Tenebrae's New Guitar: The "Tenecaster"

[tenebrae]

Hey all,

Finally got my clone finished by the luthier. So...all done! Here's a few pics and a quick dash through a few specs....

Hollowbody Tele Clone

5 pounds 12 ounces

Mahogany Body
Figured Maple Top (not a AAA or a 10, but hey it's nice and individual! and about 20 years old already!)

Maple neck and board with birds eye figuring (I won't mention the radius because you'll laugh :))
25.5" scale length
Abalone dots and inlay

Gotoh hardware
Gotoh vintage Kluson style tuners
21 frets (Dunlop 6100 wire. I love big frets!)
Custom Shop Tele Texas Specials pickups
Fender 4 way Tele switch
Thin nitro antique 2 tone burst finish
5 screw single ply cream/parchment guard

Pic 1:



Pic 2:

[tenebrae]

pic 3:



pic 4




Sorry about the quality of the photos. I borrowed a camera a took a few snaps just so I could show you TFF'ers what I got. I'll try and get a couple of "detail" shots a little later. Hope you all like the guitar and don't think it looks too much like a dog :)!

Cheers All

Tenebrae

[Gravity Jim]

A dog? Whooof. I think it looks great.

So, what's wrong with the radius? Inquiring minds want to know....

[tenebrae]

If I say the number "14" promise not to spill your coffee? Given the predilection for rounder boards at this place, I imagine I'll cop a right caning for a 14" board (Hell, I was going for a 16" radius, but thought that it might be a tad too flat :)).

Yours in Shredom

Tenebrae

Edit: I did go with a lot of old school stuff, though (guard, tuners, finish, etc). Maybe that will offset the heresy :).

[Plugger]

Beautiful guitar, man. Much magic and mojo. Maple figuring is beautiful and unique. Classic and individual at the same time.

-Mark

[Gravity Jim]

tenebare, you'll get no guff from me. My Strat is a compound radius (from 10" at the nut to a shredder's-dream 16" at the 22nd fret) and I'd never go back to a rounder board. Flat doesn't just mean "shred:" classical guitars have flat fingerboards for a reason.

Come to thunk of it, my Strat is also a chambered mahogany body. I bet I would like that Tele a LOT.

[tenebrae]

Thanks, guys! :yay

It sounds as though you would like this particular instrument, Gravity Jim. I went for the flat board simply because I have to play very differently to how I used to. If I hit as hard as I used to my arm starts to shake (spinal cord thing), so I play with a very soft touch now, more "legato" (though in recent years that word seems to have gained some negative connotations!). At any rate, it's all a learning experience. I'm just pleased I've got an instrument that I can practice on, that's well made, sounds a little different, plays beautifully, and looks (to me) beautiful.

Neck contour, BTW, is a very, very soft "V". Love it! Very user friendly.

Tenebrae

[Fripperton]

That's really nice. I think the top looks great regardless of how many As it has on the label. I love that combination with the maple neck too. I'll bet it sounds great.

[curtisstetka]

That guitar is the sland! I dig it a lot. Looks like you kept the right "classic" features and upgraded with a great combination of modern touches.

[cooltone]

Beautiful custom piece, there 'brae...!!
I bet that guitar would be a dream to play slide on. Good job! I'm happy for ya!

[tenebrae]

Well, thankyou everyone! I'm really pleased that people like the "TeneCaster".

Some final pics:

Close-up of the body




Where Neck meets headstock (you can see the nice bone nut and some of the birds eye figuring)

[tenebrae]

Case about to be closed:





Thanks again All!

Cheers

Tenebrae

[sabby]

Nice git'fiddle, man! I'm wondering ... Did I suggest an Thinline way back when? I'll be happy to take full credit.

Enjoy your xmas axe!!! :yay :yay

[tenebrae]

Nice git'fiddle, man! I'm wondering ... Did I suggest an Thinline way back when? I'll be happy to take full credit. :yay :yay

Hey, sabby! I believe you did mention something about uberlight thinlines... Now, where did I put the credit? Oh, that's right, sabby's got it !

