Charlie Christian p/u's in a Tele
 

I've been wanting, for many years, to put together an electric that would play like an acoustic, with a really large neck.

After accumulating all the parts over the past year, I had John Monteleone shoot a finish on the body & neck, and then I brought the parts to Michael Christian for assembly.

Herewith is my quilt maple & ash chambered Tele body, rosewood & maple neck, with a pair of Pete Biltoft CC pickups. I played this directly through my Danelectro Model 68 amp, and recorded it on the iPhone.

The bottleneck is courtesy of a Piper Heidsiek Champagne magnum bottle I cut.

https://www.facebook.com/howard.emer...2294942041058/

Enjoy my noodling around in open D.

HE
http://howardemerson.com

PS- It's strung with D'Addario J-21s .012-.052.

HE

That's some great tone and playing. Thanks for sharing.

Interesting Howard. What's the rear pickup exactly? It looks too "fat" to be a CC. I think it's a great tone. But I've always been partial to the CC pickup (in certain applications).
Is it correct you're only playing the neck pickup?
I'd love to hear it in a band setting. I like the choices on the build as well.

Mark

Hi Mark,
They're both CC's, except that the bridge pickup was built to fit the humbucker hole in the bridge plate.

You can clearly hear me switch to it after I play 2 bars of that shuffle thing I'm writing.

I had the neck fretted with Dunlop 6100SS, and it's a very large fat V. The front finish is so nice I'm going to make a clear guard for it.

I don't do bands, but iamaband, for all intents & purposes.

HE

Yes you are sir. lol.
I thought it sounded like you switched pickups. Hard to say if I liked the rear the same, but it sure sounded good. The finish on the neck and body looks great!
I like the whole guitar. Sound choices I'd say.

Mark

Sweet! Great playing, Howard (per usual!) and a truly wonderful electric guitar! Love the look and the sound is wild... just straight into that amp, no pedals or nuthin'? Marvelous!

Wow does that look really nice congrats ....
And to clarify you are talking "That Monteleone" yes ?

Hi Kev,
Yes, my friend the guitar builder, of course. Ben Harper & I in John's shop a few months ago when Ben was picking up his Radio City Special Deluxe lap guitar. I'm holding John's own Hot Club convertible.

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...14&oe=5A0DAF42

great looking and great sounding.

question: how many christians did it actually take to complete it? answer: two charlies and one mike.:D

play music!

Yes, that is a masterpiece, both the guitar and playing! -- Darwin

Sometimes simple observation is the funniest thing.....

Thanks for pointing that out!

HE
http://howardemerson.com

Hi Darwin,
Thanks for the kind comments!

I can't wait to get the pick guard correctly cut and/or made over in clear. I'm in a quandary at the moment. When the pickups & guard were shipped to me from Vintage Vibe Guitars, there was a tortoise printed peel coat on the back.

It looked good in, and of itself, but when John showed me the body with the stain, it was plain to see it was one or the other........The Wood Won.

My playing is even better when I know what I want to say!

Best,
Howard
http://howardemerson.com

Beautiful guitar! Congratulations!

Here is a great sounding Tele with CC PUPS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqHdyhatjHY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJnmaxdeClk