'72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

[claydots]

I want to mod this '72 Tele RI, it's a great feeling and playing guitar, but the pickups are weak. It's so well made you would swear it's a MIA or MIJ but as soon as you plug it in.... yuk (and that's through a black faced amp!)

Is there a good humbucker that fits into it where you can use the Fender covers that were made for it? No mods that show??? Just a whole new electronics rework.


I have moved those pickups up and down and tilted every way possible... they are just weak. They do give a nice pop when it's turned up but at low volume, they just don't perform.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

Nothing really that'll drop in and look the same, at least in a production line version. Look into Rio's WR replacements. They're basically two singles stuck together on a plate.

 

[formula73]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

Nothing really that'll drop in and look the same, at least in a production line version. Look into Rio's WR replacements. They're basically two singles stuck together on a plate.

And apparently they fit with no mods. They sure look cool, too. Maybe you could get those rewound?

 

[DesertRat]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

Give up on cosmetics, go for tone.

 

[formula73]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

Give up on cosmetics, go for tone.

That thing makes me feel kinda funny, like when we used to climb the rope in gym class.

 

[Kostas]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

... Is there a good humbucker that fits into it where you can use the Fender covers that were made for it? No mods that show??? Just a whole new electronics rework...

Maybe he can help you. He makes humbuckers & P-90's made to fit in Jazzmasters http://curtisnovak.com/pickups_guitar.shtml

 

[mrturtle_91]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

You could always just get a new pickguard and put regular buckers in. Either that or get them rewound a bit hotter.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

i always heard those humbuckers sound a lot better when you replace the 250k pots with 1meg pots.

 

[Artie]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

The Custom Shop does make those, ( 3_3_bar_humbuck), but I agree with DesertRat: Go for tone.

A Custom 5 is a great Tele bridge pup. Put whatever in the neck. Phat Cat, Jazz, 59?

 

[claydots]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

Thanks for the replies. I shot an email to Curtis and will be calling Bill Lawrence today. I guess I'm just going to get these rewound but I will try the 1 meg pots first. Maybe the 250K's are choking it to death.

I really want to keep it as stock looking as possible, don't know why as it has never bothered me before... must be because the Fender Logo is on the cover or something weird like that.

 

[danglybanger]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

those wideranges aren't the same as originals from the 70s as they have bar rather than polepiece magnets...

Not that everyone likes widerangers to begin with, but those aren't really them But they can sound fairly close, especially if you replace the pots with 1 meg...

But if you want to swap to something that fits, real widranges would fit

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: '72 Thinline Tele PUP swap

The covers are tone-killers. They are thick enough to deflect an anti-tank round.

I think you can have both tone and looks if you get a pickguard cut to hold standard humbuckers.