Guitar Building: Silky Oak Tele From Down Under!
One of my builders, a noted world traveler and raconteur, returned from a trip to Australia awhile back with two pieces of local timber. This one is called silky oak, and the Tele body he had made from it (a tip of the hat to Clearfork Designs) is really cool and unusual. This body has its Tru-Oil finish applied and rubbed out, and, as always, the grain is popping!
We’ll install Duncan Vintage Stack pickups with a standard wiring harness, likely on a flipped plate. An Allparts neck with a rosewood board and 22 hefty frets will follow, along with Gotoh vintage-style tuners and a bone nut. Probably a Joe Barden bridge, which always works well.
Meanwhile, the builder is off in Oz again, so we’re on hold at the moment, but this guitar should come together quickly. More to follow, and then on to a Tasmanian blackwood Strat! COOL.