MIM Telecaster - modify for sake of it

**CP40Carl** · 03-18-2015, 02:53 PM

Appreciate any views on this...

I usually play jazz on my nylon classical or Godin guitar. However, I grew up loving fenders and along came jazz players like Frisell, with those wonderful clean telecaster tones.

So, I decided to get a Mexican Tele for Christmas. It's a 2014 model and my intention, like most Tele owners, was to purchase it with the intention of modification. So, here's the thing...

The Tele plays like a dream. I've owned many guitars before, including Gibsons, Fenders, Ibanez, etc. and some of them have cost me thousands. However, this Tele seems to be well made, decent tuners, top nut is ok, and...wait for it...the stock standard pickups (rolled off a little) sound really good to me.

I should be happy? Well, I feel obliged to modify this guitar as it seems to be the done thing to do. If I slap some custom pickups in it, or similar, will I really hear a substantial difference?

Does the wiring really need upgrading? Or the nut?

I know that Tele mod discussions have been done to death but does anyone else have one of these guitars and just think its ok as it is?

**wolflen** · 03-18-2015, 03:01 PM

this is YOUR call..you sound happy with it..what part of it don't you like?? isolate that part if need be and mod it..otherwise..if it aint broke..

I had a roommate who used to just take things apart just to see how they worked..of course he never got them put back together correctly so he was always "fixing" them..he did this with cars, guitars, amps etc..I never met anyone who had so many "new" things that didn't work..

**Little Jay** · 03-18-2015, 03:11 PM

You are suffering from MOD-syndrome: you like your tele perfectly as it is, but there's this little voice in your head telling you but maybe it can sound even better if I......

You can give in to that voice and enter the dark side; it's like a drug addiction because you do a mod and there's that voice again: wow, this sounds good! Maybe it will sound even better if I... and you are already planning the next mod. There's no end to it!! And you will never reach a point where you are totally satisfied, the voice keeps whispering!!

Good sounds you seek..... May the Force be with you! (If not, the voice will be with you......)

**ColMc** · 03-18-2015, 03:22 PM

Put a flash pickguard on it.
Simples!

**docbop** · 03-18-2015, 03:28 PM

LEAVE IT ALONE!!!

Just play the crap out of and it will play and sound even better the more you play it. Go buy some more Jazz CD's and expand you Jazz vocabulary.

**drbhrb** · 03-18-2015, 04:07 PM

Only thing I did to mine was put an N3 noiseless neck pickup in it. I can't stand single coil hum on a jazz gig. Tuners, wiring, everything else seems perfectly fine to me.

**mad dog** · 03-18-2015, 04:11 PM

Not all MIM teles are the same. When they're good, they're REALLY good. I now have a Baja tele. Very light, balanced ... one of the best playing, most resonant teles I've ever tried. But I was not partial to the stock p/us. A set of Rumpelstiltskin blackrope pickups later, it now sounds the way I knew it could.

The key thing to me is how a tele feels, sounds and plays. Pickups are easily swapped if necessary. In your case, doesn't sound like it's even necessary. You hit the jackpot without making any changes.
MD

**newsense** · 03-18-2015, 04:22 PM

Interesting thread...

I have also been considering buying my first Tele for some time now, - probably a MIM standard. However, I know I will be just like the OP and immediately get the mod urge.

However, I believe I may also have found a way of avoiding the urge, by buying a G&L ASAT Special (Tribute). It looks almost impossible to mod, so I would just have to be happy with it the way it is.

I haven't yet pulled the trigger, but with the strength of the pound, EU (Thomann) prices are looking very attractive. So, if you want to dissuade me from the G&L and persuade me to stick with Leo's first design, now is the time to do it !

**docbop** · 03-18-2015, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by mad dog

Not all MIM teles are the same. When they're good, they're REALLY good. I now have a Baja tele. Very light, balanced ... one of the best playing, most resonant teles I've ever tried. But I was not partial to the stock p/us. A set of Rumpelstiltskin blackrope pickups later, it now sounds the way I knew it could.

The key thing to me is how a tele feels, sounds and plays. Pickups are easily swapped if necessary. In your case, doesn't sound like it's even necessary. You hit the jackpot without making any changes.
MD

Any guitar if it plays and sounds good don't mess with it.

