Hot Rod Flame Telecaster Project

August 29, 2013

Just getting started on this project. The body is still being built by Tony De Lacugo and I am busy picking up the rest of the parts. This is going to be one wild looking guitar. Tony does amazing work.

Hot Rod Flames over super sparkle silver metal-flake what’s not to love?

I am planning on chrome hardware for this one with a few surprises. I have placed orders from several vendors today. Parts should be arriving next week. I already have the neck. A nice new Fender Select Telecaster neck I picked up on eBay that I paid a fortune for.

The body starts out as a regular ONE PIECE Alder Telecaster body patterned from a vintage ’69. After meticulous hand carving and sanding to sculpture the flames then painting. Hot Rod Flames over super sparkle silver metal-flake, multiple coats of clear Poly topcoat and transparent candy apple colors transform it to a work of art. Tony’s bodies are amazing. See the Walnut Flame Carved Telecaster which is the finest guitar project I ever did. Real head turner. Sounds as good as it looks.

I am thinking of using O.C. Duff Pickups for this one. If they are good enough for Redd Volkaert they will work for me. If I only could play like Redd Volkaert.

The postman showed up with some of the parts for this project. So out came the old soldering iron so I could wire the control plate.

Using a Fender branded CRL 3-way Switch, CTS Pots and vintage style paper and foil cap and vintage style cloth wire. The Tone port is 250K and the volume pot is 280K RS Solid-Shaft SuperPot® that RS Guitarworks sells that has a custom taper. The vintage style cap is Jensen Paper and Oil GuitarCap® .047. Many modern Teles and even ones made in the seventies have 1Meg pots that make the guitar sound very bright with some pickups. Some suffer from what is referred to an “ice-pick” sound. I prefer the 250K pots like the earlier Telecasters for a bit warmer sound. These pots and cap should sound great with the pickups I ordered for this project – O.C. Duff Plank’ster Tele Bridge pickup and Big Boy Tele Neck Pickup.

Some of the hardware has arrived including Fender Chrome String Ferrules, All-Parts Chrome Pickup Ring and neck plate screws. I ordered a Callaham Vintage Tele Bridge with Slant Compensated Brass Saddles to allow for better intonation without losing tone.

Just completed Walnut Carved Flames Telecaster project and wound up liking the Fender Select Neck better the one I ordered from Musikraft. So this “hot rod” project will more than likely end up with the Musikraft neck which is a beauty. Received most of the hardware for this project including a very cool guitar strap that goes with the “hot rod” theme,

Still waiting for body to be completed and need some tuners.

I bought this beautiful Fender Telecaster Select Birdseye Maple neck from eBay. Cost a good piece of change, but it is brand new and awesome for this project. The Musikraft neck will be used on another project I have in mind.

These Fender “select” necks are quite nice. This one is a new official American SELECT Fender Telecaster Neck. It has tinted premium Birdseye maple & black Pearloid inlays, Modern “C” Shape, compound Radius 9.5″-14″ with 22 Medium Jumbo Frets and 1.685″ Width at Nut. Nitrocellulose finish with a satin back and gloss headstock.

I should have the finished body in a few weeks. It is being painted. The tuners are shipping also. I bought some nice brushed aluminum locking tuners with pearloid buttons.

I already have the control plate wired and have mounted the bridge pickup in the bridge. The assemble should go pretty fast once I have the body and tuners. I have all the other parts.

The tuners arrived today and I mounted them on the neck. Last part needed. Just waiting for the paint to dry and Tony ships the Hot Rod Flamed body. More pictures when I get it and start assembling.

The Hot Rod body has arrived. Looks gorgeous. Hard to photograph and looks way better in person. The paint as a depth to it and looks amazing. Tony De Lacugo out did himself on this one.

Carved Flamed

Even the back looks amazing under the light

Copper foiling.

String Ferrules installed.

Laying out the parts. The knobs are small pistons, the switch tip is an “eight ball” and the control plate I used all stays with the Hot Rod theme!

Found out the chrome neck pickup ring I bought is the wrong size. I ordered one for Telecaster and they sent me one for a Stratocaster. This will not allow me to finish this guitar today so I am not happy about that. I ordered a replacement.

I soldered in the pickups, ground wire and jack. Need to wait now for replacement pickup ring to string it up and do the setup. So next week I should finish.

Pearl Tuners

I will finish this project up as soon as the replacement pickup ring arrives and will post some pictures of the finished Custom Hot Rod Telecaster. I have a very cool guitar strap for this guitar made to look like a car seat belt.

Last part arrived,the replacement Telecaster Chrome pickup ring. So I finished this project. It is an awesome guitar. Pretty much a one-of-kind that plays as good as it looks. My only issue is the pictures do not do this guitar justice. It is really hard to photograph. Red flames and sparkle are very hard to get accurately in a photo. You will have to trust me, this guitar is ten times better looking in person.