LONGscale TLE

[mc2]

Hey....I have a 1988 longscale 25.5 inch custom TLE (sustain block) and was under the impression that TLE's were pretty much all short/Gibson 24.75 inch scale length.

....but I just scored another longscale one (a 1987, also a sustain block.)

Does anyone else have/had a longscale one?

I notice that both of the longscales have the pickup selector switch/slot thru the flametop wood, not thru that black rounded rectangular plate like on most of the other TLE's

[Guest hectorp]

Hey....I have a 1988 longscale 25.5 inch custom TLE (sustain block) and was under the impression that TLE's were pretty much all short/Gibson 24.75 inch scale length.

....but I just scored another longscale one (a 1987, also a sustain block.)

Does anyone else have/had a longscale one?

I notice that both of the longscales have the pickup selector switch/slot thru the flametop wood, not thru that black rounded rectangular plate like on most of the other TLE's

I never heard of such a thing. I really like TLEs. I've had two of them but sold both. Do you have pix?

For years my fantasy guitar would have been a TLE-Custom in Salmon Blush with a sustain block and a bridge-triple coil. yummmmmmmmy

[mc2]

Do you have pix?

For years my fantasy guitar would have been a TLE-Custom in Salmon Blush with a sustain block and a bridge-triple coil. yummmmmmmmy

Here are pics of each...both definitely 25.5 scales. Strange, no? The necks meet the body about a fret and a half earlier than a normal TLE, sustain blocks are a bit more towards the tail and the 3-way switch is different, despite their looking like short-scales at first glance.

The first one in actually pretty close to your fantasy guitar....

[Guest hectorp]

Do you have pix?

For years my fantasy guitar would have been a TLE-Custom in Salmon Blush with a sustain block and a bridge-triple coil. yummmmmmmmy

Here are pics of each...both definitely 25.5 scales. Strange, no? The necks meet the body about a fret and a half earlier than a normal TLE, sustain blocks are a bit more towards the tail and the 3-way switch is different, despite their looking like short-scales at first glance.

The first one in actually pretty close to your fantasy guitar....

OMG...that is cool!...Let's keep in touch in case you ever have a weak moment and decide to sell it...we can keep it in the family. I'm a rabid fan of the 3-coil pickups. I got the Young Master (BCR Greg) to make this mod to a Mirage II and I'm considering having him do it to a Newport Custom of mine. Awesome guitar!

[mc2]

OMG...that is cool!...Let's keep in touch in case you ever have a weak moment and decide to sell it...we can keep it in the family. I'm a rabid fan of the 3-coil pickups. I got the Young Master (BCR Greg) to make this mod to a Mirage II and I'm considering having him do it to a Newport Custom of mine. Awesome guitar!

That triple-coil one was actually made for/belonged to the late Rob Buck of 10,000 Maniacs. The neck profile was matched to one of his vintage Fender Teles.

His longtime GF's son ended up with it after Rob passed away...and sold it to me when he was trying to scarf up enough money to move to THAILAND after he met a girl there online and "fell in love." (yes, really...)

He may be a sex slave in some Thai basement there at this point, as I never heard from him after that.

[mc2]

Hey....I just realized that, side-by-side, these two longscales are VERY different from each other...and not just the pickup config and colors.

The triple-coil one's headstock/overall length is a full half-inch longer than the other. So, I guess that means there was definitely no template for a longscale TLE ??

The fingerboard width is a lot narrower... 1 5/8 at the nut and 2 inches at the 24th fret. (the red one is 1 3/4 at the nut and 2 1/4 at the 24th.)

Triple-coil is also a full pound lighter at 7 ibs.; red one is 8 lbs.

Triple-coil also has very straight-grained mahogony body wood, other is very patterned. Bookmatched top on the triple-coil and a one-piece on the red,