Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

[Valisch]

Hello all,

I recently bought an LTD TE-212, I'm looking to make this guitar my 'bring everywhere' guitar that can handle tunings from Standard to Drop C as well as handle most types of metal and maybe some hard rock too. (Megadeth to Arch Enemy).

The guitar has a humbucker in the neck and a tele single coil in the bridge.
Bolt-On Construction
25.5" Scale
22 Frets
Alder Body
Maple Neck
Maple Fingerboard

Any suggestions would be helpful. Again I primarily focus on metal but if the pickups could clean up a bit a play some classic hard rock that would be nice (but not mandatory) I know you can't always have it all

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

Welcome to the forum.

My inclination would be to "borrow" from the Chapman Guitars ML-3 RC model. ST-59-1 Li'l '59 and STHR-1n Hot Rails. Buy a regular Telecaster pickguard.

 

[BruceBruce]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

Hot rails bridge, '59 neck. Or maybe distortion neck, if you don't play clean.

 

[Valisch]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

Does the Hot rails clean up and/or coil tap nicely?

How's the Sentient neck compare to the '59? on paper they seem pretty close

 

[elelpe]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

QP tapped version bridge and P-Rails neck.

 

[Gibson 1964]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

I found my lil 59's for tele fed back something awful. I would recommend a hot rails. definitely a hot rails for the bridge.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

I found my lil 59's for tele fed back something awful. I would recommend a hot rails. definitely a hot rails for the bridge.

I had the same problem with mine, stuffing the cavity with padding and putting stiffer springs on the screws got rid of it

 

[EDX]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

i would go with either a JBjr in the bridge and a 59 on the neck or with a pair of Blackout Singles plus a tele pickguard, the proper way would be to route the bridge slot for a humbucker and slap a live wire mustaine in the bridge and a jeff loomis on the neck (for the Megadeth to Arch Enemy thing)

 

[Valisch]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

A couple points to add about the guitar. The bridge is an unusual 5 screw pattern as opposed to the standard 3 or 4 screw pattern. So I'm pretty much limited to a Tele Single-coil sized pickup in the bridge.

Does the Hot Rails more similar to a Humbucker or a single coil? or somewhere in between? Does it sound pretty good split/tapped as well?

 

[EDX]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

well, you can unscrew the bridge to see if the thing is actually humbucker routed, if it is you can put a 5 screws strat bridge and direct mount a bucker there, if not and you really want a single coil i would go with actives as i really don't see the hotrails hot enough for the extreme end of what you need

 

[Valisch]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/esp-ltd-te-202-electric-guitar?cntry=us&source=3WWRWXGP&gclid=CJzK4ui208oCFYSBaQodgKUBmQ&kwid=productads-plaid^143118042522-sku^H71357000001001@ADL4MF-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^92666429427

This is pretty much the bridge I'm working with. I suppose i could grab a pack of strings tomorrow when I'm out and about so i can open the guitar up and see what options I have.

Also If I can't perfectly achieve that extreme end of what i was looking for that would be alright, as long as the pups can handle some de-tuning without getting muddy.

Most of my other guitars are loaded with active pups (1 Blackout, 4 EMGs) so i was kinda looking to see what i could achieve on the passive side.

 

[B2D]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

I've thought about picking that guitar up. Personally for what you're asking I'd go for a Sentient neck and a Hot Rails for Tele in the bridge. That would kick butt.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

The TE-212 actually has vintage style wiring (brass baseplate on bridge pup grounds the bridge) so you'll have to ground the bridge out with a wire from the volume pot. You may want to consider changing all of the wiring as all you get is a couple of alpha pots & a $0.15 capacitor. You can do a complete re-wire with quality parts for about $15? I just did one & it came out great, has absolutely no problems keeping up with my $800 USA Telecaster in sound or playability!!! I installed a new nut & leveled/crowned all of the frets as well as changing the electronics, all in I think the guitar cost me about $320...

 

[Valisch]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

Yea I was planning on a full rewiring when i change out the pups. Maybe Split/Tap as well, not sure yet. Electronics tend to be a shortcut on affordable guitars. Prefer not doing much/any routing if possible.

 

[Gibson 1964]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

Does the Hot Rails more similar to a Humbucker or a single coil? or somewhere in between? Does it sound pretty good split/tapped as well?

The hot rails is a hot humbucker sound. Lots of mids, very hot, very good pickup for metal. I have a BW for tele from the custom shop, and it is really the perfect bridge pickup for this, but it is custom shop. (I didn't order it, someone sold it on ebay cheap and I snagged it, and will not be selling it.)

 

[Synapsys]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

Got one about a year ago, and I seriously modded it I had installed a STK-T2b (Hot Lead Stack) and an APH-1n (Alnico II Pro), a Les Paul three-way position switch, and individual switches for each pickup for Series / Parallel / Split wiring. Some magic on the pots, allowing to select between 500k or 250k, depending whether in series or split, to try and catch some classic tones.

The Stack still gives a Tele character, although a modern one. Handles high gain very well, since I'm mostly a Metal/ Hard Rock player. A2Pro is a dream on the neck, liquid solos just pour out, and parallel and split gives very usable tones, mainly in clean/ breakup.

Also a racing stripe for some Hot Rod look. Added Planet Waves Auto Trim locking tuners, Dunlop straplocks, a Graphtech TUSQ nut, an ABM brass bridge and a string roller.

Some eye candy for you, as follows. I'm terrible at photography, BTW...

 

[psc69nyc]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

I was also thinking about getting this guitar. I had planned to go with Dimarzios with a Super Distortion T in the bridge and a 36th Anniversay PAF in the neck.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Workhorse Metal/Hard Rock Tele style guitar

Hot rails bridge, '59 neck. Or maybe distortion neck, if you don't play clean.

Despite the name, the Distortion pups do cleans very well.

Dump the humbucker pickguard, and get a regular tele pickguard. Then either Hot Rails for Tele set or Quarter Pound for Tele set.