Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

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MattK
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Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by MattK »

Last year I bought too much stuff, during fairly crappy mental health leading up to quitting my job. Yesterday the (almost) last batch of stuff arrived.
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The Mustang VI still doesn't exist, but that apparently hasn't put me off another project combining the following interests:
- Jazzmaster bodies
- Tele Custom pickup configs
- Telemasters / offset Telecasters
- 70s black-on-black-on-maple aesthetics
- the necks and vibe of 70s Greco Fender copies.
Therefore, a Telemaster Custom as if Greco had made one in the 70s.
Trolling Yahoo auctions in Japan netted a used 2019 Squier JM HH hardtail, and a Greco neck covered in weird gunk for about 1/4 the usual price. There was also a Yamaha Super RnRoller 500 in the box but that's another story.
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It turned out I could loosen then chip off the neck gunk with a razor blade, which took a while. It came up pretty well except the area between frets 3 and 4, scraped to wood sometime long ago.
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Test fitting - long Gotoh bridge, no thanks:
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a cheap classic ashtray style bridge:
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always the way to go. Aligned with the string-thru holes it sits forward of the hardtail screw holes but they will cover up easily.
Up against my beloved '83 Squier Tele Custom:
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Since I already have a Custom with a humbucker in the neck, a true Telemaster might need a JM neck pickup.
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Maybe a black cover tho.
The Squier pickguard isn't quite right, and altho it fits a standard JM one, the bridge pickup hole on those is a lot wider than the Tele bridge plate. Stay tuned, stay classy, but don't hold your breath.
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by plopswagon »

I’m diggin’ where this is heading.
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ekwatts wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by sunshiner »

You guys been listening to K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s?
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by NickD »

sunshiner wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2024 2:00 pm You guys been listening to K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s?
Came to mind for me too. And combined with use of a razor blade too.
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by aen »

I gotta vote for the white pickup cover. Looking awesome already, though.
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by plopswagon »

aen wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2024 3:18 pm I gotta vote for the white pickup cover. Looking awesome already, though.
Seconded!
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ekwatts wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by sunshiner »

NickD wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2024 2:44 pm
sunshiner wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2024 2:00 pm You guys been listening to K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s?
Came to mind for me too. And combined with use of a razor blade too.
I didn't notice the razor properly. Probably registered it on a subconscious level and went "Hey!". Not a fun scene but a great script, acting and music
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by MattK »

sunshiner wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2024 2:00 pmYou guys been listening to K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s?
I don’t know it but I’ll check it out!
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by MattK »

So a Telemaster needs a bridge and pickup. I got these off eBay -
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Astonishingly high quality, $37 US delivered all up. I think the pickup is probably out of that ToneRider stable, all the materials are dead-on (fibreboard, waxed string etc).
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by MattK »

Decided it was time to test fit everything. Doweled the neck screw holes:
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Lined it all up as best I could:
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Marked the new screw holes with the neck screws, then drilled them on the press:
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Figured out the bridge (compared distance from a Tele, got alignment from the edges of the mounted neck, centred it on the centre screw of the previous Squier bridge, punched and drilled mounting screws through the plate):
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Raised it a tad and slipped the pickguard under to mark the bridge edges and where the neck pickup would go:
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Tried the pickup but the back edge caught on the body routing:
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A quick Dremel fix:
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And then it was all kind of in place.
Then I thought "hey I have those old used strings in the box, maybe ..."
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To my shock it all lined up, tuned up, intonated, action set in a couple of minutes, it plays like it came this way from the factory. Insane.
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by MattK »

A few refinements, bit of scroll saw work on the pickguard (mildly terrifying) ...
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by Freddy V-C »

This is looking so slick!
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by MattK »

Updates: new tuners (not period correct, sue me), new knobs, bridge set up (chemically aged, I would normally despise this but it looked way too shiny), everything dialed in apart from the neck pickup. Comparison shot with my 83 Squier Tele Custom from the same factory as the Greco neck - the aesthetic I'm aiming for.
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Last edited by MattK on Wed Sep 25, 2024 8:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by Doog »

MattK wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2024 10:25 am Image
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Fuck, I love that colour combo!

I also now want a crazy expressionist Tele bridge pickup with the polepieces laid out like this:
Screenshot 2024-02-29 at 20.36.28.png
Screenshot 2024-02-29 at 20.36.28.png (661.07 KiB) Viewed 1551 times
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by MattK »

That's a pretty cool idea - or maybe a "little 59" except WRHB config.
I might go for the black cover for the full blackout experience, but can always switch back and forth ...
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by MattK »

Oops, forgot to keep this up to date. I had a few technical barriers but they're sorted now. I have never really used a router, but decided to use an existing pickguard as a template for cutting a JM pickup hole. Double sided tape and clamps to lock them tight:
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Close enough to file down, without much damage to the other guard:
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Then realised the cavity underneath wasn't big enough - after some faffing around I ended up freehand routing it, which was terrifying.
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Got some packaging foam as a pickup base:
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Sketchy wiring job:
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Went with a black cover sorry Doog, looked odd to have a white one with black knobs:
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and DONE, and it only took 8 months which is insane speed for me.
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Plays pretty great and I love the JM pickup (I think an AVRI).
A very nice pair ...
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by Hurb »

Yeah that looks brilliant!

Super clean work too.
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by MattK »

Cheers! The secret is to take months between every little step …
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by plopswagon »

Or years in my case. Great work!
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ekwatts wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Re: Even more stupidity: Greco Super Sounds "Telemaster Custom" mashup

Post by sunshiner »

Years for me too. It turned out looking real sharp like it's wearing a tuxedo
matte30is wrote:Someone man up and get a balloon.