Tele Project: Near Completion - Pics up.

[Rygot]

Okay so I'm starting on my Tele project. I'm routing the neck for a p90 already, but the debate for a bridge pickup comes in. Do I want to stick with a tele style pickup, is it possible to use a mustang bridge pickup? Other ideas? I've never played a mustang, I've heard mixed reviews about their cleans being too thin or perfect on the bridge.

Possibly change the controls around to be mustang or jag/jazz -esque? switches and whatnot, possibly use the 3 way for something else?

Suggestions please,
Thank you.

[elbandito]

I'm going to try to answer this in parts, as best as I can. Being a lover of all things offset and also having an affinity for Telecasters, I've had a lot of experience with both the Mustang and Tele pups in various configurations.

First - Don't let anybody tell you anything about Mustang pups being thin and crappy sounding. A big part of the sound that you get from them is the body wood and the short scale. 'Stang pups seriously aren't too far off from strat pups. The flat pole pieces of the stang pup do certainly take away from the standard 'quack' that we've come to expect from strat pups but when you get into the technical side of things, for the most part, they're quite similar.

What kind of bridge do you have on this tele? That'll be the biggest thing when it comes to deciding the bridge pup. Some simply won't fit. I'm pretty sure that the Mustang pup won't fit in the standard bridge route, as it's just a few mms too long. And if you want to have the cover on it, well... you're kinda screwed. heh.

Why would you even consider a mustang pickup if you've never played one? What makes you think that they're any good at all?

Where would you put all these extra switches? What would you mount them to? Will you be building a new pickguard?

[Rygot]

Well first of all, thanks.

I have the standard tele bridge so it looks like I may be out of luck anyway unless I can hack away some of the bridge itself...

I only considered the mustang pickup because of word of mouth. I hear good things about them, more so than bad.

The switches could be anywhere...I plan on routing it for a p90, Also have a pickguard coming made for a p90 in the neck.
It was just kind of an impulse thought thing, maybe it could have sparked other ideas from other people. I think I'm just going to put in a momentary killswitch thing for fun and leave the switches alone, it seems like a lot of extra work.

I can just wait for a jaguar.

Are the musicmaster/duo sonic pups the same size as the mustang? I played a musicmaster and loved it.

[Rygot]

Maybe routing another cavity for a mustang/duo/musicmaster pup in the pickguard as a middle pup and upgrading to a five-way switch would be good...

[Mudfuzz]

If anything your prob with the mustang in the bridge would be the hole for the tele bridge pickup will be too big. One thing you could do is buy a real cheap tele bridge pickup a steal it's bottom plate, you could then find a way to attache the mustang pickup to the tele bottom plate... just a thought

[culturejam]

This is just my opinion, but I'd go for a stacked/compact humbucker in the bridge and coil tap that bitch (a push-pull pot would be ideal for this). Maybe even do another push-pull pot for in-phase / out-of-phase or perhaps series/parallel. I have a custom Tele-style with a Dimarzio Chopper T in the bridge. It fucking kills. Mine is set up with a push-pull that puts both pickups in series, which results in massive doom tone through any sort of fuzz box.

I also built a Franken-Tele with a Fast Track T in the bridge, and it was pretty awesome. Still had a fair bit of the classic twang, but also had the fat-ass bottom of a 'bucker. I'd recommend that as well.

I'm not sure what to suggest for the neck. I do like the "stock" sound of the classic Tele neck pickup, but I also have a P90 in the neck position of my custom...and you can pry that from my cold dead hands.

[elbandito]

If anything your prob with the mustang in the bridge would be the hole for the tele bridge pickup will be too big. One thing you could do is buy a real cheap tele bridge pickup a steal it's bottom plate, you could then find a way to attache the mustang pickup to the tele bottom plate... just a thought

Actually, this is a really cool idea. I think I might try this, just to see how it turns out. I've never thought about trying to attach a different pup to a tele base. ALSO, if somebody just wants to try out a different kind of bridge pup for a tele, I've got a GFS lipstick for tele that is just sitting around not being used.

But Mudfuzz - the tele pups are thinner than the mustang pups, so it wouldn't be too big... it'd be too small.

[Rygot]

Well, I have the cheap tele pickup already, this is a cheap pawn-shop tele to begin with. Old Johnson copy, dimensions are almost exact though.

So I could either attempt putting the mustang in the bridge...possibly calling for some extra routing work.

