MikeM
Hi again
Yep I'm at your forum like a hungry dog ?
Anycase, I've got a nice MIM Telecaster here. Now the thing is, I'm a student ? So I sold my Epi LP for this, but now I'm yearning for something with a little more grunt. So considering I'm a hands on kinda person, and that I LOVE fiddling ? I've decided I feel like modding it a little.
So far my plans are as follows, get a new pickguard with a humbucker cutout (My hands are shaky lol), a Seymour SH1, 2 concentric pots for the different pips, and a mini toggle to split the hb.
Now so far, I could get this stuff from Warmoth or Guitarpartsresource, but shipping is gonna be a bundle, so does anyone know where I can get some, or all of this locally, at a decent price?
Thanks ?
Mike
AlanRatcliffe
Have you thought about trying a 4-way selector switch? That gives you a higher output "humbucker" sound by mixing the two pups in series. It's a simple mod and is completely reversible and stock looking too.
If you go with the SH1, There are lots of places to get a pickguard cheaper, but your stock one can be modded easily. No places locally, unfortunately.
MikeM
I see thanks. I've heard about the 4-way mod, but I'm looking for a bit more of an overhaul.
After more asking around, it seems that the width between poles could be an issues as the Teles have narrower necks, or at least I have heard.
So now I am in a predicament again. I could always go for a single slot humbucker and put a push pull in.
Has anyone here used GFS pickups? I've read good reviews and I think they could be decent for just testing until I make up my mind.
AlanRatcliffe
Humbuckers in a Tele neck position aren't a problem - it's a very common mod and is a good one too. It gives you a huge range of sounds, especially with two separate volume controls (like the Lentz HSLs). Nice combo between chime and fatness and you can basically blend the two pickups. A master tone is all the tone control you need. Use 500K pots BTW - makes the bridge position a bit brighter and louder, but doesn't darken the bucker too much the way a 250K will.
The GFS are good pickups for the money. At those prices, they allow you to get a few, try them all out and sell off what you don't use. I heard a Tele with a Retrotron Liverpool an the neck and was quite impressed. Just don't go too hot, or the Humbucker will totally overpower the single-coil. Go for a 5-way SuperSwitch, then you don't need a mini toggle to get all the coil split and full humbucking sounds...
BTW, I heard clips of a Tele with a minibucker in the neck and that was very nice too...
MikeM
We were just discussing this in the chat in fact.
I was considering an SM3, minibucker, but after lots of thought, even though I'd LOVE the bucker and a concentric pot to make it a kinda LP hybrid, I've been thinking that
this with 2x push pulls might make my guitar extremely versatile, basically what I'm looking for. That'll also keep costs down in case I decide I don't like it, as you said.
I think I'm gonna go for that. The R/$ is looking good too. If anyone wants to piggyback, gimme a shout ?
MikeM
Scratch that.
I'm gonna hit GFS rails, see if I like em ?
http://store.guitarfetish.com/catepisetmvi.html
MikeM
Eh, been looking around, sleeping on things... Gonna see how much I can get an SH1N locally for ?
That Andy Summers tribute is just too awesome ☹
CornFlakes
I have been looking into modding my tele for ages now…
- But where is a good place to look for quality parts?
- What are good brands to go for?
- And where do I start?
AlanRatcliffe
Glendale guitars and Callaham both do some great stuff for Teles, but you'll find parts all over the show these days - depends on what you want.
What mods? Depends on what you like or don't like about your Tele (and what model it is in the first place) - also how much you are willing to spend. Some popular mods:
* Pickups - Obviously. Huge selection to choose from. Helps if you have an idea what you want to hear from your Tele
* CRL Four way switch - available everywhere that sells Tele bits
* Electrosocket jack plate and Switchcraft socket
* CTS pots
* Locking tuners
* Graph Tech nut and maybe string trees
* Glendale bridge and saddles
* Screening
* Pickguard
* Etc., etc., etc..
CornFlakes
@Alan the Baja Tele you modded i want to do the same mods more or less (i want to make my standard tele more vintage)
I'm not going to warry about pickups now will do that later..
* CRL Four way switch?
* Electrosocket jack plate?
* Wilkinson Locking tuners?
* Wilkinson bridge?
* Pickguard "3 ply"
Will i be able to change the standerd bridge?
MikeM
The only issue would be the ferrule spacing I believe, I'm not sure how much the MIM's differ from the normal Teles, or if they do even, but I've heard some have different spacing.
What about 5 way ? neck, out of phase, series, normal, bridge ?
AlanRatcliffe
You have to check the string spacing for the bridge. Vintage style are wider than the modern flat style. Will also make the strings closer to the edges of the fingerboard.
The Wilkinson "locking" tuners are not actually locking - look at the Gotoh or Schaller instead.
MikeM
Do locking tuners make such a difference?
Should we be able to find shielding/screening materials at a normal electronics shop, or is it more specialized?
AlanRatcliffe
They can do - they make strings easy to fit, help tuning problems by reducing the amount of string on the post and if you have a set with staggered heights, allow you to get rid of the string trees.
You have to order screening stuff online.
CornFlakes
Okay I have done some research and this is the modifications that I’m going to do so far..
Now the only thing I need to do is find out who stocks them locally?
See Pictures below..
AlanRatcliffe
Try T.O.M.S. locally for the Planet Waves tuners (Nice Ned Steinberger design, BTW - if they were staggered too, they'd be perfect) - their Wholesale department, M.I.D.I. import Planet Waves. They didn't bother with them last time I checked, but that was a while ago. Otherwise Stewmac online.
Graph Tech was Andy McGibbons Guitar World, but I'm not sure if they still do them. I usually just buy direct from Graph Tech.
CornFlakes
@ Alan Thanks for the help!
According Andy McGibbons Web Site they still do Graph Tech stuff I email them for pricing ect.
Before I forget I’m already having problems with my jack socket it tends to work loose the best thing to go for is the Electrosocket you can screw into the body right?
AlanRatcliffe
Before I forget I’m already having problems with my jack socket it tends to work loose the best thing to go for is the Electrosocket you can screw into the body right?
That's the best and easiest solution - looks cool too. The other (cheap) thing to do is to put a lock washer on the inside of the jack, but if the retainer clip has worked loose, they are an absolute cow to get in and tight without special tools.
MikeM
Tell him how important shielding is ?
Cindy, are you happy with stock pups? Have you considered taking the cover off the neck pup?
MikeM
So I finally got this done.
TONS of reps for Gearhead. He helped me with some seriously crazy wiring ? I'll post pics later (It's already morning ?) Short 1x g-string though :-[
Basically I've got
A p-rails, switchable from p90 to humbucker to rail, together with a tele bridge, a volume pot for each pup, and I can select between parallel/series and out/in phase between the pups. Just starting to play it, I've learnt a ton. It's a really nice combo and you can get decent sounds out of it ?
Geert... I learnt something tonight... In time I will rewire this. Get rid of tone pot. Get rid of the series switch and incorporate it to have a 4 way tele switch (Series, neck, parallel, bridge) one on/off/on (for the p-rails) and a volume pot with a push pull for phase, and just a volume pot for the last pup.
I can't believe my ideas were so far off, it's quite surprising to be honest, but I suppose one can only learn by fiddling. I now know what works and what doesn't but shit, this thing sounds NICE!!!!
Night guys and once again, thanks GH!!
