Telecaster Love Thread, No Archtops Allowed

[Cunamara]

IMHO the Wilde/Bill and Becky Lawrence L280 noiseless pick ups are the best drop-in replacements for the sake of fat tone and clarity.

The Dimarzio Area T pickups are a close second. They might get you closer to the classic Ed Bickert pre-PAF tone, if that's what you're looking for, than the Wildes. Having used both extensively, I prefer the Wilde pickups.

Both of those have a bit of humbucker compression; if you really like the true single coil sound, the Wilde Microcoil pickups for the Telecaster are outstanding. While they are a true single coil, they pick up less noise due to the smaller coil not offering as much antenna. There are two versions, one with I presume a ceramic bar magnet and one with alnico polepiece magnets; I prefer the sound of the ceramics (the alnicos are a little too Stratty for my tastes).

In my case, I have found that I like adding a resistor in parallel between the hot output of the bridge pickup and ground to sweeten/round off the highs just a little bit and make it less spiky. There are wiring diagrams on the Wilde website and also Lindy Fralin's website has a very nice page on this. Basically, this makes the bridge pickup think it is seeing a lower resistance pot, say 100K, while the neck pick up thinks it's seeing 250K. Folks who belong to the icepick school of Telecaster bridge pickups would probably hate it.

[iowa]

Thought I would share. Aerodyne Telecaster. Stock pickup replaced with CC in P-90 case and upgraded bridge pickup. Both by Pete Biloft at Vintage Vibe pickups.

[Cri75!]

IMHO the Wilde/Bill and Becky Lawrence L280 noiseless pick ups are the best drop-in replacements for the sake of fat tone and clarity.

The Dimarzio Area T pickups are a close second. They might get you closer to the classic Ed Bickert pre-PAF tone, if that's what you're looking for, than the Wildes. Having used both extensively, I prefer the Wilde pickups.

Both of those have a bit of humbucker compression; if you really like the true single coil sound, the Wilde Microcoil pickups for the Telecaster are outstanding. While they are a true single coil, they pick up less noise due to the smaller coil not offering as much antenna. There are two versions, one with I presume a ceramic bar magnet and one with alnico polepiece magnets; I prefer the sound of the ceramics (the alnicos are a little too Stratty for my tastes).

In my case, I have found that I like adding a resistor in parallel between the hot output of the bridge pickup and ground to sweeten/round off the highs just a little bit and make it less spiky. There are wiring diagrams on the Wilde website and also Lindy Fralin's website has a very nice page on this. Basically, this makes the bridge pickup think it is seeing a lower resistance pot, say 100K, while the neck pick up thinks it's seeing 250K. Folks who belong to the icepick school of Telecaster bridge pickups would probably hate it.

Thanks for the advice.
I ordered a Di Marzio Area T dp417. It is on the way.

[jumpnblues]

Thought I would share. Aerodyne Telecaster. Stock pickup replaced with CC in P-90 case and upgraded bridge pickup. Both by Pete Biloft at Vintage Vibe pickups.

How do you like your Tone Master Deluxe reverb? I like the heck out of mine. Superb jazz amp.

[pingu]

a question for tele people

which material is brighter sounding
for tele saddles please

steel or brass ?

[Blkat]

a question for tele people

which material is brighter sounding
for tele saddles please

steel or brass ?

As a rule, the harder the material the brighter the sound. So everything else being equal... steel will be brighter.

[pingu]

thanks

does anyone know a source of
a softer material for
traditional 3 piece tele saddles
(Ive got brass on there at the moment)

maybe Nylon or plastic of some
sort ….

[ruger9]

thanks

does anyone know a source of
a softer material for
traditional 3 piece tele saddles
(Ive got brass on there at the moment)

maybe Nylon or plastic of some
sort ….

Brass is the "warmest" of the metal saddle materials. If you are still finding the guitar too bright, maybe you're not a tele person. The only other thing I know of to tame trebles would be graph tech and/or nylon saddles, but IDK if they make 3-saddle tele saddles or not, I know they make 6-saddle (indiviual string saddles).

Also, an old trick is to take a piece of heat shrink tubing like they use in electronics, and put it on string, over the saddle. I know Joe Bonamassa was doing that for awhile to tame the trebles on his E & B strings.

[Hammertone]

… The only other thing I know of to tame trebles would be graph tech and/or nylon saddles, but IDK if they make 3-saddle tele saddles or not, I know they make 6-saddle (indiviual string saddles). …

Graph Tech does make 3-barrel tele saddles. Model 8163 in their catalogue.

