Facelift For A Old Friend....

[Nostalgic Distortion]

So this is my 2012 Blue Swirl Telecaster. It was bought for me by my wife when she was still my girlfriend brand new when they first came out. It’s also got the distinction of being the very first guitar that I ever posted on this forum!!! I think I was looking for info on Tele pups or something but anyway? So as such it’s going to be one of those guitars that I’ll never part with. It has had a few sets of pickups in it over the years until finally settling on a Quarter Pound Bridge & Phat Cat neck a couple years ago.

Those pickups sounded great in it, so much so that I ended up doing another one just like it so I’d have one while my father in law was borrowing this? The other day I was going through some guitar stuff & I decided that I’d give this one another overhaul. Since I had a pretty good of what I wanted & a large collection of pickups, parts, Etc. Best of all I only had to buy a pickguard to do it so it was cheap..


So here’s what I changed...

The MIM modern bridge sucked so I changed it to a vintage USA bridge with compensated brass barrel saddles. I then bought a cool TV Jones cut mint green “reliced” guard off reverb which I filled with two of my absolute favorite pickups ever!!! A direct mounted SuperTron in the neck & I’ve got a Seymour Duncan STL-2 Hot For Tele in the bridge position.


I kinda knew it was going to sound good but OMG, this thing is just ridiculous!!! It’s ballsy but sweet, bright but with a really pleasant midrange, & both pickups together is just sublime!!! Also I wasn’t crazy about the mint guard at first but it’s definitely growing on me, LOL.....

[VinceT]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

I like it a lot, and love that pickup combo - must cover quite a lot of ground.


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[jimilee]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

That’s just freakin awesome.


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[Mincer]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

Do you have a 'before' pic?

[ErikH]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

That looks way cool!

[jeremy]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

im a big fan of the hot tele lead and the hot strat pup (ssl3) they dont sound vintage at all but they are great blues rock pups

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

I like it a lot, and love that pickup combo - must cover quite a lot of ground.


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It’s extremely versatile but I’m of the opinion that Tele’s are all quite versatile guitars.

I was actually just rocking some Metallica on it with a Bassman & my pedal board a few minutes ago!

Perhaps not ideal but it still sounded flipping fantastic!!!

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

Do you have a 'before' pic?

I think I probably do but I’d have to go through some old pictures to find it?


This was basically what they looked like stock though. Everyone of them was different & the colors ran from very blue to almost entirely gray with just some blue marbling bleeding through...

At this point the only thing original on mine is the body & neck! I’ve put so much work into it & replaced so many parts almost feel as though I deserve to have my name next to Leo’s on the headstock, LOL!!!!

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

im a big fan of the hot tele lead and the hot strat pup (ssl3) they dont sound vintage at all but they are great blues rock pups

While I really like the STL-2 I find the SSL-3’s just a little too dark and midrangy for a Strat bridge. They definitely aren’t bad pickups though, dialed in through the right amplifier they are nothing short of sublime!!!

Personally I’d rather use a SSL-6 close to the strings (I like the flat pole pieces on this pickup vs the SSL-5) or even a cheap MIM ceramic in the bridge & keep some of the brightness/bite...

I don’t use the bridge pup on a Stratocaster for cleans anyway so believe it or not I kinda prefer a hot ceramic in the bridge to much more expensive USA made ALNICO ones...

[Mincer]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

Ohhh, I really like the black pickguard there.

[stevie_bees]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

There's definitely something about having a 'Tron' type pickup in the neck of a Tele. I've fitted a Duncan Psyclone neck in mine and it's great!

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Facelift For A Old Friend....

There's definitely something about having a 'Tron' type pickup in the neck of a Tele. I've fitted a Duncan Psyclone neck in mine and it's great!

I love FilterTron’s!!! I’ve got them in Strats, Tele’s, a couple Lester’s, & my ES-330!!!

I’ve always kinda gravitated towards T.V. Jones’s offerings when it came to Tron’s just because I’m familiar with them but I would really like to try the Psyclones! I’ve only heard good things about them...