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Post subject: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:09 am
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Hello people,
I have been wanting a humbucker equipped guitar for a while now, but I don't have enough money to buy one. Sooooo, I was thinking maybe I could mod my tele. The bridge pickup in my Tele is only routed for a single coil so I cannot fit a humbucker in. All I have is a dremel and I don't want to just go at my guitar with it. So let's say I practice cutting and tape it off and such. Do you think I could do it with out totally ruining my guitar?
:? :? :?


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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 2:53 pm
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Use a pickguard as a template for general positioning and enlarge the routing area as required.

You will of course no longer have any shielding paint, shielding the wires and pickup. I would apply copper tape to the newly routed area and ground the copper tape with a soldered ground wire.


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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 7:17 pm
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spankie wrote:
...The bridge pickup in my Tele is only routed for a single coil so I cannot fit a humbucker in. All I have is a dremel and I don't want to just go at my guitar with it. So let's say I practice cutting and tape it off and such. Do you think I could do it with out totally ruining my guitar?
:? :? :?


Welcome.

Only you know how skilled you are with a Dremel. Consequently, only you can answer your above question. A word of caution: If you are not a master with a Dremel I urgently recommend against it. Not just for the guitar's sake but for your own personal safety as well. Premising you are, read on.

Unless you intend to cut off the forward portion of your existing bridge plate assembly which seats the single coil pickup (with intentions to use a 'regular' mounting ring for the humbucker), your best bet is to buy a humbucker bridge plate assembly. This will also be your template for the additional routing required for the humbucker. You would tape the area first so that once you pencil the areas which need further routing, you can remove the bridge, Dremel the extra wood out and not have to worry about chipping paint either. Note however that the original cutout from your single coil will protrude slightly from the sides of the humbucker plate assembly. As to shielding, the base of the humbucker will inevitably be metal. This is the pickup's shielding from underneath. Upon mounting the humbucker into the bridge plate, the plate shall be part of the humbucker's shielding too. In turn, both are grounded to the shielded volume pot in the shielded control cavity. If you choose a humbucker with a cover, that's even more shielding. Consequently, shielding the body below the humbucker is redundant and useless.

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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 7:21 pm
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You can always stick in a single-coil sized humbucker like the Seymour-Duncan Pearly Gates I have in this Peavey.

Image

Image

This is a super hot humbucker and I play this guitar a lot! No routing, no bleeding...

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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:54 pm
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If shielding was redundant or useless, manufacturers would not use shielding paint.


Last edited by MickJagger on Sat Jun 18, 2011 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:04 am
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Check out stewart macdonald part #1095 Laser cut templates for humbucker. With the bit and bushing. I have done several I made my own templates from plexiglass. Get a cheap 1/4 inch plunge router. Then you can practice on a scrap piece of wood. Dropping the depth a little at a time. Dbl back tape the template in place and blaze away. I do the b benders this way and recut for different pick ups. The tools are only as good as the hands there in. Just practice on scrap you will be surprised who easy it is. And like the one post said mark the spot with the pick guard and the plastic template will be a little over size. And easy to align because the bearing on the router bit is over size to ride on the template. Regards Horton


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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:51 am
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I like CRGuitarman's suggestion. A s/c sized humbucker is a good way to go if you don't want to/aren't comfortable with digging into the wood with a Dremel. If you feel you can accomplish the task, remember the old adage...Measure twice, Cut Once.

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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:15 pm
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MickJagger wrote:
If shielding was redundant or useless, manufacturers would not use shielding pain.


In this case, it IS redundant and useless. Further, aside from the fact that it ramps up capacitance and attenuates frequency response, manufacturers are more than happy to accommodate their customers if an inexpensive placebo will bolster popularity among their products.

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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 6:49 pm
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Martian wrote:
MickJagger wrote:
If shielding was redundant or useless, manufacturers would not use shielding pain.


In this case, it IS redundant and useless. Further, aside from the fact that it ramps up capacitance and attenuates frequency response, manufacturers are more than happy to accommodate their customers if an inexpensive placebo will bolster popularity among their products.

If you would kindly provide an authoritative source for your assertions, it would be most appreciated.


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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 8:00 pm
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MickJagger wrote:
If you would kindly provide an authoritative source for your assertions, it would be most appreciated.


This is basic electronics.

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Post subject: Re: MODDING A TELECASTER
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:35 am
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Martian wrote:
MickJagger wrote:
If you would kindly provide an authoritative source for your assertions, it would be most appreciated.


This is basic electronics.

Thank you Einstein!! :lol:


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