"Roots" the Tele

[Jeff Pierce]

Went for a more organic feel this time around. It is a traditional telecaster shape, though semi-hollow, with a walnut body, spalted maple top "overgrown" with partially inlaid wenge roots. The bolt on neck is curly maple with a zircote fretboard, inlaid with a walnut vine and padauk leaves. Additional autumn leaves of maple, purpleheart and padauk are inlaid on the back of the body. It has G&L single coil pickups, Gotoh tuners and a Golden Age (Stewmac house brand) roller bridge.

[Karl Wicklund]

When you say “wenge roots” I assume “roots made from wenge,” not genuine roots of a wenge tree.

I like the relief carving there.

[Jeff Pierce]

Yes, you are correct. I did briefly ponder the idea of inlaying actual tree roots (not of wenge, but some local species), but decided that would actually be harder than carving faux ones out of a solid piece.

[Karl Wicklund]

What you've done here works well visually, probably better than actual roots. Or at least very differently than actual roots. Now that I think about it for another couple moments, that would be really tough - a great stunt, but I'll leave it for someone else to try.