04/13/2004 10:21 AM -0400

This TerryCaster features the optional solid East Indian rosewood neck. Note the locking Sperzel tuners. The TerryCaster comes standard with a mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard. Both are excellent choices, and they do sound different. Neither is "better"...it's a subjective choice. Try to ignore the "cool factor" and make your choice based upon tonal considerations first and foremost. Read on... When rosewood necks became all the rage several years ago, I was slow to offer them for a number of reasons. Most importantly, I had only a limited amount of experience using this wood for necks, so before I could offer this wood I had to experiment and determine what the characteristics were and then determine if these characteristics would be a useful part of a TCM recipe. Click the image to the left to see a full-size version...

To be honest, I was not initially sold on the idea. I was also determined not to offer this wood due to any faddish demand that, for all I knew, had little basis in musical qualities. Equally as important, I had to be sure that my (to date, April 2004) unbroken record of zero warrantee returns due to neck twists or warps would remain intact.

After much examination, I am satisfied that an East Indian rosewood neck does indeed have a place in the TCM family. That is the good news. The bad news is that out of every ten neck blanks that I inspect (wood that would make a neck that would "work") only a few, at best, have all of the characteristics that I look for. There is a wide range of variability as regards tap tone resonance in this wood (this will apply to the endangered Brazilian Rosewood as well). Even if the neck blanks "qualify" as per quarter sawn cut, straight grain, and moisture content, the sound of these necks can be quite different from one to another - from harsh to mellow to rather dark. Locating the proper wood involves a lot of expense due to the high rejection rate that I have. The result is a higher price for this option.

The rosewood neck option includes a rosewood headstock face (finished in satin) and a matching rosewood truss rod cover. What does the "good stuff" sound like on a TCM? I'd say that it lends an almost "piano-esque" quality that is far from sterile sounding. The wood that I select is not a particularly "bright" sounding wood, but it does not sound like mahogany. It seems as if the notes develop full intensity a bit faster on the rosewood. Maybe what I am hearing is a lack of some of the "compressed" sound that mahogany hints at. Overall, the rosewood necks sound very alive, punchy, and articulate. Click the image to the left to see a full-size version...

The tactile feel of the wood is very nice - very smooth and warm. TCM rosewood necks are finished with several coats of pure Tung Oil. It will be important to ensure that the wood does not dry excessively due to prolonged exposure to really dry conditions such as can happen indoors during the winter. Obtain and use one of those little guitar case humidifiers.

If you choose one of the pickup sets that is slightly on the "hot" side (see below) the rosewood neck would be an especially ideal choice as part of your TerryCaster. The faster attack of the rosewood, coupled with the increased compression of the higher output pickup set seems to be a great combination, although I'm quite happy with it's tone in conjunction with the lower output pickup set as well.

The standard mahogany neck lends a very pleasing, more rounded tone to the TerryCaster without upsetting the desired acoustical or amplified tone. Some will actually prefer this over the higher-priced optional rosewood neck. There is a bit more "flutiness" to the tone of single note passages. The attack seems ever so slightly slower than the rosewood -equipped TerryCaster.

The TCM mahogany neck has proved to be as stable as a wooden guitar neck could ever hope to be. The TerryCaster is finished with my proprietary "Nitrothane" finish, which feels alot faster than standard nitrocellulose lacquer. It doesn't feel sticky. An oil finish is not available on the mahogany neck. The standard mahogany neck features a black headstock face and truss rod cover. Matching mahogany or rosewood is available as asn option.

Back in my repair days I installed quite a few LP Deluxe mini's in Telecasters, and it works quite well, but I must say that the LP Deluxe mini is possibly a bit mediocre (no offense, please!). But I always did like some of the qualities, and lo and behold, Ms. Jaurez took that basic chassis and supplied me with something that I am quite happy with for the TerryCaster.

The lower output version is especially nice, and the term "sweet" seems to apply perfectly for the tone of this pickup in the TerryCaster! There is none of the harshness of a Firebird pickup, and a ton more personality than the LP Deluxe that it's based on. Probably the closest thing I've heard are the pups on a particular old Epiphone Sheraton.

