What would you do with this guitar?

Andrew Lamprecht

Andrew Lamprecht

Minion of One
About 3 months ago I was given a guitar by someone very close to me. It was a MIM HH Telecaster.

I thought it would be cool to put a Pearly Gates in the bridge (ended up with a Pearly Gates Plus) and make it some sort of Esquire.

The thing is that the guitar is dead. No resonance at all. It's set up nicely and sounds alright but it just isn't an inspiring guitar to play. What would you do? If it was a normal guitar, I would sell it and move on but I don't feel that's very appropriate.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

Sell it off and buy a Jackson Randy Rhoads.... but that's just me.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

I tried a PGP in my MIM Strat and it sounded like a big puddle of mud. Go for a JB/Jazz set and make your own Telegib
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

It sounds good, that's not the problem. It is very heavy and there is no resonance to speak of.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

Get a different body and tell your friend that you refinished it.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

I briefly owned a Fender Baja Telecaster with the same issue. I cut my losses and sold it.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

I have a Squier Tele and I have been debating replacing the body since the current one isn't a tone monster.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

I have a guitar exactly like that... My then girlfriend now wife gave it to me for my 30th birthday. Its a Fender Tex Mex strat and sonically its just dead... the notes dont ring... they just have of soft thud to them. Tried a couple pickup sets in it but its really just turd polishing. Now it lives most of its life in a stand... being it doesnt ring its actually useful for 2 am unplugged practice. Ive even told my wife its my insomnia guitar cause thats when it gets played.

So my advice to you... Do nothing to it. You wont fix it just try to find something that you appreciate about it and at the very worst its a nice reminder that someone thought enough of you to give you a (relatively) expensive present.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

You could swap on another neck and see if that helps? Then you could maybe know for certain it was the body not being up to par.
Last resort you can hang it on the wall as a decoration.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

put Jaguar or Jazzmaster pickups in it and use it as a thrash guitar. or Firebird mini-hums. don't try to make it into something it's not, work with what it is. no sustain? there's plenty of music that uses that.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

P-90 usually resurrects dead guitar, IME. If it fails, burn it in fireplace. If it works, name it Lazaruscaster. PG+ sounds good in the neck btw.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

Edgecrusher said:
So my advice to you... Do nothing to it.
Click to expand...
+1. I have been there with my partscaster. It was a dream to play, but no volume, no sustain no matter the upgrades. Sold it in parts. Could not sell the super-vee so I kept this.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

Change those old strings....



Actually, there is not much you can do to a guitar that lack tone when played acoustically. No change in pots, pups, strings etc.... can make it come alive.
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

Set of p-rails, with full switching. The ultimate Townshend-caster!
 
Re: What would you do with this guitar?

Sell the guitar you have and buy a telecaster that looks similar but sounds the way you like. This way there are no hurt feelings.
 
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