Telecaster

You will need, from the top:

Tools

• measuring calipers - digital.
• Philips head screwdrivers - small and medium
• Drill bits:
  • 7/64" for neck and bridge plate.
  • smaller for headstock (tuning machines and string tree)
  • medium for pickguard.
• Soldering iron
  • Solder and flux

Materials

Neck

• Neck (21 frets)
  • check width of peghead holes with calipers and be sure to choose tuning machines with bushings to match:

• Vintage is [8.9]mm
• modern is [10]mm.

• String Tree = vintage is a round button;
• Tuning machines - six in line
  • vintage - kluson style - have push in bushings of a narrower guage. You can buy wider bushings.
• Waterslide decal

Body

• Body. check:
  • Neck pocket width/depth. Has to fit neck snugly. Note if loose and neck holes aren't drilled straight, strings will miss the fingerboard at the hupper registers
  • Routing: for single coils or humbuckers or both?
  • Width of jack output (fairly sure these are consistent).
  • Gauge of ferrule holes at back - vintage are slightly narrower
  • Drilling:
    • Is it a top loader or is it drilled straight through for strings loaded at back
    • if back-loading, check width of strong spacing (important because has to match up with bridge) - 54mm standard? is vintage wider?
• Pickups: Check:
  • Single coil or humbucker?
  • number of windings.
  • pole pieces on bridge (Alnico 5) and does it have a brass baseplate (if not you will need to earth pickups)
  • cloth covered wire (preferable but slightly more fiddly to work with)
• Pickguard