Custom Build Tele

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 3:16 pm

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.

Nubs · Post by **Nubs** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 5:38 pm

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

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 10:47 pm

Thanks, bud!

y2kc · Post by **y2kc** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 4:02 am

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

y2kc

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 5:13 pm

Thanks y2kc.

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

Tomas83 · Post by **Tomas83** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:03 am

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

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:52 pm

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.

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:56 pm

Nubs · Post by **Nubs** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 5:52 pm

Oooooooooooo!!! I like that one even more!

sam · Post by **sam** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 8:40 pm

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.

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:51 am

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

fianoman · Post by **fianoman** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:28 pm

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....

Tomas83 · Post by **Tomas83** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 6:34 pm

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

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 8:24 pm

fianoman wrote: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.

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 8:33 pm

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.

Lacking Talent · Post by **Lacking Talent** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 12:06 pm

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

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 5:42 pm

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.

fianoman · Post by **fianoman** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 5:41 am

CSVeteran wrote:
fianoman wrote: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.

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 9:04 pm

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.

Tomas83 · Post by **Tomas83** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 8:38 pm

CSVeteran wrote: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.

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 3:26 pm

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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Fumble fingers · Post by **Fumble fingers** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 7:09 pm

Beautiful work !!

Tomas83 · Post by **Tomas83** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 7:27 pm

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!

sam · Post by **sam** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:40 pm

Hey CS,

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

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 8:58 pm

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

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:07 pm

Tomas83 · Post by **Tomas83** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 3:56 pm

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

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:29 pm

Hey Tomas, 'round here, we aim to please

BTW, nice avatar you got there!

Tomas83 · Post by **Tomas83** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 2:26 pm

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

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Mon Sep 14, 2015 8:14 pm

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

Tomas83 · Post by **Tomas83** » Mon Sep 14, 2015 9:52 pm

Sounds great CS!

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 11:00 am

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.

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 11:04 am

That's it for surf green

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 7:45 pm

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

Tomas83 · Post by **Tomas83** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 3:02 pm

Hey CS. Top notch work as always!

Nubs · Post by **Nubs** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 9:43 pm

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.

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 6:56 am

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!

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 7:25 am

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.

sam · Post by **sam** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 8:22 am

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!

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 10:13 am

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!

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 10:17 am

Do you write dates on the body and neck?

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

Nubs · Post by **Nubs** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 10:42 am

CSVeteran wrote: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!

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 1:11 pm

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!

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 1:14 pm

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.

Tomas83 · Post by **Tomas83** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 1:43 pm

CSVeteran wrote:
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!

yz250f49 · Post by **yz250f49** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:07 pm

Awesome looking guitars! Love those colors!

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 10:18 am

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.

Fumble fingers · Post by **Fumble fingers** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 10:40 am

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

CSVeteran · Post by **CSVeteran** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 5:14 pm

Thanks bud

Nubs · Post by **Nubs** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 6:06 pm

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.