Here is a Tele project I did - added a pearloid pickguard, Fender locking tuners, pearloid tuning keys on the tuners, and knobs with pearl inlay, roller saddles, a white “top hat” switch knob & white teflon string trees, and did a full setup including fret crowning and polishing:
It’s a MIM FSR run, but I love it - whoever had it before me replaced the original pickups with Seymour Duncans - really fun axe to play. It also has the switch plate “reversed” with Volume, Tone, and 3-way toggle, which I kind of like.
Here are those string trees - way better than the crappy Fender ones that bind all the time.
Bob Taylor recommends for strings 4, 5 and 6 that the string is cut just beyond the next string post (e.g. for the 6th string you cut it at the tuning post for the 5th string). Obviously for the D string you have to guess a further string post. For the thinner treble strings he recommends 1.5 times the inter-string post distance. I always use a winding tool and wind down the post. For the top E string it can be a bit tricky owing to the thinness, but I can still do it this way on a 0.009" string, although I probably cut closer to two post distances for the top E (closer to the G post). I don’t know how or if this approach could be used on a slotted post, and certainly not on a nylon strung guitar!
There is a video on-line from a Taylor guitar technician, but I couldn’t find the original one from Bob himself. Make a search for “Changing Steel Guitar Strings Taylor Guitars”.
A new squeeze, acquired today. A 1969 Les Paul Custom. I’ve always been a Fender player and struggled with LP’s despite previously owning both a Reissue 57 and 59, but finally nailed it with this beauty. Awesome sound and feel and proving very hard to put down. Buying old guitars can be a mine field, but I’ve been very lucky this time
So I will do this here - just completed building this - was a cheapo ($99 - $7 shipping) Chinese-made Tele style - gutted it down to the body, and rebuilt everything…was to serve as a practice guitar for my 2 upcoming projects.
Not sure why these pics are sideways, so apologies. Since it was just for practice, I will probably give it away to a friend who I know wants a Tele. The Fender logo is just an office label I printed, although it does have Fender pickups and locking tuners…it will peel right off. It really presented a number of challenges, required customizing things and even filling and drilling, but got it set up and playing pretty nicely…although I could point out about a dozen tiny errors on it.
Teles are great fun - think of all the great music that has been made on one. Go to YouTube and watch a few Roy Buchanan videos and it might make you think of playing your Tele. And I love SGs too - like them better than Les Pauls.
I’d not mind seeing a pic of your Tele - cream is a nice color for them.
The acoustic is a basic Fender F - 210 model from around '82, not the best, but hey it was a Fender.
The Strat is a Mexican model, purchased by my wife for my 40th birthday, many moons ago.