NGD: Self-Assembled Esquire

[ToneJedi]

Been wanting to post this for awhile, finally had the time to do it. I didn't build anything, all I did was buying parts and putting them together.

usacg tele neck:
maple neck
rosewood fretboard
callaham clay dots
1" boat contour
1.65" nut width
10" to 16" compound radius
6105 stainles steel frets

rutters tele body:
1 piece sugar pine
light weight, 3 lb or 1.36 kg

rutters bridge:
half bridge set
stainless steel saddles

callaham:
thick neck plate
traditional ferrules
slotted screws set

allparts:
staggered vintage tuners
bakelite esquire pickguard
nickel tele control plate
nickel dome knobs
round tele switch
dunlop strap lock

onyxforge:
neck threaded inserts

donmare:
don0caster tele bridge pickup

This is a very comfortable tele to play with, also very responsive attack, which I really love about it.

It doesn't have a lot of twang (maybe due to thicker bridge plate) but enough twang to sound like a tele. So I'm not complaining.

Very nice sustain, seem to sustain better than the typical tele. Great for classic rock, blues and christian music.

I did the tru-oil finishing myself, here's the thread if you wanna find out more.....
http://www.soft.com.sg/forum/showthread.php/205035-Tru-Oil-Finishing-Project

 

[CyanideJunkie]

Sweet! Great to see that you finally completed you build man! Curious about why you went with the bridge plate even though you opted for the half-bridge though...

 

[ToneJedi]

Sweet! Great to see that you finally completed you build man! Curious about why you went with the bridge plate even though you opted for the half-bridge though...

Thanks! I had it for a few weeks before I posted the pictures.

This bridge gets me lots of comments and questions, haha! This bridge idea came from g.e.smith but I wanted to cover the space instead of doing it exactly like him so I asked rutters if he has a pickup ring, turns out that he does have it.

Also, I can change pickup without removing the entire bridge but I don't think I wanna change pickup since it sounds so good!

It's not a true 100% classic, the bridge set up is part of my design, I also love the staggered tuners which eliminates the classic round string tree.

 

[edgie]

Nice build man! Just curious though, it seems that 2 of those pickup adjustment screws are sticking out, aren't they? I myself have a partscaster Esquire and I think the DIY concept lends itself beautifully to this kind of guitars. You get to be asked by guitar nuts about it since Esquires are quite rare. haha.

 

[ToneJedi]

Nice build man! Just curious though, it seems that 2 of those pickup adjustment screws are sticking out, aren't they? I myself have a partscaster Esquire and I think the DIY concept lends itself beautifully to this kind of guitars. You get to be asked by guitar nuts about it since Esquires are quite rare. haha.

Thanks! The pick screws are not sticking out, the top part is little thick, that's all.

Yes, indeed esquires are rare, especially in SG. Some of us here mod stuff but few of us assemble stuff.

 

[skipper53]

Hot damn bro, think of me if you ever consider letting this one go! =p

Mmm.. needs a tortoiseshell pickguard I say!

 

[ToneJedi]

Hot damn bro, think of me if you ever consider letting this one go! =p

Mmm.. needs a tortoiseshell pickguard I say!

Can't let it go, it was assembled for me, haha!

Tortoiseshell is a good idea, I was thinking of black paisley. Esquires are easy to change pickguard, can do that anytime

 

[CyanideJunkie]

Thanks! I had it for a few weeks before I posted the pictures.

This bridge gets me lots of comments and questions, haha! This bridge idea came from g.e.smith but I wanted to cover the space instead of doing it exactly like him so I asked rutters if he has a pickup ring, turns out that he does have it.

Also, I can change pickup without removing the entire bridge but I don't think I wanna change pickup since it sounds so good!

It's not a true 100% classic, the bridge set up is part of my design, I also love the staggered tuners which eliminates the classic round string tree.

Good point on the pup removal thing. I assume the pickup ring is non-magnetic? That is one of the benefits of using a half-bridge IIRC.

 

[isuxs]

whats the damage for the body and neck man?very interested in making assembling my own too...

 

[ToneJedi]

Good point on the pup removal thing. I assume the pickup ring is non-magnetic? That is one of the benefits of using a half-bridge IIRC.

Actually, I forgot about the non-magnetic issue, fortunately rutters knows better than me! Haha, yes, it's a non-magnetic pickup ring, no funny noises.

 

[ToneJedi]

whats the damage for the body and neck man?very interested in making assembling my own too...

usacg neck cost about us280
rutters body cost about us150

If you wanna know the full cost details, I got everything on a spreadsheet, pm me with your email, I can send to you. Anyone else reading this thread who's keen to see my overall cost, you can feel free to pm me, I'll email you.

 

[eieio]

sugar pine? nice...

 

[ToneJedi]

sugar pine? nice...

That's right, sugar pine. It's soft and can dent easily so if you're fussy about small dents, don't use it. If you want your tele body to age naturally, this is a good choice. Compared to a 1-piece light weight swamp ash body, a 1-piece light weight pine body is about 1/2 the price.

 

[eieio]

nevertheless, its a beautiful esquier!
me not fussy, ply wood also i whack.. lolx
the more aged with lotsa dents the more happening..
i cant even recall some of the body woods that i've used..
ok time to dig out my pile of guitar junks.. another tele in the making?

 

[ToneJedi]

I'm quite particular with most details because I assemble my own guitar to play and not to display. To me, this is a project I plan carefully and I treat it like a long term investment.

 

[eieio]

any tips on planning a project and play guitar?
dont even have a place of my own so cant display them.. sigh
no investment for me, so long the guitar works plug in amp got sound.. im a happy man!

 

[ToneJedi]

any tips on planning a project and play guitar?
dont even have a place of my own so cant display them.. sigh
no investment for me, so long the guitar works plug in amp got sound.. im a happy man!

Tips on assembling guitar? This deserves another thread, I'll find some time to write a short article on it.

Tips on playing? I'm not that good, can't comment much. All I can say is, after so many years of fiddling with gear, I'm finally getting serious with my playing.

Display? Don't display your guitars, it's not what they were made for, put them in your bag or case after playing, this will help keep them in good condition.

It's an investment because you get to keep playing with it for many years to come.

 

[faekildare]

Assembling guitar can be super addicting. LOL. Even though I only assemble Ibanez, but it's still fun to do. Eieio bro, you have many project guitar already right?

 

[eieio]

ya i had to go to rehab for that & been "project free" for more than a yr.. lol
started doing it when i really wanted a fender but cant afford the shops price tag..
with different naked bodies & sexy necks.. got hooked, rest is history.. no turning back!

 

[faekildare]

Now I jobless, finally stop the project building liao. LOL. But it was fun while it lasted. Bro, a well build Strat can hold it's own weight against any fender or whatsoever man.