Custom Build Tele

The following pics are a custom tele I built for a musician. Neck pickup is handwound using NOS 43 gauge wire from the 1970s. Bridge pickup is wound with 42 gauge formvar. The neck is refinished in nitro and re-contoured. Body is finished in nitro. Overall, a very nice playing guitar with a vintage vibe. Will post some music samples when I have time.

Last edited by CSVeteran on Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Very nice! I love that color! Good work man!

Thanks, bud!

If that guitar plays half as good as it looks , you have a winner. Great work!

y2kc

Thanks y2kc.

Here is a link to a short MP3 sample of what the guitar sounds like.

Last edited by CSVeteran on Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

That's really great sounding and greet looking Tele man!

Tomas - Thanks for the kind words. Here is another custom tele in surf green I finished yesterday. All nitro and the bridge is wound with 42 gauge formvar.

Last edited by CSVeteran on Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Last edited by CSVeteran on Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Oooooooooooo!!! I like that one even more!

Nice work on both of those and clips to back it up. If yer not careful folks round here will start placing custom orders.

Keep posting and add some MFDs or G&L alnico a next time.

That's an excellent suggestion Sam, about the MFDs and G&L alnicos. I could probably find some on ebay. Gonna consider that.

Nice sounds. What are you using for body wood? You said the neck was re-contoured. Do you just shape the frets or do you reshape the wood and then re-intall frets?

I love tinkering with guitars. Just don't have the time anymore. Oh well....

You are welcome I can tell a great guitar when I see one. Yeah I totally agree with Sam, get the pickups from G&L store and folks here are probably going to place some orders

Nice sounds. What are you using for body wood? You said the neck was re-contoured. Do you just shape the frets or do you reshape the wood and then re-intall frets?

I use ash, alder and also basswood. I've found a good source for rough cut necks (backs) and cut my own fretboards, which entails radiusing the boards and fretting them. Neck profiles are shaped by hand. Everything is hand finished including all of the fret work. As a teenager, I was fortunate to live next door to a luthier who spent time showing me stuff and would also let me play the different guitars that came in for repair. I learned a lot about guitars just by playing them for a few days.

Tomas - I will definitely be exploring Sam's idea about the G&L pickups. I also enjoy winding pickups too, since I can match them to the sonic characteristics of the wood. Out of all the production based pickups I have heard over the years, G&L's are pretty hard to beat.

So, you route out and shape the bodies yourself, from square/rectangular blanks?

I make bodies from scratch, but also have a source for unfinished bodies. All depends. I don't generally use one piece hardwood bodies, preferring two or three pieces, since one piece bodies can warp. I also make flamenco guitars from time to time, which is something that has always interested me.

Nice sounds. What are you using for body wood? You said the neck was re-contoured. Do you just shape the frets or do you reshape the wood and then re-intall frets?

I use ash, alder and also basswood. I've found a good source for rough cut necks (backs) and cut my own fretboards, which entails radiusing the boards and fretting them. Neck profiles are shaped by hand. Everything is hand finished including all of the fret work. As a teenager, I was fortunate to live next door to a luthier who spent time showing me stuff and would also let me play the different guitars that came in for repair. I learned a lot about guitars just by playing them for a few days.

Wow - the man's got skills! What luck to have that neighbor.

Do you recall the body wood used for the recorded sample? Just curious. Has a great spongey sound to it. My guess would be alder.

The recorded sample (blue tele) is a two piece basswood body. The surf green tele is a two piece alder body with vintage routing. The pickups I wound are lower impedance in the basswood one, because of its natural midrangy tonal characteristics (5.5k neck and 6.6k bridge). By contrast, the surf green tele was not as midrangy, so I wound the pickups a little hotter (7.0k neck and 7.5k bridge).

I'm working on a strat and will post some pictures of it when i get done. All handwound pickups.

The recorded sample (blue tele) is a two piece basswood body. The surf green tele is a two piece alder body with vintage routing. The pickups I wound are lower impedance in the basswood one, because of its natural midrangy tonal characteristics (5.5k neck and 6.6k bridge). By contrast, the surf green tele was not as midrangy, so I wound the pickups a little hotter (7.0k neck and 7.5k bridge).

I'm working on a strat and will post some pictures of it when i get done. All handwound pickups.

Wow man, that's super impressive!! I'd love to play one of your guitars and I'm really impressed that you are winding your pickups too. You really got skills keep up the good work and supply us with pictures and all.

