Need some Tele schooling...

[mwd]

Wanting to put together a Telecaster project. I have noticed some necks have an overhang on fretboard with 22 frets and some have rounded neck end with no overhang and 21 frets. I see truss rod adjustments on both ends. Hear the words vintage mentioned quite often regarding neck shape, tuners, bridge plate, etc.

Could anyone give me a crash course descript regarding telecaster details. Aka I don't want to order a body that says it's drilled for vintage this or that or get the wrong neck, etc.

Also info regarding Squier vs Mexico vs USA vs Japan components. Looking for sleeper donor parts that will play nice but won't break the bank. Any info appreciated.

 

[mr_fender]

Vintage Strat and Tele necks have 21 frets with no overhang. The 22nd fret overhang is a more modern addition to Fender necks. Modern USA Standard Strats and Teles have 22 frets. USA Vintage and Mexico Standard Strats and Teles have 21 frets. Both necks will work just fine as the overhang does not affect the pickguard, neck pocket, or neck pickup placement. Scale length and screw placement is identical in both. In other words 21 and 22 fret Fender necks are interchangeable. However, Strat and Tele necks are not interchangeable. Teles have a flat end neck pocket while Strats have a rounded end neck pocket. You can put a Strat neck on a Tele body (leaves small gaps in the pocket corners), but a Tele neck will not fully seat into a Strat body without routing the pocket. Vintage Fender necks typically have a 7.25" radius on the fretboard and thin fretwire. Modern Fender necks typically have 9.5" radius and medium jumbo fretwire.

The truss rod adjustment has changed over the years. Early vintage necks had a screw head at the heel. Later necks use a hex key at the headstock. I personally loathe vintage heel adjusting truss rods. Complete pain in the ass to remove the neck just to adjust the rod. Headstock adjustment is much easier unless the neck uses a modern spoke wheel at the heel that can be adjusted without removing the neck.

Neck joint and screw placement is typically the same between USA, Mexico, Japan, and most Squier made Fender necks and bodies. Some Squier bodies are thinner than "standard" Fender bodies, and there are hardware differences between some of them.

 

[Rex]

I personally loathe vintage heel adjusting truss rods. Complete pain in the *** to remove the neck just to adjust the rod. Headstock adjustment is much easier unless the neck uses a modern spoke wheel at the heel that can be adjusted without removing the neck.

+1. On many Teles, you can get away with just removing the pickguard, but it's still a pain in the butt. Fender's change to headstock-side adjustment was a definite improvement.

 

[Muad'zin]

22 frets is always better then 21, if only because it allows you to better bend to the highest E. I never understood why Fender chose 21 frets at the beginning. I can only guess it was because back then, based on most 50's guitar solos. there was less emphasis on playing high notes.

 

[Rex]

I never understood why Fender chose 21 frets at the beginning. I can only guess it was because back then, based on most 50's guitar solos. there was less emphasis on playing high notes.

Leo Fender didn't set out to build the best guitars in the world. He set out to build a competent, affordable guitar that could be manufactured on a large scale by people with limited skills, and he improved his design over the following decades. One of those improvements was adding the 22nd fret. But not everyone warmed up to his improvements. The fascination with vintage fret counts, awkward truss rod arrangements and such are apparently driven by the notion that Leo got everything right on the first try, and spent the rest of his career screwing up his design. (Sorry for the rant, but man, it felt good. )

 

[Muad'zin]

Leo Fender didn't set out to build the best guitars in the world. He set out to build a competent, affordable guitar that could be manufactured on a large scale by people with limited skills, and he improved his design over the following decades. One of those improvements was adding the 22nd fret. But not everyone warmed up to his improvements. The fascination with vintage fret counts, awkward truss rod arrangements and such are apparently driven by the notion that Leo got everything right on the first try, and spent the rest of his career screwing up his design. (Sorry for the rant, but man, it felt good. )

I couldn't agree more with your rant.

 

[mwd]

If you want a Telecaster, why not get the real thing?

