Tele mods

[JB_From_Hell]

I'm talking really minimal stuff. The Telecaster is awesome for its simplicity. No push/pulls, mini-switches, or any of that.

For certain, I'm setting the tone knob to affect the bridge pickup only, and reversing the control plate. Also, the pots on this CV Tele aren't that great, so they're getting replaced.

It seems like I've heard people talk about 4 position switches to get both pickups in series. I've been through all that with Strats, and never found anything beyond the standard 5-way options of any use.

Am I overlooking any must try stuff?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Tele mods

Replace the Tele neck pickup with one from a Strat. This is easily the most simple, yet worthwhile mod that you can do to a Telecaster.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Tele mods

Replace the Tele neck pickup with one from a Strat. This is easily the most simple, yet worthwhile mod that you can do to a Telecaster.

Have you tried a CV Tele with Tonerider pickups? They sound really, really good.

But I'll still probably try this eventually

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Tele mods

Have you tried a CV Tele with Tonerider pickups? They sound really, really good.

But I'll still probably try this eventually

No, but I've played a CV Strat, so I believe it. Another good mod to look into is the "clocked wah" mod where you simply put a 4700pF cap in series with the pickup to ground for one of the switching positions. You might like to put it on a 4-way switch, but I've done the mod for a few people that have just asked me to simply add the cap to the standard Tele wiring.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Tele mods

For the sake of clarification, I just did some reading, and these pickups are NOT Toneriders. They're wound in the factory that makes the CV Squiers, who also apparently wind Toneriders. Regardless, they sound really good.

 

[VinceT]

Re: Tele mods

I would use a no load blend pot for tone, using 50s wiring (connection via capacitor, from volume pot output), so that the tone pot only touches the signal if you want it to. This is how I have my Tele wired, and I love it (though, to be fair, my Tele has TVJones Starwood pickups, which are a little fatter than stock - great pickups).

My Tele also has the S1 volume pot, that enables series mid position when activated - I don’t use it much, but it’s a good gain boost when needed (and with the Tone config above, it doesn’t get too fat).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

Re: Tele mods

Also, straplocks. I dig a 4 way switch, too. I also dig more ergonomic, but severe mods- tummy cut and forearm contour.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Tele mods

Need the tone control on my tele neck pickup.
How else do you do the "jazz box impression"?

On a bright fender amp, I set the treble high but let the guitar tone control be my main method of tone sculpting. Yes at full up the neck pickup can be somewhat bright, and the bridge can be the ice pick! But use your finger and that knob and you can get whatever you need on the fly.

If you're playing lots of rock and heavy blues and only need maximum cut-through from the neck which can be too dark and weak at times, then by all means disconnect that tone control. But I love how smooth and moody, silky and Woody the rolled off neck can be, it sounds different than than my strat rolled off, which also has the '50s .1 tone cap. Lots of flavors to enjoy but not everyone needs them all I suppose

Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Tele mods

I like ditching the modern middle position, which is both pickups on, in parallel. It's weak and thin, and I never use it.

Instead, I wire positions 1 and 2 like an Esquire, and remove position 3 from the tone pot. This provides:

Pos. 1: bridge pickup straight to jack
Pos. 2: bridge pickup with tone knob
Pos. 3: neck pickup straight to jack

It ditches an unused Tele switch position, and incorporates the best feature of an Esquire: the ability to quickly switch between no load and a tone knob preset, on the same pickup.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Tele mods

How else do you do the "jazz box impression"?

With my 50's ES-175

Thanks guys, lots of interesting stuff here.

RE: Tele ergonomics... You'd think coming from years of Strats, a Tele would seem uncomfortable. I guess I spend enough time with a dreadnought that I don't notice it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Tele mods

Yeah, unless Teles have some mods, the ergonomics don't work at all for me (dreds don't either).

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Tele mods

Anymore, I'm into starting off with the right guitar in the first place. I'd rather use a Strat than a Tele with a bunch of wood hacked off of it.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Tele mods

I really like the 4-way switch option, and have it in my Tele.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Tele mods

Graphtech nut and saddles changed my life.

When my guitar ships or goes on a plane, my guitar now arrives still in tune because the strings tension compensates better without binding anywhere after changes in humidity and atmospheric pressure.

With a bone or brass nut it was never quite perfect.

 

[SAguitar]

Re: Tele mods

Also, straplocks. I dig a 4 way switch, too. I also dig more ergonomic, but severe mods- tummy cut and forearm contour.

Yes, and Yes. In addition to these mods, my No. 1 Tele has a TBX tone control and the reversed control plate. The 4-way switch is a serious bonus.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Tele mods

swap the pickups for humbuckers
swap the scale to gibson scale
swap the body to a les paul




oh I'm kidding
locking tuners and straplocks at the least
graphite nut sounds easy enough

roll the edges of the fretboard

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Tele mods

Personally, I find the reversed control plate to make things worse. The switch is already a bit hard to move out of position 1. Moving it farther away makes no sense to me.

I find a better mod to be one of the plates that angles the switch, as well as moving the volume knob back a hair.

Also, top hat switch tip, as opposed to barrel, helps.

IMO, the theoretically perfect Tele control layout angles the switch and moves it on to the guard, while providing V/T/T knobs on the control plate.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Tele mods

locking tuners and straplocks at the least

Everyone will say I'm full of ****, but I'm not crazy about locking tuners. I have an old set from a Fender (Schaller?) on my Peavey Predator. On a whim, I put them on my American Standard. Something about it sounded off. After awhile, I put the original tuners back on, and it was back to normal. Before anybody freaks out about that, I'm not claiming that locking tuners change the tone, just that the guitar sounded different.

Anyway, CV Teles also come with the vintage style where you put the end of the string down into the tuner post. It's almost as fast to restring it as with locking.

My strap locks of choice now are the D'Addario plastic clips that fit over the factory pin. They're like $4/pair, and foolproof.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Tele mods

I would imagine that the older non staggered locking tuners would set taller
And make the strings sit higher on the nut
May have been vibrating a bit
Sounding off

But this is just a wild guess as I have no idea of just how different it was

But ok maybe they aren't for you

I put that chit on everything
If I could find a bass version
I'd have them on my basses and banjos too

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Tele mods

^^Locking tuners do tend to be heavier, so that might have had something to do with it.

Funny, this thread got me thinking of all the mods that I could try out on whatever the next Tele I buy is, and I got to thinking about taking the standard Tele wiring, but adding a fourth position that removes the tone, adds a hardwired bass cut, and throws in another cap for a cocked wah. This would be a nifty little way to add a lo-fi lead switch sort of thing or a way to get a nice smooth bridge pickup a raunchier lead tone.

I don't know how useful it would be in the long run, but it would sure be fun every now and then.