Yes, sweet it is, with no trace of muddiness. Better yet, the wooden tones of the guitar shine right through...especially with the lower output version...and best of all, it is a great mate for the VooDoo custom wound Tele bridge pickup. With a warm clean tone on a tube amp, really musical warm tones are there for the asking, and I can see this being used for jazzy comping styles.. True, it is not as "fat" as a full sized 'bucker, but big fat humbucker tones are NOT what the TerryCaster is all about. Having said that, dial up a bit of gain at the amp and experience some really syrupy tones...with that super-fast TerryCaster attack (more on that later).

The higher output version is notably fatter and rounded, and folks that intend to use the TerryCaster in higher-gain situations will likely opt for this one. It's actually a medium output, and is matched to the higher output bridge pickup. It's still a bit more articulate than a full sized 'bucker of the same output, but, definitely more "woof" than the vintage lower output version.

There will be a lot more about the overall sound(s) of the TerryCaster when I discuss the controls later in this message. Keep reading!

The lower output version is really good. There's that "twang" but due to the entire guitar's design there is nothing "spiky" or ear fatiguing going on. You really can get those spankin' country tones, but this guitar with the lower output set will also DEFINITELY handle hard rock. Peter did a great job with this pickup for sure. You can hear the wood, the pickup is so responsive, it's what I was looking for.

The higher output version has a more pronounced midrange that begins to suggest a P90 type of tone. Great for rockin' higher gain amp settings! Again, much more about the tone of the TerryCaster as my message continues.

The bridge on this particular TerryCaster was supplied to me by Joe Barden. As you can see, I have opted to use the old-style "ashtray" bridge with three solid brass saddles. Note how the saddles are angled so as to allow for far better intonation than the original 1950's Fender unit. The tone is just the same as the old Fender bridge, and I feel that the TerryCaster needed this type of sound from the bridge. The more modern flat steel bridges with six saddles just do NOT sound the same. To me, the original Tele bridge has a bit more complexity to the sound. They strike me as sounding a bit warmer and less shrill than the modern six saddle bridge. The angled saddles on the Barden unit have solved the old intonation problem.

As much as I like the Barden unit I am looking at another version (by Wilkinson) of the old-style bridge, and I may opt to offer that one instead if it is even better than the Barden.

1) The film thickness of a finish is a very vital specification, as the thickness of the finish dictates how much of a tonally subtractive effect that the finish has upon a guitar. This is especially important to me, as I carefully design for, and choose particular pieces of wood for, a specific set of acoustical qualities. Therefore, I desire that the finish change this as little as possible. Traditional nitrocellulose lacquer, sprayed very thin, does a great job of preserving the built-in acoustical qualities of a TCM. My new Nitrothane features a film thickness that is akin to that of a traditional lacquer. The finish on your TerryCaster will average out at only .005" to .007" thick when new!

2) Obviously a finish has to do a good job of protecting the guitar from all manner of dangers. That thick plastic polyester that so many use is the champion of protection but it is almost always so thick that it changes the sound of the guitar in ways that are near-impossible for the luthier to predict with any accuracy.

On the other hand, traditional nitrocellulose lacquer (when applied properly) is very thin, but is not the most durable finish. It is prone to scratching, and can rather easily crack ("check") due to cold wintertime conditions. Still, "nitro" is a fabulous finish as it is so thin and is as clear as water, which cannot be said of the polyesters and the straight urethanes. A thin nitro finish will change the tone of the guitar very little indeed. And it the easiest hard film finish for a pro to repair, by far.

The TCM Nitrothane finish combines the best attributes of traditional nitrocellulose lacquer and those of the more modern catalized urethanes and polys. Nitrothane is as thin as nitro, it is as clear as nitro (like water clear!), but it has the scratch and crack resistance of the polys...so Nitrothane is much of the best of both worlds. It feels pretty slick on the back of a neck, too! The repairability is better than the polys and a bit more difficult than nitrocellulose lacquer.

