Telecaster Upgrades!

Tele Upgrades.

Now when I first started playing in the mid 1980's I actually took my first few months of lessons on a friend’s blonde 68 Telecaster, so while back then I really couldn’t play, I knew that there was something in that sound that only a tele has, and now I was on a quest to recapture it. But, my current tele was missing something. It had the standard bridge, and I wanted it swapped out for a Wilkinson vintage style one. I was nervous, as I liked the idea of each string having its own saddle, as opposed to 2 strings sharing one on a vintage style bridge. But seeing a lot of high end “clones” like Suhr, Nash, and Danocaster using these vintage style bridges I figured if those fairly high end instruments came that way I shouldn't worry.

Why not change the pickups? Wouldn’t that be easier? In theory yes, it would. But I already changed the pickups from the stock ones to a set of Vintage Hot hum cancelling set from Guitar fetish. Some people may scoff at their stuff, but in talking to a lot of people, it’s a “your mileage may vary” situation with any pickup. I have one of their “VEH” (guess who they’re referencing there) humbuckers in a parts caster, and It really delivers a nice slightly hotter vintage PAFish pickup sound. Their prices are beyond reasonable, too. So I had good luck with them, and tried them out. The hum cancelling feature was good, but the pickups were lacking something. So I went down the rabbit hole again, and started looking at pickups again.

After having a talk with a few people, I realized changing the bridge might fix my tonal mojo. I found out that after switching the bridge of my PRS Mira, that such a major tonal change happened, I stopped looking at pickups to mod that guitar. 

Before, with the American Standard Bridge

The replacement

I looked at various high end bridges, and saddles that could work. A friend suggested making a “backwards” upgrade, and go with a vintage style bridge.  After a little research, I found a few people that did this mod to Mexican and American tele’s that had the bridge I currently had, and faced the same issues I was experiencing. Again the 3 vs 6 saddle situation kind of made me worried, but I think the brass saddles, combined with a thinner, pressed steel bridge, as compared to the thicker steel would brighten things up just enough.

After getting it back from Mouradian guitars (who I can’t say enough nice things about) it was amazing! Acoustically it snapped much more (I’ll admit new strings help) but it felt tighter too. The only bummer is the “butt crack”; on vintage tele’s about 1/16” of the tele’s pickup rout stick out on the sides of the bridge. They’re, only visible when playing, or looking at it when the guitar is a certain angle. It doesn’t affect the structure or tone, and if that’s the way it was back in the day, I can deal with it. My idea was to get a more “tele” tone, and a vintage look.

Afterwards

The "Butt Crack"

Plugging it in, I was extremely satisfied. There’s plenty of that extra snap/high end that I was looking for, and the low end tightened up a lot! The raised edge of the bridge is really nice to anchor my pinky on, but doesn’t get in the way of any palm muting. Problem solved. The bridge cost me $40, and the installation was $40. 

I do have some future mods in mind, locking tuners are on the list, and that should be the last structural/tonal mods. I might upgrade the nut to a Tusq or an actual bone nut, as well. There are some cosmetic changes I’d like to do, possibly change the pickguard & control plate to an unfinished aluminum, as well as changing the knobs to a dome knob with a big knurl (almost cheese grater style). It’s also a very clean guitar, I’d like it to get some wear on it, but now I can get that wear from actually playing this one, rather than generating some faux patina or “relic-ing”. 

So does this keep me from drooling over other guitars, of course not, but it does keep the GAS at bay, at least for a Tele. Still want that Short scale fender or a Baritone. But that’s another story.