Question for Tele lovers

[bareknucklehead]

What’s up gang!

I have some questions for all of you telecaster specialists/lovers.

First, I have to confirm something with you. One of the key components that make the signature sounds of a tele it’s the steel base plate for the bridge pickup right? I assume that this is the result of the interaction of the magnetic field waves between the pickup, the base plate and the saddles right?

With that being said, I’ve been bitten by the tele bug and I might get one done by a luthier, and form the most part I want most of the specs of a telecaster with one exception, I want a humbucker with the steel base plate in question.

Although I haven’t searched for such base plate yet I think that there must be some available on the internet, so do you guys know where I can buy one of them? Or do you know where I can get a custom made one (perhaps made from different materials as well)?

Do you think that one made of brass would give me more sustain and a “spikier” sound as opposed to the ones made out of steel? (I know that a base plate can only give you so much as opposed to the pickup itself, but as you know, every little detail counts!)

Ok, here comes an interesting option: For a custom made base plate for a humbucker I was thinking on getting a Hannes bridge on that base plate.

What’s a hannes bridge? They are made by Schaller and you can find out more info in the following links:

http://schaller-electronic.com/hp122835/Hannes-Bridge.htm

http://rolandhannes.com/hannesbridge.html

A hannes bridge on a tele base plate? It has been made already:

http://rolandhannes.com/2010guitargallery.html (at the bottom)

http://schaller-electronic.com/hp265921/Neue-Amberger-Gitarre.htm

Although it looks like a wonderful idea, to have such bridge on the base plate, how much do you guys think it will divert from the original “signature” sound of the telecaster?

Cheers.

[badgermark]

Don't all humbuckers have a metal baseplate anyway? Like the bit at the bottom with the feet that the mouting screws go through? The baseplate is more noticeable on a single coil like a strat or a tele pickup, as they are usually have plastic parts.

I have a tele with a bridge humbucker, and it doesn't sound like a tele. It sounds like an alder guitar with a humbucker.

[gordiji]

bkhead , as soon as you put humbuckers in a tele, it's classic sound ceases to exist.i'm not anti humbucker, indeed
the tele custom is humbuckered but it's not really a tele in the' true sense'
there's no rules and if you have one made maybe it's a good idea to be open minded and not compare it to anything.

[WezV]

yes, all classic humbucker designs do have metal baseplates... and the type of metal does affect sound.  

BKP's have nickel silver baseplates with is vintage accurate, but you can find many cheaper brands with brass baseplates

you will notice BKP tele baseplates come in different flavours too, copper or zinc plated steel.

BKP also offer the zinc plated steel baseplates for strat pickups

What are zinc plate steel baseplates? Zinc plated steel baseplates for Strat coils add more bottom end definition, clarity and power to the coil. They work on the same principle as a Tele bridge baseplate with tapped mounting holes so height adjustment screws thread directly into the baseplate ensuring it will never fall off. The baseplates are waxpotted with the coil to provent microphonic feedback. Whilst it is most common to fit one to the bridge coil only, the zinc plated steel baseplates work well on middle and neck coils too.

[Sollophonic]

I got some baseplates for pickups from somewhere called MojoTone in the US www.mojotone.com

Beware though for small items their shipping charges are steep, though it pays to negotiate like I did.

I still havent got round to fitting one to the pickup on my 50s Re-Issue, as these pickups can benefit from it. I also have one out of a stock MIM standard that could use a baseplate too.

Beware as if you think any generic tele pickup brass baseplate will fit a Fender pickup;- it wont, the screw holes are too wide apart.

Many of the MIM Teles have pickups without the baseplate. Adding one improves the tone considerably.

Its funny how not 15 years ago, folk were ripping baseplates off tele bridge pickups so they could cope with feedback better. :?

[Frank]

I've always been a fan of teles and Schaller hardware, my tele has Schaller tuning machines and they're really top-end.

Schaller do all sorts of exotic bridge designs, definitely not cheap but very high quality ... not sure how it would affect the tele tone but you can tell just from looking at it that it's really well-made and well designed hardware.

[Ratrod]

I fitted a humbucker in a Tele's bridge position once. Biggest modding mistake I ever made. It didn't sound like a tele anymore. If you use a Filtertron, a P90 or a Dearmond and it will still sound like a Tele.