Humbuckers in Telecasters

Here is one I began a few months ago, still need to finish it off as a complete, finished, guitar. Nails and nail holes – proper barnwood tele, having several bits from my shed in its DNA.

Telecasters Reimagined: From Humbucker Hybrids to Exmoor Spruce Originals

Few guitars have worn as many disguises as the Fender Telecaster. Born in the early 1950s as a no-nonsense workhorse, the Tele has since been reinterpreted in countless ways—each variation adding a new voice to its already versatile character.

One of the most enduring twists is the Telecaster with a humbucker in the neck position. This configuration, popularised in the 1970s with models like the Fender Telecaster Custom, gave players the best of both worlds: the Tele’s trademark bite from the bridge single-coil, paired with the warmth and fullness of a humbucker at the neck. Keith Richards famously wielded such a setup, using it to drive the Rolling Stones’ swaggering rhythm sound. The combination has since become a staple for players who want grit and clarity in equal measure.

But the Telecaster’s story doesn’t stop with factory models. A thriving sub genre has emerged—independent, reclaimed, and reimagined Tele-style builds that carry as much history in their wood as they do in their tone.

The Exmoor Spruce Example

Take the recent Rat Bait Guitars Telecaster-style bodies, crafted in North Devon from salvaged materials and finished in natural beeswax. Among the timbers used is Exmoor Spruce, a native softwood shaped by the harsh uplands of Exmoor National Park. Its tight grain and wild tonal character make it a striking alternative to the more predictable commercial spruces.

These bodies aren’t polished showroom pieces—they’re raw artefacts of survival and reinvention. Each carries scars and stories, transformed into instruments that embody the spirit of punk, blues, and DIY rock. They nod to the quirky Woolworths imports of the 1960s and ’70s, guitars once dismissed as cheap knock-offs but now celebrated as cult classics.

Why Collectors Should Pay Attention

For serious players and collectors, this sub-genre of reclaimed Telecasters is more than a curiosity. They represent:

  • Authenticity – Every scratch and knot in the wood is part of its history.
  • Defiance – Built outside the factory system, they reject sterile perfection.
  • Cultural Continuity – They echo the DIY ethos that has always fuelled music at the margins.
  • Unique Tonality – Woods like Exmoor Spruce bring a voice you won’t find in mass-produced instruments.

A Must-Have Sub-Genre

Just as the Telecaster Custom with its neck humbucker carved out a permanent place in rock history, these reclaimed builds demand recognition as a category in their own right. They’re not just guitars they’re statements. To own one is to hold a piece of rebellion, resilience, and reinvention in your hands.

For collectors looking to expand beyond the predictable, adding an Rat Bait Guitars Tele-style body to the lineup isn’t just desirable—it’s essential.

Our Feedback – Rat Bait Guitars

Rat Bait Guitars: Why Feedback Fuels Craft and Community

In the world of independent makers, feedback isn’t just a courtesy—it’s oxygen. For a company like ours, Rat Bait Guitars, every review is more than a pat on the back; it’s a compass that guides craft, customer experience, and creative
evolution.

Unlike mass-produced instruments, each Rat Bait Guitar or body carries a story of reclamation, rebellion, and artistry. That story doesn’t end when the guitar leaves the workshop—it continues in the hands of the player. Feedback closes that loop, reminding the maker that their work resonates, inspires, and endures.

  • Validation of Craft: Independent builders thrive on knowing their work meets (and exceeds) expectations.
  • Trust Building: In a crowded marketplace, authentic customer voices cut through the noise.
  • Continuous Improvement: Honest reflections highlight what’s working and where refinements can be made.
  • Community Creation: Reviews aren’t just about products—they’re about shared values, passion, and connection.

At Rat Bait Guitars, feedback is not filed away—it’s celebrated, learned from, and woven back into the creative process.

Here’s a snapshot of our recent feedback, that reflects the voice of the Rat Bait community:

  • “Totally excellent from start to finish. No rats were included.”
  • “Another great, unique, handcrafted guitar from an excellent creator. Professional packaging and shipping—delighted again ??.”
  • “Item was very well packed, exactly as described, and arrived quickly. Excellent communication all round. Very happy—thanks!”
  • “Once again, a great buying experience. I’ve bought several guitar bodies from this seller, and they always exceed expectations. This
    Tele body is the perfect base for my next project. Five-star service from a five-star chap. Huge thanks.”
  • “Lovely Telecaster copy in scavenged wood—looks great and plays beautifully! Rat Bait are great luthiers.”
  • “Arrived on time—very good guitar, the best I’ve ever had. Deep sound, perfectly set up.”
  • “A really nice guitar, unique and obviously made with great care. Exceptional value and a great addition to my collection.”
  • “Awesome—I would deal with Rat Bait again. Lovely looking guitar, leaving it to settle and looking forward to playing it.”
  • “Perfect little Telecaster body.”

Closing Thoughts

Feedback is more than a review—it’s a dialogue. For Rat Bait Guitars, it’s proof that reclaimed wood and rebellious design can become
instruments of joy, inspiration, and loyalty. Every comment, whether playful or profound, strengthens the bond between maker and
musician.

The Phoenix Rises

Salvage, Soul & Sonic Rebellion

‘When you pick up a guitar, you’re not just holding wood and wire—you’re gripping history. Not just the hands that played it, but the scars it carries, the timber it was born from, and the battles it survived. Rat Bait Guitars don’t chase perfection. Each component has its own previous life story, resurrection and metamorphosis. If you’re interested in an instrument with a story, Rat Bait Guitars are worth considering.’

