Motivation/Research
I have played acoustic guitar since second grade and for a long time I was irrationally and vehemently against electric guitars. As my interest in woodworking and proficiency in soldering has grown, as well as my experience in audio, I undertook a project to restore a 50-year old flamenco guitar that had been in the family for decades. After that was a reasonable success, I wanted to continue my newfound skills as a luthier and decided to attempt building my own electric guitar which I learned is called a partscaster.
Parts
Just as when I built my computer, the parts needed to create the proper aesthetics (vintage 50's) and sound while keeping in mind finances.
- Fender Classic Series 50s Telecaster Neck, Maple fingerboard
- Classic Series 60's Telecaster® SS Alder Body Vintage Bridge Mount Black
- Ultra Thick Gold Neck Plate with Screws -Fits Strat®/Tele®
- 6 on a plate Tuners fits Fender® headstocks GOLD
- Pair Classic Strap Buttons Gold Free Screws
- Gold Vintage Spec. String Ferrules, Fits Tele®/Hardtail
- Gold Vintage Fender®-Style tuning Machines/Press fit Bushings
- Electrosocket Jack Mount, Gold
- Vintage-style Tuner Bushings, Round straight, gold, set of 6
- StewMac Single-coil Pickups, Neck Position, Black Cover
- StewMac Single-coil Pickups, Bridge Position, Black Cover
- Gold control plate vintage Style, Fits Tele®
- 60's Flat Top Knobs GOLD Fits Tele® brass, Gold plated telecaster® replacement knobs
- G34 Vintage Tortoiseshell Pickguard - Fits Telecaster®
Assembly
The assembly took significantly longer than expected. Finding things not working perfectly and trying to not damage any components was a time consuming process.
Further Work
In the second semester of my sophmore year and first semester of my junior year of college, I took circuits then signals and systems respectively. These classes helped me gain a greater understanding of how the pickups work from understanding basic circuits to building an A.M. Radio as an in-class activity.