Folks, this is a special message detailing the changes we've made amid the resurgence of the Covid-19 virus. I'd first like to express my gratitude for a dedicated and responsible customer base. With some small changes in our practices we can all but eliminate exposure. I'll be offering curbside service starting November 20th so as to preclude my workshop as a possible transmission vector. Repairs can still be done quickly and efficiently without putting anyone at risk. Thank you all for your patience and support over these trying months. We will beat this thing if we work together! Micah Plante Luthier, Plante Guitar Co. LLC
|
|
|
Ted Greene Telecaster Over the past few months I've been helping a customer in their pursuit of guitar legend Ted Greene's sound. Starting with a Fender Custom Shop '52 reissue as a foundation, we set about designing a guitar that was a combination of many of Ted's famous telecasters; one that would give a variety of sounds without sacrificing simplicity. Here you can see a fresh bakelite pickguard has been routed for a Tele neck pickup and a PAF style humbucker in the middle. This is a hybrid of Ted's two most famous setups. | | |
|
|
The neck pickup is hand assembled to the exact specs from 1953. Here alnico magnet poles are set into vulcanized flatwork to compose the bobbin onto which the coil will be wound. | | |
|
|
This is the neck pickup after winding. 8,000 turns of 43 AWG wire is prescribed for a '53 Telecaster neck pickup. | | |
|
|
These pickups were historically flash potted in hot wax. That is, the finished coil is dipped in hot wax, which suspends the winds of the coil leaving them less susceptible to microphonic interference and feedback. The coil must be dipped in for just long enough to let the thin wax penetrate the coil. Too long, and overtones may be lost, deadening the pickup substantially. | | |
|
|
Next the humbucker must be made. It is based on what we think Ted might have used in his double humbucker Tele. It will be wired for coil splitting, a feature allowing a wider choice of pickup combinations. Each bobbin will receive 5,000 winds of 42 AWG wire. The pickup is designed to cancel hum in reference to the other pickups. So we will get those "in-between" Strat sounds in switch positions 2 and 4. | | |
|
|
Here you can see the four-conductor wiring being installed. This simply allows the two coils to be used independently. A wide variety of configurations are possible, coil splitting being the simplest. | | |
|
|
Here is the ash body after routing for the middle humbucker... | | |
|
|
And here is the guitar after wiring and assembly. The only thing left to do is string it up and play it. Check out the video below! | | |
|
|
|
|
