u/Reasonable-Limit-877

I’m building a Tele-style guitar around a custom body that is already on order from a local builder. The final body will be made from marupá with a freijó top, both Brazilian woods.

While waiting for it to arrive, I decided to design and print a temporary body so I could assemble and test the rest of the guitar. The body is printed in multiple sections, with a solid central core supporting the neck pocket, pickups, bridge and string-through ferrules.

I originally expected it to be just a functional prototype, but the result genuinely surprised me. The guitar is very light and comfortable to play, and the sound quality is much better than I expected from a 3D-printed body.

Current specs:

Gotoh hardware
Fender Pure Vintage ’52 pickups
Roasted maple neck with a satin finish
42 mm thick 3D-printed body
Paisley pattern on the lower sections
Body weight: approximately 1.36 kg

The Brazilian wood body is still the final destination for this project, but after playing this version, I’m no longer in much of a hurry to retire it.

For anyone interested in building one, the files are available free to download for personal use on MakerWorld:

https://makerworld.com/en/models/3109171-telecaster-style-electric-guitar-body#profileId-3505677

Has anyone else here built or played a 3D-printed Tele?

First Tele build. Do you guys dig the no-pickguard look?

While waiting for my Brazilian wood Telecaster body, I built a 3D-printed one — and it really surprised me