Yet Another Partscaster! Special thanks to Mike B for the guitar body. Started with a sunburst MIM telecaster body. I've taken the polyurethane down to an old worn look using a finishing routine where I skip grits. The finish feels great and looks really cool. This finishing technique makes the color look a little deeper compared to the stock finish. The neck is mighty mite. This is my second time using MM and this time the neck was not well done. The skunk stripe was loose, the wood density is all over the map (you can see in the stain) and the frets needed some serious leveling and and work. Took some work to iron out the kinks but the neck plays and feels great now. Gloss polished and lightly worn through polyurethane over a brown stain for that old, dirty lacquer look. I turned the brass and aluminum saddles at work from left over rod stock. The bridge is stamped "0001 Patent Pending" ;D
The special thing about this guitar is the pickups. The bridge is a Seymour Duncan Jerry Donahue and the neck is a Lollar P-90 standard. I thought my '51 nocaster bridge pickup was the best Tele bridge I have heard until this one. Lots of midrange but still super spanky and twangy. Highly recommended if you have a tele. The P-90 is also awesome; tons of P-90 bite but still stays smooth with drive. Tough to get the volumes to match up but I don't mind 8). Wired for independent volumes. The middle position is interesting sounding; a pretty good mix between the two sounds but unlike anything I have heard.
(http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv299/pnordeen/20140423_081037_zpsa637992a.jpg)
(http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv299/pnordeen/20140423_081151_zpsedd28b9e.jpg)
(http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv299/pnordeen/20140423_081100_zps12788aba.jpg)
Nicely done. And yes, the JD tele pup is one of the best out there, have three and they are killer.
Love it, especially that P90! Bet that middle position kills. :)
Nice Paul! Have any links for that finish technique you mention?
Jacob
Really nice! Sunburst with no gloss is something i really like.
Had a pickup configuration similar to that on the MJW tele i just posted hehe... but it was a SD P90 and Dimarzio at Bridge, the middle position was really interesting aswell, i know what you mean a bit. Also had the 4th position mod on a push pull pot, the Neck pickup in serie with the bridge... that was MonstrouS!
I need details about your refinishing method. I love the antisheen of that tele!
Haha thanks guys.
No links on the finishing technique. It was something I have been doing to distressed furniture in the past and really liked. Basically you go from rough sanding 80-100 grit to light 220 then straight to oooo steel wool. Straight from the wool to lots of hand-polishing with baking soda toothpaste (you can use Finesse It if you like a higher gloss). What that does is leave a lot of the deeper scratches from the coarser grits but in between is relatively higher gloss from rubbing. Gives it a really nice worn in look. The only issue is that it shows fingerprints like no body's business ;D
The neck is 12 coats of Poly over oil based wiping stain; oooo steel wool between every other coat. Wet sand out that orange peel starting at 600 and stepping up through 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000. Final polish with Finesse It II. Takes forever but it looks cool when its done.
Yes I am so stoked at how the pickups sound. I am at work itching to get home and play it!
looks really cool paul!
thanks.
I want to work down a G&L to look like that.
Looks great man, love the sunburst teles