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a for day un-tele

Hey guys,

Just thought I would share something I finished this week. It is not quite to the standards that I’ve seen here before but I’m getting a great deal more comfortable with every finished instrument.

A little back story:

Several weeks ago some buddies and I were out for a couple of pints and we got to talking instruments – ok not so unusual. To make a long story short I ended up taking a bet that I couldn’t build a tele style instrument in 4 days. By the end of day three the second session of French polish was finished.

here are the details:
-One piece mahogany body with rosewood binding and w/b/w purfling.
-birdseye maple neck with blind cocobolo finger board (bound in cocobolo of course) aluminum side markers (they look just like silver but shouldn't tarnish as quickly under the finish)
-Fralin blues special tele pickups
-synthetic tortishell pickguard
and the kicker
-left handed

I delivered it Monday night and my buddy just loves it. It is the MOST QUIET tele I’ve ever heard -in terms of 60 cycle. You really should hear Lindy Fralin's pickups they are SOOOOO sweet, great note definition and some true tele twang with a bit of crunch. I didn’t take any pictures of it before I delivered it but I convinced him to send me a couple of snaps. Please forgive the quality of the pics and the perspective distortion, it’s a good thing he makes enough playing ‘cause he wouldn’t even be eating beans if he was living on his photography.

Cheers and thanks for the inspiration,
Jeremy

Very impressive! Nice looking guitar!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Nice looking guitar. So, what was the wager?

It's all messed up...it's backwards! Don't you know the cutaway is supposed to be on the other side????



Looks great!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

It is a TARTS backward STRAT

sweet looking rig, Jeremy!

No I think its an Elet!   

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Did you study at the John Maye's School of Speed Construction?    Looks nice.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Definatly a eleT. Very nice work!

Hey,

Thanks for the positive comments everybody. I really am still learning (if that’s not painfully obvious via the pictures) but I am satisfied with this “eleT” (<-- LOVE IT) as it was only my second solid body. Amongst all the little details/mistakes I am not really ecstatic about the two items I am not displeased with were the tone and playability. To me that equates to a relative success.

Sadly I have never attended the “Mayes School of Speed Construction” but I am amazed at what a couple of days of concerted effort get you.

For those that are interested in what was wagered. If I lost I was teaching one of my non-playing buddy’s girlfriend how to play. If I won my non-playing but silk screening buddy was going to print me a couple of T-shirts with my “label concept”.

I’m going to get her started anyway because musical karma is a wonderful thing!

Cheers,
Jeremy

Very sweet, I love the look of the cocobolo.

Dale

looks awesome. My last electric I did the woodworking in about 2-3 days
but finish took a couple weeks...

I really dig the wood binding.. it is a pain to do that around the lower
horn. Nice looking axe dude!

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com