Author Topic: Telecaster Bridge Upgrade (Read 5724 times)

smiffy86 · « **on:** February 02, 2007, 05:10:09 PM »

Just curious what a Mississippi Queen would sound like in a Telecaster Bridge. I've got a Brown Sugar in there at the moment and I dont know whether its the guitar or pickup but its just too bright and not sweet enough, iv tried lowering it too but its still bright and just gets wimpier. Its great under a fair amount of gain, but otherwise I cant get rid of the bright clangy sound.

If you think something else might work better then i'd like to hear some suggestions too.

Cheers, Anthony.

blue · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2007, 06:08:56 PM »

you could try a different value volume pot. i don't know if it's all teles but i know some have 1 meg pots, if you try a 500k or 250k it should tame the treble somewhat.

smiffy86 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2007, 06:15:29 PM »

I cant see what the volume pot is as its covered in solder. The tone is 250k though.

PhilKing · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2007, 06:36:25 PM »

You would need to route out for a humbucker if you want to put an MQ into a Tele bridge. Tele's are bright guitars in general, compared to a Strat but also a lot depends on the woods in them. You don't day what you have, but I am guessing that perhaps it is a maple neck. The Piledriver or Yardbird bridge might be the way to go to avoid woodworking!

smiffy86 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2007, 06:42:02 PM »

Its a 3 piece Alder body with a Rosewood neck. I know Teles are naturally brighter, but ive played quite a few and the brightness isnt a pleasant twang. If the Piledriver is higher output, would the cleans be satisfying as well as less bright?

HTH AMPS · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2007, 08:01:32 PM »

what type of bridge is on the guitar? I find that a steel ashtray & brass saddles really beef up the Tele tone.

Teles are bright by nature, but they should have alot of bass twang and growl too. I just turn down the tone knob to around 6 when I want to get rid of excess treble.

Maybe The Boss or Piledriver set may be more your style.

:twisted:

chrisheyes · « **Reply #6 on:** February 03, 2007, 08:51:19 PM »

I've got a piledriver in my Tokai Breezysound and that rocks in combination with a Fender Japan Bridge plate with compensated brass saddles.

I've also got a Fender Japan Bound Tele with a custom made P90
Tele Bridge pickup in it. It's got 2 coil taps in it to give under-wound, normal and overwound. It goes from Country to Metal.

smiffy86 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2007, 09:40:05 PM »

Yeh mines the bound Japanese one too! How did you find the sound of the guitar originally and what made you go for the p90? Im thinking of going down that line too as I cant imagine much else is going to tame the sound, unless people really think the piledrivers going to help.

chrisheyes · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2007, 04:39:53 PM »

Quote from: smiffy86

Yeh mines the bound Japanese one too! How did you find the sound of the guitar originally and what made you go for the p90? Im thinking of going down that line too as I cant imagine much else is going to tame the sound, unless people really think the piledrivers going to help.

The original pickups were the USA Vintage ones and were way to thin sounding for me. I saw an ad for the P90 style and at that point never had a guitar with P90's in. For £30 it was worth a punt, and I liked it when it arrived. It's got a lot of punch but so has the piledriver !

smiffy86 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2007, 06:03:44 PM »

Yeh mine were the USA vintage ones before the bareknuckles. I think once I get the cash ill get a piledriver for the bridge, the brown sugars pretty nice in the neck. Got a new warmoth neck on the way for it too :)

chrisheyes · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2007, 08:18:20 PM »

Quote from: smiffy86

Yeh mine were the USA vintage ones before the bareknuckles. I think once I get the cash ill get a piledriver for the bridge, the brown sugars pretty nice in the neck. Got a new warmoth neck on the way for it too :)

Just a suggestion smiffy86, why don't you send in your USA Vintage pickup to Tim and have it rewound to the piledriver spec ?

Would save yourself some cash.

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2007, 08:40:00 PM »

I would go the other way and try the Yardbird
It has a nice smooth sound and gets rid of some of that brashness that teles can have.

We fitted one for the owner of Wolftone amps in a 70s ash bodied tele and it tamed an otherwise unruly guitar

It does for teles what the Apache does for strats IMO !!