# Show me your Strat or Tele builds that aren't like everybody elses!



## rideough (Mar 5, 2006)

OK..it started as a $70 pawnshop special.
Then I changed the neck to a Mighty Mitemaple/rosewood affair with Extra Jumbo frets.
Put on some Schaller tuners and changes the bridge to an allparts job.
Changed pickguard to the pearloid with sheilding covering the entire cavity and underside of the guard.

It was originally sunburst but had the proper burst so I could see that it wasn't plywood, although I have no idea what kind of wood it is. I painted it semi gloss black as it lays down really nice with no orange peel and polished it up to a little shinier than a HWY 1.

Then I got a really good deal on some Texas Specials (free!) and changed out all the electronics for CTS audio tapers and switchcraft input and switch.Then I changed all the covers and knobs to black.
As far as the wife knows it was $70...shhhhhh! :smile:


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## ssdeluxe (Mar 29, 2007)

WELL DONE !:food-smiley-004:

I am trying to put together a hollow metal body tele...no success yet in finding the hollow pre-made body.

that strat looks great, its really rewarding to make a gtr your own with your fav. specs ! nice.


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2007)

The only thing changed is an Evans bridge pup as the stock one is a squealing mofo. Other than that, almost 20 years of wear. My baby.


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## LaRSin (Nov 27, 2006)

Here's my Partscaster it's been on before but here it is again.

Austin body
Fender neck MIM 
Wilkinson tuners
GFS HB neck pu
Fender SCN bridge PU usa
S1 switching controls usa


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Not quite finished yet. Handbuilt body, modded a run of the mill Tele bridge to take a humbucker - dremel ftw!

















Yes, I shortened a control plate also, just gonna run volume/tone, no need for a selector. The pup is a Burstbucker2 out of my R0. Top pic is pre - contours, have armrest contour and belly cut.


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## ssdeluxe (Mar 29, 2007)

keto said:


> Not quite finished yet. Handbuilt body, modded a run of the mill Tele bridge to take a humbucker - dremel ftw!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



love that keto ! very cool, definately let us know the tone report.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

Started with an 85 MIJ Strat and changed out about everything except the body and neck. Stripped it down and fully shielded all the cavities then installed the Callaham vintage strat kit which was the bridge,tuners, jack plate,neck plate and screws. Next picked up a nice pearloid PG and installed some Fralin blues specials and new CTS pots and switchcraft switch and jack. The micro switch has three purposes, in pos 1 it plays normal, pos 2 is a kill switch and pos 3 has the neck and bridge always on.








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The shielding and Callaham bridge.








[/IMG]

The Fralins and pickguard


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## Hammertone (Feb 3, 2006)

Here's one of mine that does not get lost in a crowd. I suspect that it well fits the question raised by this thread. I'll post a couple of others as well:

- Mechanicland Ballpark Neck (deeper and wider than anything else out there) w/jumbo Dunlop frets
- old Strat Am. Standard alder body w/Schaller straplocks
- old Strat pups w/RW/RP 
- custom-built Andrusovich stainless bridge plate/titanium inertia block w/compensated holes 
- Greasy Groove custom-made pickguard
- strung to pitch with a set of .12-.54 strings w/unwound .22 G-string

I think of it as "a guitar for the secure player".
It sounds lovely and is a pleasure to play.


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## Mogwaii (Feb 16, 2007)

My old guitar teacher built this for me for only $175. I used to hate it but it grew on me, Its got a graphite neck, an unidentified HIGH!!!!!!!!! output pickup, 21 frets and it stays in tune like no other. I think I'll always have it in my collection. It's named the Cam-O-Caster


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## Drazden (Oct 26, 2007)

^^^^^^^^ Love the Cam-O-Caster!

Here's my contribution: It's not finished yet, but it should be all re-assembled within a fortnight.


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## famouspogs (Jun 9, 2006)

Electrix said:


> My old guitar teacher built this for me for only $175. I used to hate it but it grew on me, Its got a graphite neck, an unidentified HIGH!!!!!!!!! output pickup, 21 frets and it stays in tune like no other. I think I'll always have it in my collection. It's named the Cam-O-Caster


I like the gibson sticker on the headstock.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Hammertone said:


> Here's one of mine that does not get lost in a crowd. I suspect that it well fits the question raised by this thread. I'll post a couple of others as well:
> 
> - Mechanicland Ballpark Neck (deeper and wider than anything else out there) w/jumbo Dunlop frets
> - old Strat Am. Standard alder body w/Schaller straplocks
> ...


i really like the way that guitar looks, and i want it!


