NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

[Matt42]

$90. They had it for $130, but it's got some dents, and is in need of a set-up (or that's what I told him, anyway), so I talked them down.

I've been looking for a Tele for a while, and now I have one! A Squier Brent Mason style. I'm not sure what model it is, I know the Classic Vibe series had a model like this, but I'm not sure where they were made. As you can see, this was made in India. The body is quiet resonant, which is a big part of why I bought it. The action needs a bit of tweaking, I've been playing with the saddles since I got her home, it's not perfect yet, but I'm getting it there (I've never set the action on a guitar before). The neck is a bit rough on the underside (sharp frets, anything I can do at home to fix that?)

The pickups are Duncan Designed, not sure what they are exactly, but I'm guessing some kind of stack in the middle a la Brent Mason, and something like the Vintage Mini in the neck. No clue about the bridge. I actually like the bridge pickup the best, it's bitey and twangy, but gets pretty growly with some overdrive. I'm least fond of the Mini in the neck, it's very thin sounding, it might get replaced first. The middle is so-so, but I only use the middle pickup for a few tunes anyway. I'm probably going to go with a SM-1 in the neck. Not sure what to do with the others. I was thinking a Lil' '59 might be nice in the bridge, but I don't want to lose the twang, would adding a split let me get some twang back? I might just drop an SSL-1 into the middle, not sure about that one either.

I got it for two purposes, the primary is to keep it in Eb and use it for practice with my new band, where everything is in Eb, so I don't have to retune my Gretsch three times a week. The second is as a project. I've been wanting to do a project tele for a while, in basically this same arrangement, so this gives me a working guitar to start with, and I can upgrade it as I have the time/money. New pickups, wiring and bridge are on the menu for sure, and possibly new tuners and a new nut if I can get the fret issues worked out and the neck dialed in, otherwise it will be a whole new neck.

For $90, I think it plays and sounds pretty good. I'm going to take it to practice tomorrow, and maybe one of our three shows this weekend, I'm pretty excited.

Any advice as I embark on this journey?

 

[jtougas]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

Nice! :banana:

 

[darnright]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

Great score!!! Enjoy that bad boy!

-dave

 

[Securb]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

Did you take off the pickguard yet? I am guessing the body is already routed to take a humbucker in the neck if you want to go that route.

 

[MrTondo]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

Concerning the sharp fret ends the guys at tdpri have an answer :
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/157819-how-fix-sharp-frets-cutting-me.html

It basically comes down to filing them until they're nice

Was the only problem that the frets stick out or is the neck in general not to your taste?

 

[MrTondo]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

And instead of going for the ssl-1 for the middle, I would go for the ssl-2, that should give you a bit better overall string to string volume level. That's what I am planning to do to my strat anyway getting a set of ssl-2's

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

So, if you like the bridge pup, why are you planning on replacing it?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

I suspect that all three DD pickups will be -101 models. Vintage style single coil bridge and RPRW centre, mini hum neck. Stacked coil versions of the T and S pickups do exist but it is hard to imagine them being stock on a budget guitar.

Luckily for you, the fact that DD pickups are strictly OEM means that there is a small ready market for pre-owned examples via Internet sales outlets. The proceeds from three DD pickups ought to fund one USA pickup. You could create yourself a hot Esquire type guitar for almost no additional outlay.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=esquire_hb

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

I forgot to say...great score!! I'm never that lucky to find a great guitar at a great price. In fact, I don't think I've ever found a great guitar in a pawn shop around here. And any guitars that I've seen are almost always priced at about double the price of a new one.

 

[CTN]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

Nicely done! play the hell outta that thing! :headbang:

 

[Matt42]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

Did you take off the pickguard yet? I am guessing the body is already routed to take a humbucker in the neck if you want to go that route.

Not yet, I think I'll probably stick with a Mini though, I played a tele with the Vintage or the Seymourized (not sure which) in the neck and really dug it.

Concerning the sharp fret ends the guys at tdpri have an answer :
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/157819-how-fix-sharp-frets-cutting-me.html

It basically comes down to filing them until they're nice

Was the only problem that the frets stick out or is the neck in general not to your taste?

I'll get to work on that this weekend. That was the only major issue with the neck. I'm still working on dialing in the action, though.

So, if you like the bridge pup, why are you planning on replacing it?

It's just the best of the three. It's still fairly harsh and dry. It reminds me of the MIM pickups from my strat, honestly.

I suspect that all three DD pickups will be -101 models. Vintage style single coil bridge and RPRW centre, mini hum neck. Stacked coil versions of the T and S pickups do exist but it is hard to imagine them being stock on a budget guitar.

Luckily for you, the fact that DD pickups are strictly OEM means that there is a small ready market for pre-owned examples via Internet sales outlets. The proceeds from three DD pickups ought to fund one USA pickup.

The reason I suspect they are stacks is because I'm thinking it is this model, which comes with DD stacks. I'll definitely be selling them when I pull them out.

Next time I change the strings, I'll pull the pickguard off and see if I can figure out what they are exactly.

 

[Matt42]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

A little more digging has revealed it to be the Vintage Modified series. The Pickups: Duncan Design TE-103B Stack, SC-102 Stack, MH-101 Mini Humbucker.

I spent about an hour getting the action dialed in a bit more. I do like the neck, just need to get those frets smoothed out. I adjusted the height on all the pickups, and they all sound much better than they did.

 

[MrTondo]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

So still thinking of changing the pups? Or will you just play it for a couple of weeks and see what she does for you?

 

[cohara41]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

I'd go with compensated saddles X 3 to really help the tone.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

Sweet!

$90 well spent!

I got a Squier Deluxe Hot Rails Strat a while back for $100 out the door!

 

[Matt42]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

So still thinking of changing the pups? Or will you just play it for a couple of weeks and see what she does for you?

I don't have the cash to a pickup swap just yet. I will be changing them out eventually, I think, but they sound good enough for now.

 

[Matt42]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

I'd go with compensated saddles X 3 to really help the tone.

That's definitely the plan. And it might be the first thing I change, since it will be the cheapest to get.

 

[Matt42]

Re: NGD: Pawn Shop Score, Tele content and my first real project

After playing it for two shows today, I'm really happy with it. I don't think I'll be changing the bridge pickup up any time soon, I have really come to like it. The Mini bucker might get replaced for a Vintage Mini, the Duncan Designed one in there just seems to be lacking life. The middle pickup I'm not crazy about, but I don't dislike either, so it will likely stay too. It actually made a pretty good rhythm pickup for a couple of tunes that I used to do in the middle position of my Gretsch.