Parts Lying Around and Ideas in My Head....

[Butch Snyder]

I have an ash Tele body and maple neck (vintage profile and radius, vintage frets and tuners). I have a Fender 3-saddle ashtray bridge assembly and other "stuff". When I had my American Series Tele, I was going to try and mod it into a 1965 Tele. That's my birthday. Well, I would have had to do too much to make it worth it; i.e., I have a Fender mint green pickguard I wanted to use. Fender stopped using mint green in 1964; and so went that idea.

I was looking at the body, neck, and other parts yesterday and thinking that it's a real shame that these things are just sitting. So, since the fretboard is maple, I have half a mind do do a 1950 Tele. Here are a couple of mock-ups to look at.

1955 white guard and whiter finish


1950-60 Transition with Vintage White finish and mint green pickguard


Also, notice subtle differences such as 5-hole vs 8-hole pickguards and screw holes for the neck pickup in the pickguard vs mounting to the body. I would love to get some feedback on these ideas. If you vote "Other" in the poll, please elaborate on why...

[Butch Snyder]

Here's a cool pic of a 1955 white guard from a TDPRI forum member. Looks real nice....

[King IzzO)))]

The 55 style just looks better to me. I love that white one. I've actually played a 55 Esquire... awesome.

[Varg]

Yeah the top one looks cool, and the photo looks great too.

Just remember it won't do metal.

[drpietrzak]

Top is more to my liking.

[Butch Snyder]

Well, I know moset everyone like the top model; but I love the one from the pic below. I'm thinking of trying to make one most like it.

[ItsaBass]

I voted number one. It looks killer.

Not that I really care about such things when doing a build, but it sounded based on your green guard comment that you might: It would be a combination of features that never came out of the factory. A '55 would have had steel saddles, and wide-spaced 12th fret dots. Also, a top hat switch tip would be much more common in '55.

I would totally go with #1. I have a Tele that is all '52 specs except for the white guard myself. But if you are stickler for specs matching old guitars, it'd be a '52 to which someone later added a white guard, not a '55.

[Butch Snyder]

Not that I really care about such things when doing a build, but it sounded based on your green guard comment that you might: It would be a combination of features that never came out of the factory. A '55 would have had steel saddles, and wide-spaced 12th fret dots. Also, a top hat switch tip would be much more common in '55.

I would totally go with #1. I have a Tele that is all '52 specs except for the white guard myself. But if you are stickler for specs matching old guitars, it'd be a '52 to which someone later added a white guard, not a '55.

Yeah, when doing a build that's supposed to emulate a piece from a certain era, there are a lot of things to consider. I guess I would make something reminiscent of the time period; but maybe not exact. There are features I like from other periods that I might incorporate instead.

[Butch Snyder]

Hey Butch are you the same Butch Snyder from Louisiana? Butch T Scorpion?

Nope, never been to Louisiana.

[Butch Snyder]

Just remember it won't do metal.

Well, with a couple of mods, mainly pickups, it will do any genre you like; but it's mainly int e hands anyway.

[gripweed]

Just remember it won't do metal.

Don't tell that to John5!