My partscaster Tele has a Baja Tele neck and was the main reason I got it and it is soooo nice. The Baja Tele is really a sleeper model Tele.

**CP40Carl** · 03-18-2015, 06:19 PM

Thanks for your advice guys, really appreciated.

I think I will just spend time playing the thing instead of looking for potential mods; it will probably result in me sounding better overall anyhow.

Reminds me of a story I was told about a guy who went to a fancy blues bar in New Orleans to see a well known blues band. They had all the top instruments and no expense spared. However, on leaving the bar and walking down the street he wandered over to see a large crowd gathered to watch a few musicians playing some awesome music; they really had the crowd going. Interesting thing was they were playing on no brand cheap looking instruments, nothing like the top end models he had just been watching, amd it was just their playing that was carrying them through.

Probably a bit of an embellished story but I suppose that there's a lesson in there.

Thanks again everyone, really appreciate your opinions and advice.

**D.G.** · 03-18-2015, 06:33 PM

I replaced the pups in my MIM FSR Tele with Lollar Special T's, but ONLY because the stock pups did not humbuck when on together. I require at least one quiet setting on any electric guitar due to the uncertain electricity in the venues I play.

**pubylakeg** · 03-18-2015, 06:45 PM

My MIM Baja Tele badly needs some screening.

Originally Posted by CP40Carl

Reminds me of a story I was told about a guy who went to a fancy blues bar in New Orleans to see a well known blues band. They had all the top instruments and no expense spared. However, on leaving the bar and walking down the street he wandered over to see a large crowd gathered to watch a few musicians playing some awesome music; they really had the crowd going. Interesting thing was they were playing on no brand cheap looking instruments, nothing like the top end models he had just been watching, amd it was just their playing that was carrying them through.

I think all the blues players that have given me OMG moments have been using instruments best described as "funky".
Hope you don't mind me posting this clip to illustrate my point.

**cosmic gumbo** · 03-19-2015, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by CP40Carl

my intention, like most Tele owners, was to purchase it with the intention of modification.

They forgot to send me that memo...

**bohemian46** · 03-20-2015, 01:01 AM

I have a 2003 Hiway 1 triburst maple. I bought it new.

It now has Bill Lawrence (RIP) Keystone pickups. Vintage tuners and round string tree.
Proper alloy jack cup and SwitchCraft socket... , slotted stainless screws throughout.
Gotoh six saddle wide spaced bridge.. and flatwounds.

I like it a lot.

Neck pickup 90% of the time with the tone rolled off a bit.

Played through my Custom Blues Jr or my 1979 Lab Series L-5 Amp.

**CP40Carl** · 03-20-2015, 03:36 AM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

You are suffering from MOD-syndrome: you like your tele perfectly as it is, but there's this little voice in your head telling you but maybe it can sound even better if I......

This is great advice, I will try to ignore the voice.

THE VOICE: Don't listen to him, you must buy some Fender Custom Shop Twisted Pickups

It's ok, I'm in control.

THE VOICE: No, you're not in control until you've replaced those tuners...

Aaarghhh!

**boatheelmusic** · 03-20-2015, 05:28 AM

I had the Baja Tele and an American Deluxe Tele.

Sold the American Deluxe, I just like The Baja better all around at less than half the price.

**D.G.** · 03-20-2015, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by CP40Carl

This is great advice, I will try to ignore the voice.

THE VOICE: Don't listen to him, you must buy some Fender Custom Shop Twisted Pickups

It's ok, I'm in control.

THE VOICE: No, you're not in control until you've replaced those tuners...

Aaarghhh!

Heh, so familiar...

Unless you want your Tele to sound like a Strat, avoid the Twisted Tele pups.

**rsclosson** · 03-20-2015, 03:36 PM

I have a MIM Strat I was going to mod, but the pickups are fantastic. I would just play it.

**CP40Carl** · 03-21-2015, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by D.G.

Heh, so familiar...

Unless you want your Tele to sound like a Strat, avoid the Twisted Tele pups.

Interesting, thanks for the info.

I was just settling into the 'leave them alone' approach and thought I'd check how noisy they were with my Roland 80xl cranked up a bit. Got to say, I was very concerned at the amount of noise, even on my usual 'clean' setting using the front pickup.

