I'd just like to start by saying that this 9-piece installation is one of the coolest thing I've done in 2008.
Let me just say that, in the Tele’s original form, it plays like a dream. The neck is straighter than any I've played before, which I find both odd and really refreshing.
My requirements were as follows: to convert this Tele into an early 90's Telecaster Plus, which was discontinued by Fender in 1998. The Plus was never constructed in a left-handed model. Once that was complete, the goal was to add the following secret weapons: a push-to-make kill switch that would mute the sound when pressed, a push-pull volume pot that would engage a coil tap and activate my special wiring, a Fender TBX tone knob that works similarly to how a car stereo’s tone knobs work, a sturdier bridge that wouldn’t mess with the integrity of the wood like the original +’s bridge did, and lastly, the special wiring that the + lacked.
This construction would prove epic.
I initially thought to undertake each wiring modification myself. However, senses finally came to me when I realized that I had no idea how to do half of the insane and unique wiring jobs I was requiring. (As far as I know, my wiring scheme has never been done before - at least not any guitar manufacturer. This is an aftermarket-only job.) So I took to Yelp.com to find a San Diego repair tech who specialized in hairy wiring. There, I found the perfect partners - a guitar-maker named Fred and his wiring tech named Jeff. They operate out of "The Repair Zone" in Kearny Mesa, San Diego, CA. And I must say, they did an incredible job. I’ve now brought in five guitars to them and they work like magicians. Let's go over my designs which they made realities:
Components:
-
√ Fender Left Handed Telecaster
-
√ Discontinued Fender Dually Red/Red Lace Sensor
-
√ Discontinued Fender Blue Lace Sensor
-
√ Fender Tele bridge routed for humbucker
-
√ Dunlop Strap Locks
-
√ Custom Telecaster Pickguard
-
√ Fender Push-Pull Coil Tap Volume Knob, 250k
-
√ Fender TBX Tone Knob, 250k
-
√ Momentary kill switch
Steps:
1. Carve/Route out space in Bridge Position of the Tele's body to fit the Dually Lace Sensor Red/Red.
This way, I could fit the discontinued Fender Dually Red/Red Lace Sensor pickup into the guitar’s bridge position. Without carving out this wood, the pickup would never fit.
So in order to get this guitar as close to the early 90’s Tele + sound, this was a necessary modification.
2. 250K Push-Pull Pot/Coil Tap: WIRE IN VOL. POSITION.
This is a most special knob; it is a push-pull knob. When it is pulled, it engages a coil tap. A coil tap is a special wiring scheme having to do with transformers, inductors and coil pickups. What this means is that I can choose to split, reconnect or regroup a series of different pickups on the guitar, depending on where the 3-way selector lies.
I chose this pot to be 250K instead of 500K because I was worried about the high impedance, tiny sounds I might get when each Lace Sensor was activated individually.
Here’s what I designed it to do:
-
-When coil tap is engaged, both Red Lace Sensors are active.
-
-When coil tap isn’t engaged, each Red should be singled out.
-
-When coil tap is engaged and the 3-way selector is in the neck position, all 3 pickups should be engaged.
3. Fender TBX Tone Control Knob: WIRE IN TONE POS.
The Fender TBX Tone Control stands for treble (T), bass (B), and cut (X). It works much like your car stereo’s treble/bass controller; in the middle position (5), both the treble and bass are at full volume (as opposed to 10 on every other tone knob).
So the TBX cuts either treble or bass instead of a tone pot that cuts treble frequencies only. A center ‘click’ in the middle position is provided for the off or "flat" position.
4. Fender Dually Red/Red Lace Sensor: WIRE IN BRIDGE POS.
In the late 90’s, Fender and Lace Sensor dissolved their relationship. But while Lace Sensor continues to make Dually Red/Red pickups, Fender still owns the patent on the internals. Thus, the original LS’s have a higher output than the new ones (14.5K). This model generally sells for $200+ on Ebay.
I have specially designed this humbucker to be SPLIT (as in, separated into two single-coil Lace Sensor Reds). It is then wired with the coil tap. Here’s what the coil tap does:
-
-Wire R-1 to bridge in the 3-way selector and R-2 to the middle.
-
-Wire to have both of the Reds active when coil tap is engaged.
-
-When coil tap is engaged, ALL 3 pickups should be active when 3-way selector is in the neck position.
5. Fender Blue Lace Sensor: WIRE IN NECK POSITION.
The Blue has a DC resistance of 12.8K with a warmer, 50’s sound to it than the red. Clean tones shine while distorted tones stick to the sustainable low-end. In contrast, the Red has a hot, extreme output which gives it a huge sound. And when both Reds are activated simultaneously (with the coil tap engaged), they sound fucking fat.
When the coil tap is engaged, this Blue LS can be activated alongside BOTH other pickups (something I have never, ever seen done before) for a rich, huge sound. This goes for $105 used today.
6. Momentary Kill Switch: WIRE BETWEEN THE KNOBS.
This 250K ‘push-to-make’ kill switch that I purchased at Radio Shack essentially mutes the sound that the guitar is making at the moment it is pressed. What this enables you to do is simple: with practice, one could create some funky rhythms while playing with one hand and pressing the kill-switch with the other. Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine is a huge proponent of the kill-switch. Here’s how it was done:
-
- Solder the hot and ground to one prong each.
-
- Pushing the switch will 'make' the connection and mute.
-
- Drilled a hole in the control plate to fit the kill-switch's button.
-
- A washer was required to fit this snugly.
7. Tele Bridge Routed for Humbucker: INSTALL.
Because the wood was routed out in the body to make room for this oversized pickup, a special bridge was required. I considered a Strat bridge with a matching humbucker ring, but this combo seemed to have the strongest structural integrity, which I couldn’t risk since we put a gaping hole into the body where the original Tele pickup was.
This specific model is a Gotoh Humbucker Tele flat mount bridge with a 1/8” thick brass plate and a string spreat of 2-1/16”.
8. Custom-made Pickguard: INSTALL.
Like the bridge, the pickguard/scratch plate would need to be specially routed to fit the new pickups as well. That is because the Blue Lace Sensor is about 1cm wider than the stock lipstick-style 50’s Telecaster pickup.
Also, to fit the new bridge, a wider mouth would be required. I had a guitar-maker named Warmoth in Washington hand-make this for me. It was well-worth it, I will likely end up painting this scratch plate some funky colors in the coming months.
9. Dunlop Strap Locks: INSTALL.
These are simple - they keep you from dropping this sweet new guitar.
That’s all for now! Please check out the gallery for more in-depth pics.