Hello to everyone, another new guy here with a question.

[JWALKER]

Hello to everyone out there. I have specked out a T Classic, and I am not sure whether or not to get the VA Boost.
I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on the VA Boost option. From what I am able to understand, it makes your pups 10-15 % hotter when engaged, so please correct me if I am wrong about this. I also read that all TA guitars come with a standard 12-14 radius, is this correct? Also, can anyone explain the fret sizes? I am trying to create my dream Tele here that plays like a Les Paul or a classic Jazz arch top, but still incorporates the sound of a classic Tele. Here is what I have specked out:
I will greatly appreciate any and all input.

[tom]

welcome j.
i'll let other chime in on VA boost impressions. i will say that to me it's more of a tone change than volume boost. it makes it sound like you have the next hotter pickup in the guitar, not like a volume boost pedal. the effect is also diminished some the hotter the pickups get.
if you're used to playing shorter scale guitars, you might want to consider a short t. most people that play them don't miss any fenderness, but feel like it's more familiar feeling. just a thought.
what frets are you used to using? we have 5 choices.

[dannopelli]

Nice spec. I'd agree with Tom regarding the shorter scale. Makes a lot of sense if you want more a a LP feel. Might want to consider the Happy Medium too, or take the Even Taper to .30 over.

The VA boost is worth having because while you don't really get much more output, you do just get more ooomph. It is a nice feature. I enjoy it in my Classic.

The only thing you might reconsider is your bridge PUP. You have two noise cancelling PUPS, then a straight up single. The TF3 will give you 99% of what you get in a TV3 without the noise. And for aesthetics, if you went TF1, SF1, and TF3 you'd have three black PUPS. Or maybe poke around and look at some of the pics of T Classics that have an HC in the neck. They look great too, and get you back to full humbucker land.

[JWALKER]

I currently have a 1997 Fender Deluxe Plus which I am probably selling, because I do not like the feel of the fretboard. I love the guitar, just not the playing of it part. I also have a MIM strat which I like, and a Epi Elitist LP which I love the feel of, and a Heritage 555 on the way. I have played on a Heritage 535, if you can call what I do actually playing, and I really loved the feel of that guitar.
As to what frets are on these, I am not that tech savvy yet. So, I am going by feel and descriptions. I just spoke with Kevin, who I am working with,and he suggested that I go with the even temper( +.30) which will get me closer to a twelve inch radius.
I have smaller hands with stocky fingers, think catchers mit hands here. Krvin also mentioned that going to a shorter scale length would take away from the classic Tele sound. Musically, I love Jazz, Blues, Ambient, New Age, most forms of Rock, and I like to bend the strings when playing. So, I am trying to go with a flat and wide neck that would be very fast and easy to play. I am hoping to have the classic sound of a Tele with the feel of a faster playing LP, Ibanez, or Jackson type of guitar.

[tom]

i'd stand by the short t recommendation, and dano the tf3 makes total sense too. still love the m1 in the neck. i did speak to kevin the other day about this one.
medium frets feel taller than most non giant frets. could be good if you're after easy bending without the big fret feel. the low rise are popular if you've played older gibsons or prs. heavies are still the most popular. they are tall like the mediums and have a bit more of that railroad track feel when sliding up the neck.

[JWALKER]

I was told that the way it is currently specked with the change from TA Standard to +.30 with the current pups already being all black that would create the good matching set look. So, if I go with the Short T with TF3 in the bridge, this will give me the best combo of what I am looking for, and yet, it will still give ma that classic Tele tone and with three matching color pups. I greatly appreciate this info, as I definitely do not want to get this wrong. Not that the guitar would be wrong, but just wrong for my playing preference.

[dannopelli]

Wish we could get Corey, (Guitarzan) to chime in. He has a Short T.

The shorter scale will really not lose much if any of the Tele spank. You likely won't notice. And if you did, you spec'd an ash body, so that will bring a BUNCH back anyway.

TF3 is a good call for the bridge. I have M's in two guitars and they are WONDERFUL! Don't get me wrong about my other suggestions, just wanted to make you think a bit. And if you want the Nashville Tele look you need an SC in the middle. If you want all three pups to look the same get an SF. They are essentially the same pup. M1/SC1 or SF1/TF3 will be a KILLER guitar for the type of music you stated.

[JWALKER]

Wow, it does seem like this guitar would be a better choice, but with this guitar, would I want the happy medium neck? In talking about these babies, I love the Tele sound, and several of my guitar heroes, play Tele's, Like John Abercrombie, Ed Bickert, Steve Howe, etc... Hence my trying a Tele, as this guitar sounds so good in a wide variety of settings, like a multi-tool type of guitar, like an ES-335. I am planning, and I say planning, to stay with three guitars, and this list would be the Heritage 555, a Tele ? , and a LP style guitar like the TA Bulldog.

[JWALKER]

Not to knock it, I really do not care about the Nashville look, I just want they best pups I can get. I do not care how they look if they sound great, but it would be nice for all three to be black. However, I would sacrifice style for sound. With the color scheme, I just like the vintage look of the 1952 Telecaster, except I like the grainier T Yellow color better.

[tom]

there's not a reason you need to go to a different neck if you have felt the et or et+.030.
the m1, sf1,tf3 would make the most sense to me and look like they belong together.

[JWALKER]

Thanks Tom.
However, in my remote location, I have never played any of your guitars. So, if you think that I am happier with the Even-Temper Neck with +.30, then that is what I will go with. I have changed the PUPS to your specks also. Kevin did state that I might go with Heavy frets, in that you can always get these filed down a little if necessary, but not so with medium frets. Here are the updated specks:
• MODEL: – Short T w/ Contour
• FINISH: – Translucent Yellow • BODY WOOD: Swamp Ash
• BODY WOOD BACK COLOR: – Swamp Ash
• NECK WOOD: – Maple with Pau Ferro Fingerboard
• HEADSTOCK COLOR: – Natural
• NECK BACK FINISH: – Satin
• NECK BACKSHAPE: – Even Taper ( + .03)
• NUT WIDTH: – 1 11/16-inch
• SCALE LENGTH: – 24 3/4-inch
• FRETS: – Heavy
• BRIDGE: – Fixed
• TUNING GEAR: – Locking
• HARDWARE COLOR: – Chrome
• PICKGUARD: – Tortoise Shell
• NECK PICKUP: – M1
• MIDDLE PICKUP: SF1
• BRIDGE PICKUP: – TF3
• SWITCHING: – 5-Way W/ VA BOOST: Via Push-Pull Tone Knob
• STRING GAUGE REQUESTED: – .010-.046 Elixir® with NANOWEB® Coating
Bridge Action: Low
Case

[tom]

looks good. by standard in the headstock finish, do you mean natural like the back of the neck?

[JWALKER]

Yes, exactly, and Thanks, again.

[ducmike]

Late to the party, but sounds like a great guitar. I would definitely do the VA boost, you can alway leave it off it you don't dig it. I love it on my Cobra, and ordered a DT with it. Also, another big +1 on the TF3. Tom's noiseless pups are awesome. Even split they are quieter than my non-TA guitars. My PRS with 57/08's hums more in full bucker mode than the split mode of my HFs. Quiet is important if a lot of your gigs are in old churches with questionable wiring.

[dannopelli]

You are going to be really happy with that spec!

[John Price]

For me the VA booster sounds like going from Single coils to humbuckers. I don't really use it that often but I'm glad it's there.

[JWALKER]

With the current specks of this particular Short T, will the neck radius be 12' or greater?

[tom]

all our guitars are a 12-14" conical fingerboard surface. some call that compound, but that is a misuse of the term.