Converting a Harley Benton TE-20 into a Custom "Fender" Tele: Pickguard on headstock
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- In this video I covert a Harley Benton TE-20 into a Custom "Fender" telecaster. I attach a pickguard to the headstock after modification, paint the guitar with appliance spray paint, change out the pickups to a tapped Q Pickup from Croatia in the neck (6.5/12.5ohm) and a Chapman ML3 stacked bridge pickup (8.6/15ohm). I split the coils of the stacked humbucker with a 250k push/pull pot, oddly, when split, it it seems to have a higher output (this confirms theories I had read online about splitting a stacked humbucker). I also dremeled a fender sized pickguard to fit the HB TE-20, drilled through the body to make it a string through, fit a new bridge, and added vintage tuners, a vintage jack, used a thin fender telecaster metal decal /logo for the headstock, added a .033 capacitor, darkened the neck with danish oil, and screwed on a fake "fender custom shop" neck plate. The HB TE-20 guitar was given to me for free (thank you Tom!), and most parts were 2 or 3 £ each save for the pick-ups.
To listen to it played, skip to (8:23).
For the wiring diagram I made to split a stacked humbucker and tapped single coil separately across two push/pull pots, see: ibb.co/jrqG1VL
Let me know what you think in the comments. Thank you.
I have a Harley benton rosewood tele that I customised. Reshaped the headstock to Fender shape. Pulled the frets out and reradiused tithe fingerboard from the very flat radius whatever it was to 9.5 like a modern Fender. I glued the old frets in and must say i was surprised how well it came out. Can get a super low Ibanez type action with no fretting out etc. I removed the lacquer from the back of the neck and applied some layers of Truoil. At first I thought to myself ' it's the same as before just a clear lacquer layer' but after nissan two years or has some beautiful golden hue to the back of the neck that the original finish would never achieve. I also drilled for string through but sways one or two holes don't wanna play game 😣 These are great guitars to mod and play around with for not a lotta money ☺
HI Malcolm, wow, you changed the radius? That is next level, how did you to that? With a jig and router? I'm actually having problems with the action on the guitar, something I've never ran into before. I can't get it below 2.2mm on the 12th. It is frustrating. I can't figure out why. As for the string through, I created a jig for my cordless drill and it still didn't work. Being off 1 mm is very noticable. Thank you for the comment.
Tristan Sturm I got a cheap pair of pincers ( a type of tool ) and ground down the head of the tool so they closed flat to a surface. I laid the tool on the edge of a fret on top the fingerboard and carefully squeezed the tool together to lift the fret. A little at a time along the fret. Letting the edge of the tool doing the lifting. Laying the frets on some painters tape in order of removal. I borrowed a radius block from my local guitar shop. You can buy them for not much money. And it took ages to sand. I used 80 grit sandpaper untill I could see that the fingerboard was the same as the block. Then sanded with finer paper up to 600. Make sure the fret slots are cleaned out. Then I used a nylon hamer to hammer the frets back in. I rounded off the edge of the fingerboard to the fret ends. Bigger radius = more length. Tool my time when I was doing it. The frets stayed in very well and were good against the fingerboard. I levelled the frets using a length of hollow rectangular metal. I put one AA battery at the first fret one in the middle and one at the last fret. Then laid the metal beam across the 3 batteries and used a feeler guage to check gap between the fingerboard and batteries. Can even roll the beam left and right to see that all 3 batteries move the same. Then you have a perfect flat straight neck. Take your time and be very gentile when checking that all the batteries have no space between them and the beam. Start with 240 grit sandpaper and cut a length same as the metal beam. Stick some painters tape on the beam and stick tape the the back of the strip of sandpaper you cut already. Put super glue on the tape stuck to the beam and stick the sandpaper to the beam. Use red or green marker pen along the frets ( black is difficult to see !) Then carefully sand the beam up and down the fret board untill you don't see any of the red (or green ) marks. Use Stanley blade at different lengths to check high frets if you need. Then you have to crown the frets and polish. A lot of work. It took many hours to do. I was surprised how well it came out though. I mean it felt like a guitar costing much much more than the 150 euro that I paid for it. Since I done this job I bought a set of proper fret files and can do this in less than 3 hours. Instead of maybe 8 hours work with the simple tools. I can get a fret clearance of under 1.5mm. Good luck if you decide to do it. It's well worth it. Just take your time. It dosent matter how long it takes as long as it is done right. You will be very happy with the results. Sorry for super long message. But that's how it is ☺
@@malcolmhardwick4258 wow, that does sound like a lot of work. But for me, and it sounds like you as well, that is the point. I just like working on guitars, the time it takes is irrelevant. I may try this if another HB lands on my lap for free or is inexpensive.
