Seashells and Lydia – A Different Type of Guitar Build #Guitar #fender #telecaster

Seashells and Lydia – A Different Type of Guitar Build

2023 lightly relic’d Lydia guitar in Shell Pink.

• Black single ply relic’d pickguard
• Shell pink nitro finish
• 25.5 scale length
• Alder body
• Vintage telecaster bridge & bridge pickup route
• P90 Neck pocket route
• Standard Fender neck pocket heel (Stratocaster style)

MJT is proud to announce our very own model, Lydia. This model came to life in collaboration with our good friend and designer Ronnie Nebelung who lives in Norway.

When my wife first saw the guitar she said “That is a beautiful and classic pink!”

Seymour Duncan Jerry Donahue Lead Electric Guitar Pickup

• Accurately duplicates Donahue’s ’52 Tele bridge pickup
• Alnico II magnets
• Increased sustain
• Symmetrically staggered pole pieces
• Seymour Duncan Jerry Donahue Lead Electric Guitar Pickup

Seymour Duncan Antiquity P-90 Soapbar Pickup – Black Neck

Capture the sweet, weathered neck position single coil tone of an old 52 Gold top with our period correct Antiquity P90 Soapbar. It is also wound RW/RP to be hum-cancelling with a matching bridge position model.

Wiring harness.

I get asked all the time where I find my wiring diagrams. I have multiple go to websites that I use, and I also have my printed file folders under my editing desk.

When I need something a little unusual, I start typing in parameters of what is going to be in the circuit into a search engine. This pickguard had a slot cut for a slider switch and three control pots.

I could use a Stratocaster wiring diagram with two tones and one volume, but I only have two single coil pickups and not three.

I typed in “two single coil picks, 1 volume and 2 tone controls.”

I did not get what I needed. I eventually typed in “adding a tone control to a telecaster.” And this is where I started to find what I needed.

My search brought me to a very cool Blog called Infinity Guitar Works. The guy that runs it is named Paul and is out of the UK.

He wrote a very good article about adding an additional tone control to a guitar circuit. I used his diagram as the basis but made a few tweaks. I added a 250k volume pot with a 500k tone control for the P90 and a 250k tone control for the Single Coil Bridge pickup. I started with a .047 uF capacitor and thought if I did not like the tone, I would change out the cap, experimenting. I liked how it sounded so I left it as is. I used a standard three position Oak Grigsby slider switch, and this would give me standard tele positions.

Position 1 would be the bridge pickup only.
Position 2 would give me the Bridge and Neck pickups.
Position 3 would give me the neck pickup only.

He had a tone treble bleed resister and cap in his circuit, but I did not have the parts and did not install one as a result.

The neck I wanted something unusual. The guts of the guitar are a telecaster, but it did not seem appropriate to add a Stratocaster neck as this is how the neck pocket was cut. An easy way to tell the difference between a Stratocaster neck pocket and a telecaster neck pocket is the Stratocaster pocket is curved at the end of the pocket where the neck buts up against the body. A telecaster neck pocket is flat or straight at the same point in the pocket.

What is cool is the 72 custom telecaster three bolt necks with a bullet truss rod are actually curved like a Stratocaster, well they also have a Stratocaster large headstock. I thought this neck would look awesome on this body and I was right.

Last I added a bridge that I found on eBay that weighs in at a half a pound and is made out of solid brass that is chromed. I think the art deco look of the bridge makes the guitar look distinctive and not tele like.

I also added a few touches here and there. I added a solid brass output jack cup, solid brass strap pegs, and a solid brass selector switch knob. The three black knobs are amplifier control knobs.

Observations on the final guitar

It is an offset telecaster with some modifications.

The pickguard definitely makes it stand out and be different than a standard offset tele.

The bridge adds to the deviated look.

I love the pickguard.

The 72 Custom Telecaster neck really looks great on this guitar.

The sounds that come out of the guitar are spectacular. Very pleased in this area. Listen for yourself.