ThePearDream's Talman Projects

[Ursa Minor]

So cool! Nicely done.

[-=Todd Fox=-]

I can identify with the second project in this post in so many ways. But, first, Thanks for the CAD files!
I had the 97 TC420 in Metallic Green. Same pickups and same problem with them sounding worse than the cheap strat copy I had. It was a nice enough guitar to play, but I was young and stupid and had traded a much nicer Washburn 335 semi-hollow for it plus cash. The sales guy even told me not to do it, but I saw that guitar and had fallen in love, so nothing was gonna stop me.
I'd swear that mine had the vintage 6-screw vibrato instead of the two post version. I don't have any pictures to prove it, but I remember fighting with it to try to keep in in tune. Eventually ended up selling it. So it's double regret. I wished I hadn't made the trade for it in the first place, and now I wish I hadn't sold it.
Ah, youth.
With these plans however, I might be on my way to a new body for one of my cheap strat copies. Thanks again!

[ThePearDream]

Are you sure that you didn't have the TC220? That one had a six point trem and came in green as well.

If you end up using my plans, be sure to post the results. And please let me know of any problems that pop up, so I can make corrections.

[ThePearDream]

Here's another Talman thing I've been working on.

I scaled up my original plans around 9% so I could fit a Jazzmaster trem and re-worked the pickguard using a reversed jaguar plate for the control area. I also set it up for a toggle switch.



I'm going to make a few variations with different pickups and post them up here for free, as dxf files that people can get laser cut out of mdf from Ponoko, to use as templates.

[-=Todd Fox=-]

Are you sure that you didn't have the TC220? That one had a six point trem and came in green as well.

If you end up using my plans, be sure to post the results. And please let me know of any problems that pop up, so I can make corrections.

It definitely had the covered humbuckers. I got it new in 97 at a Sam Ash in Columbus, OH. Could be that Ibanez crossed the two by mistake or was waiting on stock and needed to fill an order. It also could be that my memory was wrong.

I'll definitely post when I get around to building one. Just moved this year so still need to setup the garage/workshop and the wife has many things for me to do that aren't guitar related.

I'm still trying to build a JM out of cedar 2x4s. Knots and all. It'll be a real dog I'm sure. Think I'll call it the "Jazzmastiff".

[threewordname]

Reminds me of my Talman project. The shape got a little chubby since i didnt have a perfect PDF to work from, and my woodworking skills are not at master level yet. I ended up using a regular jaguar control plate flipped upside down. Its not shiny and lovely, but it plays and sounds awesome.

[ThePearDream]

That's awesome that you got a great instrument despite the circumstances. Guitar building is the kind of thing that I can't just wing, I have to have a plan. I admire anybody who can just go for it like that.

[ThePearDream]

I'll be starting on phase 3 of this project soon. I just received a pair of firebird sized foil pickups from mojo uk.


I'm still planning to refinish the body is something inca silver-ish and make a white pearl guard. Once I wrap up one or both of my current projects, I'll start working on this.

Until then, straight or slanted pickups?

[ThePearDream]

It looks like phases 3 & 4 will happen together. After a year and a half of searching I found a great deal on an Ivory TM330M.
$250 shipped, just slightly more than I payed for the TM302. There's a slim chance this has sold in person, but I seriously doubt it.




As a refresher, I'm going to swap the necks between the two reissue Talmans. The maple neck will go to the guitar that I previously modded with a mustang trem, and this strat type model will get the rosewood neck. I'll get a new red pearl pickguard made and install lipstick pickups to turn it into a wood bodied TC630 reissue.



I have a set of lipsticks already, set up in a surf green strat. They sound great, but it turns out I really hate surf green in person, so I'm looking forward to exorcising that demon from my collection.

As for the "mustang" talman, I'm still going to refinish it in something Inca Silver-ish. But, I'm not sure whether to go for a nice crisp white/parchment pickguard, which would look really clean:


or stick with the white pearl plan, which would look really sharp, and is more appropriate for Talmans:


I know there isn't a lot of love for Talmans, or white and/or pearl pickguards around here, but I thought I'd put those options out for input anyway. Tortoise and mint are definitely not on the menu here fyi.

