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Post subject: A Classic Esquire...
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 9:19 pm
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Joined: Thu May 19, 2011 9:10 am
Posts: 17
Location: Portland, Maine
"The So-Cal Classic" - Built to go, not for show!

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The Esquire's poor cousin fallen on hard times...

My goal was NOT to make a historically accurate, period correct clone, replica, copy, or reproduction. If your interested in something like that check out custom builder Gil Yaron and his amazing 1950 Double Esquire Build. Inspiring and depressing all at the same time!

I did want to apply Leo Fender's groundbreaking design concepts to come away with a guitar that approximates the character of that very first model created for the 1950 NAMM show; a black pine-body single pickup Esquire. Those sales samples are among the rarest of rare Fenders. Even early production Esquires are scarce, most sources estimate that only 50 to 60 original 1950 Esquires were actually produced although there were orders for hundreds. There are so few surviving examples from a period when many design & production aspects were still being worked out that it's almost impossible to nail down a single definitive design. Although this version looks like an Esquire's poor cousin that spent too many beer soaked nights in a honky tonk I feel I'm pretty much in the sonic neighborhood.

For me the key 1950 Esquire design concepts are:

- Pine body

- Bolt-on replaceable neck

- One piece maple neck and fingerboard

- Distinctive headstock shape & angle

- 6-inline tuner arrangement

- Patented steel bridgeplate & steel saddles

- Single pickup: Alnico 3, 43 AWG PE wire, approx. 9.5K

- Volume and Tone controls with 3-way switch

Working from there I created a version designed for the gigging musician of today.

Body - Pine, a little thinner than a standard Telecaster but not quite as thin as the original pine 1950 Esquire. Tone seems a bit mellower than ash although I haven't done a true side-by-side comparison. Finished with Tru-Oil over black milk paint which closely approximates the traditional finish very popular on furniture such as Windsor chairs. Accentuates the character of the wood and feels great. The original samples were finished with black acetate lacquer and then blonde nitro on production models. Ever the pragmatist, Leo Fender seemed to favor the readily available and economical finishes used in the furniture industry of the day.

Neck - Soft "V" maple neck & fingerboard with heel truss rod adjustment, medium tall frets, and 7.25" radius. Truss rods ( or the lack of them) were a source of controversy on the originals. Later models included them and many early models were retrofitted. I think the advantage of being able to adjust a neck outweighs the slight tonal advantage of not having a truss rod. Finished with Tru-Oil over amber shellac. Bone nut. A really nice playable neck that is very close to some of the original Esquires.

Tuners - In keeping with the overall vintage style of this instrument I used single line Kluson Deluxe Safeti-Post tuners. Look and work great; there's a reason they're classics.

Pickup - Rumpelstiltskin 1950 Black Rope. Alnico 3 magnets, 43AWG PE wire wound to about 9.8K. Maybe there are better, more authentic, vintage style pickups available but I'm totally pleased with Aaron's work. The sound is distinctly Tele but a bit fuller with stronger mids and slightly less pronounced highs compared to later pickups.

Controls - CTS pots: 250K volume, 250k tone with Greasebucket tone circuit in the middle position. Some people prefer a standard tone circuit but I like how the Greasebucket preserve mids which helps if you favor high gain or use dirt pedals. Forward position is volume plus the original tone-preset (network of 2 caps + 1 resistor) with different capacitor values for more of a faux neck pickup sound versus the original faux bass sound. Rear position is straight to the output jack, bypassing both volume and tone. Love the raw sound and find that taking both controls completely out of the circuit really does make a difference. Small changes but I feel they're a shift in favor of a more contemporary playing style. Switchcraft output jack with Glendale milled jack cup.

Bridge - Standard Fender "Pat Pending" stamped steel bridgeplate with custom machined 5/16" dia. unplated steel saddles. Diverging from the original design I went with intonated saddles since I'm going for a "player" rather than a replica.

Knobs - Flattened chrome plated brass with heavy-ish knurling.

Pickguard - Single ply .060" Parchment (white just looks too stark).

Hardware - Chrome and nickel throughout including slotted screws.

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Post subject: Re: A Classic Esquire...
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:03 am
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Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2010 5:07 pm
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Location: San Jose, CA
Great Work, markmattos!

Very well done, did you cut the body and neck yourself? Are you making these to sell or was this just for yourself?

Don


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Post subject: Re: A Classic Esquire...
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 11:09 am
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Joined: Thu May 19, 2011 9:10 am
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Thanks Don! AllParts neck and a Red Dirt body. Personal project. Have thought about selling but I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with all that's involved there.


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Post subject: Re: A Classic Esquire...
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 11:16 am
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I think it is great work and I really like your style. Good stuff.


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Post subject: Re: A Classic Esquire...
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 11:39 am
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Joined: Thu May 19, 2011 9:10 am
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Location: Portland, Maine
Appreciate the feedback! If you haven't seen it here's an earlier Esquire-style project.


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Post subject: Re: A Classic Esquire...
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 11:55 am
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Location: San Jose, CA
I love the Early 50's Esquire. I built one that is a Tribute to Jeff Beck's '54. However, I made some changes to make it more playable.

The neck and body are from USACG. The body is a two piece swamp ash body. The neck is a fat C one piece maple with a compound radius (10"-14")

All of the hardware is from Callaham, including the compensated saddles. Bone Nut.

The Pickup is a Lollar J-street. I currently have the Eldred mod in the front position of the switch.

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It's routed for a humbucker in the neck if I ever wanted to add one. I love this guitar so much that I built a duplicate with the humbucker in the neck (Lollar Low Wind Imperial) in an alternate color.
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Don


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Post subject: Re: A Classic Esquire...
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:12 pm
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Joined: Thu May 19, 2011 9:10 am
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Location: Portland, Maine
That looks great! Very impressive rendering of a true piece of history. Bet it sounds killer, too!

Love Esquires, all flavors!


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