[pingu]

1342247[/URL]]Graph Tech does make 3-barrel tele saddles. Model 8163 in their catalogue.

would they be darker sounding than
brass ?

[pingu]

1342247[/URL]]Graph Tech does make 3-barrel tele saddles. Model 8163 in their catalogue.

these ….

I think I need to use uncompensated barrels
as as i want to use wound third
TI jazz swing set
with the intonation set up
they end up in a fairly straight line
as my picture below shows

[chris32895]

Even using a wound 3rd the two barrels flanking the middle would still need to be compensated for really good intonation. This is the reason 6 saddle bridges are preferred by many.

[Gilpy]

I had most of a Telecaster in parts, so I got a new MJT body and Biltoft Tele+5 pickups and finished it today.
The Flounder “Clamcaster”!

Sounds and plays real good!
Body is lightweight pine so the guitar weighs 7lb. Ibanez knobs!
I like to hit my pedals and amp with a hotter signal, so this is what I use:

It not only boosts but allows you to thicken up the tone if desired. Great sounding pedal.

[pingu]

Even using a wound 3rd the two barrels flanking the middle would still need to be compensated for really good intonation. This is the reason 6 saddle bridges are preferred by many.

Ok …. understood
thanks for the help everyone

I want the action down a tad from
my current setup with the big brass saddles which are as low as they will go
(and a bit darker sound)

So at some point next I’ll try going back to the stock steel saddles (which are smaller diameter) with some shrink wrap on them ….

thanks for the idea ruger9

[Cunamara]

would they be darker sounding than brass ?

Well, yes. In that the spike around 2 kHZ is reduced considerably. But because that can let you open up the tone control a little bit more, the sound is perhaps rounder than darker.

[pingu]

so I did it


early days , but i think I like it ….
certainly taken the edge off

[pingu]

and put in shorter M3 allen screws
getting there ….

[Hillmillenia]

I've been playing guitar for 61 years now...and all through those years, I played Les Pauls, Stratocasters, the occasional L6s but I never owned a Telecaster... I decide to buy one a few years back, this is an American Tele. What a solid guitar and a great sound! Playability is outstanding. She's probably 10 years +/- now with less that 2 or 3 hours playing time... But I did add it to my collection of "the guitars I always wanted but couldn't afford"..pun intended. Oh, I did add the Rock Rabbit angled switch plate...a great idea!

[Prof Silverhair]

I'm quickly arriving at the opinion that amplified music peaked around 1959, most everything after is mildy iterative or a step backwards.

Kidding aside, the telecaster is about the most useful, relevant, and flexible instruments - maybe ever.

On a whim, I grabbbed the 2011 blackguard on the right. Seymour Duncan mini sounds great for clean tones (as far as I've gotten). It also has one of the most interesting solutions for traditional saddles and intonation. I haven't seen this on any other guitars.

[Hammertone]

...2011 blackguard on the right ... also has one of the most interesting solutions for traditional saddles and intonation. I haven't seen this on any other guitars.

It came on the first version of the Fender Brad Paisley Telecaster. Probably a few other models as well.

[Sam Sherry]

Guitar Denter was SO wise to hire Mr. Lage for this video.

[alltunes]

indeed, however, unless I missed it, there was no discussion of the six saddles versus typical telecaster 3 barrel… there was a discussion that is a non-ashtray bridge ….nor was there a discussion of the chambered bodies that seem to be coming for some of the colors (it appears from Fender website that chambered bodies come with some colors) hopefully this will make for a light instrument and if they are in deeded light I might have to snag one

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Guitar Denter was SO wise to hire Mr. Lage for this video.

I love that video! Julian is so authentic and enthusiastic! On the other hand, does he sell it to a non-jazzer? Still it's nice to hear a demo that isn't 95% overdriven.

[palindrome]

Not a post here in two months?

(Is the Telecaster going out of fashion?)

[Hep To The Jive]

OK fine, here's my new Japanese 72' Traditional Thinline. I only play thinlines, they are light, look cool, sound great. This has chunky U shape neck profile, and 41mm nut width! Thank you Fender Japan for making the best necks!

I can add that teles are the best jazz guitars... but only if they have a chunky neck. Thin necks teles don't cut it for jazz tone, no matter what pickups or how much you turn the tone knob. Just don't have it.

This one is the best jazz tone guitar I ever had. I'm sure the humbuckers help too.