[Gordon]

Tortoise and mint are definitely not on the menu here fyi.

This is silver (according to Fender's website), it's actually inca with slightly larger specks:

[ThePearDream]

And now I have a matching pair - for a little while at least. I was surprised that the new one is quite a bit yellower than the old one. It doesn't show in the picture, but there is a clear outline of whatever kind of sticker would have been over the plastic on the pickguard. Maybe this thing was sitting near a window for a few years. The back is pretty much the same color as the other one though.



In any event, it's in very good condition for the price. The frets are like new, it has 2-3 tiny dings and some finish cracks coming out of the neck pocket. The rear cavity cover still has the plastic on it. If this had a previous owner, they hardly played it. The pickups have a fine, generic A5 strat sound. The neck is really nice, nicely beveled frets, and a smooth satin finish.

I'll get the "strat" pickguard sent off for duplication soon, I just need to figure out which service to use.

Also, I'm thinking about replacing the tuner buttons with a kluson style oval. I will need to find some nickel oval knobs that will work with these Gotoh-ish tuners.

[ThePearDream]

I took the pickguard off after work and got a good look at the yellowing.




Interesting that it doesn't have a swimming pool route.

Also interesting that it has a full sized pot metal trem block.


I tried doing a search, but didn't find anything - does anybody have experience using pickguardplanet?

[ThePearDream]

I finished up doing fretwork to both necks last night (shaped the ends, leveled, crowned, and polished).
I hadn't noticed it before, but these necks are actually bound with wood to match the fretboard (I forget what that's called). It's only noticeable in a few spots, and not at all when the strings are on. I've never heard of this on a $400 guitar before. Also, the factory nuts are bone, and well cut.

[ThePearDream]

I inquired with Pickguard Planet about making the new pickguard. Tomorrow will be two weeks and they still haven't responded. Last weekend I emailed Tony at Pickguardian and he responded the same day. I mailed off the original guard to him today and have all of the wiring complete, except for the ground wire to the claw . So the only thing remaining is the pickguard and a new nut for the "reissue" TC630.

Also, I did some work on my scaled up Talman plans and am starting to formulate a plan for a future build.




Right now, I'm thinking I'd like to make it a thinline, using two layers of 3/4" plywood for the main portion of the body. Then I'd hollow that out like a Danelectro and cap the front and back with 1/8" walnut veneer plywood with black binding. I would have the pickguard laser cut by Ponoko using tinted gray acrylic.



For pickups, I was thinking I'd use a spare pair of Jaguar pickups with some of my 3d printed covers designed for pickguard mounting jaguar pickups. I would custom fabricate the control plate, which has volume, treble tone, bass tone, and a (series/parallel?) mini switch. Then finish if off with a Jazzy bridge and trem. Oh, and it would be full scale.

Another pickup option I'm considering would be to use the Jaguar pickups in one of my double Jag covers at the neck, with a tele pickup at the bridge.

[ThePearDream]

I've done some more work on the potential thinline (or solid body korina/walnut/other interesting wood) build. Now, it features faux WRHBs with some three way slide switches to select coil/series/coil (ala the Pawnshop Mustang), possibly using a freeway switch as well.


I recently got some prototype strat pickup covers from shapeways that I stuck some MIM standard strat pickups into. Since they have plastic bobbins, I was able to adjust the height of the slugs into a WRHB style arrangement.



I hacked up the guard of my "mustang" Talman to do a test of this concept, using a mini switch to select series/parallel.


It sounded fantastic IMO, series mode give you a clean, articulate sound with some warmth and snappiness.
So now, I'm thinking I'd like to try out a pair of these. I have a set of Tex-Mex strat pickups sitting around that I would use (I would just buy an additional middle pickup which can easily be found for $25). I'm also thinking about changing out the magnetic slugs with some from Tonekraft so I can experiment with mixing different magnet types together - I'm thinking A5 on the wound and A3 on the plain for the neck position and something else on the bridge.