Sticking a regular size bridge humbucker in a tele?

seachto7

Hi all,

This may have been answered a lot of times already, but curious as to the amount of work that may be involved in putting a regular sized humbucker in a telecaster?

I know the modern player tele could be the solution to this, but with a regular tele, would there by much involved?

Other option is to put a stacked humbucker in the bridge.

Was thinking about picking up a squire or mex tele and modding it. Looking for a good whack out of it. I know Jonny Greenwood has lace sensors in his one, and he gets a really good distorted sound. Granted, there are lots of factors in his tone.

Maybe a bridge humbucker with a push/pull button....

Would the body have to be cut to fit the regular humbucker? Would it mean altering the bridge at all, or getting a specific bridge? Obviously the pick guard would have to be altered as well..

wild turkey

Put a hotrails in it

seachto7

Another really silly question. Would a stacked humbucker give the same tone as a regular sized humbucker?

A stacked humbucker would rule out the push/pull option though?

wild turkey

It depends entirely on the pickup you choose as some are stacked for noise elimination & some to sound like a humbucker

As for the push pull, I presume your talking about coil splitting
If you want coil splitting make sure the pickup has 4 wires instead of two
If you dont want to split just connect 2 of the wires, usually red & white with Seymour Duncan

Ive had a few of these type of pickup & the hotrails would be my favourite of the bunch

seachto7

Thanks Wild Turkey. I did not know this. Yes, I guess I would be coil splitting.

Would there be much work involved if someone were to install a regular size humbucker at the bridge with a coil splitting option?

The simplicity of teles is telling me they would be straight forward enough to mod...?

EDIT: Just checked SD site. Would it still be possible to coil tap/split a hotrails pickup?

Visually, a regular sized humbucker would look better, but more concerned about a good sound at the end of the day.

I'd have to counter act the bridge pickup with something hot in the neck too.

Also did not take into account, a new bridge would have to be fitted to accommodate a regular humbucker:

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdjqavzL4q1qa1wxx.jpg

wild turkey

Yes you can split a hotrails two ways
1, with a push pull pot
2, with a small switch
Its a pretty easy task to do yourself if your good with a soldering iron
the second being the cheaper & easiest as you just solder the white & red to separate lugs on the switch
& the other two wires to where the original pickup wires were

Whichever pickup you pick just make sure you check the manufacturers site for wiring colours

seachto7

I'd be getting someone else to do it. I'll track down the tele first though!

seachto7

What about the SD Quarter Pound pickup?

If I installed a humbucker in the bridge, I'd have to look at the neck too, so there wouldn't be a huge drop in sound...

wild turkey

If your only going to buy the tele now buy it with the humbucker at the bridge
It will save the cost of a new bridge, pickup surround & the cost of getting someone to rout it
also mabye the neck pickup will be closer to the output of the humbucker

You could also go esquire style & forget about the neck pickup

seachto7

Only option would be the Modern Player. I could try and pick up a Mex tele or something, and replace the neck pickup with a mini humbucker. Looking for the "bite" of a tele (and the feel), but with a wider sound perhaps.

I had a tele deluxe HH a few years ago. It was a b*tch to keep in tune, and didn't really float my boat.

wild turkey

I feel that once you stray from the tele bridge its not really a tele anymore

Personally, If it were me I would buy a Classic Vibe Tele & go from there
I have a stock CV strat & rate it as good as a USA strat anyday
I mod all my but this one is perfect as it is


There was one on adverts recently with rails fitted

wild turkey

this one !
http://www.adverts.ie/3628950

seachto7

I saw that earlier aye. I would put a single coil in the neck though rather than have 2 humbuckers.

I'm not necessarily looking to 100% keep the tele sound, just like the look and feel of them, as well as their "bite" in overdrive situations. I have a Jazzmaster which takes care of most of my jangle.

Might be picking up a semi hollow next weekend, so have to hold off for now, depending on whether I sell another or not.

Would be using it for high Pumpkins/Bends type distortion. Something bitey. Not a fan of Les Pauls...

martinedwards

another option is to add an extra coil to the single coil tele pup already there, building a H/B but retaining the original pup.

the single coil of a H/B is never really the tele sound, though it's close......

never done this though I HAVE swapped a load of pups in and out and even had a strat with three H/Bs in it , all with split and wired like a Jazz bass with no pup switch. MAN, was that versatile!!

seachto7

Yeah, curious as to what to do. I know I would be taking away from the sound of what a tele should be, but......

beauf

I used to have a SDuncan hotrails in a Charvel Tele and a Jackson Strat. Very much a late 80's hardrock sound. Didn't really mix well with regular single coils. Long time ago maybe modern stacked PU's are better.

If you didn't like the HH then maybe a tele plus if you can find one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Telecaster_Plus

Or something with P90's, or a Billy Corgan Stratocaster maybe?

seachto7

What about the modern player tele plus?
There are a few on adverts. Could be perfect for modding?
I'd take out the middle pickup and get a regular tele pickguard then could possibly upgrade the neck and bridge bucker. Get a better quality bridge and new tuners....

punchdrunk

seachto7 wrote: »

What about the modern player tele plus?
There are a few on adverts. Could be perfect for modding?
I'd take out the middle pickup and get a regular tele pickguard then could possibly upgrade the neck and bridge bucker. Get a better quality bridge and new tuners....

This has potential (minus the Roland!)

http://adverts.ie/4007772

seachto7

punchdrunk wrote: »

This has potential (minus the Roland!)

http://adverts.ie/4007772

That's what I thought

seachto7

Ok, so looking at options which could be the following:

Modern Player Tele - upgrade the bridge and neck pickup with some lace sensors, I'd take out the middle pickup altogether. A few used on adverts currently.

Used MIM tele standard - could pick this up and modify it, stick a regular humbucker in the bridge which could be insane to some of you!

Classic Vibe tele - same thing, could stick a humbucker in the bridge. I've played a few of these and like them. They play well.

I guess, aesthetically, I like the look of the humbucker in the neck, so the modern player could be the obvious one to mod. Not played any, so dunno what the necks are like.

I'd be sticking lace sensors into it anyhow, so it would only be a tele in appearance as opposed to how it would eventually sound...