A buddy of mine has been building parts casters from Warmoth and Fender necks, top dollar pickups, exotic wood bodies, high end trem and bridge gear. The results are stunning. No disrespect to any Fender owners, because I am one, but Fender just isn't making guitars like what he is winding up with. It isn't cheap, he usually winds up with $1100.00 to $1700.00 invested in parts alone but honestly it would cost 4 or 5K+ to buy a similar build with a name on it. So I tried my hand at it.

Rather than spend $2500.00 or $5600.00 on the Harrison Rosewood Tele I'm about to wrap up an all Rosewood body with Bill Lawrence micro coil pickups, Babicz bridge, Jay Donahue 5 way switch with an all rosewood neck from Warmoth with Evo gold frets, tusq nut, Schaller locking tuners, side adjustable truss rod. Allows me to make it like I want at a fraction of the cost. Looking for the next project and wanted to know more details about the vintage classifications.

 

[Molekiller]

My sleeper parts list includes the G&L "Saddle Lock" bridge and a 22 fret neck with no overhang from Musikraft (JNL). Nobody that I'm aware of makes an aftermarket body to accommodate these so I'm in the process of making a body for myself which in this case will also look like a tele.

 

[jakbur]

A buddy of mine has been building parts casters from Warmoth and Fender necks, top dollar pickups, exotic wood bodies, high end trem and bridge gear. The results are stunning. No disrespect to any Fender owners, because I am one, but Fender just isn't making guitars like what he is winding up with. It isn't cheap, he usually winds up with $1100.00 to $1700.00 invested in parts alone but honestly it would cost 4 or 5K+ to buy a similar build with a name on it. So I tried my hand at it.

Rather than spend $2500.00 or $5600.00 on the Harrison Rosewood Tele I'm about to wrap up an all Rosewood body with Bill Lawrence micro coil pickups, Babicz bridge, Jay Donahue 5 way switch with an all rosewood neck from Warmoth with Evo gold frets, tusq nut, Schaller locking tuners, side adjustable truss rod. Allows me to make it like I want at a fraction of the cost. Looking for the next project and wanted to know more details about the vintage classifications.

Right on! I concur $1100 worth of parts can = a $5000 prebuilt. Vintage (non 2 way adjustable) truss rods sound more vintage. Headstock or heel adjust doesn't have much effect on sound. 22nd fret has little impact on sound. IMHO flat sawn neck wood(as flat sawn as possible) sounds more lively than quarter sawn. Stick to traditional woods for vintage sound. Don't be hesitant to try different bridge/saddle combinations with each build as one combo may sound better than another on a specific body/neck combo. Machine tuners can affect sound i.e. vintage style sounds more vintage(less mass) than modern. BTW, Musikraft is my go to for necks.

 

[mr_fender]

My sleeper parts list includes the G&L "Saddle Lock" bridge and a 22 fret neck with no overhang from Musikraft (JNL). Nobody that I'm aware of makes an aftermarket body to accommodate these so I'm in the process of making a body for myself which in this case will also look like a tele.

If there's no overhang on a 22 fret neck, then either the neck pocket is different, or the scale length is different. You can't have both and still keep Fender spec neck pocket. This can also affect bridge placement and intonation. It's also quite likely that the G&L screw placement will differ from a Fender spec body as well. Get detailed measurements from the builder or seller to be sure.

 

[mwd]

For example this I saw in an eBay ad cautions:

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE BODIES ARE CUT FOR VINTAGE TELECASTER® DIMENSIONS AND WILL NOT REPLACE A FENDER® AMERICAN STANDARD SERIES INSTRUMENT DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN STRING THROUGH HOLE LOCATIONS.

 

[BBN]

I built a Tele out of all MJT (Mark/Matt Jenny Tele) parts.
Well, the neck was Musikraft 22 (steel) frets, but it was sent right to MJT so they could relic it.
All said and done I spent around $1k.
I will put this Tele up against any vintage fender or Nash Tele.
It's light, it plays like a dream and is literally my best sounding guitar. Anyone who plays it, loves it.
5 years ago, I HATED Teles. Now I take that Tele out every weekend (and I have at least 30 guitars to chose from....lots of vintage).

