Telecaster Guitar Forum - View Single Post

yegbert · March 6th, 2007, 10:17 AM

Fender and many other brand Tele neck pickups are made to be capable of being mounted either way.

If someone mounts one to the body using the screws of the right size and with the relieved shank like the Fender specs, the holes in the pickup base have the best chance of not getting reamed out, and the pickup can still easily be installed pickguard mounted.

I've seen some used or aftermarket pups with larger holes in the base that were shipped or used with screws that have larger shanks; those I think might need the screw holes repaired in order to be pickguard mounted. Probably could be repaired without too much difficulty, with a little epoxy or similar material.

Fender uses different screws for pickguard mounting, than for body mounting. At least in the Teles in current production that I've looked at the specs for, like the MIM Classic Series '69 Thinline.

If you want correct spec screws of either type, you can order some from a Fender dealer.

StewMac sells some for body mounting that seem to be the correct spec functionally, although the head drive may not be the style you want. A few months ago they were slotted drive heads only, then more recently they switched to philips. If you're body mounting and using a typical pickguard you won't see the screws other than when you remove the pickguard, so the cosmetics of the screws are not a concern for some folks. If the cosmetics are of concern, and you want slotted drive heads, a Fender dealer might be the best source.

I like the clean looks of a body mounted Tele neck pickup, vs. the two extra screws showing. But if you have a 22-fret neck you should consider ease of access to the screws for adjusting the pickup height. With typical pickguards the 22nd fret overhang will be on top of the edge of the pickguard. The Korean Koa and Lite Ash Teles use guards that are cut differently in that area so they don't fit under the overhang. I trimmed my Squier Std guard to be like that. You might find that a thinner guard or a little removal of material from the underside of the overhang will enable you to slip the guard out with the neck still on. Some folks avoid 22 fret neck Teles for this as one of the reasons, some cut off the 22nd fret to resolve the problem.

I don't know if body mounted vs. pickguard mounted sounds differently, I haven't experimented with doing it both ways. Other than HBs on a couple of Teles, the neck pups on mine are all body mounted.

March 6th, 2007, 10:17 AM	#5 (permalink)
yegbert Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Clinton, Maryland (US) Age: 54 Posts: 4,852 85 Photos	Fender and many other brand Tele neck pickups are made to be capable of being mounted either way. If someone mounts one to the body using the screws of the right size and with the relieved shank like the Fender specs, the holes in the pickup base have the best chance of not getting reamed out, and the pickup can still easily be installed pickguard mounted. I've seen some used or aftermarket pups with larger holes in the base that were shipped or used with screws that have larger shanks; those I think might need the screw holes repaired in order to be pickguard mounted. Probably could be repaired without too much difficulty, with a little epoxy or similar material. Fender uses different screws for pickguard mounting, than for body mounting. At least in the Teles in current production that I've looked at the specs for, like the MIM Classic Series '69 Thinline. If you want correct spec screws of either type, you can order some from a Fender dealer. StewMac sells some for body mounting that seem to be the correct spec functionally, although the head drive may not be the style you want. A few months ago they were slotted drive heads only, then more recently they switched to philips. If you're body mounting and using a typical pickguard you won't see the screws other than when you remove the pickguard, so the cosmetics of the screws are not a concern for some folks. If the cosmetics are of concern, and you want slotted drive heads, a Fender dealer might be the best source. I like the clean looks of a body mounted Tele neck pickup, vs. the two extra screws showing. But if you have a 22-fret neck you should consider ease of access to the screws for adjusting the pickup height. With typical pickguards the 22nd fret overhang will be on top of the edge of the pickguard. The Korean Koa and Lite Ash Teles use guards that are cut differently in that area so they don't fit under the overhang. I trimmed my Squier Std guard to be like that. You might find that a thinner guard or a little removal of material from the underside of the overhang will enable you to slip the guard out with the neck still on. Some folks avoid 22 fret neck Teles for this as one of the reasons, some cut off the 22nd fret to resolve the problem. I don't know if body mounted vs. pickguard mounted sounds differently, I haven't experimented with doing it both ways. Other than HBs on a couple of Teles, the neck pups on mine are all body mounted.