Telecasterlopnik

"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5) 12/02/2016 at 22:04 • Filed to: None

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It seems like I’m in a constant state of building a Telecaster. I build them, play a little, sell them. I don’t usually make money, but I do get a kick out of the idea that there are some instruments out there in the world that I built, being enjoyed by people.

This one is less a build and more customizing an existing guitar...but at this point there isn’t a ton left from new. It started as a Slick SL51 that I bought during Guitar Fetish’s Black Friday sale for a stupid price from the clearance section. Allegedly the neck had a twist in it, but that’s fine, I was buying it because I had a neck I wanted to use (an Allparts Fat neck).

The Slick guitars are kind of a bargain basement guitar that really out perform their price tag. They come pre-reliced, which I don’t like, but for this one it made sense because my inspiration was this:

Jeff Beck’s 1954 Esquire. It’s ugly, it’s fucked up, but it’s purposeful. And it got that forearm contour and then was never repainted, which I’ve always thought was a really cool look...plus the only thing I ever liked better about a Strat was the forearm contour.

So I added one.

The initial cut was actually made with a reciprocating saw, which I do NOT recommend if you want to do this. The best tool was the one I used to go from picture 1 to 2, which was an angle grinder with a 40 grit flap disc. It would have taken a little time, but I could have made the whole contour that way. It isn’t quite done, it’s only at 60 grit...I’m not planning to seal it, so I’ll have to go to at least 400 to make it smooth enough.

Jeff Beck’s Esquire (now owned by Seymour Duncan) also has a belly cut, but I have no interest in that. I mostly play sitting down and it sits nicer on my knee with no back cut. So the forearm contour is all this one is going to get.

Besides that, it’s got a Tusq XL but, a Gotoh bridge and it’s getting Gotoh locking tuners once I open up the holes on the headstock. I’ve never had locking tuners before, but holy shit are they easier. I’m going to get a set for my American Standard Strat, too.

Only other plans I have for it are to either remove the neck pickup and make it an Esquire or open up the neck rout for a humbucker. I’ve got a nice Epiphone Classic Pro PAF-style humbucker laying around I wouldn’t mind tossing in there.

Anybody else building anything cool?

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/02/2016 at 22:13

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I made carbon fiber bits for my busted ass SG. It makes it faster.

Truss rod cover, pick guard, and pickup switch surround. Also the electronics cover on the back that I don’t have a photo of handy. It has a broken tuner. I’m too cheap to buy a genuine one and too scared of off brand stuff to put one on. So I tried soldering it back together. It works sort of. Whatever I don’t like Gibson necks and should probably just sell this but I’ve effectively ruined and doubt it is worth anything. So it mostly just sits while my Telecaster gets all the love.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/02/2016 at 22:15

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I built this pedalboard.

This is version alpha (note the giant random hole when I was experimenting with how to bring in power), and I am already scheming beta to fit my new Walrus Phoenix power supply underneath. Hinged I think. Also have some 1/4" jacks and fused power outlet ready to be added to the new version.

I’ve been playing straight for 10 years. Just now getting into the pedal game.

We just slotted some 2x4s to fit the pegboard.

Also some Lollars in the tele.

RallyWrench > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/02/2016 at 22:16

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I’m a drummer and half-ass bass fucker-arounder, but I love me a good Tele. The one on the right here belongs to a good family friend, my well-beaten Pearl kit behind it. He’s been rocking this one as long as I’ve known him, from the early 80's at least.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 12/02/2016 at 22:17

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That CF pickguard is excellent, it suits the shape of an SG well. You can sometimes find individual tuners on eBay, but if you did want to get a whole set, Gotoh makes terrific stuff. Of course, so do Kluson and Grover, but I’ve always had great luck with Gotoh.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 12/02/2016 at 22:21

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That pedal board is sweet, really clean. I don’t mess with pedals, I’m a shitty player so adding effects is just putting lipstick on a pig, haha.

Is that a 52 reissue? I had a Baja that had that cut for the truss rod, looked familiar to me but the Baja’s pickup rout was different.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/02/2016 at 22:28

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Thanks. eBay is probably the route I’ll go for a loose tuner when I get unlazy. This was sort of a quick v1.0 project. I’d love to have the guitar professionally sanded and repainted (the unpicuted back is truly awful), then do some thicker CF taking care to make better cuts. But it’s hard to devote time/$ to when you realize you just like playing a Fender better. I bet CF would look pretty cool on a black Stratocaster HH.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/02/2016 at 22:56

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Just a MIM Road Worn from a few years ago

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 12/02/2016 at 23:28

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I’ve heard those are excellent. The MIM stuff has really come a long way, I had a MIM Baja at the same time as an American Special Tele, and it was every bit the Special’s equal.

McMike > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/03/2016 at 09:41

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I have always bought cheap guitars and slowly replaced pickups and the other other electronics as I could afford it.

Nothing more than that.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/03/2016 at 14:41

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It’s the easiest guitar to play fast/technical stuff on; the stripped neck is a dream. The only issue I’ve encountered is bending the e or b string higher up the fretboard, go too high and it duds (technical term?) on a higher fret. Maybe I need to raise the saddles?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/06/2016 at 17:05

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Mmm, guitar building, GuitarFetish stuff, Teles...

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 12/06/2016 at 18:41

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It came out pretty good! I still need to work on the intonation, since I just eyeballed it off my Strat, but it doesn’t sound half bad as is.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/07/2016 at 09:02

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I’ve got GuitarFetish black nickel pickups in my SG (actually a G-400). Three of them - two humbucker form factor P90s and a selectable coil ‘59 style alnico humbucker. I also made a tailpiece from scratch and painted some extra junk on the body.

I’ve been looking at GF’s V kit for a while, but this makes me think I should do a Tele instead/as well.

Jcarr > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 12/19/2016 at 11:18

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How do you like the GF pups? I’m thinking about plunking down some of my Christmas money on some of their single coils for my Strat.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jcarr 12/19/2016 at 11:27

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I don’t know that they’re *spectacular*, but they definitely are okay. Better than my original coverless Epiphone pickups, but that’s not saying a lot and to my untrained ear, how much I’m not sure. Some continuing color weirdnesses on the black nickel finish, but that’s what black nickel does, and you’re certainly not putting black nickel humbucker form soapbars in a strat , so that observation doesn’t apply.