Thanks for the kind words, Tomas. I am finishing up a strat in surf green. Here are some pics of the project. Pickups are all wound, just have to wire in the electronics and tweak the neck and action. I fretted it with vintage wire to keep in line with the vintage surf green look. Everything is finished in nitrocellulose lacquer.



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Last edited by CSVeteran on Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Beautiful work !!

Indeed CS! Beautiful work that's a very tasty looking Strat. I think Lincoln Brewster is going to call you and order one exactly like this one!

Hey CS,

You are on a roll again! I am getting GAS for a surf green guitar now.

Here is an MP3 sample of the surf green strat. It's all done.

Last edited by CSVeteran on Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Last edited by CSVeteran on Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

OMG CS! That's a heck of a beautiful sounding Strat like honey to my ears. Great job man.

Hey Tomas, 'round here, we aim to please BTW, nice avatar you got there!

Well, I'm sure you are pleasing them CS. I couldn't find a avatar with a Tribute Comanche so this was the closest

Here's another music sample of the surf green strat through a Marshall half stack. An improvisation on Little Wing.

Sounds great CS!

Here's another custom tele I finished today for a musician. It's in surf green nitro with a humbucker in the neck position and dark ebony fretboard. The humbucker is rewound to PAF specs and the bridge pickup is wound to a hotter impedence to match the humbucker. Everthing is finished in nitrocellulose lacquer.

Last edited by CSVeteran on Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

That's it for surf green

Here is a link to a 60 second music sample. The tele is built for playing jazz.

Hey CS. Top notch work as always!

If you were to make a lefty version of this baby, I would definitely be a buyer! I would just ask for a vintage tint maple neck on it.

Thanks Tomas.

Knubs - the building of a left hand tele is not a problem, but since I play each guitar I build to adjust the action and feel of the neck, it would be difficult for me to do so, since I am not left handed. You might end up with a neck that just doesn't fit your playing style!

Some pics of an agave blue strat with a nitro finish I just finished, handwound AlNiCo 5 pickups and a big pole bridge pickup. I'm using black silicone tubing for the pickup mounts, instead of latex.

Last edited by CSVeteran on Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hi CS,

More nice work. I like the back trem cover plate, snazzier than the usual white. You should have the neck plate stamped with CS Guitars or CS Custom Guitars, that would look cool. Do you write dates on the body and neck?

Keep up the good work!

Thanks Sam, I will have to look into neck plates, it sounds like a great idea

Here are some pics of a tele with a mahogany body I am working on. Once I wind the pickups, I will post some samples. Every guitar is different, they are a lot like people!

Last edited by CSVeteran on Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Do you write dates on the body and neck?

Yes, I do. I also sign the back of the trem covers.

Thanks Tomas.

Knubs - the building of a left hand tele is not a problem, but since I play each guitar I build to adjust the action and feel of the neck, it would be difficult for me to do so, since I am not left handed. You might end up with a neck that just doesn't fit your playing style!

Understood...good point. Top shelf stuff you're building there!

Thhaks Knubs, I spend a lot of time on the necks so they are just right. I guess I'll have to learn to play left handed!

Attached is a Soundcloud music sample of the "agave blue" strat. The Lead guitar part starts out with neck pickup then switches to big pole bridge pickup. Rhythm guitar is with the middle pickup. Everything through a Bad Cat head into 4x12 cab.

https://soundcloud.com/cs-guitars/agave-blue-strat

Have a good one guys.

Here are some pics of a tele with a mahogany body I am working on. Once I wind the pickups, I will post some samples. Every guitar is different, they are a lot like people!

Now CS, that's what I'm talking about! all you need there is some mahogany neck with rosewood or ebony board great job on that Strat as always!

Awesome looking guitars! Love those colors!

Attached are some pics of a Hendrix Tribute strat I am building for a musician. Features a gold nitrocellulose finish with all maple neck and large headstock and gold Kluson tuners. The hand set bone nut follows the the 7 1/4 vintage radius. Trem block is solid brass. I will wind the pickups using a reverse stagger to duplicate Hendrix's playing a right handed guitar. I will be using vintage NOS 42 gauge wire. Will post the finished product in Dec.

Last edited by CSVeteran on Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:17 pm, edited 3 times in total.

your doing a darn nice job there !! .... beautiful

Thanks bud

Question. Are you making your own pickguards or are you buying them from somewhere? If you're purchasing them, where do you get them from? I'm in the market for a white pearl like you got on that mint tele.