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## Hammertone (Feb 3, 2006)

Budda said:


> i really like the way that guitar looks, and i want it!


Cosmetically, it's a really easy job - pup covers & knobs are still available in pink, blue and green, and Dave over at Greasy Groove (near Calgary, but he's on the net at www.greasygroove.com) can do that pickguard pattern in any colour to match. 

I was thinking of doing up another one of my maple board/black body strats with green or blue trim. Some folks really like the look, but it really pisses off everyone else for some reason.


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## martyb1 (Aug 5, 2007)

Here is a couple of mine
Both of these are made from 75+ year old fir from an old barn
First one is a thinline style tele
Mightymite neck
GFS Vintage style Split Humbuckers

Really light,weighs just over 4 lbs










This one has a Fender Deluxe neck
Kinman Broadcaster pickups
Glendale bridge and saddles










Here is a shot of the end grain


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## Hammertone (Feb 3, 2006)

How does the tone of these teles compare to the tone of typical ash-bodied Teles? 

I'm really curious - I've done tele bodies out of mahogany (sounds great but not very tele-like), korina (spanky, bright, squeaky clean) and purpleheart (in progress). Tone report, please.


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## Rumble_b (Feb 14, 2006)

martyb1 said:


>


I think I'm in love!! :bow:


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## martyb1 (Aug 5, 2007)

Hammertone said:


> How does the tone of these teles compare to the tone of typical ash-bodied Teles?
> 
> I'm really curious - I've done tele bodies out of mahogany (sounds great but not very tele-like), korina (spanky, bright, squeaky clean) and purpleheart (in progress). Tone report, please.


I haven't really had a chance to play them a lot yet.The thinline definitely has a different sound than a reg tele,more like a Les Paul but not quite.Not sure if it's the Fir,the hollowbody or the pickups

The other one has only been played once.I just got it put together New Years Eve.Still playing with the pickups getting them set.It has the no solder harness.It has a tiny switch on the harness that allows you to choose between Kinmans High Definition tone cap and a regular tone cap


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## martyb1 (Aug 5, 2007)

Just a couple shots of a couple others in progress.Nothing too different here.Both are ash bodies.The gray on is double bound in black and is going to get humbuckers
The red one is an experiment I am trying with dye instead of paint.It will be double bound also.White binding on the back and white/red/white binding on the front.Not sure what I am going to put in it for pickups yet.Maybe some Fralin Blues specials or I might try some Dimarzio Area T's.Heard some good things about them and no hum


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## scottomy (Sep 20, 2006)

Wow there are some nice guits here!

Here's a tele my buddy and former bass player built for me. The body is made of birch and it has a WD maple neck, grover minis, a hipshot for drop D tuning, a SD screamin demon in the bridge and a fender noiseless in the neck. The volume and tone both have push-pull switches for phase and split. The only thing I don't like about it is the truss rod adjustment is in the neck pocket and not at the headstock.


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## axestronomer (Mar 1, 2007)

[







[/IMG]

" Mellow Yellow "
1 peice swamp ash body.
Amber stain with nitro finish
Dimarzio PAF neck pickup
Schecter bridge pickup
Locking Schaller tuners
Built by Frankinstein Guitar Works (Canada)









[/IMG]

" Crunch "
3 piece swamp ash body
ASAT bridge pickup
Schecter super rock neck pickup split via push pull volume pot.
Heavily reliced modelling Canadian Tele player Dom Troiano's Tele.
Bulit by Frankinstein Guitar Works (Canada)


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## simescan (May 15, 2007)

Those woodgrain Teles are my most favorite in all the land....lofu


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## jcayer (Mar 25, 2007)

martyb1 said:


> Here is a shot of the end grain


VERY BEAUTIFUL 

Congratulation :bow:


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

I love the look of Teles with no pickguards.


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## Davestp1 (Apr 25, 2006)

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m86/davestp1/IMG_0420.jpg

Second guitar from the left is Fender Strat Partscaster. Mighty mite body, fender neck/tuners, all fender plastic, tremolo system and electronics with the exception of the pickups which are Lindy Fralin Blues Specials with the baseplate.


