I desecrated my Telecaster... and I love it!

[DirtySteve]

Oooo, I got the angry eyes!




If I took out the rails and replaced them with P-90's. am I redeemed, or is that just another level of sacrilege?

No, that's definitely an improvement. I think so anyway. Somebody makes a Tele bridge size P90, but I can't remember where I saw it. I really want to try one if I can find them again.

I built my own P90 Tele. I'm thinking about adding a tone pot and a 3-way to make it a true esquire with the Eldred cocked wah mod.

 

[Bull Rock]

No, that's definitely an improvement. I think so anyway. Somebody makes a Tele bridge size P90, but I can't remember where I saw it. I really want to try one if I can find them again.

I built my own P90 Tele. I'm thinking about adding a tone pot and a 3-way to make it a true esquire with the Eldred cocked wah mod.

That's my kinda guitar. No frills and no fret markers.

 

[fitz288]

No, that's definitely an improvement.

Before & after:

 

[ricksdisconnected]

Before & after:
View attachment 106931 View attachment 106932

ok explain.

 

[fitz288]

ok explain.

Rails before, fairly standard configuration with coil taps.
P-90's after, 2V2T Deluxe style configuration.
Is this a trick question?

 

[ricksdisconnected]

Rails before, fairly standard configuration with coil taps.
P-90's after, 2V2T Deluxe style configuration.
Is this a trick question?

no just wanted to know the pups, models, and the reason behind the swap.
looks nice though.

 

[fitz288]

no just wanted to know the pups, models, and the reason behind the swap.
looks nice though.

Ah, both sets are GFS.
Lil Puncher Tele rails before.
Switched to P-90 gold foil Alnico neck & Ferrite bridge.
Why?
Because of one of your P-90 threads...

 

[DirtySteve]

Before & after:
View attachment 106931 View attachment 106932

Sorry, but I couldn't help notice the LP to the right. Man that is the absolute best finish and plain top, really nice!

 

[fitz288]

Sorry, but I couldn't help notice the LP to the right. Man that is the absolute best finish and plain top, really nice!

Thanks, just a low end Tribute - satin honey burst with the Eye of Sauron wood grain.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

Thanks, just a low end Tribute - satin honey burst with the Eye of Sauron wood grain.
View attachment 106933

i cant help but love those tribute finishes. i'll happen upon one one day.

 

[DirtySteve]

Thanks, just a low end Tribute - satin honey burst with the Eye of Sauron wood grain.
View attachment 106933

A Tribute with binding, nice!!! Did it also come with the pickguard and those reflector knobs or did you do that?

 

[fitz288]

A Tribute with binding, nice!!! Did it also come with the pickguard and those reflector knobs or did you do that?

All stock except the PCB.
I screwed up the original during the headache of installing SD P-Rails that I wound up putting in Shorty.
Replaced it with a Studio PCB that has P/P coil taps.
I did add the poker chip.

LOL, binding is 1/4" vinyl peel & stick pin stripe...
Talk about desecrated, we're back on topic.

 

[scozz]

I could never quite understand why folks buy single coil guitars, (Strat, Tele, etc.), and then change out the pickup, or pickups to humbuckers. Isn’t one of the reasons one buys a Strat or a Tele for the single coil sound?

The op actually said in the first post,…
“it sounds more like a Les Paul than a Tele”

Why not just use the LP?

I’m not trying to be a smart ass, I’m just asking.

 

[GuitarIV]

I could never quite understand why folks buy single coil guitars, (Strat, Tele, etc.), and then change out the pickup, or pickups to humbuckers. Isn’t one of the reasons one buys a Strat or a Tele for the single coil sound?

The op actually said in the first post,…
“it sounds more like a Les Paul than a Tele”

Why not just use the LP?

I’m not trying to be a smart ass, I’m just asking.

I can give you the perfect answer to that: the guitar feels and sounds amazing.

I love the neck profile, the feel of the rounded fingerboard edges, the sustain, the heft, the string tension, the look, simply everything. The guitar is a dream to play. But I also enjoy a good humbucker tone.

So before I take a router to it I decided to throw in the DiMarzio and that worked just fine.

 

[Eric'45]

Fender Scale and Maple Neck feels different than a Les Paul.

I could never quite understand why folks buy single coil guitars, (Strat, Tele, etc.), and then change out the pickup, or pickups to humbuckers. Isn’t one of the reasons one buys a Strat or a Tele for the single coil sound?

The op actually said in the first post,…
“it sounds more like a Les Paul than a Tele”

Why not just use the LP?

I’m not trying to be a smart ass, I’m just asking.

Having a Humbucker Guitar with Fender Scale is nice to have sometimes. Also, modding Guitars is fun.

 

[G the wildman]

I have a reissue 54 tele. I was not enamoured with it. So I hot rodded it with 2 Seymore Duncan hotrails. For me it is easier to play than my LP so it get used. In fact I like it, but it does not sound as good as my LP (to my taste).

I kept the original pups for resale.

But strangely, although I am a humbucker type of guy, my go to axe is my deluxe strat with Single coil Seymore Duncan pups. Stacked OD pedals provide the sound that I like.

G

 

[gkelm]

Nice! Easily reversible, so if it makes you smile, it was a brilliant move. When I saw the title I though the router came out! Even then, it’s your guitar so make it more yours.

I do have a Strat and tele with traditional single coils all the way, and appreciate that, but have a couple other strats with buckers where it counts. If I only had one tele, it would have a bucker.

If that dimarzio is splittable, that might be another small but worthwhile mod.

 

[scozz]

Fender Scale and Maple Neck feels different than a Les Paul.

Having a Humbucker Guitar with Fender Scale is nice to have sometimes. …….

Aha, ok, that’s good I hadn’t thought about that. Thanks Eric.

@GuitarIV, it funny, I feel the same way about Les Pauls that you do Teles! Haha, l’m not a huge Tele fan, I have one, (because I should), and I play it once in a while, not my cup of tea though.

I do prefer 24.75 scale over 25.5 or whatever it is.