Built from Ruin, Made to Scream

Take the body featured above: a Frankenstein of salvaged wood—fence post, roof offcut, shed panel, and the carved heart of a guitar once devoured by woodworm. Treated, reshaped, and reborn into a retro 60s/70s silhouette inspired by Teisco and Kay designs, it’s a slab of tone with old-world charm and unapologetic grit.

  • Neck Pickup: from a Manson Guitar (Matthew Bellamy)

  • Bridge pickup: early 2000s ceramic single pole.

  • Tailpiece: retro chrome clamshell, because why not?

This isn’t a museum piece. It’s a relic with soul. Read more here

Imperfection as Identity

Rat Bait guitars are built in a shed that smells of glue and sawdust, not sterile polish. Parts are from the 1970s to the 2020s, mixing eras to create instruments that sound better than the homogenised clones flooding the market. They’re rugged, battle-scarred, and ready to scream.

  • Reclaimed materials: furniture, fence posts, roof timbers, flooring.

  • Custom-built bodies: Telecaster, Stratocaster, and the occasional Japanese oddity.

  • Body prices start at £35.00. Each one is unique. Each one is alive.

What Players Say

  • “Lovely Telecaster copy in scavenged wood, looks great and plays beautifully! Rat Bait are great luthiers!”
  • “Arrived on time—very good guitar, best I’ve ever had. Sound is deep, all perfectly set up.”
  • “Item was very well packed, as described and arrived very quickly. Excellent comms all round. Very happy—thanks! :)”
  • “A really nice guitar, unique and obviously made with great care. Exceptional value. A great addition to my collection!”
  • “Awesome, I would deal with again… lovely looking guitar, leaving to settle and look forward to playing it.”
  • “Perfect little Telecaster body.”
  • “Lovely Telecaster copy in scavenged wood, looks great and plays beautifully! Rat Bait are great luthiers!” 
  • “Arrived on time—very good guitar, best I’ve ever had. Sound is deep, all perfectly set up.”
  • “Item was very well packed, as described and arrived very quickly. Excellent comms all round. Very happy—thanks! :)”

These aren’t just guitars. They’re outsider art. Punk relics. Sonic protest pieces.

Why Salvage Matters

Every salvaged guitar is a strike against waste. A nod to sustainability. A celebration of character over gloss. By repurposing discarded timber and broken parts, a voice is given to materials that would otherwise be silenced.

Each guitar built is a story stitched together with defiance and solder. And if you’re the kind of player who values raw tone over showroom shine, welcome home.

Because each guitar body is handcrafted, genuine Rat Bait Guitar products are few and far between. Their rarity is why purchasing one of these creations should be seen as an investment.

Barnwood Hybrid Telecaster – Coming Soon

Barnwood Hybrid Telecaster One-Off Build from Salvaged Chaos

Handbuilt in North Devon, this guitar is a collision of eras and styles: a Telecaster silhouette fused with Stratocaster guts, crafted from reclaimed roofing wood and a shattered Strat shell that refused to die. It’s not just assembled—it’s resurrected.

  • Body: Strat-routed Tele shape, salvaged timber and broken Strat shell
  • Neck: 22-fret maple with rosewood-style fretboard, slim profile, lightly nitro-finished
  • Electronics: HSS configuration, 3 single coils, 5-way switch, Strat-style scratchplate
  • Hardware: Wilkinson hardtail bridge, new 10mm machine heads, strap buttons
  • Dimensions: 25.5″ scale length, 42mm nut width, approx. 44mm body thickness (± 0.5mm)
  • Weight: 3.3kg of raw tone and rebellion

This isn’t a factory clone—it’s a Frankenstein lovechild of Jedson and Strat, stitched together with defiance and solder. The electrics are mid-range, the tone is old-school twang, and the finish is unapologetically imperfect. Built to be played, not polished.

Crafted from recycled materials, a new old stock neck, and a mix of refurbished and new parts. A one-off barnwood creation, made in a shed in North Devon. Actual photos will be published soon. Similar guitar will be listed on eBay.

Barnwood Hardtail Stratocaster Style Body

 

This Strat body is a genuine Rat Bait Guitar construction, which was made in September 2025. This guitar body is made from salvaged material and a broken Stratocaster type guitar constructed and shaped in a rat infested shed in North Devon. The design and shape is reminiscent of ‘Woolworths’ guitars from the 1960s / 70s – Japanese, retro homage. Please see photographs to view the rugged finish and texture of the body.

This body is part loaded with a white scratchplate from a new guitar, new electrics and new pickups.

 
Stratocaster Body made from recycled materials – body weight 1.85kg (unloaded).
Materials:  Old roofing timber, bits from an old bookcase and a broken Stratocaster body.
This body is routed to take standard single coil pickups. This handmade body has dents, scratches and old paint in places. You might have to fettle this body to suit your needs.
 Hardtail Stratocaster body SSS routed – UK Made
  • Body made from a salvaged material
  • Approx. Thickness: 42mm
  • Approx. Neck Pocket Width: 55mm
  • Approx. Weight: 1.85kg

The Hardtail Strat Barnwood Guitar Body by Rat Bait guitars is a unique and eco-friendly choice for electric guitar enthusiasts. Made from recycled material in the United Kingdom, this body features a natural, red, and black colour scheme that adds a touch of character to any guitar. With a weight of 1.85kg, this UK-made body is designed to fit most electric guitars seamlessly, making it an ideal choice for customising and creating a one-of-a-kind instrument.