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Topic: I'm thinking of building a square-neck Tele |
David Simenson
From:
Merced, California
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 10:43 pm |
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I've been playing a Chandler RH-2 for a little while now and I love it. I'm playing mostly clean channel in a new country cover band. I have a couple of Telecasters sitting around and not getting played at all. I'm a tone snob, so they have all US Fender or Seymour Duncan pickups in them. What if I put a LapDancer Redneck bolt-on square necks on one of my Teles? Does anyone have experience with them? I play sitting down, so I'm not worried about the weight. I'm thinking that having 2 pickups (or 3--one is a Nashville Tele) would give me some good tonal variations. I'm using a Tribo-tone bullet bar and a Carvin solid-state 2x12 amp combo. Thanks.
My website: http://www.elite.net/mtc/steel.htm
David Simenson |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 8:06 am
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Here's mine. It's a killer! Now if Brightman would just give it back! It took no time to install. Loni's design is excellent!
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 8:10 am
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| Another nice conversion for those unused Fenders is with Warmoth's baritone conversion neck. It's also a snap to do. I use mine all the time. And with the correct strings, it plays just like a regular Strat (or Tele), in that string bending is easy, as compared to attempting to bend the regular baritone set on my Dano. |
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Terry VunCannon
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 9:10 am Redneck Tele...
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Here is mine.....I love it...very fun to play...Terry V. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 9:12 am
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| Terry! Man, I wish I could take pics like that! You know what you're doin'!" |
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Terry VunCannon
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 10:34 am
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Terry! Man, I wish I could take pics like that! You know what you're doin'!"
John...That is simple, I just layed of a piece of white tarp on the floor, proped the Tele up with something to create the shadow, got the light coming from behind, & click....Terry V.
Here are a couple more from that day....... |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 10:36 am
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| Don't be so modest! Pro-quality fer shure! |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 10:39 am
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| PS: I'll have to wash my sheets, and hang my trouble light from a nail in the living room ceiling for my next photo shoot! BTW, thanks for the tips! I vow to improve! |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 12:48 pm
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| If you are using the camera's automatic exposure meter, the best background is a medium gray, what photographers call 18% gray. When the camera sees a very dark or very light background, it tries to do the opposite to compensate. So a too dark background may cause the object of interest to be overexposed. And a too light background may cause it to be underexposed. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 12:50 pm
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| Thanks Dave! I guess I don't have to wash my sheets after all! They're easily 18% grey! |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 4:48 pm
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I've seen those Lapdancer bolt-on necks advertised for years. I don't understand what advantage they would give you over just slipping a $5 riser over the nut and heightening the bridge. Would someone enlighten me please.....
By the way, while you're at it why not add palm levers ? |
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David Simenson
From:
Merced, California
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 7:49 pm
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| Quote: |
| Another nice conversion for those unused Fenders is with Warmoth's baritone conversion neck. |
Yeah, I built a baritone Tele also with the same Warmoth neck, but I used an HSH configuration of three Seymour Duncan pickups, and used a Les Paul type of bridge. So, I have a guitar with a Tele body, a Strat headstock, and an LP bridge. I thought it would be a good thrasher guitar for playing distorted power chords, but I was surprised to hear how good it sounds on the clean channel.
John--what tuning do you use on your square-neck Tele? And what string guages? I'm playing C6 (CEGACE) on my regular laptop, with strings I bought from this forum. I was thinking about using the Tele for an alternate tuning--either GBDGBD for Dobro-style licks, or open D. Or perhaps the Tele would be good for the same intervals as C6, tuned down to a lower pitch. Maybe A6 (A-C#-E-F#-A-C#)? |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2008 8:25 am
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Here's my "LapStrat". 
Loni Specter's "Red Neck"
Hipshot Trilogy Changer
Roller Nut
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2008 10:50 pm
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Alan, in reference to your question, for me I would
want to use stiff strings in order to get clean hammer ons and pull offs, and I would be wary of putting that much pressure on a standard tele neck. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2008 5:02 am
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| David, I use heavy strings. They're heavy enough to put in either Low G tuning or D tuning. Brightman has it right now so I can't mic them out for you. I'm thinking of putting on a Hipshot that doesn't have any bending levers. Just three toggles, which I have left over from my bender. I could use those to toggle between Low G and D. Low G , low to high is DGDGBD. The toggles would raise the 5th string G to A, lower the 3rd string G to F#, and lower the second string B to A. That would put me in D tuning, low to high DADF#AD. A Hipshot Trilogy unit is unnecessarily complex for me. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 5 Feb 2008 9:39 pm
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| Clyde Mattocks wrote: |
Alan, in reference to your question, for me I would
want to use stiff strings in order to get clean hammer ons and pull offs, and I would be wary of putting that much pressure on a standard tele neck. |
I've been building instruments for 40 years. Most of my instruments have over 14 strings. 6 is lightweight. A standard 6-string neck could easily take 12 to 16 strings. What are you concerned about ? You're not going to be fingering the strings. The instrument could bow by a full inch and it wouldn't have any effect on playing it with a steel. In fact, I've seen the most warped instruments played successfully with a steel. So, I repeat, why not just put on a $5 riser ?
