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NGD - I could use your help on this..

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Zip

Zip

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Picked up another Tele today. Nice Callaham stainless steel bridge, Bob Urban Vintage T in the bridge (alnico III, 6.7K handwound), crappy Epi Dot hum in the neck (it'll get changed for sumpin', just not sure what). Two questions:

Any suggestion for the neck? I'll have to buy it anyway, so I'm open to anything from mini to full size humbucker. Don't even know what tones I'm after, since I have some other lumber that pretty much fills my needs. This was just a "too good to be true $$" kind of deal.

And secondly, that single-ply black is hideous. What color guard should I buy?

NewTele.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Personally, (understand I'm a bit of a weirdo), I would go with a Gibson in the neck... probably a burstbucker. Just love putting a little meat on a tele. And since you asked because it's ultimately up to you, I like the black pickguard. I would just replace it with a multi-ply. That is a good looking tele! Nice score Zip!
 
It would help to know what kind of music you want it for........but since you have Alnico 3s in the bridge......how about the creamiest Alnico 2 around......http://bg-pups.com/index.php?p=product&id=3

I have this in one of my lap steels and it kills.

I love the burst color of your Tele....maybe it's the lighting....lol.......just get rid of the pickguard and let the color of the git shine through.
 
I have a bound burst tele (CVC) in that color. I thought I was going to change out the PG for a tort one, but the mint one it came with really grew on me. Maybe 3 ply mint. As far as tje pup, no idea what to tell you.
 
Beautiful Tele, Zip. Callaham is a costly perk, too. Nice catch.

As for the neck, what about remaining in the Fender Pool, and finding a "wide range" humbucker like they put in the Tele Deluxe's and Thinlines? I think they need a slightly larger route than a standard humbucker, however. Any available slop under the PG? If you can't squeeze that in, maybe just a down n dirty Duncan 59. they're everywhere are pretty reasonably priced too.

Should be a blast either way.
 
Any suggestion for the neck? I'll have to buy it anyway, so I'm open to anything from mini to full size humbucker. Don't even know what tones I'm after, since I have some other lumber that pretty much fills my needs. This was just a "too good to be true $$" kind of deal.
----------------------

I'd put a Railhammer Hypervintage (HV) Neck HB in it...I have the Bridge version in my Rev Reeves Gabrels and it really rocks, nice chimey highs, good bass and screams with a little OD. The Railhammers are designed to stay real articulate between the 3 top and bottom strings and the Hypervintage still sounds like a vintage PAF, but with cojones! And you'd have the only tele I've heard of with them...my 2 cents anyway!
 
Re: the pickguard, tort always looks good on classic sunburst. On my Squier CV Tele Custom, I went with white pearloid--see pic below. Couldn't warm up to the stock mint one.

CV_Tele_Custom_body.jpg
 
Thanks, all - you've got me thinking in different directions now. A good thing.

Turns out this is a real partscaster. The body is definitely Alder from the grain (to my eyes anyway), so you're right Steve - a CVC. The single-ply scratchplate is from Warmoth. The neck pup is an Epi LP pup (same difference as a Dot). Pretty sure the neck is an Allparts with a Tele waterslide. The nut is either ivory or graphtech, installed with gobs of ****ing SUPERGLUE.

Pie, I think I'll use this for punk/funk. A friend wants to solder a Pearly Gates in the neck for me (for $$, I'm sure). Would sound nice, but I dunno...that Railhammer HV sounds like a good plan, too. I might go for something with some bite tho. Still on the fence. BTW, the Bob Urban bridge pup is awesome. Really pronounced mids, good Tele twang. I don't know if he's still winding them tho. Haven't tried to contact him yet. And Voodooman, I'm liking the pearloid scratchplate. Who makes them 5-hole (or did you just drill in the extra screws)?
 
Thanks, sting - it's in pieces on my workbench now, but it'll come together nicely soon :)
 
OK, got offered a See More Duncan '59 neck for under 40 bucks. Go with it or pass?
 
Mini-update: Shimmed the neck, and now it intonates perfectly. Deglossed the back of the neck, and it's smooth as butter. So far, I'm happy and starting to bond with it. I'm not a Tele guy (although I now own 2), but I think I'm becoming one. Still haven't done the neck p'up upgrade though.
 