Hope you like the burst, man. It's sort of old school but I can't help myself when it comes to 2 tone bursts.

Cheers, man

Tenebrae

[sabby]

Two-tone bursts are the sland. Just curious, are the true colors coming through or are the photos changing them? I ask only because I care -- and that I can never get a true representation of my 'burt.

[tenebrae]

I think they're pretty close, though a couple of pictures show a tinge too much red where the flash hit it. The last photos are probably closest and the first one is furthest from the mark. But they're all in the ballpark. You'll have to forgive my photographic skills, though; it's the first time I used a camera in years and the first time I've ever used a digital camera.

Having a closer look, I'm a little unsure....whoops! The colour seems to change depending on which angle you view the instrument from. From some angles the tinge of red is there and from others it's definitely tobacco burst city all the way. Weird. Could be my eyes, though. Damn, I'm unsure of the answer now, sabby. I guess that I have to say that the photos do match the instrument inasmuch as they are an ambiguous representation of something that seems to be ambiguous....hmmm. Whatever happened to surety and the safe haven of the colour spectrum?

Confused Tenebrae

EDIT: No, I'm going to say that the first two images in the thread show a tad too much red...it's there, though a little less pronounced. The later images are closer as far as I can make out. 100%, hmmm, don't think so, but as close as I'll ever get without heavy Photoshop colour correction.

[sabby]

Ha! Then you were right the first time. I swear I perceive my tobacco burst as darker than a color comparison would suggest. My pictures seem to pull more red tones and wood grain than I think are there, until I look closely and end up as confused as you. :%

[photoweborama]

I think it looks great. It might be hard for me to get used to the knobs. not the functionality, but they looks. I'm too used to the looks of the tele control plate.

[tenebrae]

Well, there you go, sabby. Two tone bursts ARE definitely the sland because 1) they're pretty, and 2) they make us think about the nature of perception. Three tone bursts, on the other hand, are empirically "concrete" (all the colours of a possible burst are present and apparent), thus no cognitive "jolt" that would turn consciousness back on itself in a quest for aesthetic consonance is provided.

Two tone burts are sublime, three tone burts are obvious

Tenebrae

[tenebrae]

I think it looks great. It might be hard for me to get used to the knobs. not the functionality, but they looks. I'm too used to the looks of the tele control plate.

I hear you, man. But that plate has weight to it and it had to go. You'd be surprised at how much of a difference it would make to the final tally. Hell, I wasn't even going to have a pickguard but I thought it looked better with one, so we cut a guard with a straight cut where the control plate indentation usually is. Being completely anal, I went for 5 screws instead of the more "modern" screw pattern because I wanted to save weight :) (as it happens, I also like the look of 5 screw guards, so it's a win/win :)). It all worked out in the end, 'cause the guitar came in at well under 6 pounds.

Tenebrae

[mgade]

Beautiful, but.. are the headstock a secret? :)

[tuberattler]

Nice guitar I love the top..forget that AAA crap..if a top is too perfect it doesn't appeal to me or look right. I think you designed a great guitar..now jam that thing and don't get anal about the first scratch/ding..it's got a long row to hoe.

[tenebrae]

Beautiful, but.. are the headstock a secret? :)

Bloody Hell! I can't believe I didn't get a decent shot of the headstock...I just forgot to do much in the way of getting a photo of it. I had the choice to have a Tele headstock, but my thinking was to have the luthier put his headstock on it....sort of a hybrid Strat/Tele design. In the "flesh" it looks pretty cool. I'll try a find something or take a quick snap....

Hmmm, all I've got is this:



I'll get a decent shot of the front with the abalone inlay when I can get a camera again

Bloody Hell!

Tenebrae

[tenebrae]

Nice guitar I love the top..forget that AAA crap..if a top is too perfect it doesn't appeal to me or look right. I think you designed a great guitar..now jam that thing and don't get anal about the first scratch/ding..it's got a long row to hoe.

