Question for the guitar builders in the group

[Fat Brian]

I'm building a Tele guitar kit and I want to move the output jack to the control plate like a Jazz bass. The plan is to drill a third hole in the control plate between the two existing holes and move the last knob to the middle hole letting me put the jack in the last hole. My question is whether this will cause me any grounding issues? Will I need to isolate the jack from the plate so I dont create a dead short? 

[iamsuperdan]

You should be just fine with that plan. As long as you still run a ground wire to the bridge, there should be no issues. It works for the JB!

 

[LL3 Model Worx]

1 hour ago, Fat Brian said:

I'm building a Tele guitar kit and I want to move the output jack to the control plate like a Jazz bass. The plan is to drill a third hole in the control plate between the two existing holes and move the last knob to the middle hole letting me put the jack in the last hole. My question is whether this will cause me any grounding issues? Will I need to isolate the jack from the plate so I dont create a dead short? 

No issue at all... like Dan said, just be sure and ground the bridge well.

If it's one of the cheaper diy kits you find on Amazon and the likes... the bridge plate itself is gonna need to have the backside sanded down to get past the usually very thick plating so you can make a good solder joint.

Also, be sure that your control cavity is deep enough for a quarter inch cable BEFORE you drill the hole!! Sometimes the less expensive kits have bodys that aren't standard thickness and are much thinner... so you could definitely run into a depth issue!

Just test fit.

Also... unless you are using angled jack plugs you are gonna put stress on both the cable and the control plate screws over time.

Nothing like ripping the guts outta your axe on stage... (ask me how I know)

I built this Tele from a kit and it turned out exactly how I wanted for the most part.

 

[Fat Brian]

2 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

You should be just fine with that plan. As long as you still run a ground wire to the bridge, there should be no issues. It works for the JB!

 

 

1 hour ago, LL3 Model Worx said:

No issue at all... like Dan said, just be sure and ground the bridge well.

If it's one of the cheaper diy kits you find on Amazon and the likes... the bridge plate itself is gonna need to have the backside sanded down to get past the usually very thick plating so you can make a good solder joint.

Also, be sure that your control cavity is deep enough for a quarter inch cable BEFORE you drill the hole!! Sometimes the less expensive kits have bodys that aren't standard thickness and are much thinner... so you could definitely run into a depth issue!

Just test fit.

Also... unless you are using angled jack plugs you are gonna put stress on both the cable and the control plate screws over time.

Nothing like ripping the guts outta your axe on stage... (ask me how I know)

I built this Tele from a kit and it turned out exactly how I wanted for the most part.

 

Thank you, I wanted to be sure before I caused myself a bunch of problems. I had considered the depth on the control cavity rout and have the tools to address it if necessary but this kit seems to have an exceptionally deep cavity. I play sitting down mostly which is why I want to move it, I've almost broken my cord several times even with an angled cord. You're Nuka Cola guitar is amazing, that is seriously cool.

[iamsuperdan]

90 degree ends on your cables help solve the jack problem too!

I've been running those for years.

Doesn't stick out any further than the knobs, so little chance of catching them on something.

 

 

[LL3 Model Worx]

Strange glitches going on here... bizarre!!!

I couldn't post at all for a bit... weird!!!

 

Edited December 28, 2019 by LL3 Model Worx

[LL3 Model Worx]

1 hour ago, Fat Brian said:

 

Thank you, I wanted to be sure before I caused myself a bunch of problems. I had considered the depth on the control cavity rout and have the tools to address it if necessary but this kit seems to have an exceptionally deep cavity. I play sitting down mostly which is why I want to move it, I've almost broken my cord several times even with an angled cord. You're Nuka Cola guitar is amazing, that is seriously cool.

Thanks man I appreciate it... it came from a kit also. The idea came to me while playing the game.

I made my own pickups for that one also... I dubbed them "atomizers" to fit the theme... they are similar to a vintage tele pup with a bit more midrange and slightly more output.

I also built this one (not from a kit)...painted it Coral Red even though the color doesn't show good on here, it is really a salmon like color. I believe the paint code was for a 50's ere Volkswagen if I remember right. I wired it up Esquire style except I used a Pearly Gates humbucker... so the selector goes 

Position 1: Humbucker and volume... no tone circuit.

Position 2:  Humbucker with tone circuit

Position 3: Humbucker with an extra Russian .33uf capacitor and a resistor... so the tone control can do some wild stuff over its sweep.

Here she is.

 

[Fat Brian]

23 minutes ago, LL3 Model Worx said:

Thanks man I appreciate it... it came from a kit also. The idea came to me while playing the game.

I made my own pickups for that one also... I dubbed them "atomizers" to fit the theme... they are similar to a vintage tele pup with a bit more midrange and slightly more output.

I also built this one (not from a kit)...painted it Coral Red even though the color doesn't show good on here, it is really a salmon like color. I believe the paint code was for a 50's ere Volkswagen if I remember right. I wired it up Esquire style except I used a Pearly Gates humbucker... so the selector goes 

Position 1: Humbucker and volume... no tone circuit.

Position 2:  Humbucker with tone circuit

Position 3: Humbucker with an extra Russian .33uf capacitor and a resistor... so the tone control can do some wild stuff over its sweep.

Here she is.

 

I bet that sounds really good. I'm building mine with single coil sized rail pickups and coil splitting them with push-pots. My fingers are the size and shape of Vienna sausages so I've never been able to play chords cleanly. After 25 years of frustration I sold all my guitars and bought some kits to build two 5 string guitars after I modded a cheapo Chinese Strat and had some success.

[iamsuperdan]

A Tele with a single humbucker is right up my alley. I'd simplify even further, and ditch the tone and three way switch. I love simple, even though I have never built simple!

[LL3 Model Worx]

8 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

A Tele with a single humbucker is right up my alley. I'd simplify even further, and ditch the tone and three way switch. I love simple, even though I have never built simple!

I contemplated just going with only a volume control... but then I would have basically 2 of the same guitar. As this one is exactly as you describe... only addition being a kill/stutter switch.

This one has a Duncan 59 a volume control and the stutter switch and that's it.

I wound up going the "Esquire" route only because of the pearly gates pickup can get harsh under certain circumstances so I wanted to have the ability to tame the treble and midrange right on the guitar so I don't have to fool with amp/pedal etc...

If it had been a JB or 59 (what I usually use) I would have just went with the volume control as I find those pickups to be extremely responsive to just volume adjustment.

Simpler is better imo... less to go wrong and more importantly less to overthink.

Heck I think one of my favorite guitars is a old LP jr I have with a single p90... you gotta squeeze the tone out of it, but I kinda like that, it makes me work and its raw!