Routing a tele for a humbucker. In the bridge

[38thBeatle]

Being the cautious old sod that I am, I would ask if it is worth getting another Tele to try out surgery on-particularly if you like the one you have.

[Philly Q]

If you use the bridge you posted in the link you can always change it back to the original if it's routed neatly.

I just thought - the humbucker bridge plate is wider than a regular Tele bridge, so you can't just revert back to original spec.

The regular bridge is only slightly wider than the Tele pickup, but of course the HB has its feet sticking out at the sides - so the regular bridge won't quite cover the humbucker rout.

 http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/TELE_BRIDGE_HUMBUCKER_CHROME_GTC301C

http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/TELE_BRIDGE_GOLD_GTC201G

[_tom_]

You could always get a singlecoil sized humbucker? I know you cant get Bareknuckle ones but I've heard some great clips of a lil'59 in a tele.

[WezV]

i put a little 59 and full sized jazz humbucker in a tele i built recently.  the jazz pickup was quite nice but the 59 was very dissapointing next to it.  The customer only wanted them because he had them already and i advised him to swap it out ASAP

It wasnt really a bad pickup and i am sure he could have got some good sounds out of it.... but it wasnt the instant hit of BKP's or even the full size jazz in the neck for that matter.  shame because the guitar deserved better!!

[badgermark]

Being the cautious old sod that I am, I would ask if it is worth getting another Tele to try out surgery on-particularly if you like the one you have.

This will replace my strat, not my super lovely CB tele. That would be silly.

Mini-humbuckers don't float my boat, I want a HD in it...

I'm most likely going to try it, only need to take a little bit of wood out anyway. Will the tele bridges posted above fit a MIM tele though? I got my ruler out and i THINK they line up. The humbucker mounting screw is a little wider, will the mounting screws fit though?

[WezV]

Always best to assume that it wont fit properly and you will have to mod something.. you will never be dissapointed if you take that approach, you might even be nicely surprised.  

the string through holes are the only thing that cant really be moved easily and i reckon there is a good chance they will line up just fine

never any garantees though... no such thing as standard sized even when you think there should be

[badgermark]

True, Im fully prepared to bodge something together. Don't think the scratchplate will fit though, as the humbucker hole is a bit thicker than the standard base plate. I'll sell my strat and see.

Thanks peeps.

[Philly Q]

With those Gotoh Tele bridges, I'm 99% sure the holes for the fixing screws will line up.

But if your Tele has a vintage-style ashtray bridge, the string spacing is probably about 2mm wider than the Gotoh spacing.

I wonder if you could get away with slightly enlarging the outer string-through holes, just drilling down a few mm from the top of the body?

[WezV]

yeah you can alter string holes slightly but it always leaves you in the position where its more difficult to string up - and actually quite difficult to modify accurately in the first place..

[badgermark]

Well the Gotoh bridge arrived today, seems to fit the mounting holes. Will need to file down the scratchplate slightly to fit. Overall a nice heavy piece of kit.

Just need a tele to get my drilling on. As soon as my Strat sells I shall be rocking a seriously beefy tele. Yahoo.

[badgermark]

It's done. And it's a beast... Shall be posting pictures later, here and in the other forums (need a neck pickup, the world is my oyster...) but it will be put through it's paces in a rehearsal tonight. Yay.

AND I only have a little bit of noticable cracking around the edges of the bridge, not perfect but will do for now.

[Philly Q]

So have you got another Tele already, or did you put the humbucker on your old one?

[badgermark]

I bought another one. Racial harmony at it's finest. Check it out!