Custom Tele build scheduled for this year.

[blinddrew]

I think normally I'd go for a black scratchplate but if you're doing something different, go different. I like the tortoiseshell look.

[DrNomis_44]

I think normally I'd go for a black scratchplate but if you're doing something different, go different. I like the tortoiseshell look.

Cheers, I happen to like the Tortoiseshell look too, it definitely appeals to me, although I can always order a black scratchplate from Realtone music later on.

[wazkelly]

Hey Doc, if you are doing string through how does that bridge line up with pre drilled holes? The base plate looks quite long and if string through holes line up (which I doubt) then longer saddle screws and springs may solve the problem otherwise a new base plate or complete bridge could be required.

[DrNomis_44]

Hey Doc, if you are doing string through how does that bridge line up with pre drilled holes? The base plate looks quite long and if string through holes line up (which I doubt) then longer saddle screws and springs may solve the problem otherwise a new base plate or complete bridge could be required.

I checked, and the pre-drilled holes in the body don't exactly line up with the holes in the bridge, which are towards the neck by about 2mm or so, I was thinking of elongating the holes a bit, using a round needle-file so that the strings could be threaded through, I'll post some more pics so you can see, spacing-wize, the pre-drilled holes are spaced same like the ones on the bridge, so no issues with that.


Here's a closeup pic of the bridge, note that the saddles aren't the originals, they are some longer ones I found that I'm going to try and see if they solve the scale-length issue:




Not sure if it's clear enough to see, but notice where the pre-drilled holes are in relation to the holes in the bridge?, I've got the bridge positioned so that the bridge pickup is more or less in the centre of the routing in the body, I really don't want to have to do any routing of the body if it is avoidable.


Of course, I could have just used the Squier Tele body, but the bridge wasn't positioned on it correctly, it was angled a bit off-centre to the centreline of the neck, I'm guessing that someone at the Fender USA factory wasn't concentrating on their job.


This is the other issue that needs fixing, basically, someone didn't cut the nut-trench deep enough at the Fender factory where the neck was made, not sure if it's clear enough, but you might be able to notice the saw-cut next to the low E-string nut slot, I need to carefully tap the nut out, then file the nut-trench to the correct depth before gluing the nut back in to fix the issue, as it is, it makes the 1st-fret action way too high so that notes fretted at the first fret end up being a bit too sharp, according to Fender specs, there should only be about a .020 inch clearance between the top of the first-fret and the underside of the string, give or take +/- .002 inch, it looks more like about .040 inch or so which is way too high:




Here's another closeup pic of the bridge, this time I stuck some blue 3M tape on it and marked-out where the scale length (Fender's 25.5 Inch) ends up using my tape-measure, I'm sure this is going to cause some issues with setting the intonation at the 12th-fret correctly, but I reckon if I can find some longer screws that fit the saddles, that might fix things without me having to do some surgery to the bridge-pickup routing and re-drill the pre-drilled string holes in the body:




And yes, the neck is correctly fitted in the neck pocket, the mounting-screw holes in the neck and body all line-up with about a 1mm gap between the end of the neck and the neck-pocket wall.

[Simon Barden]

If they've got bar magnets stuck on the back, ditch the pickups, but if they've got pole piece magnets, then worth giving them a go.

I've just bought an Irongrear overwound Steel Foundry neck pickup for my Fender Lite Ash Tele. It came with Seymour Duncan pickups but it's too good a copy of the rather anaemic neck pickups that so may Teles had. The bridge pickup is really good, but the neck is dull and weak despite it being raised as high as it can go. I've got the same Irongear pickup in my Fender Roadworn Tele, along with a standard wind Steel Foundry bridge, and they make a good pair. The (slightly) overwound bit means it's just that bit hotter and better matches the bridge pickup in output and balance, whilst still remaining clear.

[Simon Barden]

I expect the body holes are drilled for a Fender ashtray bridge. Those more modern six-saddle ones are a bit longer. Fancy going traditional?

I wouldn't go too much by factory spec set-ups as they aren't the optimal set-up for low action. They are a spec which means that they won't have problems with the odd high fret and badly adjusted truss rod. But it's only a starting point and you can always take things lower with a proper full set-up.

[DrNomis_44]

I expect the body holes are drilled for a Fender ashtray bridge. Those more modern six-saddle ones are a bit longer. Fancy going traditional?

I wouldn't go too much by factory spec set-ups as they aren't the optimal set-up for low action. They are a spec which means that they won't have problems with the odd high fret and badly adjusted truss rod. But it's only a starting point and you can always take things lower with a proper full set-up.

I have been re-considering getting a Wilkinson Tele bridge with three compensated brass saddles, I'll have to keep checking the Realtone Music website till they get one back in stock, the stock nut was way too high to begin with, I'm currently working on addressing that issue, I've got a Graphtech Tusq XL nut that I'm going to use to replace the stock one which is a cheap plastic one anyway, if I go with a Wilkinson bridge with three compensated brass saddles, that might sort-out the scale-length issue, I'm actually starting to suspect that the Fender USA Squire Tele I bought is in fact a cheap knock-off and not a genuine Fender guitar, I had a close look at the headstock logo with a X5 magnifying glass and the print looks a bit too fuzzy to be genuine, I'm not going to worry too much about it though.

[DrNomis_44]

If they've got bar magnets stuck on the back, ditch the pickups, but if they've got pole piece magnets, then worth giving them a go.

I've just bought an Irongrear overwound Steel Foundry neck pickup for my Fender Lite Ash Tele. It came with Seymour Duncan pickups but it's too good a copy of the rather anaemic neck pickups that so may Teles had. The bridge pickup is really good, but the neck is dull and weak despite it being raised as high as it can go. I've got the same Irongear pickup in my Fender Roadworn Tele, along with a standard wind Steel Foundry bridge, and they make a good pair. The (slightly) overwound bit means it's just that bit hotter and better matches the bridge pickup in output and balance, whilst still remaining clear.

Just had a quick look at the Squier pickups and they do indeed have bar magnets as well as pole-pieces, but I think the bar magnets are generating most of the magnetism, I still want to go with the Tonerider Hot Classics cause I installed a set on a mates Fender Mexican Tele and they sounded really nice through the live P.A. system when I saw my mate playing live at the last First Sunday Blues gig at the Pints Club in Marrara that I went to, I felt vindicated that I had made the right choice when I heard how nice they sounded.


Those Tonerider Hot Classics pickups don't have any bar-magnets on them, well none that I can see anyway, they look like they are using a set of six magnetized pole-pieces if my eyes aren't mistaken.



Surprisingly, the stock tuners on the neck seem to be all in pretty good condition and not worn, so they are all perfectly usable, that saves me having to buy some new ones.

[Simon Barden]

If they've got bar magnets then they will have steel slug pole pieces, and the magnets will invariably be ceramics. Some can sound OK, if rather clinical, but they'll always sound different to a pickup with alnico pole pieces.

[dave.king1]

The Classic Vibe pickups have alnico pole pieces and the same construction as the Toneriders and Google suggests they are made at the same factory.

I reckon this would be the case with most of the cheaper "quality" branded pickups