I'll go one further on this myth. You don't need a roller bridge unless you have a tremolo arm or palm levers.
You mention hammer-on and pull-off. These are techniques rarely used on a steel guitar. So I suspect you want to play the instrument as a regular guitar, in which case the last thing you need is a squared neck. |
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AJ Azure
From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 5 Feb 2008 10:30 pm
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[quote="Alan F. Brookes"]
| Clyde Mattocks wrote: |
You mention hammer-on and pull-off. These are techniques rarely used on a steel guitar. So I suspect you want to play the instrument as a regular guitar, in which case the last thing you need is a squared neck. |
eeerr no you DO in fact do hammer ons and pull off ons steel..with bar! Of course that's unless you don't do that type of playing. |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Feb 2008 6:32 am
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Alan -
| Quote: |
| The instrument could bow by a full inch and it wouldn't have any effect on playing it with a steel. |
Maybe not, but you may want to keep that neck in good shape in case you want to put it back on later or use it on another guitar.
A regular neck will also respond more to the variations in tension between tunings, making retuning more of a hassle, especially in live situations.
| Quote: |
| You don't need a roller bridge unless you have a tremolo arm or palm levers. |
When I set up my Redneck equipped Strat with the Hipshot Trilogy, having a roller nut really helped the accuracy when changing between tunings. First I had a regular metal nut, then I got the roller - big difference.
| Quote: |
| You mention hammer-on and pull-off. These are techniques rarely used on a steel guitar. |
Well that depends on playing style, doesn't it? For someone coming from an acoustic dobro/weissenborn background that technique will be a natural ingredient in his style. Most players in more blues/rock oriented styles will also use hammer-on and pull-off quite frequently.
One thing - doesn't the stability and extra mass of the fat squareneck add to the sustain and tone?
Steinar
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2008 9:25 am
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| I bought a 1934 Dobro round neck. The neck was bowed. Totally threw off the fret markings. I had the neck straightened and carbon-fiber rods installed. About roller nuts and bridges,,,,, I have been using a Hipshot B/G bender since they came out. Wanting to correct the problems of the strings not returning to pitch on my Tele, I put on a roller nut, and built a roller bridge using a Tele bridge plate, and Schaller roller saddles. I couldn't believe how they ruined the tone of that guitar! I took the guitar to a very good luthier and explained my problem. He did a very precise job of cutting a new nut, paying close attention to slot smoothness, fit, and string angles to the tuners, and smoothing a 6 saddle Tele bridge. Tone restored! No pitch return problems. It also helps to use locking tuners, and wrapping less than one turn around the tuning post. |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2008 4:34 pm
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Alan, Steingar addressed my concern. I may want to go back to playing the tel standard. I now have a
Dean Hollywood set up for slide with heavy guage strings. The neck is slim and I am concerned about
warping it, though I must admit I see no evidence of that after using it this way for about five years.
Just skittish, I guess. |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2008 4:36 pm
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| Oops, sorry about the spelling, Steinar! |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 6 Feb 2008 7:33 pm
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Several of you mentioned hammer-on and pull-off on steel, and, yes, you're right. I do a lot of hammer-on with the steel when playing Dobro.
Yes, a roller bridge would be very desirable with a Hipshot Trilogy. What I meant was that a roller bridge is only necessary if you're going to be changing the string tension, which, of course, is what happens with pedals, palm levers or tremolo arms, and also includes the Trilogy. I've also found that roller bridges improve the tone of archtops. I've no idea why, but they do.
I'm still not convinced that a squared neck is going to have much effect on tone. I have both round and square-necked resonator guitars, both wooden and metal, and I haven't noticed any difference caused by the shape of the neck |
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Darrell Urbien
From:
Echo Park, California
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Posted 6 Feb 2008 10:12 pm
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I'm guessing... More mass = more sustain?
The only redneck I've held was really heavy, much more heft than a standard bolt on neck. But it wasn't installed on a guitar, so I don't know if it sounds any different.
Last edited by Darrell Urbien on 7 Feb 2008 10:19 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Roman Sonnleitner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 7 Feb 2008 2:40 am
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Well, there was a VERY noticeable change in tone & sustain when I changed necks on some of my teles, and usually there was only a difference of 0.15" in thickness involved; I'd guess with the considerably greater mass & thickness of a square-neck, the cahnge would be even more noticeable.
Also I thik with a neck as thick as the body the guitar would be easier to play on your lap, too, because it would sit there more stable. |
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Ben Sims
From:
New Mexico
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Posted 8 Feb 2008 11:07 am
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| I had an round neck electric guitar that I used to play with a nut extender, and it always sounded great to me. The main problem I had with it was tuning stability - the guitar was very sensitive to how it was positioned on the lap - with the weight of the guitar the thin neck would easily bend enough to affect the tuning. I've never found this to be a noticeable problem with round neck acoustics. The nut extender also placed the outer strings right at the edge of the fingerboard, which is a little annoying - it would be nice to have a neck that's wider at the nut, like the Redneck. These issues are certainly manageable, it's just a question of whether you want to deal with them constantly on a guitar you want to use primarily as a lap steel. |
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