Mark Eight- the skeels Tele

[skeels]

I started this gal a while ago and due to a router bearing collar set screw mishap, shnerfled her up and almost firewooded her. But, like my previous career in guitar playing, I refused to pack her in and just kept going. Learned about repairing and despite a few cosmetic blems I'm liking her. I need to go back a tweak a few things on her like carve a new nut - trying ebony on this one-
and she just has dummy pups in her til I decide what I'm going to do with her. I'm very happy with the way she looks- the shape hits all my right funny bones and the timbers set each other off just right. When the sun comes out later on in the decade, I'll get some more shots. After the V build with Pondman, finishing my buddy's sixer and starting a couple basses for some old buddies, I will do another tele. The guys at my guitar shop who help me with parts and primarily deal in "classic" guit-boxes called this "a BC Rich Telecaster"!

Specs:

Maple/walnut 5 piece neck through 7 walnut/wenge accent stripes
Canary wood fretboard 27" scale
Sapele wings/ quilted maple
Recessed TOM bridge

Pics:

My first 3+4 headstock

Very happy with the silhouette

Wenge trc and ebony nut- turning out alright, just need a new one

You can see the repair peeking through here

Totally had gouged the neck and fretboard

the fretboard blends in pretty well but the side view shows

I like thick tops. Wink.

Refining the thru heel

Thanks for looking dudes- stay tuned!

 

[KnightroExpress]

That's cool, man. It's like a Tele's evil twin. Great work!

 

[immortalx]

Man that one is so awesome and if it was a BCR it would be called mockingtelebird! Those neck through laminates and quilted maple on the wings is my definition of guitar porn. Mega congrats

 

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

Blemished or not, overall it's a very nice piece. I also love the wood combination. That does give it a little extra something. I have seen the same mishap happen before when a bearing falls off the router bit while it's running. Major bummer... I try to always use bits that have the bearing between the shank and cutting head whenever possible.

The repair patch looks well done and makes for an interesting story if someone ever asks about it.

Good work on the sunk bridge too... really inspiring build over all... I gotta get back in my shop and make some saw dust now lol

 

[Hollowway]

Love the body shape!

 

[Michael T]

You sir received a "like" AND "thumbs up"

 

[Renkenstein]

Sweeeeet, dude! Love that maple on top. Dat thickness!

 

[jahosy]

Clean looking build and great attitude mate! Congrats!

 

[skeels]

Thanks cats!

Despite her issues, I'm pretty proud of her! I wrestled through some setbacks and kept at it. It's weird- now I'm gaining a lot more experience and getting some better equipment -sad to say goodbye to my caveman ways- and finishing builds I started so long ago. The new things I'm beginning now are going to be a whole new lot for me.

Even so, things like that repair came out far nicer than I thought I could pull off. Oh if you could have heard me curse!

When I first started building I wanted to make my dream guitar - at that point I really didn't know what that was. Now I'm actually becoming able to do it!

I've been collecting some wood for some pretty ambitious builds and I can't wait to show you guys what comes up!

 

[pettymusic]

Turned out great imo! Can't wait to see what u do with your private stash!!

 

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

How well does that guitar balance? Just from the pics it looks like it would tend to neck dive, but I could be wrong cause I've built guitars with some weird balance charictrristics before...

 

[skeels]

^I was a little concerned about that too. With my strat style, the longer upper horn allows the strap pin to be pretty far forward, but the snub nose tele style not so much. .. and with the long scale and big headstock. .. but as my loyal assistant demonstrates, the maple top is hefty and pulls her down at the back end...

also...
Minor belly cut as homage to the blocky tele..

did I mention the canary fretboard is wicked awesome?

 

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

Well that's cool. Again man, nice build. I love the wood combination. I might steal that idea from you and use Wenge walnut and maple in my next build.

You mention the maple being hefty and it is quite thick looking... what's your total weight on that guitar?

 

[Sicarius]

I was going to ask on Imgur if you'd submitted this to SSO.

But, you gunna die in UserSub, Skeels.

 

[skeels]

I was going to ask on Imgur if you'd submitted this to SSO.

But, you gunna die in UserSub, Skeels.

hahaha! Guitars always perish in usersub! ah well -the front page here is way cooler!

Well that's cool. Again man, nice build. I love the wood combination. I might steal that idea from you and use Wenge walnut and maple in my next build.

You mention the maple being hefty and it is quite thick looking... what's your total weight on that guitar?

I actually don't have a scale! I'll have to see if I can borrow one to weigh it.

Also, steal away! That's how I get all my good ideas! I actually added the accents outside the neck thru because the maple wasn't wide enough and I really wanted to use it on a "top"

 

[Taylor]

My tele GAS is rising.

Another great job Andy, even with the router slip. If I may ask, where do you find tops that thick and that nice? (I need some)

 

[ElRay]

Yet another beauty. Here's some +rep for you Warm fuzzes for you.

 

[DancingCloseToU]

Really cool lookin' shape. I really dig that 3x4 headtsock (been workin on a 3x5)

That's a tasty looking wood sandwich, truly inspiring...

I'll start my first build thread, soon...

 

[Necromagnon]

I like thick tops. Wink.

That's what she said.


Man, already the 8th? Am I in a space-time warp or something?
Looking really cool! I like the shape of the heel !

 

[skeels]

Thanks fellers! The shapes really came out better than I expected - the headsock, the neck heel - refining to get a little further back "into" the body- and this body style. .. really pleased with everything.

GT I actually got the maple off ebay a long time ago. It was a little warpy and super dry. I thought to build a neck out of it but then as I started to gas for a new body style, I squeezed her into this top.

It's actually the Mark Ten, but I have a couple I haven't finished.