My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

[Gearjoneser]

Over a year ago, I stumbled upon the first one of the Modern Player Tele Plus models to hit So Cal. It must have been a good one because I haven't played a better one, and the pine woodgrain really looks nice. The neck plays great (11's) and the pine body has a nice resonant tone. Honestly, the bridge and tuners are just fine IMO. A strat hard tail really works good on a tele.

Having a humbucker route opens up a lot of possibilities, especially with the mini switch. If the C/59 Hybrid didn't sound so good, I'd probably try some P Rails or Filtertron.....maybe eventually.

The downside to this guitar was the garbage pots, knobs, and pickups (not terrible).
Being a Chinese guitar, the pickguard was also not compatible with other Fender guards, so I gave Chandler/Pickguard Heaven my guard to trace, along with my specs.
I wanted a gloss black beveled single ply that's 3ply thickness. It had to have 5 holes for the vintage look. I also needed to route a little bit of wood to get my SM-1n in there.
I gutted the electronics and redid it with CTS 500K's and Fender dome knobs. I've always used strat switch tips on teles because I'm mostly a strat player.

Here's the before pic. For the past year, it already had the nickel C/59b in it, and I hated the stock tele and strat pickups.

Here it is now with my tarnished C/59 and bridge and shiny (soon to be tarnished) SM-1n.
Chandler/Pickguard Heaven pickguard, traced from my original.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

Very Nice. I'd go coverless on the humbucker though.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

I'm in love with the SM-1n mini hum. I love big open sounding necks with nice texture to the tone, and the mini hum definitely has it. It's SO much better than a tele neck IMO. It's like a Seth Lover neck with a bit of the brightness a strat neck lover would want.

I like the all nickel look, even with the silver ring. From a distance, it almost looks like a regular tele bridge with my hand partially covering it.

This is sort of my version of Duncan's Tele Gib. Rather than the zebra JB/Jazz, it's got nickel C/59 Hybrid/SM-1n. It's more to my liking.

 

[PunkKitty]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

Nice! I really like it.

 

[ErikH]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

That looks great. Love the look. When I finally get time, I'm going to make a Tele body out of a hunk of walnut my father-in-law has from one of his trees. Similar configuration too - Strat hardtail and humbucker in the bridge, though I've been thinking of going Mini possibly or P90.

I think the only way I'll keep a Tele is if I make it myself.

 

[loversmoon]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

its came out beautifully.

 

[Stratman]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

Dang, (But you must post some music for us to hear how it sounds)

It so nice that it make me want to start-up with the old G.A.S. curse.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

Thank you for the photographs of the single ply black plate against the 'burst. You have given me an idea for a Stratocaster.

If you ever decide to go Filter'Tron, TV Jones offers a machined Tele-style bridge with a 'Tron sized cut-out. It even comes in vintage and modern drilling patterns.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

Happy NGD. As a fellow mini hum/neck + hum/bridge tele owner I love it, you've got good taste!

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

I'm in love with the SM-1n mini hum.

I love neck minis!

 

[astrozombie]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

looks great!!

I'm kind of shying away from humbuckers these days... at least in the neck and middle positions.

 

[rjudo]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

That looks great!

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

Gorgeous looking guitar dude!
I like the pickup covers

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

Well done!!!

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

I've got to say that Im going to a humbucker bridge/ mini neck.I know its goign to require routing. Today I tried the umpteenth single coil rails bridge pickup in my Tele with the Mini Humbucker neck, and NONE of them match in volume. I mean, a little discrepancy is okay, but this its a total joke. Massive drop in volume and bass. ....sic

EDIT- OOoPS> I had it coil tapped by mistake. No wonder . My Apologies.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

That's what I like about the C/59. It's pretty beefy full on, and the middle position warms up nicely. In split mode, it's fairly tele-like, although nothing sounds as authentic as the real thing in a traditional tele bridge plate. The middle/split tone is sweet too. The pickups balance out pretty well volume-wise too.

I'll probably use this guitar as a test bed for bridge pickups.

Notice the SD 35th Anniversary Tele Gib at the top of this forum page. I always wanted a similar guitar, but with a twist. This is one of those rare inexpensive guitars I bonded with immediately and for almost two years. It's just a coincidence that it resembles the 35th Ann. guitar. I didn't even think about it until after I bought it.

It's neck is the only lacquered maple neck I've ever really bonded with.....probably because it's 9.5 not 7.25.

 

[Wattage]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

SCHWEEET!!!!

 

[Curly]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

cool .... I've been thinkin' about a double mini tele.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: My Fender Modern Player Tele transformation

Looks sweet Joe