Quote from: Nova Constellatio on May 24, 2026, 11:09:25 AM<snip>

Here's the other inlaid pickguard guitar I mentioned earlier (obviously, I didn't take these pictures). It's a Galiano by Ciani, similar to Nick Lucas's, and virtually identical to the one play by Pops Stoneman.

These were made after Ciani handed over the shop to D'Angelico, and this one hung in D'Angelico's shop until he died. My guess is that it's the earliest identifiable guitar that he built.

Wow.  Beautiful. 🤩 

Indeed, a pearl inlaid pickguard inlaid into the top... a double-whammy of cool. We don't get to see a lot of from that guitar's "family tree" here, but the Stonemans are well-known to this day in my little part of the world, Bristol being just a short drive. I've only ever seen pictures of Pops guitar though. You had to do pretty well in the 20's and 30's to afford nicer instruments like that, and they did very well. Bristol Virginia/Tennessee (the State line literally runs through the middle of town) is known as the "Birthplace of Country Music" due in large part to folks like the Stonemans. 

Other details I notice; the marquetry. It's amazing. I wonder if it was imported or made onsite? I've read different accounts. The engraved tuning machines. Do you know who manufactured these? The bridges on these are so interesting. The little ornaments at the wing tips remind me of Panormo bridges. It may be coincidence, but it certainly goes well with the rest of the design. I notice you have it strung with TI Plectrum 11's... so it must be braced lightly. Or you just don't want any unnecessary tension? 

Anyway, thanks again for sharing such cool stuff! 

Quote from: Nova Constellatio on May 24, 2026, 11:09:25 AM... Here's the other inlaid pickguard guitar I mentioned earlier .. a Galiano by Ciani ... These were made after Ciani handed over the shop to D'Angelico, and this one hung in D'Angelico's shop until he died. My guess is that it's the earliest identifiable guitar that he built.

Very nice!

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on May 25, 2026, 06:53:19 AMIndeed, a pearl inlaid pickguard inlaid into the top... a double-whammy of cool. We don't get to see a lot of from that guitar's "family tree" here, but the Stonemans are well-known to this day in my little part of the world, Bristol being just a short drive. I've only ever seen pictures of Pops guitar though. You had to do pretty well in the 20's and 30's to afford nicer instruments like that, and they did very well. Bristol Virginia/Tennessee (the State line literally runs through the middle of town) is known as the "Birthplace of Country Music" due in large part to folks like the Stonemans.

Other details I notice; the marquetry. It's amazing. I wonder if it was imported or made onsite? I've read different accounts. The engraved tuning machines. Do you know who manufactured these? The bridges on these are so interesting. The little ornaments at the wing tips remind me of Panormo bridges. It may be coincidence, but it certainly goes well with the rest of the design. I notice you have it strung with TI Plectrum 11's... so it must be braced lightly. Or you just don't want any unnecessary tension?

Anyway, thanks again for sharing such cool stuff! 

I'm not sure about the marquetry or tuners — I'd bet there was someone supplying marquetry in the same way engraved mother of pearl fret markers were.

The TIs were on it when I got it. It's got fairly heavy ladder bracing, and now has Schoenberg brass 11s on it. I'd bet it can handle 12s just fine, but it sounds incredible the way it is.

Quote from: Nova Constellatio on May 25, 2026, 12:12:28 PM...
The TIs were on it when I got it. It's got fairly heavy ladder bracing, and now has Schoenberg brass 11s on it. I'd bet it can handle 12s just fine, but it sounds incredible the way it is.

Well, here's a tip for you and a little plug I don't get a thing for. I used to use the TI Plectrums religiously on my parlor-sized guitars that really didn't need full-on light-gauge steel strings... loved 'em. Then the things just got too expensive. I haven't shopped them lately but I bet they're over $30/set now. It's not that I'm cheap, it's that there are other low-tension stings that'll do fine for a 1/3 of that. I started using GHS silk & bronze on my Martin 00's and other very lightly braced guitars. They're usually $10-$12/set. And when you got a blamed closet full of lumber to restring... 🤑

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on May 25, 2026, 01:19:40 PM

Quote from: Nova Constellatio on May 25, 2026, 12:12:28 PM...
The TIs were on it when I got it. It's got fairly heavy ladder bracing, and now has Schoenberg brass 11s on it. I'd bet it can handle 12s just fine, but it sounds incredible the way it is.

