and low with a minimal amount of buzzing that I could control with my playing style.

Setting The Intonation

Intonation is roughly defined as, "Every note is where it's supposed to be." Setting intonation is relatively simple once you have the action set up to your personal taste.

The basic process goes something like this:

1. Start by tuning your guitar - retune after each adjustment!
2. Ring the harmonic of each string at the 12th fret and play the same position by fretting the note. Um... they should be the same [duh]!
3. If the fretted note is sharp (higher), lengthen the string by adjusting the bridge saddle position screw located at the tail end of the bridge plate.
4. If the fretted note is flat (lower), shorten the string by adjusting the bridge saddle position screw located at the tail end of the bridge plate.
5. RETUNE after every adjustment! Repeat until the two notes match [Ding!].
6. Repeat these steps for each string. Retune.

Here's something VERY interesting I learned a short time ago... If you play an open low E (6th string) note and fret the A string on the 11th fret (Ab), you will hear a beautiful harmonic - Try it some time! I have developed a scale from using this method of testing out the intonation and tuning of my guitar!

Here's that scale: E - G#(Ab) - A - B - D - E

Set your intonation, tune up and let 'er rip!

Custom Fender Telecaster Project Summary

There are pros and cons to everything you will undertake. I have decided that this project has its own set from my perspective. I'll share those with you now as I finish up this article and continue to enjoy playing my wonderful custom-built Fender Telecaster!

Pros