Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: juansolo on September 08, 2011, 07:18:02 PM

Title: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: juansolo on September 08, 2011, 07:18:02 PM
With the passing on of my NDM's, it comes to the Tele to be the focus of my butchery.

I have an idea...

I don't like Tele neck pups, never have. So I fancy sticking a humbucker in there. Which brings me to the two problems with that.

1) It's routed for the Tele neck, so I'll need to route the body for it.
2) No one seems to make a 5 screw single ply, black Tele guard with a humbucker hole in it.

So not making it easy for me.

The routing to be fair is the only thing that worries me. I don't possess one for a start and would be worried about f**king it up royally... It's a nice guitar, I don't want to butcher it.

The pickguard I suppose I could cut out the one I have using an 8 holer as a template. Just depends how neat a job I make of it.

Yep I could drill more holes for the 8 hole guard, but I don't want to do that. I also want to be able to revert this back to stock if neccessary. The Baja Teles seem to have a good rep and I'd want to sell it as one if it ever came to that, rather than something else.

Tell me I'm mad and should just leave it alone...

For reference it's one of these:

(http://media.fmicdirect.com/fender/images/products/guitars/0141502307_frt_wmd_001.jpg)
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: ToneMonkey on September 08, 2011, 08:52:19 PM

Tell me I'm mad and should just leave it alone...


Hell no, break out the router.... just practice on some scr@p first.
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on September 08, 2011, 08:56:46 PM
John - I could make you a 5 hole tele plate if you wish with a HB where you need it
I can even rout the body if you can get to me

Can't promise you won't go home with a Feline Lion though as well (which if it were the case I would probably overlook charging you for any work on the tele).
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: juansolo on September 08, 2011, 09:06:07 PM
John - I could make you a 5 hole tele plate if you wish with a HB where you need it
I can even rout the body if you can get to me

Can't promise you won't go home with a Feline Lion though as well (which if it were the case I would probably overlook charging you for any work on the tele).

Oh you are a very, very bad man.

I might just take you up on that. Just need to get shot of the Edwards, it's the only one left...
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: shobet on September 08, 2011, 11:52:35 PM
This probably wont help either then John...
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: Andrew W on September 09, 2011, 12:52:53 AM
This probably wont help either then John...

Ooh that's nice. Very Albert Collins.
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: Philly Q on September 09, 2011, 01:46:57 AM
Must admit I'm surprised you don't already have a router!

Go for it!  It's an easy mod and you can always cover it up with a new scratchplate.  Or you could just take Jon up on his offer....
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: Philly Q on September 09, 2011, 01:48:51 AM
Can't promise you won't go home with a Feline Lion though as well (which if it were the case I would probably overlook charging you for any work on the tele).

Oh you are a very, very bad man.

Do like that tabby. But I have my eye on a larger cat than that...


Hmmmm, Watson.... the game is afoot!  :P
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: juansolo on September 09, 2011, 08:21:17 AM
Must admit I'm surprised you don't already have a router!

Go for it!  It's an easy mod and you can always cover it up with a new scratchplate.  Or you could just take Jon up on his offer....

Surprisingly this is the first time I've ever needed one. Though I suspect Jon would make a far neater job of it than me.

Need another Edwards...? I'm open to offers ;)
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: juansolo on September 09, 2011, 08:21:50 AM
This probably wont help either then John...

That's not helping  8)
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: Philly Q on September 09, 2011, 11:05:58 AM
Need another Edwards...? I'm open to offers ;)

Definitely not, I'm afraid.

Need one yourself?  I've got a couple for sale.  :lol:
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: HTH AMPS on September 09, 2011, 12:17:16 PM
Rather than go with a humbucker, perhaps consider a Strat neck pickup or a P90.

I'm not that versed with Tele neck single coils, but surely there is something in the BKP range that err's towards Strattier type tones ??????

fwiw, I have a P90 in the neck position on my Tele and it works a treat.
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: BigB on September 09, 2011, 12:29:17 PM
I'm not that versed with Tele neck single coils, but surely there is something in the BKP range that err's towards Strattier type tones ??????

Blackguard Flat52.
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: Philly Q on September 09, 2011, 02:04:33 PM
I'm not that versed with Tele neck single coils, but surely there is something in the BKP range that err's towards Strattier type tones ??????

Blackguard Flat52.

True, but John hasn't mentioned being after Strattier neck tones has he?  :?

Might as well throw mini-humbuckers into the mix, they sound good on a Tele.
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: WezV on September 09, 2011, 05:00:32 PM
Might as well throw mini-humbuckers into the mix, they sound good on a Tele.

this - because not only do minihums look better, i also like the way a traditional tele bridge pickup mixes with a firebird pickup
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: juansolo on September 09, 2011, 06:39:14 PM
Have to admit I was veering towards the humbucker as if I don't think it works, it offeres a lot more variety to try other things in there (MQs, I really like the GFS surf 90, those fender single coil things who's name escapes me, etc). Whereas a mini hum/strat/P90 would tie me to that type of pup.
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: Philly Q on September 09, 2011, 06:50:21 PM
Have to admit I was veering towards the humbucker as if I don't think it works, it offeres a lot more variety to try other things in there (MQs, I really like the GFS surf 90, those fender single coil things who's name escapes me, etc). Whereas a mini hum/strat/P90 would tie me to that type of pup.

If you route the body enough to take any type of pickup, you'd only need an extra scratchplate or two.  :)

That's pretty much what they do on the current Fender American Standard/Deluxe models - they're routed for a neck humbucker, Tele bridge (of course) and a middle single coil.

I have a Joe Barden bridge pickup and Lollar Firebird on mine at the moment, but I keep thinking about changing it to a Tele bridge plus two Strat pickups.
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: BigB on September 09, 2011, 07:12:22 PM
I'm not that versed with Tele neck single coils, but surely there is something in the BKP range that err's towards Strattier type tones ??????

Blackguard Flat52.

True, but John hasn't mentioned being after Strattier neck tones has he?  :?

Nope, was just posting this in answer to HTH - sorry if it wasn't clear :-/
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: Philly Q on September 09, 2011, 08:50:23 PM
I'm not that versed with Tele neck single coils, but surely there is something in the BKP range that err's towards Strattier type tones ??????

Blackguard Flat52.

True, but John hasn't mentioned being after Strattier neck tones has he?  :?

Nope, was just posting this in answer to HTH - sorry if it wasn't clear :-/

Yeah, sorry, I wasn't meaning to sound like a smartarse.
Title: Re: Inevitable Tele butchery
Post by: JacksonRR on September 10, 2011, 11:38:41 PM
John - I could make you a 5 hole tele plate if you wish with a HB where you need it
I can even rout the body if you can get to me

Can't promise you won't go home with a Feline Lion though as well (which if it were the case I would probably overlook charging you for any work on the tele).

Oh you are a very, very bad man.


That had me laughing for a few mins. That's good stuff.