Looks as if I may have to consider getting some noiseless pickups after all. Been looking at N3s and Noiseless Vintage as potential options. Shame as I really like the stock pickups but they only seem useable for 'bedroom' playing levels. If I played a gig with them, they'd be far too noisy.

**CP40Carl** · 03-21-2015, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by CP40Carl

Interesting, thanks for the info.

I was just settling into the 'leave them alone' approach and thought I'd check how noisy they were with my Roland 80xl cranked up a bit. Got to say, I was very concerned at the amount of noise, even on my usual 'clean' setting using the front pickup.

Great news - tried going from Tele straight into amp (cutting out pedal board) and vast improvement. Think my Boss looper may be the culprit. Certainly not 60 cycle hum and I believe that the Fender Standards are now insulated (painted) these days anyhow.

Happy man - get to keep my stock ceramic pups! Didn't like the sound of the N3s or CS Vintage so really pleased.

**Cunamara** · 03-21-2015, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by CP40Carl

The Tele plays like a dream. I've owned many guitars before, including Gibsons, Fenders, Ibanez, etc. and some of them have cost me thousands. However, this Tele seems to be well made, decent tuners, top nut is ok, and...wait for it...the stock standard pickups (rolled off a little) sound really good to me.

I have a Tele Squier Affinity that I modded over time (Warmoth neck, pickups and wiring, shielding... all that's left of the original is the body, pickguard and bridge!). I kept the standard Tele configuration of the pickups but put in Dimarzio Area T pickups which are stacked humbuckers. My Tele is my quietest guitar! I roll the tone off about halfway and it sounds fantastic for jazz. It's really easy to get a good tone in almost any situation with that guitar.

Most of the Ed Bickert videos on YouTube have him playing his Tele with the original pickup and he sounds great as always. He has said in interviews that switched to a humbucker not for tonal dissatisfaction with the Tele pickup but to have adjustable polepieces for better string-to-string balance, presumably for his plain G. I am using the Pyramid 12-54 nickel set and find the plain G requires careful handling as it's louder than the others.

**Greentone** · 03-21-2015, 02:50 PM

My recommendation is always to leave a guitar alone. Of course, everyone ENJOYS modding guitars, and the industry HOPES you will modify that guitar--companies thrive on selling stuff to do just that.

Still, when has any modification really made a guitar more valuable? Ahhhhh...maybe never. I have never wished for any of my guitars to have been modified. Sorry to take a hard line, here. Others will differ, and that's super okay.

The main thing is PLAY your Telecaster. It's one of the most playable, rewarding guitars of all time...just as it comes from the factory. A Telecaster is just like...a bad one is good and a good one is great.

Enjoy.

**CP40Carl** · 03-22-2015, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by Greentone

My recommendation is always to leave a guitar alone. Of course, everyone ENJOYS modding guitars, and the industry HOPES you will modify that guitar--companies thrive on selling stuff to do just that.

Still, when has any modification really made a guitar more valuable? Ahhhhh...maybe never. I have never wished for any of my guitars to have been modified. Sorry to take a hard line, here. Others will differ, and that's super okay.

The main thing is PLAY your Telecaster. It's one of the most playable, rewarding guitars of all time...just as it comes from the factory. A Telecaster is just like...a bad one is good and a good one is great.

Enjoy.

Thanks for that, I think you're right. I've just put some better strings on her and will spend my time playing jazz rather than looking at mods. Thanks again to all who jumped in to give me their views on this, much appreciated.

**lessofapaul** · 05-27-2015, 05:25 PM

Hey guys, I know yhis thread is almost extinct, but I have a 69 thinline reissue that the pegs are driving me nuts on. They are these split peg design and i have to cut my strings to get them on. Almost always one unwinds inside the coil. So any recommendations for new tuning pegs?? I dont want to drill any holes.

**D.G.** · 05-27-2015, 05:56 PM

Fender split tuners should be strung up like so:

Put the string on, but BEFORE you wrap it around the tuner, clip the end off measuring 2-3 tuner pegs past the the target tuner, ex: hold the 6th string to the 4th string tuner and clip it to that length.

There is a hole in the tuner that points straight down. Insert the string end into the hole as far as it will go. Bend the string to a right angle in the slot and tune up.

I have NEVER had string unwind itself using this method.

Here's a video I found: