On the dark side...(Maybe not soooooo dark) :>)

[Ray Ussery]

My Son was playing an early MIM Tele that I had made a new neck for...and the body literally fell apart...it was swamp ash but had some really pithy cavities inside. Really wasn't worth repairing...so I made him a new one with some interesting electronics. It took this Old Man 3 days to wire it.
It will sound like a Les Paul, a Strat and a Telecaster with eleven tone choices in each mode.
The body is swamp ash, with a IRW fingerboard over birds eye maple..the neck is finished on both sides (Fingerboard too) with Tru-oil.
The body is a custom satin blue. He wanted "Ghost Grain" you can see but can't feel...
There is a 2 lb brass insert the strings run through, and it has a brass nut...it will sustain forever...
I wanted to change the neck dots to MP to match the pick guard, but I didn't have time...I had 9 days to finish this thing and get it to him to meet a show date with JP Richardson Jr. The "Big Bopper's" Son who does a tribute show in honor of his Dad. (He's pretty good at it to, or so my Son says.) My Son has been playing all of his shows for a number of years now. He does may other things as well but when JP has a date he calls him. I'll change the dots when he comes to see us this summer....
The finish is all lacquer...the primer/sealer was shellac...filled with just enough TimberMate white to achieve the grain look and still not be able to feel it...the blue is mine, the top coat is believe it or not, Minwax Lacquer...set and gassed off to ship in 4 days without leaving case marks. It was fun...fastest I ever tried this for sure...sheeez..I wouldn't mind being buried in this new Fender case though....(The wife didn't think that was funny) but WOWOW...Ok enough BS Here it is...

[Kevin in California]

Looks mighty fine Ray, I think you still have the stuff!!!!

[Ray Ussery]

Thanks Kevin, It does sound pretty good....just something different. I would like to do some other colors... :>) But my main interest is in acoustic, getting back to it as soon as I get my Grandson's Tele finished for his BD the 12th!.

[Herman]

Tele's are great! So is this one, ray. Well done, please make a very noisy sample. And put it in the gallery section, You won't be punished for your evil dark side.

Herman

[Dave Bagwill]

Good job Ray! I like the tele's also - in fact a friend just gave me one - an older model by Eric Brown - some good tones, I'm going to make a few mods.

Properly set up, a tele can ring on every fret up and down the neck.

[John Parchem]

Nice Ray,

I have been thinking of building a telecaster some time this year. I hope it comes out as good as yours.

[ken cierp]

Looks great -- nice blue!

Minwax lacquer is a very good product, flexible, lots of solids, low shrink rate -- I've used it for brushing and spray, but it really smells bad.