Wilkinson 50s Vintage-T Guitar Kit – StewMac

Wilkinson 50s Vintage-T Guitar Kit

Now you can build your own 50s blackguard
Just like they made them in Fullerton! From legendary designer Trev Wilkinson, these are some of the highest quality electric guitar kits available today.

If you want to build a 50s-spec Tele, now is your chance. Wilkinson went down the rabbit hole to make a kit that not only had the vibe of those blackguard blonds, but would play even better! This kit is supercharged with the best of everything. With top quality woods, professional-grade pickups, and amazing craftsmanship, you can build your own with a few simple tools.

Make it play like a dream
Wilkinson was inspired by the iconic Teles of the 50s when speccing this kit. Full of vintage vibe and tone, the parts and electronics have been upgraded from top to bottom.

The heart of the kit is the premium grain-matched center joined 2-piece body. The routing is crisp and clean, and the wood is smooth and ready to finish. With our series of ColorTone Lacquers and Finishes, you can make it look exactly like you’ve always pictured it.

The Maple neck right out of the box feels smooth and fits tight in the pocket. It’s pre-fretted, inlayed, and ready of fine tune to your perfect shape. The profile of the full but comfortable neck is amazingly close to the guitars that rolled out of southern California in 1952. The peghead has a very familiar shape—it’s ready for you to customize and dial in the exact curves and contours to match any vintage model you feel inspired by.

Custom pickups and pro parts
Each and every electronic component is totally upgraded. Wilkinson’s custom-wound WVTN and WVOB pickups are hooked up with premium wiring and professional-grade CTS pots and CRL switch. These vintage-voiced Alnico V pickups have captured the biting tone of 50s Teles perfectly. The switch and pots are completely pre-wired, saving you hours of work. And of course, the pickguard is lacquered black Bakelite, just like it should be.

Vintage hardware with modern playability
The hardware upgrades are where this kit really shines. The bridge is Wilkinson’s take on the original Tele bridge, with traditional brass saddles. The saddles are staggered so your guitar will actually play in tune (try that with any original Tele!). Just like the originals, the bridge is steel which fundamentally changes how the pickups and the entire guitar sounds. The Graph Tech nut keeps the guitar in tune even with deep blues bends.

Your kit includes everything you’ll need:

• Finely sanded 2-piece center joined Alder body
• Neck pocket, pickup cavities and bridge holes routed and drilled
• Shaped Maple neck with installed truss rod
• 25.5″ (647mm) scale length, 7.25″ radius
• One piece 50s-style neck with Maple fingerboard
• 21 vintage size frets and traditional dot inlays
• Shaped peghead, ready to customize
• Pre-slotted Graph Tech nut for perfect action
• Nickel plated hardware—from tuners to strap buttons
• Wilkinson WTB bridge
• Single-ply black Bakelite pickguard
• Wilkinson WVTN neck pickup and WVOB bridge pickup
• Pre-wired 3-way CRL switch and 250K CTS potentiometers
• Output jack, premium wire, premium capacitors
• Traditional chrome knobs
• Adjustment wrenches

Perfect for first time or pro builders
This kit is a blast to build. You won’t have to spend hours sanding to get the feel you want—all of the hard work is already done. If you’re a beginner, you’ll love that everything fits together with no surprises or tricky skills needed. If you’re an old pro, you’ll appreciate that nothing needs to be upgraded or replaced. You’ll have a ready to play factory-level guitar as soon as you install the last screw.

Wilkinson provides instructions and our highly knowledgeable staff of guitar techs are always ready to answer any questions. Download your instructions now!

Telecaster®, Tele®, and Esquire® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.