Tele control plates.

[Artie]

There isn't much about this guitar that "grabs" me, except that I love that control plate. https://shop.fender.com/en-US/elect...niverse-volume-ii-tele-mágico/0176782726.html

Not so much the curved-up corner, but the control layout. And the toggle switch goes up and down, rather than fore and aft. One of the things that has always bugged me about the Tele control layout is that they positioned the volume control too close to the 3-way. With the 3-way in the bridge position, it was almost up against the volume knob. There's enough room in the control cavity to make that unnecessary.

So . . . I've ordered a couple blank plates so that I can drill out my own. I promise pics when I'm done.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Have you ever tried a reversed Tele control plate? For me, it solves the problems of the normal crowded plate.

 

[Artie]

Have you ever tried a reversed Tele control plate? For me, it solves the problems of the normal crowded plate.

I've done a couple customers guitars that were done that way. It did work better, but there was just something about it that looked wrong. Not that what I'm doing will be traditional.

 

[beaubrummels]

Ever since Leo got rid of the 'dark' circuit in Teles, there's never been a need for a blade switch in a Tele. Standard Tele wiring converts a blade into a typical DP3T on-on-on (instead of 2 separate syncronized SP3T). A normal 3-way toggle works so much better/easier and takes less space and weighs less (it adds up).

The guitar looks like kind of a nod to the old Bigsby guitars.

 

[Artie]

It doesn't sound bad either. There's a decent video farther down the page. But $2300? A little rich for my blood even if I loved it. But I can clone it fairly close.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

I like the regular Tele switch, and always prefer blade switches.

 

[St_Genesius]

That's the old Squier '51 plate!

 

[Mincer]

I am not sure what I make of that guitar. It looks like leftover parts.

 

[Artie]

I am not sure what I make of that guitar. It looks like leftover parts.

I think you said what was in the back of my mind.

BTW, I don't mind lever switches. It's more the proximity of the volume pot to it, on a Tele. As an alternative plan, they do make semi-blank plates. That is, they have the slot and holes for the 3-way, but no pot holes. I could drill my own and keep the conventional look. But I do still love that first plate layout that I posted.

 

[Mincer]

It seems like that switch could be in a better place, not in between the other knobs. Maybe even off of the plate. But I don't wanna ruin the aesthetic goin' on there.

 

[Artie]

It seems like that switch could be in a better place, not in between the other knobs.

If I start with a blank plate, I can put them in any order. So, the toggle could be in the normal lever position. I'll have to "shop" a couple of diagrams. That might look better, doing Tone/Vol/Toggle.

 

[jeremy]

i prefer the plate flipped. i use the volume and tone knobs a lot on a tele or esquire and the switch at the back seems to work well for me. not sure id want it in the middle, im sure id bump it accidentally from time to time

 

[St_Genesius]

I flipped the plate on the Tele build I did this year. As far as I'm concerned, that's the way they should all be.

 

[Artie]

One of the things that got me to thinking about this is that I just did a customers Tele. (Installed a Fralin bridge pup.) He had the flipped plate. But he also had installed Fender "amp" knobs. They looked cool, but the tone control was locked. We thought the pot was frozen until I realized that the wider skirt of the knob had pressed down on the 3-way mounting screw. Easy fix pulling the knob up a bit, but then it didn't look right. Having that pot moved inward 1/4" would have solved that problem.

It's not a big deal. Just one of those little things that bugs me about a Tele.

 

[Securb]

It doesn't sound bad either. There's a decent video farther down the page. But $2300? A little rich for my blood even if I loved it. But I can clone it fairly close.

My thought exactly, the higher gain sounds at the end of the video were interesting. But not $2300 interesting.

 

[jeremy]

counter sink the plate and get flush mount screws man, geez dont ya have a fastenal near by?

something that i always thought was weird... muddy waters old red tele had amp knobs and the knobs didnt touch the switch screw. when they made a reissue of the guitar, the knobs did touch the screw. or would have if the knob was pushed down all the way. were the old knobs different or was the plate?

 

[Artie]

I'm not sure, but I think some Tele plates are counter-sunk, and some aren't. Neither mine, nor my customers were.

And my customer was a cheapskate. Spent all his money on the Fralin.

My plate from 920D is.

 

[idsnowdog]

That's the old Squier '51 plate!

It goes back to the original Telecaster bass.​

 

[Artie]

It goes back to the original Telecaster bass.​

Yup. I was looking them up, and they all are listed as Tele bass plates.

 

[St_Genesius]

You have shamed me. I am ashamed.

I should have known that. I've seen plenty of Tele basses. But I owned a '51, so that's where my head went.

It goes back to the original Telecaster bass.​