On the downside, the Nitrothane is a very labor-intensive finish to use. I have to custom-mix the exclusive formula right here in my shop from various resins which are also quite expensive. This is why I have only offered this finish on DRP guitars and on a custom-order basis on my standard line, which will continue to feature nitrocellulose lacquer as the standard finish.

Still, I respect the traditional aspect ( and sound, and appearance) of a nitrocellulose lacquer finish and so I will offer this to you on your personal TerryCaster if you wish.

I was tickled pink when I checked out these Tele-style dome knobs with the smooth decorative inset on the top. These particular ones have a faux tortoise shell inset that I think goes very well with the Tobbacco Burst finish. The knobs are nice and heavy and have a rather deep knurl, so they are a pleasure to grab and make the pot feel so silky smooth as well. Naturally, speed knobs, ebony knobs, and tophat style knobs are available for you if you prefer.

The pots themselves are the high quality, made-in-USA CTS brand.

Here, the TerryCaster's midrange control is topped off with a "chickenhead" style knob which is really easy to see and to use onstage, although you can have your choice of knobs.

The midrange circuit is no gimmick. It is a passive unit (no batteries) and is very useful. Even at extreme settings it has a musical, analog sound that does not "invent" sounds of it's own, rather, it serves to either emphasize or de-emphasize frequencies that are right there, built into the TerryCaster. Overall it has a very natural, un-hyped character that completely suits the organic nature of the TerryCaster guitar. Since such a control is not at all common on guitars it may be worthy of some explanation.

The midrange control is actually two little circuits in one. The circuitry components are the same as found on far more complex circuits that are found in vintage mixing console EQ sections, etc. My main inspiration for this particular circuit was the legendary Pultec passive EQ unit that was standard equipment for any high-end recording studio in the late 1960's/early 1970's. The Pultec is one of the most highly sought-after pieces of vintage outboard recording gear in the world, and justifiably so, for the warm analog tone of this unit is part-and-parcel of so many of our favorite recorded guitar (and vocal, and drum, etc) tones from the classic era of analog recording. You have heard the Pultec sound hundreds of times without ever knowing it!

The TerryCaster's midrange control is not an exact copy of the far more complex Pultec circuit. After all, the Pultec was designed to handle a wide range of input sources, and most of it's abilities would be outside of the needs of a guitar. I decided to use the same basic circuit components, simplify the circuit greatly, and to voice this circuit for the TerryCaster.

Being no advanced electronic wizard, I conferred with some really knowledgeable folks (including Bill Lawrence and the folks at Vintech) and read up on the subject. It turned out that the components that I needed were readily available. There are a couple rather crude versions out there such as the Fender TBX control (which is actually a clever little thing) but nothing that was dime-on what I needed. I learned what components I needed and played with the values until it sounded good.

The circuit is similar to a classic passive semi-parametric eq control (again, the Pultec) but with a fixed, rather narrow bandwidth (Q) and two separate fixed midrange center frequencies. At "5", the circuit is neutral (no effect). From "5" to "zero" a carefully chosen set of midrange frequencies are gradually attenuated, leaving the high's and low's unaffected. There is a host of great sounds all along this part of the pot's travel. I'll talk more about this momentarily. From "5" to "10" a carefully selected set of midrange frequencies are brought to the foreground. Again, there are goodies here that I'll discuss soon.

The tone control produces some interesting results when used with the midrange control, too.

Try not to make the common error of judging the acoustic tone of an electric guitar solely upon its unplugged volume. Certainly, a good, loud acoustic tone can be a great sign, but ONLY if the balance between the three basic frequency groups is appropriate. If volume were the important consideration, then any number of $150.00 hollowbodies would be judged as having the best potential for tone when amplified, and I can assure you that they do not for most people's purposes at least.