A couple things I learned (and would do again):
I got a Joe Barden bridge (to have compensated saddles...this is a must).
I got 22 fret, and I have the overhang...and the first pickguard I got did not fit under the overhang (so beware). I had to get a thinner one.
I put a hotrails in the bridge (which I was reluctant to do), and I absolutely love the tone of it. Sounds like a Les Paul but with more 'snap' (likely due to the maple neck).
For the same reasons others have mentioned, I got a headstock adjust truss rod. The heal adjust is too much of a pain.
The body I bought has contour under the right arm, and the belly cut. I didn't do this on purpose, it was just the one I found on eBay when I was looking. I have since bought other Teles, and wish they had the same contour cuts. It's just more comfortable.
Oh....and get locking tuners.

If your nervous about some of the build process (like I was) and you don't want to ruin expensive parts (mounting the neck / drilling the holes is a good example). Find a luthier and just pay him to do it with you.
The Tele was my 4th parts-caster build. But I wanted it to be perfect, so I paid my luthier friend his hourly rate to do the harder stuff with me. I want to say we spent 2 hours on it. Money well spent. It came out great, and I learned a lot.

Oh, one other thing on the Musikraft necks.
I ordered one, and MJT relic'd it. When I got it, I noticed it was twisted.
Musikraft replaced the neck for free, and MJT relic'd it again for free.
Great customer service on both ends.

 

[Muad'zin]

A buddy of mine has been building parts casters from Warmoth and Fender necks, top dollar pickups, exotic wood bodies, high end trem and bridge gear. The results are stunning. No disrespect to any Fender owners, because I am one, but Fender just isn't making guitars like what he is winding up with. It isn't cheap, he usually winds up with $1100.00 to $1700.00 invested in parts alone but honestly it would cost 4 or 5K+ to buy a similar build with a name on it. So I tried my hand at it.

Rather than spend $2500.00 or $5600.00 on the Harrison Rosewood Tele I'm about to wrap up an all Rosewood body with Bill Lawrence micro coil pickups, Babicz bridge, Jay Donahue 5 way switch with an all rosewood neck from Warmoth with Evo gold frets, tusq nut, Schaller locking tuners, side adjustable truss rod. Allows me to make it like I want at a fraction of the cost. Looking for the next project and wanted to know more details about the vintage classifications.

Building guitars is fun! I love doing it. Just don't expect to recover any of that money if you ever try to sell it. Chances are you'll recover more if you sell the parts separately.

 

[BBN]

Building guitars is fun! I love doing it. Just don't expect to recover any of that money if you ever try to sell it. Chances are you'll recover more if you sell the parts separately.

100% true. Always keep that in mind.
I sold one of mine (for a loss obviously), mainly because I was happy someone like my build.
I don't know how small builders stay in business....building guitars is not cheap, nor quick.

 

[Muad'zin]

100% true. Always keep that in mind.
I sold one of mine (for a loss obviously), mainly because I was happy someone like my build.
I don't know how small builders stay in business....building guitars is not cheap, nor quick.

I can only surmise that not everybody is obsessed with resale value, and that some people actually want a guitar that is custom made to their needs and wants, rather then get a high end Fender or Gibson. And there is always word of mouth of course.

That and some builders manage to gain some fame and use that to their advantage. I'm sure that if a certain guitarist from Muse hadn't started to use Manson guitars they wouldn't be able to charge 3500 pounds for a certain signature guitar.

 

[faulknier]

I can only surmise that not everybody is obsessed with resale value, and that some people actually want a guitar that is custom made to their needs and wants, rather then get a high end Fender or Gibson. And there is always word of mouth of course..

This is exactly why I built my parts telecaster. I got a custom tele for just a little more than a MIM. Certainly much less than the Am Deluxe I based it on. After a good fretjob, it plays great.