The “Switchcaster”
Okay, this one is is a once in a lifetime experience for me, and I am still riding the wave of the whole experience… I’ll try to stay calm.
I began working on this Telecaster back in January of 2025 with the hope that it would meet all of the specifications I would hope for in a dream guitar- and it wound up actually working out! Having never made an electric guitar like this before, I had no idea what to expect, especially after ruining a good glue up just before this. I took my time to source parts that I would be proud to have installed, and paint that I thought would make for a beautiful finish. In fact, here is the spec sheet:
Specs:
Alder 2 piece Body, Mighty Mite maple neck finished with boiled linseed oil with threaded inserts and bolts
Babicz Full Contact Hardware Bridge/Saddle
Gotoh Locking Tuners, 3 String Tree
Shielding Paint in all cavities
Nitrocellulose Oxford Inverness Green paint from Canada and nitro gloss clear
Concentric Potentiometers- top is tone, bottom is volume
Bill Lawrence Pickups: Neck- L202TN Bridge- L298TL
I was after a single coil tele that wouldn’t bother me with the 60 cycle hum they’re known for… My hollowbody Gretsch has tested my patience enough already. And somehow or another, the idea worked!
I played this guitar for a month with my band, and we enjoyed the sounds that were coming out of it. I haven’t messed around enough with single coils, and I knew this wouldn’t be the last time I attempted this build. With that in mind, I had bought VIP tickets to see my favorite band since I was ten years old, Switchfoot, in Charles Town, WV July 5th. I made the decision to contact their management and try to get this thing past security and into their hands as a gift to the band. I showed up early with my ears pressed up to the stage doors listening to their soundcheck, and narrowly dodging folks as they’d come out those doors! When the VIP line was finally let inside, I made my way to the front row of the stage as Switchfoot put on a full band Q&A sprinkled with some of my favorite songs, just for us. As the session was ending, I panicked a little, because I had assumed that we would take pictures individually with the band. (Someone should have read their email!) Two people got Jon’s attention and handed him gifts, and a friend of mine from the line nudged me with a “Now is your TIME.” Thank goodness they did, because this was truly the thing that saved the moment! I stammered something to get Jon’s attention and handed over this guitar in a case. He seemed truly surprised and grateful, and asked for a picture of us together from his team.
Fast forward to the show, and Jon grabs the guitar from a stage hand, and asks where I am in the crowd. I got pulled onstage, and got to explain a little about the build. Then, they broke into their song “Mess of Me” using the guitar that I gave them! It ripped through the club, and I will never forget the way it sounded as Jon made it sing that night… it’s very first stage show! Jon even made two posts on Instagram about the guitar and I just feel really grateful to give the band something I worked hard to produce. It was such a moment, and with this experience under my belt, I’m eager to keep the builds going.