What a beauty!
Thx bud!
well done brill job keep up the good work
Thanks bud. It was a cathartic process.
I like theese tipe of videos a lot!
Thx Dani. My pleasure.
thanks man i might copy what you have done
Right on. Share a pic when you are done.
Damn, it's Matt Leinart
Putting a Fender logo on a Harley Benton. Well done, clap for you.
Thx for the clap, bud
Will a Fender Strat or Tele neck fit a harley benton body? Neck Pocket the same?
Depends on the scale length. Most fenders are 25.5 inches, and so is this Harley Benton. But not all HB's are 25.5 and not all Fender's are either. You would need to check.
@@tristansturm9241 I know about Scale Lengths, I just prefer Fender Necks of which I have a few left over... The 'Neck Pocket' is what I'm most concerned about... Thanks...
@@meauxgendron3682 I don't know if it will fit in the neck pocket.
Sorry maybe I missed it but how did you get the replacement pick guards ?
Great project. What kind of Dremel bits did you use?
Thank you. I made quick work with carbide burr bits. And then smoothed it out with sandpaper.
I have "ruined" my HB20 much more :D
Tristan, good Job at the headstock and the paintjob is well done. If all holes in the back are in line (string through)? ;)
The Idea with the Potty was grate.
Your HB Fender is not in tune ;p
Awesome Job.
Greets Robby
Thank you Robby! Yes, it would seem on many of my videos tuning is not my forte.
Super Mods there Man!! Is it feasible to do the same with an HB strat ? cut the headstock to a fenderish shape?
I would find a template for a headstock online, print it out, overlay it to make sure there is enough wood. Then make wood template and route it out. Yes, would be a little scary. For me, pickguard are inexpensive. If I screwed it up I could just buy another. Indeed, I'm doing the same thing for my Mustang and sanded through the pickguard thinning it. Good luck!
@@tristansturm9241 Thanks!!! Thats a detailed approach.I ll give it a try and if not succed i may conveted it in a custom shape headstock :).Anyway i ve ordered the guitar an st 62 and cant wait to get it!
where did you get the decal its brill
eBay, came from Germany. Searched "fender metal decal". £10.
yes no prob
Why
no disrespect intended...but why put 'fender' on a HB made guitar? why not just buy a fender? :(
HB are brill guitars in their own right...you are just trying to con peeps to think that you paid $1000's+ for a custom fender...bit sad to be honest :)
yes, put fender picks up in a HB if you are an audiophile but dont try to disguise an already good guitar to boost your ego or get laid, its still a Harley Benton at the end of the day :)
Haha, I think you over estimate the sex appeal of a fender. Honestly, I didn't really think about it. I don't gig, a handful of people have seen it, and I liked the thin metal after market logo that fit with the chrome theme. Nothing more to it. No one will mistake this for a fender.
@@tristansturm9241 lmao..sorry no disrespect was intended dude..but its the guitar playing that counts...girls dont look at the make of the guitar...just your headstock shape and your nut!! lmao
stay safe and have fun :D
But why? it's not a Fender......Just weird.
you ruined that shiny hb te30 fool
Fool, it's a TE-20. Also, grammatically, you mean to say, "You ruined that shiny HB TE-20, fool."
@@tristansturm9241 yes thanks for correcting me fool
stop thinking that an Harley Benton can replace a real Fender or Gibson...
or just learn to cope with the fact that those guitars are grossly overpriced and today you can buy an identical guitar from a reputable brand for a literal 10th of the price