Another tele neck pick up question

[GuitarsandCats]

Hello all,

Almost done with my very first pickup swap and I am determined to do this on my own (despite never doing so before)

So I have a 2001 American Tele. Swapped the pickups for a set of hotrails. Soldering is all done and now its time to put this back together. Maybe I just forgot how the neck pickup was originally situated because I cant figure out how to mount the new one. First it just barely squeezes into the pick gaurd. So theres the mounting screws and the tubes...I put those together and have the pickup in the pick guard . I flip it over to put it in the guitar and there is no where for me to screw the screws. The pickgaurd has holes, but the screws dont tighten into anything. Also It just takes a tap, and the pick gaurd then falls right through the pickguard and back into the guitar. Is this the wrong kind of pickup for a tele? I dont understand.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Another tele neck pick up question

i assume you got the tele hot rails. tele neck pups mount to the body. like this

 

[GuitarsandCats]

Re: Another tele neck pick up question

I feel like this is a stupid question but....what your saying is I need to drill into the body of the guitar?

i assume you got the tele hot rails. tele neck pups mount to the body. like this
View attachment 86408

 

[GuitarsandCats]

Re: Another tele neck pick up question

I see in that photo that the screws dont go through the pickgaurd either. So am not using the holes in my pick guard for this? I feel that its very low with the pickgaurd over it still too.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Another tele neck pick up question

this is how tele neck pups are traditionally attached with either foam or springs or screws on the bottom to keep the pup at the proper height. what pup was in there that you are replacing? if the pickguard has holes then id assume the neck pup was mounted to the pickguard but thats not how fender did it for years. maybe some pics of what you are dealing with will help