Micro-update: Did the "cocked wah" mod (bridge pup). Still haven't changed the 'bucker yet. Or the 'guard.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, Monkus. 'Burst Tele's are kind of sweet, aren't they? (wink wink ;))

O yeah, yours is fairly awesome too!!!
 
Had some time this afternoon, so I got rid of the tone control to the neck 'bucker - bridge only now (who needs to add mud to a humbucker?). Still need to replace the pickup at some point tho....
 
OK, after noodling around I'm back to this guitar. Ordered an Air Norton tonight :) When I get it ironed in, I'll let you know how it sounds. I already know I'm going with a 250K pot rather than 500. We'll see what happens...stay tuned. (no, really....stay in tune!!)
 
As far as the neck humbucker goes, I have a Seymour Duncan "Pearly Gates" in the bridge of my Fender Lone Star strat and I like it. It is slightly hot but ot like a JB. Although, SD now offers the JB in a neck position pickup, which could be a very cool pickup for that guitar.

In my opinion, a SD Alnico II Pro might sound really wonderful in that guitar. I like those Alnico II Pro's. It might be too mellow for you though if you want a cutting sound. SD has the new '59 hybrid, or even a regular SD '59 could be very cool.

I personally like the current Fender WRHB neck pickups, but you might have to change the pots to accommodate the big Wide Range HB and the bridge single coil - but that can be the case with any guitar that has a single coil in the bridge and a full humbucker in the neck. I think Fender told me that they use 333k Ohm pots on big time neck humbucker/single coil bridge tele. I guess it sort of splits the difference. If it has 250k Ohm pots I don't thing you will like the humbucker sound that much because it might demonstrate a very "boomy" bassiness. The 500k Ohm pots brighten up the neck humbucker, which is a good thing. Where that leaves the bridge single coil I don't know. Maybe install a SD noiseless tele bridge pickup. I think they sell a few good ones - but then you will lose the "traditional" tele sound completely.

Someone knowledgeable would probably know how to wire that guitar so that the neck humbucker sounds right, and the bridge tele single coil also sounds strong and twangy.

Having a nice clear sounding full humbucker in that neck position to replace that mediocre Epi one, would probably yield a super enjoyable guitar to play. Even a Gibson 490 or a '57 classic might sound great. A lot of dudes put in Gibson '57 Classics in the neck of telecasters for a traditional sound.

That is a beautiful example of that guitar and should definitely be the basis of a serious mod project, if that's what you choose to do. That could be transformed into a super sleeper tele.

Congratulations on that beautiful guitar and good luck on the upgrades.

Zip said:
Picked up another Tele today. Nice Callaham stainless steel bridge, Bob Urban Vintage T in the bridge (alnico III, 6.7K handwound), crappy Epi Dot hum in the neck (it'll get changed for sumpin', just not sure what). Two questions:

Any suggestion for the neck? I'll have to buy it anyway, so I'm open to anything from mini to full size humbucker. Don't even know what tones I'm after, since I have some other lumber that pretty much fills my needs. This was just a "too good to be true $$" kind of deal.

And secondly, that single-ply black is hideous. What color guard should I buy?

NewTele.jpg
[/IMG]
Click to expand...
 
Zip said:
Mini-update: Shimmed the neck, and now it intonates perfectly. Deglossed the back of the neck, and it's smooth as butter. So far, I'm happy and starting to bond with it. I'm not a Tele guy (although I now own 2), but I think I'm becoming one. Still haven't done the neck p'up upgrade though.
Click to expand...

Zip - how do you go about deglossing the neck? - I've been thinking about doing my CV strat and tele.
 
Zip said:
OK, after noodling around I'm back to this guitar. Ordered an Air Norton tonight :) When I get it ironed in, I'll let you know how it sounds. I already know I'm going with a 250K pot rather than 500. We'll see what happens...stay tuned. (no, really....stay in tune!!)
Click to expand...

Looks like a potentially great pickup choice. If it sounds too bass boomy you can try a 500k volume pot; or maybe some wiring expert can suggest a way to brighten up a humbucker when matched with a single coil like the tele, and still get that traditional tele twang out of the single coil.
 
mrmudcat said:
Sandpaper and then some tongue oil!!!
Click to expand...

I guess I'm wondering about the tinted color of the neck - is that in the finish or is the wood stained - I'm not sure I'd like it if the back of the neck became that very white maple look - I like the tinted color.
 
I was talking about sandng all finish off to the wood and then hitting it with the oil!! The oil and sweat will give it a nice non bright color tint!!
 

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