Well, here's a tip for you and a little plug I don't get a thing for. I used to use the TI Plectrums religiously on my parlor-sized guitars that really didn't need full-on light-gauge steel strings... loved 'em. Then the things just got too expensive. I haven't shopped them lately but I bet they're over $30/set now. It's not that I'm cheap, it's that there are other low-tension stings that'll do fine for a 1/3 of that. I started using GHS silk & bronze on my Martin 00's and other very lightly braced guitars. They're usually $10-$12/set. And when you got a blamed closet full of lumber to restring... 🤑

Thankfully, I don't have too many things that need low-tension strings. I was using D'Addario Silk and Steels, which I never really liked much. I'll give the GHS a try the next time something needs that.

I use a lot of D'Addario strings in the shop, and we carry them in the store I do repair work for. These GHS though, I buy online, simply because we don't carry them. I like the gauges better for some shorter scale guitars. 

https://www.stringsbymail.com/acoustic-guitar-strings-7/ghs-20/silk-and-bronze-587/

I don't care much for the Silk & Steel sets Martin has, they just wear out too quick, but I haven't seen a D'Addario set. Will hafta' check on them sometime. 

I really prefer the sound of brass on acoustics, and I don't think there are any low-tension options there, so I don't really play the super delicate guitars a lot.

I stumbled on the alembicized Telecaster thread and got a kick out of it. I've been playing around with partscasters for a while in the hopes of learning a thing or two, and have a stable of them — hopefully they aren't contraband now that Fender is getting litigious.

Here's a relatively recent blackguard I did (with a few minor changes to the standard recipe):

Nice.    Love that custom neck. 

What's the story on the brass saddle there?   

.

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on May 27, 2026, 03:10:29 PMNice.    Love that custom neck.

What's the story on the brass saddle there? 

It's a Van Dyke-Harms monolithic saddle. They're compensated hammered brass, and can be ordered for any radius. I've found them to be a huge upgrade on teles.

The guy who makes them also makes machined steel and brass hardware that I really like, but they're not aimed at a vintage aesthetic:

Quote from: Nova Constellatio on May 27, 2026, 03:55:27 PM

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on May 27, 2026, 03:10:29 PMNice.    Love that custom neck.

What's the story on the brass saddle there? 

It's a Van Dyke-Harms monolithic saddle. They're compensated hammered brass, and can be ordered for any radius. I've found them to be a huge upgrade on teles.

The guy who makes them also makes machined steel and brass hardware that I really like, but they're not aimed at a vintage aesthetic:

I agree about the aesthetic of the machined bits on the blonde/blackguard, but that could look great on a different Telecaster. I could see that looking awesome on a piano black one or even on Dakota red. Definitely on an overt custom. Teles are like the hot-rods of the electric guitar world to me.

I'm not sure which Telecaster thread you found (because there's a few here) but I took one on a couple years back for giggles. The one I did was an H/H equipped body to start with, and had that nice back carve too rather than a slab. It never really sounded much like a Tele at all, but I especially liked the neck pickup solo'd. (more on that later) I had a set of Alembic activators in it, which was Mod 1. That required an adapter plate for the bridge pickup and a half-bridge. (maybe you saw this?) Anyway that project ran a course and I learned a lot from it. The Alembic parts wound up going to a Club Member here, I put some different electronics in it for a while, Mod 2, and last year I sold it, opting to keep a different 'Roadworn' Telecaster that just felt better to me. I just ran into the guy who has my 'Super-Tele' project the other day... I had worked on his Taylor guitar for him, and since he was in my shop anyway, I dug around and found the original pickups and electronics and gave them to him. It was getting played on a recording project so at least that guitar is getting a new life.

Here's the one that stayed... it's a mutt, an earlier Roadworn that I bought from another upright player who was paying for some lessons. (why didn't I do that?) Anyway, he had Jim Mouradian install a set of Danny Kortchmar sig. Sheptones in this one, so it's hogged-out under the pickguard. I didn't care for the white plastic, so I mounted a search for a bakelite blackguard cut out and drilled for it. Had an aged pearloid on it for a season too. Nah... had to go.

I don't know what else to say about this one... I'm not much of an electric player to start with, but this one just feels right. I don't fight it. It's light as a feather too. Stable, needs very little adjustment. And Jim shielded it well, so it's pretty darn quiet too. Back when I had a couple tube amps here, this thing was something else. Still fun on the porch with a modeling amp.

*oh yeah, that bridge pickup has the Tele 'bark' that you listen for, but the real draw for me on this one is that neck humbucker. Soooo sweet. This particular set is specifically balanced, many mixed Telecaster sets are not.

Nice Tele!

Can you tell me how to post a reply with a photo on this new site?  Thanks