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## MCDuster (Mar 17, 2007)

Here's my version of Strat, Tele. I call it a Strelevarius. My stand design also.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I decided to experiment with the Danelectro style of construction, where the core is a softwood, with a masonite top and back. I found some nice woodgrain arborite/formica at Home Depot and used that instead of painting. Not the greatest instrument in the world, but cheap like borscht, not too heavy, resonant, and you can make a bunch of exotic bodyshapes and move your neck and guts around to the one you feel like playing that week. I think the next one is gonna be a Vox Teardrop or Domino shape body.


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## ssdeluxe (Mar 29, 2007)

mhammer said:


> I decided to experiment with the Danelectro style of construction, where the core is a softwood, with a masonite top and back. I found some nice woodgrain arborite/formica at Home Depot and used that instead of painting. Not the greatest instrument in the world, but cheap like borscht, not too heavy, resonant, and you can make a bunch of exotic bodyshapes and move your neck and guts around to the one you feel like playing that week. I think the next one is gonna be a Vox Teardrop or Domino shape body.



that is so cool :food-smiley-004:

its like lego-block gtrs ! very very cool !


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## Hammertone (Feb 3, 2006)

MCDuster said:


> Here's my version of Strat, Tele. I call it a Strelevarius. My stand design also.


This corner of the forum needs to be re-named: 
"Electric guitar-A forum for the weird" - HA!
This guitar takes the cake as an "unusual strat/tele build" in my book.
- Hammertone


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

mhammer said:


> I decided to experiment with the Danelectro style of construction, where the core is a softwood, with a masonite top and back. I found some nice woodgrain arborite/formica at Home Depot and used that instead of painting. Not the greatest instrument in the world, but cheap like borscht, not too heavy, resonant, and you can make a bunch of exotic bodyshapes and move your neck and guts around to the one you feel like playing that week. I think the next one is gonna be a Vox Teardrop or Domino shape body.


Gee I have some ol' butcherblock laminate left over could have saved you some dough :smile:


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## Short Circuit (Mar 25, 2007)

This is my Telecaster kit guitar.
I cut the headstock to resemble a Strat, installed GFS mini humbuckers, CTS pots and left the pickguard off.
It is painted metallic copper.

Mark


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## martyb1 (Aug 5, 2007)

Short Circuit said:


> This is my Telecaster kit guitar.
> I cut the headstock to resemble a Strat, installed GFS mini humbuckers, CTS pots and left the pickguard off.
> It is painted metallic copper.
> 
> Mark


I like it.I just about painted my last build copper.Testors has a really cool metallic copper paint.I see you build model airplanes.Did you use model paint?

Now if it was mine(which it isn't),I would put on one of these

Single Coil Pickup Ring:smile:


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## Short Circuit (Mar 25, 2007)

Thanks Marty. That paint is from Home Hardware. Four coats of paint and 12 coats of clear.
I like those pickup rings and it does need one. Might have to pick up the chrome one.
The plane in the background has iron on covering. I did not build that one, it comes almost ready to fly.You assemble it, add your engine, servos and radio gear and then go flying.
I am building one from a kit now,a bunch of balsa in a box and a set of plans and instructions.


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

Very cool looking Tele Short Circuit. I've often thought about refinishing a guitar in a copper colour myself.


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## Short Circuit (Mar 25, 2007)

Thanks Kenmac,
I was just going for a gloss copper and then I found that metallic.
I still need to get a different set of tuners for it though. The ones that came with the kit aren't really that good.

Mark


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2008)

This one looks interesting.
http://toronto.craigslist.ca/tor/msg/537077707.html
The guy's asking $250.


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## Marcel Furlanetto (Sep 14, 2007)

laristotle said:


> This one looks interesting.
> http://toronto.craigslist.ca/tor/msg/537077707.html
> The guy's asking $250.


There's no way that can be hand carved and hand inlayed. That kind of work is worth thousands. ~OR~ this is simply a fantastic deal that someone should jump on. Only real way to tell is to check it out in person.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

I've seen the guitar in question - just two weeks ago. It's the real deal. The fellow selling it is someone from whom I've bought two guitars over the last year. This one is a little ornate for my tastes although I love the neck through design and it feels very good in the hands. But yeah, the inlay is real. It's done overseas, of course... that's how he can sell it so cheap.


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## ssdeluxe (Mar 29, 2007)

jcayer said:


> VERY BEAUTIFUL
> 
> Congratulation :bow:




holy $hizzzzz....that is really nice....and that grain match is perfect... (fir barn-wood-o-caster)

I like the copper as well.......that would like really classy with a bakelite guard imho. :food-smiley-004:


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