NGD - Jim Root Tele (and a friend)

MarkE · #1 08-12-2009, 05:24 PM

What's left of a NGD, anyway.

UK evilBay coughed up a Jim Root Tele :

I tried one a couple of months back but I couldn't justify the price tag for a new one. This one is very much a player but that's what I was after.

If you're not familiar with the spec, it's sporting a mahogany body, 12" radius ebony fingerboard, EMG 81/60 pups and locking tuners. So basically a hardtail, hard-as-nails, metal machine in a Tele shape.

10 minutes later, it looked like this (all hail EMG for their plug in pickups

) :

I like that battery cavity - very neat. OK, it's behind a cover and 4 screws but it's not like the battery needs changing daily. Note that Fender thoughtfully used brass ferrules for the fixings on this cover to prevent stripping the threads in the wood :

Everything's now clean and ready to reassemble.

Tomorrow's job, the other box that arrived today via the 'Bay :

nato101010 · #2 08-12-2009, 06:30 PM

Oooh, cool. Aren't those Tele's Mexican-made? It's got a AANJ!

What do you plan on doing with that 7-Stringer, as you named it as a "job".

skins345669 · #3 08-12-2009, 06:42 PM

I'm I'd love to hear one of those Teles in action. Teles and metal do seem to work more than anyone would think.

MarkE · #4 08-12-2009, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nato101010

Oooh, cool. Aren't those Tele's Mexican-made? It's got a AANJ!

What do you plan on doing with that 7-Stringer, as you named it as a "job".

Yup, it's Mexican. Neck joint is indeed pretty good but I'm not intending to use the top of the neck much on this one...

Plays great - it's one of those guitars you pick up and it just feels "right" straight away, even with quite a chunky neck.

First job on the 1527 is a thorough strip down and clean up, but I'm very tempted by the idea of some cream or zebra pickups while it's in pieces. Or I could just leave a guitar alone for a change.

MarkE · #5 08-12-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skins345669

I'm I'd love to hear one of those Teles in action. Teles and metal do seem to work more than anyone would think.

It's a bit of a monster. Typical lousy YouTube sound but the Guitar World review shows off the heaviness potential pretty well :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez5QS...rom=PL&index=3

skins345669 · #6 08-12-2009, 06:48 PM

One question: What's the 12" radius like on the neck? I like flat fingerboards, hence Ibanez.

MarkE · #7 08-12-2009, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skins345669

One question: What's the 12" radius like on the neck? I like flat fingerboards, hence Ibanez.

Feels great, even straight after an RG (it's obviously different but not in a bad way). Bends are fine, no choking.

Petie · #8 08-12-2009, 08:22 PM

Awesome. I reviewed one of those a while ago for a magazine and I didn't want to give it back. I guess it's as close as I'll get to playing something like Devin Townsend's old ESP Telecasters, which I always loved.