Telecaster Build - Part 1 - Neck Layout and Routing

This Telecaster build video series is intended for my lutherie students at a Denver area college where I teach electric guitar construction. I decided to make these videos public…hoping that other people all around the world can benefit from them. My students are first time builders and are required to build a variation of a Telecaster or a Stratocaster. I believe that learning Fender construction techniques is foundational to a well-rounded guitar building education. I am building a Tele in this video series…and I will be building a Strat live at the school. With this foundation, I hope most of the students will continue their education by taking the advanced electric guitar construction course next semester.

Feel free to post a comment should there be any questions…and try to reply to questions as soon as time will allow. Let me know if this serious helps anyone…and any topics that you hope that I will cover in future episodes of this build series.

[goats]

So weird that you have a link to Eric Brock. In a cool way I mean. I've ordered a couple of Sire guitars and he reviewed a blue T7FM which is on my list. Now I've decided I should build my own but funds unrefundable. Lefties,

[Aldowain]

I very, very much appreciate these videos for their expertise, however, anybody contemplating their very first guitar build would likely never set foot on that path having watched this series. Sometimes, you just have to have at it, and be damned with all the jigs. You just have to give it a go and learn from your mistakes.

[gordonpecinovsky]

Left over carbon pieces can be used for reinforcement repair of headstock breaks.

[허구한날-ct]

True you solve your sins and a curse from the cross Jesus was the priest. If you believe in Jesus you legally be freed and children of God, forever in the law of sin and death. Always will be with you is the Holy Spirit. Faith in Jesus and greet. He is the light of life and God the Creator.

[TexasToastGuitars]

Great video Steve, looking forward to your series amigo

[jeffreymckeown]

Do you have to make a Gibson Les Paul before?

[Jay-bqmd]

Hello! thank you so much for this video. I'm a high schooler myself attempting to build my first telecaster. I have a couple questions, the truss rod that I ordered on StewMac was the version all the way on the left (Allen wrench version I believe). you had mentioned that it is reccomended to insert though the headstock... is it a bad idea if I insert it the same way you did through the heel? Also, if I do insert through the headstock, would I follow the same procedure? Thanks again and I'm excited to finish this series!

[brunoCondor]

Hi Steve, why are you using 2 carbon fiber rods, besides the truss rod ? It's maple, so.. if it's dry, it's stable enough and those carbon rods aren't exactly cheap. And don't they prevent the truss rod to work in a save normal way, so they could break when tightening ? I can understand if you you woud use this on a big 6 string bass neck with double truss rods, but here ? I would loose up the strings a bit and clamp the neck to "help" the truss rod when turning it, to be safe. Greets from Belgium.! BTW.. good initiative !

[ingindisentuh]

Hello.. Please make a telecaster neck with rosewood fingerboard and skunkstripe, no one has made a video yet.

[paulkuchnicki]

Is there a link to download or purchase the design templates used for this build?

[Salinas-Guitarworks]

You could always use the extra carbon fiber to make either a mini Telecaster or Stratocaster.

[ivanhuanca]

Hey really cool video.. maybe subs should be there without the red banner 👍👍

[klemens]

Thank you, very useful for my first build.

[paulneeds]

Verrrry late to this series, but just what I’m looking for *right now*.

My ‘plan’ is for a 3x3 tuner layout but on an F-type headstock “angle” (ie, zero angle but ‘dropped’ to give string break angle at the nut.

What I wonder is if the worksheet you mention at the start giving the order of operations is available for download anywhere? My memory is such that I forget operations here and there, and mess things up - so a step by step ‘operating manual’ would be very useful.

Cheers - I envy your pupils! Nothing like this when I went to school in the UK in the mid 1970s!

[stephenkirk]

Tortis and the hare ? What’s a tortis ? Do you mean tortoise ?

[robertrobinson]

I’m late to the party, but provided those carbon rods are solid, why don’t you use them as guitar nuts? Is t that basically the same as Graphtec? ESP used carbon fiber nuts on their guitars, and PRS uses something similar (or the same but don’t admit it) as graphtec.

[trinacria]

Use short pieces for Ukelele or mandolin neck.

[jeffreytgilbert]

Was looking for a guide on measuring and marking the bottom of the neck and the top of the neck so the nut, pickup poles and bridge saddles all line up, but that didn’t happen. :/

[PaulMcEvoyGuitars]

this is really excellent. Thanks.

I am wondering why you do the fretboard individually...I thought you'd probably route the whole neck and fretboard together after the fretboard was glued on?

[stevenfolino]

Thanks Steve, great information. I am following you and watching these in order. I really appreciate your content and humor.