When listening to the acoustic tone of a solid-body guitar such as the TerryCaster, Les Paul, Stratocaster, etc, it is important to note that, due to the low amplitude of the sound, the lows will be a bit harder to hear than the mids or high's. Strum evenly and place your ear close to or even ON the body. Try playing in a small, enclosed space such as a bathroom. The room resonance will help to amplify the sound and thus make it easier to hear. Listen for things such as the balance of the highs to the mids and lows. Listen for areas on the neck that sound louder and more alive, or rather soft and non-resonant.

There is no one ideal for this tone, as this sort of thing is truly subjective. For the TerryCaster to work properly, it was important to achieve a very balanced tone with a good acoustical match between the three basic frequency groups, and a total lack of outwardly "live" and "dead" spots. This has been achieved. The sparkling clarity of the highs and the solid resonance of the mids in the TerryCaster are easier to hear than the lows for the reasons given above. Careful listening will reveal that the taught, controlled lows are, in fact, very well balanced, although they do make their presence known even to casual observation by the fact that the body resonates quite easily in reaction to the low frequencies, and these vibrations can be felt on your body as you play the guitar. The overall acoustic volume is quite loud for a solid-body guitar.

Another thing that you will notice about the acoustic tone of the TerryCaster is that the notes spring to life almost immediately (a quick "rise time") after they are plucked or strummed. You will find that the guitar reacts right away to right hand picking and strumming nuances. This is another aspect that will be very apparent when the guitar is amplified. This was very important to achieve on the TerryCaster and is of course one hallmark of any truly fine Tele. Many refer to this attack as "spank". The notes develop full velocity right away. The rise time of the TerryCaster is just a bit slower than a truly fine Tele, and is but one design result that helps to imply that analog-recorded ingredient that I have mentioned earlier.

I will refer to another common term…"snap". The quick high-end response of the TerryCaster has a very articulate, "snappy" response, and this is easy to hear acoustically.

This would be as opposed to a different type of guitar such as the TCM Taurus, especially one equipped with the 24.625" scale. These guitars have a slower "rise time" and in fact each note takes quite a bit longer to develop full velocity than on the TerryCaster. This slower rise time also means that the guitar reacts a bit slower to right hand nuances. This of course is one hallmark of certain outstanding Les Pauls as well, and therefore this slower rise time does not have a place in the TerryCaster recipe.

Before we plug the TerryCaster into the amps, I have a small disclaimer to make…I am not gifted in the art of describing tone via the written word. I will try to aid myself by referring to recorded tones that many of you may be familiar with. I will try to be as accurate as possible in my comparisons, but obviously these are subjective judgements and statements. Your own observations may differ. As I designed the TerryCaster I spent a lot of time listening to some of my personal favorite, recorded Tele tones from the 1960's, and 1970's with a few more modern recordings thrown in for good measure. The older tones were the most inspirational to me, and they were monitored in my recording studio control room via a pair of Mackie 824 monitors. I'll refer to specific tones as they appeared to me via my 824's.

Keep in mind my observations of the acoustical qualities of the TerryCaster and see how they apply to the amplified tone. As for amps, we'll use a common-variety Fender Twin for generic tube amp clean tones, and a Guytron GT-100 head through a 4x12 cabinet for the overdriven tones. This amp has a very "British" character, and mine has a Vox AC30-meets-plexi Marshall type of tone. No doubt that many Marshall-esque amps set for moderate overdrive (gain) would yield reasonably similar results.

Also, keep in mind that we have the following on-board guitar controls - master volume, master tone (treble shunt), midrange boost/cut, and a 3-way switch that yields neck, neck/bridge, and bridge pickup selections. When I say "roll the tone to 7" or "roll the mids to 6" I am referring to the onboard controls and not the amplifier's eq controls.

Please note that these results are those from the above-described set of custom TerryCaster pickups. There are other ultra high-quality pickup options available, each of which will yield it's own interpretation of the built-in tone of the TerryCaster. Finally, it's very important to point out that my results are the product of not only the TerryCaster but also of my own particular playing style, amps and monitoring environment.

Neck pickup