Or I could do a stacked in the bridge with coil tap, parallel-series, phase, etc. and shove the mustang/duo/musicmaster pup in the middle which will obviously require some routing and a 5 way blade as well.

Either way I'm stripping it down to refinish it and doing some routing for a p90 and momentary switch...So I'll go through with one of the above.

Maybe I can throw a switch or two in the pickguard somewhere, that way I could get coiltap, parallel-series, phase and whatnot without any problems.

I guess I could have mentioned before that I'm really not concerned about the traditional tele twang but wouldn't mind it at the same time. All of my other guitars have buckers, I love them, but I want this to be able to get the sounds that the buckers cant. Culturejam's idea really may help though...didnt even consider a stacked with coil tap...

[Rygot]

Okay, so I haven't ever done the wiring for any of this switching except for a coil tap and basic H-H or S-S pickup replacement.

So...here's my current plan, but I need to know if this will work at all.

Neck - p90
Middle - Mustang
Bridge - Stacked Humbucker

Universal Volume
Tone Push-Pull for coil tap.

3 way toggle blade - N, N+B, B

3 slide or toggle switches mounted in pickguard
Switch 1- On-Off for mustang pickup
Switch 2 - Parallel/Series Neck and Bridge
Switch 3 - Phase

Momentary normally on switch - killswitch for everything.

I know it seems like a lot of shit...is it possible?
I want to be able to get the combinations on the 3 way blade, but also add in the mustang whenever, do I need a 5-way?

[deadbeatriot]

dude

dude

http://harmonicdesign.net/allpages/teles.html

scroll down to the super 90. it's a p-90 designed to drop right into a tele bridge slot with no modifications. it sounds incredible.

[culturejam]

scroll down to the super 90. it's a p-90 designed to drop right into a tele bridge slot with no modifications. it sounds incredible.

Whoa. Now THAT is something I'd like to try.

[Mudfuzz]

But Mudfuzz - the tele pups are thinner than the mustang pups, so it wouldn't be too big... it'd be too small.

I thought we were talking BRIDGE pickups here...

The top of a tele bridge pickup [and the hole in the bridge as well] are thicker then a strat pickup so assuming that a mustang pickup is that same as a strat.... I have a tele pickup and a start pickup cover right in front of me.

Taking another look... let me dig out a tele bridge...... Ok to do it you would have to cut the hight adjust tabs and glue the mustang pickup to the tele plate.

Personally though I like tele bridge pickups a lot. it's the neck pickup I'm not hot on. My tele is is pieces ATM but one of these days I'm going to put a jazzmaster pickup at the neck [maybe middle too], my tele has a pool rout under the the guard so I can put anything in there I want. Edit: and oh I have, poor little thing I've had humbuckers, mini humbuckers, and even a second tele bridge pickup in the middle for a while...

[Mudfuzz]

Okay, so I haven't ever done the wiring for any of this switching except for a coil tap and basic H-H or S-S pickup replacement.

So...here's my current plan, but I need to know if this will work at all.

Neck - p90
Middle - Mustang
Bridge - Stacked Humbucker

Universal Volume
Tone Push-Pull for coil tap.

3 way toggle blade - N, N+B, B

3 slide or toggle switches mounted in pickguard
Switch 1- On-Off for mustang pickup
Switch 2 - Parallel/Series Neck and Bridge
Switch 3 - Phase

Momentary normally on switch - killswitch for everything.

I know it seems like a lot of shit...is it possible?
I want to be able to get the combinations on the 3 way blade, but also add in the mustang whenever, do I need a 5-way?

Sounds cool I'd have to think if all you wiring would work the way you have it there... like... Switch 3 - "Phase" what pickup?

[Rygot]

Well I sat down today and drew a diagram by taking parts from various other diagrams...99% sure it will work.

The way I have it drawn atm is hot-rails style pup in bridge, stang in middle, p90 in neck.

3 way blade N, N+B, B

Master volume

Master tone + Push-Pull DPDT for bridge series/parallel

Switch 1 - Coil Tap: SPST connected to a jumper on the series/parallel DPDT... I found a diagram for both together.
Switch 2 - Mustang On/Off SPST
Switch 3 - Phase for P90 DPDT

Momentary normally open switch at the jack for master killswitch.

Those p90s made for teles are really nice looking now that I have a pickguard routed for a p90 on the way...

[Trifarce]

they make tele bridges with a humbucker sized hole fyi