Angel Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Just built myself a custom guitar. A pretty weird beast, relic-type tele body, HBs, Ibanez neck, Floyd trem etc. My Frankentele is now alive and kicking! I have dubbed it my 'Angel' tele and it surpasses my wildest expectations both in terms of looks and playability. Quite simply it is the best guitar I have owned. And this is the finished article: Original body blank, very generously donated for free by JookyChap from the MusiRadar forum (including P&P!). Top man and very generous soul. Initial routing, all done by eye and some paper templates that I knocked up myself! All routes and holes done, spray finished and transfers applied This is the front face with my Christian themed Chinese writing. Drawn in Adobe illustrator, coloured in Photoshop and then applied as wet transfers I wanted a worn body type look (not a true 'relic' as such - I was not attempting to do something genuinely realistic, just worn somewhat to my personal satisfaction), so I skipped sanding sealer, and underdid the grain filler. No primer, just straight in with Nitro vintage white, followed by tinted lacquer. I masked the bits that needed wood showing, and darkened them after with acrylic wash. The body looks exactly the kind of 'old' I was hoping for close-up As I dubbed the guitar 'Angel' I stuck an Angel symbol on the back, and as a Manga fan, I also went for a cute Manga angel on the front. The front one looks cool as it shrunk perfectly into the tiny grain grooves of the body The trem was bright chrome, so I dulled it down to more of a satin/nickel look. I cut slots into the trem posts for ease of adjustment. I got a cool 'pre-rusted' jack socket from eBay. Lovely design, best I've seen on a tele style guitar. Used my own 'not-yet-patented' numbered knobs, and once again, dulled the chrome down. 5-way switch for 5 pup positions. Bareknuckle nailbomb at the bridge, and a Tonerider rocksong in the neck (well dulled finish!). de-chromed the finish on the pup rings One more last pic! The neck was from a JS100. Some years ago I had Robin at deadlight designs put an ebony fretboard on, a tree of life inlay and stainless steel frets. Plays like a peach! I realise that a tree of life is hideous to many people, but I have always loved them. I needed a 'shreddy' neck and it was one that I had so it was a no brainer. well, that's it done, not a guitar for everyone looks and style-wise but exactly what I wanted. I'm still not 100% sold on the neck pickup, and I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna try something different with the wiring as well, but it's super playable, and I am beside myself with joy at how well it has turned out! Right ....... onto the next project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 so I was looking at that... thinking, that looks nice but I don't like something... is it the neck, what about the neck.... is it the tree of life.... no don't mind that too much ..... but the headstock... going to do anything with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I do like a Telecaster, it has to be said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 As a confirmed fan of 'twisted' Tele's, that's one of the best I've seen. Great paintjob and graphics. Thinking about the headstock, a repetition of the body colour / style might be interesting. Seems a shame to have an Ibanez logo on there when the whole concept is so entirely your own. Excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlapbassSteve Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 I'm not usually a fan of Teles, but this is beautiful. Fantastic job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longmayyourun Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 There's something about that that just makes me want to say '[i][b]Yes!'[/b][/i] Absolutely brilliant - nice one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 What a crazy guitar, well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nugget Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 I like that! I love teles and this one has attitude. Graphics are cool and finish looks spot on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Nice job, always nice to have the guitar from out of your head turn up in your hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Erm .....Wow I love traditional Japanese styling & this is the first Tele I've ever liked.....that's a lovely piece of kit mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 A Tele with a trem and humbuckers - where do I sign? Nice that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Very nice! Very nice indeed! Not exactly my thing, but very nice all the same. HBs and a floyd trem on a telecaster just isn't what I like at all! Hope you are happy with it though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 That really is most excellently styled - well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 I think it's excellent! I especially love those knobs! Do you make them yourself? I must admit I agree that it seems a bit of a shame to have the ibanez logo on the headstock but as you have focused on the body, I think that is is very well design with all the decals etc. Good job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted June 15, 2013 Author Share Posted June 15, 2013 Thanks for the positive comments everyone! Yes, the knobs were DIY. I've had a lot of interest in them since I first did some a couple of years ago. I'm happy with the headstock shape, it's more of a 'shreddy' than a tele so I didn't particularly want a tele shape. I was in two mind about the Ibanez logo. My other two customised guitars have my own logo on which is a take on the 'Fender' one, I considered doing the same thing but with the ibanez logo style, but I kind of liked the whole 'bastard guitar' vibe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethFlatlands Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 I'd have given it a hardtail due to my dislike of trems but that's a very nice guitar. The Ibanez logo should raise a few eyebrows but it looks like a nice fast neck and I'm a fan of flatter radius boards and floral prints so it's a winner for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Those knobs are great. I've got daubs of nail polish on my knurled tele knobs so I can see where they're set - your solution is a lot more elegant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 This is wonderful, love it mate. I'm a massive Tele fan and this is a really unique and personal take. I don't often like the look of them without a scratchplate on but this one is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggo Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 I love that shreddocaster! The Japanese theme works so well and is tastefully done. How did you age the chrome? Not normally a fan of relicing but what you've done is spot on, it looks like a guitar that has a story to tell and I'd well used in. For me personally a Ibanez maple neck (wizard iii?) from an RG would have looked more suited, but the tree of life does add something to the Japanese theme. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randythoades Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Cool tele! Excellent work. I love making and modifying guitars, just like Leo did all those years ago. It is so satisfying to get your ideal instrument. My own is a tele/strat hybrid, perfect for me (at the moment), which is a fiesta red hardtail strat that i routed for a tele bridge to fit on my favourite neck (a MIJ 62 reissue). I did the nitro paint and only a very thin coat of satin laquer as I dislike the thick gloss on modern fenders. It has just started to wear nicely. Love it, and it always garners interest from jam sessions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Lush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisyjon Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Well done Angel, it looks very Rock n Roll! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madshadows Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Looks amazing, great job John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyvee Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 (edited) [attachment=176323:IMG_4925.JPG] I'm in the process of rebuilding a guitar I first built in about 1982. It's a red strat that I made, (carved the body and bought a neck), from following instructions in a library book. I used it extensively in the 80's and chopped and changed a variety of Dimarzio pickups in it at the time. A couple of years after I made it I removed the frets and used it as a fretless guitar for a while then bought a strat and put it down. Last year I decided it's time to get it playable again and I've started a rebuild. I think the body is Ash but can't be 100% has heavy brass hardware whammy bar. I've just installed some Alembic activator pickups that I won on eBay about 2 years ago and bought from Alembic their active bass and treble cut/boost electronics. I'm just looking for a neck now to complete it though that could be a challenge as my neck pocket is not a standard width which is why the previous neck was not a snug fit and occasionally moved. Interestingly it's not ending up being cheaper than buying an off the shelf strat but It's personal. Edited November 14, 2014 by jazzyvee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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