Yep, dings and suchlike never worried me in the slightest. If I wanted a perfect finish I wouldn't have gone for the strange top and hand finished low tech thing. Personally, I think the Tenecaster will wear and age up quite nicely :).

Tenebrae

[mgade]

LOL, sorry man! Nice though!
Dings are personallity! Goes for guitars, wimen and we men :)

[fezz parka]

Sweet guitar! And very comfortable @ 6 lbs. That's what my Pine Tele weighs.:yay

[chuckocaster]

that looks really great. it kinda reminds me of the merle haggard tele. rock on buddy!

[LPDonkey]

That guitar has a load of class, and it'll only look better as it ages...sweet

[telecast]

That's a beauty, tene!

[Offshore Angler]

Tenebrae, that is such a cool axe. I'm happy for you. Good dudes deserve nice guitars.

[Plugger]

I had the choice to have a Tele headstock, but my thinking was to have the luthier put his headstock on it....sort of a hybrid Strat/Tele design. In the "flesh" it looks pretty cool.

That's interesting. I must admit I've never cared for the classic Tele headstock shape... it always looks to me like the jigsaw slipped or something! An acquired taste I just keep expecting to acquire eventually if I look at enough Teles (but haven't yet).

OTOH, I think the late 60's CBS Strat headstock is too big. On balance, I like the classic Strat headstock shape best of all the standard shapes... the one you and your luthier have chosen looks interesting and tasteful, once again both classic and unique.

-Mark

[pc]

Nice guitar, tenebrae! :yay

[seagate]

.

[boobtube21]

Nice axe, buddy. Love the 'burst finish. :yay

[tenebrae]

Guys, thank you all very much for the compliments. The "Tenecaster" is blushing.

The luthier responsible for the instrument was so pleased with the result (sound & looks) that he is going to adopt it as a "regular" model (I wonder if it'll be a "Tenebrae Signature" guitar? LOL). The 4 way switching, Texas Specials and the chambered/hollow body give some unique sounds....when you run the bridge/neck pups in parallel you get a massive P-90 style sound that is simply awesome. I can't praise the custom 4-way switch highly enough....All in all the closest thing I can match it with soundwise is an old, well weathered Broadcaster that's had illicit relations with an ES 330. Weird, but that's as close as I can describe it at present....

Chuckocaster, the Merle Haggard gave me a heap of ideas for this instrument, pickups and switching not being the least of them. I wanted something that would represent a cross between the Merle Haggard and the 40th Anniversary Telecaster turned out by the Custom shop in 1987. As far as bastardized visions go, I think it turned out pretty well.

That's interesting. I must admit I've never cared for the classic Tele headstock shape... OTOH, I think the late 60's CBS Strat headstock is too big. On balance, I like the classic Strat headstock shape best of all the standard shapes... the one you and your luthier have chosen looks interesting and tasteful, once again both classic and unique.

Imagine a cross between a Tele headstock and the pre 65 Strat headstock, with a touch of aesthetic balancing and you'd be pretty close to it. Hard o describe, though....

Cheers All

...and thanks again for all of the kind comments!

Tenebrae

[Gravity Jim]

That's how I describe the sound of my hollow mahogany Zencaster, Ten: as the illegitimate child of a Strat and a 335. I love it. Unique and funky, I've come to think of the peculiar sound of this guitar as my own "voice."

[tenebrae]

So I'm not making it up....whew, that's a relief. That description immediately sprang to mind when I heard the Tenecaster's "voice" for the first time. Well, I think it's cool when there's a bit of surreptitious bed-hopping between the spirits of Fender and Gibson.
It makes for something a little bit special. :yay

Tenebrae

[Timbo]

Nice looking guitar Tenebrae! Glad you're happy with it

[refin]

Great looking axe,tenebrae......I like everything,especially the practical knob placement.

[JAM]

Great looking guitar Tenebrae! I bet the flatter board with a soft 'V' plays fantastic too.