On a lazy late winter afternoon recently I was sitting on the sofa in the sunlight, half dozing and half noodling on this guitar (a perfect couch electric), and I suddenly realized how accidental it was. As opposed to being a purely intentional guitar.
I’ve built up several project electrics, but they've had a more or less specific end goal in sight, unlike this hodgepodge of random parts. It started with a tub full of various components tossed into it over the past ten years, some used, most new. Then along came a precision crafted pine plank Telecaster body from Canada and, rummaging though the parts bin, it looked like there might be enough bits and pieces to put together a guitar. Here’s a rundown of those unintentional parts:
I’ve built up several project electrics, but they've had a more or less specific end goal in sight, unlike this hodgepodge of random parts. It started with a tub full of various components tossed into it over the past ten years, some used, most new. Then along came a precision crafted pine plank Telecaster body from Canada and, rummaging though the parts bin, it looked like there might be enough bits and pieces to put together a guitar. Here’s a rundown of those unintentional parts:
- ToneBomb knotty pine body. Made in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Two piece knotty pine, seam straight down the middle but not bookmatched. This was one of a limited run of knotty pine bodies ToneBomb made a couple of years ago; luckily I was allowed my pick from a few available unrouted blanks (all unique and lovely), then had a choice of pickup configurations. Totally vintage early ‘50s spec in all dimensions except the P90 pickup rout, and wonderfully lightweight. It came presanded to 150 weight, and I had a happy few days outdoors in early summer weather doing finish sanding. First with 220 grit, then a couple passes at 400 (with a water coat in between to raise the grain) before I gave it three double coats of Watco oil based varnish.
- Fender Classic Player ‘50s series Stratocaster neck, made in Mexico in 2022. Over a few months I bought five various Tele necks, and I’ll cut that long story short to say they each had flaws, fit issues, or been misrepresented by the sellers. One day I took the neck off my Strat project guitar, put it on the ToneBomb body - it fit perfectly - and that’s where it stayed. Fender calls it a “soft V” back profile, I've always liked the shape. My first good quality guitar, a 1947 Martin D18, had a similar feel neck - the guy I bought that Martin from, a pro player in L.A., had sanded its original harder V-shape neck down a bit, and it was a great guitar to learn to play on. Until recently most Yamaha acoustics have had that neck shape; this Fender neck and the one on my 2005 Yam parlor are very close. Here's the same neck, mounted on a Strat project:
- Gotoh vintage type tuning machines. Nickel plated steel, with “butterbean” Waverly style buttons. Japan
- Fender vintage style round string guide, nickel plated steel. USA
- Gotoh nickel plated steel neck plate. Japan
- Fender nickel plated steel strap pegs. USA
- Gotoh Les Paul style output jack plate. Curved nickel plated brass or nickel. Japan
- Gotoh nickel plated steel neck plate. Japan
- Fender nickel plated steel strap pegs. USA
- Gotoh Les Paul style output jack plate. Curved nickel plated brass or nickel. Japan
- Switchcraft output jack, new old stock, unknown date, possibly 1970s. USA
- Gotoh control plate, nickel plated brass or nickel. It’s reverse mounted, a bit easier to grab the volume knob. Japan
- Gotoh bridge plate, nickel plated brass. Cutaway sides for comfort, and cutaway rear for possible use with a Bigsby tailpiece. Japan
- Gotoh control plate, nickel plated brass or nickel. It’s reverse mounted, a bit easier to grab the volume knob. Japan
- Gotoh bridge plate, nickel plated brass. Cutaway sides for comfort, and cutaway rear for possible use with a Bigsby tailpiece. Japan
- Fender “Vintage ‘58” bridge saddles. Solid and smooth unthreaded steel. No intonation compensation, but my not so secret Tele adjustment seems to work: keep messing with the string length until chords sound okay, and you’re done. Most of the Telecasters I borrowed when I started doing country bar gigs had these same style smooth steel barrel saddles. To my ears, better tone and sustain than either brass or the thinner threaded steel types, and amazing they're still made today. USA
- Fender vintage-type rear body string ferrules, nickel plated steel. USA
- Gotoh “Gibson Speed” style volume control knob. Japan
- Gotoh “dome” Tele style tone control knob, heavy knurled nickel plated brass. Japan
- CTS (Chicago Telephone Supply) 250k audio taper potentiometers; one w/ splined split shaft, one w/ a solid shaft. Both new current production. Mexico
- Sprague .039uF capacitor. It's old, maybe late '50s or '60s, I don't really know; a vintage sized large tube, probably mylar composition construction. I have a limited stock of old and new caps; tried a few of them with a home built external (yet in-circuit) tone capacitor tester, and this one worked well with the two disparate type pickups. Smooth jazzy tones rolled back with the neck pickup, and tames any tendency toward harshness in the bridge pickup. USA
- Oak Grigsby 3-way blade switch. NOS (New Old Stock), spring loaded. It's mid '90s, old enough, and was cheaper than a new production one. USA
- DakaWare switch knob, NOS 1950s, maroon barrel style. Chicago, Illinois, USA. A gift from friend David.
- Mighty Mite neck pickup; Gibson single coil “P-90” style. Made in Korea mid 1990s, Alnico magnet, 8.5k. Bought this from a seller named Martha; Martha, it turned out, was a really cute Black Labrador pup!
- DakaWare switch knob, NOS 1950s, maroon barrel style. Chicago, Illinois, USA. A gift from friend David.
- Mighty Mite neck pickup; Gibson single coil “P-90” style. Made in Korea mid 1990s, Alnico magnet, 8.5k. Bought this from a seller named Martha; Martha, it turned out, was a really cute Black Labrador pup!
- Philadelphia Luthier Supply P-90 cover, unplated solid nickel. USA.
- MojoTone bridge pickup. “Broadcaster” model, flat top magnets, string-wrapped and wax potted coil, 9.6K. Made in Georgia, USA
- MojoTone bridge pickup. “Broadcaster” model, flat top magnets, string-wrapped and wax potted coil, 9.6K. Made in Georgia, USA
- WD pickguard, thick one ply, 5 screw. USA
- Wherever possible, all screws are nickel plated flat blade type, not phillips. Various makes; Fender, Philly Luthier etc. USA
- Currently the strings are a GHS Gilmour set, gauges .010, .012, .016, .028, .038, .048. Next string change I’ll go back to my old fave Hybrid Slinky set: .009, .011, .016, .026, .036, .046. A very minor difference, with the slightly lighter set having a bit better couch noodle-ability.
Here's a photo of my couch noodling amp, along with another piece of vintage living room furniture:
A quick description: a modified 1950s 5F2A circuit built into an old small PA amp chassis, sitting atop a Hammond M3 organ external speaker cabinet w/ an Altec Lansing 417-8C 12" inside. This cab was a gift from Nashville Tele slinger extraordinaire Chris Wade, from whom I also got the mid '90s Japan Fender Stratocaster body shown above.
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