My Custom Tele w/Bigsby is Finally Done! w/pics!

[Guitarhero27]

I tried searching for my old post about this and couldn't find it....lemme give you a quick rundown of the story.

Readers Digest Version: Couldn't have done it without my buddy Phil at www.timpsonmusic.com (http://www.timpsonmusic.com) (he's got a few builds for sale too! check him out)

Regular shortened version

Back in April of this year (2008), I had decided that my birthday gift would be a custom guitar to have all the spec's I'd ever want in that type of guitar. My birthday was at the end of June.

I started off picking the type of guitar...Telecaster....looked on ebay, found a nice sunburst ash body with a sweet maple top, real cheap.

Custom prewired pickguard from acmeguitarworks....Lollar Charlie Christian Neck, Vintage 52 Bridge

So I decided to order my neck from Warmoth....6-8 weeks to arrive, no biggie that lands me in the middle of June.


All in all, my parts arrive, and now I've got a bunch of parts laying around....time to get to work....then I realize...I really don't know what I'm doing, and holes aren't lining up, pickup needs routing....I'm in way over my head.

I'm in limbo for a day or two when I met this random dude at a party (Phil at www.timpsonmusic.com (http://www.timpsonmusic.com))....he told me how he just started tinkering with building guitars and whatnot and generously offered me help. I took him up on it.

Between our two work schedules and his other builds and customers orders....the tele was finished last week. There was no real rush on my part and I wasn't gonna rush Phil either. So it casually got finished...but boy is it worth the wait!!!!

Check this all out, and please even if it's an email to Phil saying he did a great job....just check out his site, he did me a huge favor helping me and this is the least I can do....ok...now for the pics!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/3081078935_837ebd67a5.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/3081937299_e6cd88b981.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/3082822314_c124eee21b.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/3081927247_c00ae0bbd0.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/3082774552_6600aae228.jpg?v=0



Hope u enjoyed!

-Seth

[gtraddict]

love the bigsby and good choice going with the pearl markers

[Guitarhero27]

love the bigsby and good choice going with the pearl markers

Thank you, it was all of the options I included that really was the meaning of doing this....and it cost me half the cost of ordering a fender custom shop (that wouldn't even have half the options I'd want....lollar pups, gold fret wire)...even got custom engraved neck plate and control plate...I couldn't be happier.

[Shamus]

This thread is useless without clips!!!

Very cool. I'm a sucker for Bigsbied Teles! :AOK

[Tinman]

So, the strings thread through the back of a toploader bridge after coming off the pressure bar? Does that work?

[Guitarhero27]

So, the strings thread through the back of a toploader bridge after coming off the pressure bar? Does that work?

It does work, and works extremely well for how I use it. I did not want a guitar that I'd have to tune every chance I got. By threading it through the back of the bridge, it does not allow me the Neil Young type of Bigsby work (which I find to be a bit too much anyways).....threading it this way gives me the subtleness of the Bigsby, where when used right, works brilliantly....and the guitar stays in tune like it's no ones business because of it.

I'll try and get some clips within a week.

-Seth

[Lammy]

Looks great! grats on the new geeee-tar

[xdisciplex]

beautiful

[Guitarhero27]

beautiful

Looks great! grats on the new geeee-tar


Thank you very much, both of you. Just played it live for the first time....i freakin' love it. Again - I will try and get some clips up shortly! Would love to hear other opinions...and again...Phil from www.timpsonmusic.com ... if not for him - none of this would be possible!

-Seth

[Brett Valentine]

That guit is a class act! Beautiful.

[Guitarhero27]

That guit is a class act! Beautiful.


Where in NY are you from? I gig in NYC/NJ a lot - maybe you can check it out one day!

[5E3]

Looks good! Congrats! :aok

[snacker]

sweet guitar - do you use an offset screwdriver for intonation adjustments since the bigsby is in the way? - i have a similar setup and i can't find a suitable screwdriver

[cmatthes]

Love the case too!

[cbguy]

stunning!!!

[Guitarhero27]

sweet guitar - do you use an offset screwdriver for intonation adjustments since the bigsby is in the way? - i have a similar setup and i can't find a suitable screwdriver


Actually just a regular phillipshead that once came in some "roadie tool bag" seems to work...obviously can't get the screwdriver perfectly in the screw, but slow turns as it's resting on the bigsby does the trick, otherwise i'd be stripping the screw

hope that helps, post a pic of yours!

[blueshawk1]

Sweet. VERY Nice!