The Squier Tele Custom II with P90s Cool Kids Club

We didn't have a club. :neutral: We do now. :cool:

I changed the knobs on mine to black Tele-style; they look wicked. :twisted: Aside from that it's stock. Have you done anything to yours? CS

if I get the new Black Dove tele ca i join the cool kids club lol

I have had two of these in the past, cool guitars!

The Tele Custom Squiers with P-90's have some of the Spankiest pickups I've played.

Why did I sell my Blonde one???

I miss that guitar.

John

I turned mine into a twelve string and de-wound the bridge pickup to 7.4K to demiddefy it...

It's a Tele but it's very different from my CV.

Between them I've got all the tone I need!

Cool. Can i join?

I've had mine for a couple of years now.

Seymour Duncan SP90-2 bridge and SP90-3 neck. These are a lot hotter than stock and they suit the stuff i like to play. I only changed them because i had them there. Cream covers. Chicken heads. I swapped necks from a Squier Tele Custom i had around.

Will get around to the electrics soon and maybe throw the Duncan Designed back in for a bit.

This is my main player for sure. My Standard and Custom don't come out much at all.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=28478&d=1247123759

Ive had mine for about a month now and it sounds amazing! really good weight,mite change the p'ups and pots when i get the money.

I couldn't find this "Owners' Club" thread when I got it. (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/171950-my-new-squier-vintage-modified-telecaster-p90-custom-ii.html)

I've had it for five days now and I really love this guitar. I have been A/B-ing it into a Crate Palomino V8 and a Cadenza SS amp for a clean jazz sound and it just sounds great for almost anything, but it is really built for rock. When I run an overdrive patch in my Zoom GFX-3, or my Dano Cool Cat CTO-1, it really comes to life. The Crate only has a gain, tone and volume, and you have to have some gain to have any sound. It is hard to get a loud clean sound, so I really wouldn't have to use a distortion pedal but the TO sounds great with the P-90s.

is this the closest thing to a vintage modified club on here? i'm getting a white vm ssh in about 2 weeks

Had one -- nice guitar, esp. for the $. Nice comfortable neck, and the duncan designed pickups sounded pretty darn good.

Heavy guitar though -- anybody else notice that?

Ultimately, it wasn't getting played all that much, so I sold it to someone who'd give it a good home and a regular workout.

Yeah it was the neck that sold me. I now know the difference is that its 1.65 at the nut over the slimmer 1.61 on the affinity tele my friend has (which i dont like)

just checked and am happy to see the custom II is also 1.65 at the nut :)

i have only tried the SH model but prefer the colour of this! i'll be playing sat down mostly, moving up from an electro acoustic so theres bound to be an increase in weight! :)

when i tried the SH I didnt notice the weight difference over the MIM tele I tried at the same time (didnt like it actually) and an affinity tele.

i'll get a good batch of pics up when i get it :)

is this the closest thing to a vintage modified club on here? i'm getting a white vm ssh in about 2 weeks
Here ya go:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/guitar-owners-clubs/166658-squier-vintage-modified-club.html

CS

ah bugger.. I did look too! this place has a much better name..

*grabs coat* ..

Damn, thought we had another member.

The Hello Kitty Club is still more popular.

I'll never live it down.

haha that made me chuckle.

this club and the VM one should merge.. but of course, retain the cool kids tag

I've had mine for about 6 months now. I also own several other P-90 equooed guitars, and every time I pull out the Custom II to play, it reminds why I keep it. I love it. It's still one of my favorites.

--Steve

Looks like I'll officially be back in the club within the next week or so. I bit the bullet and bought the one advertised in the classifieds. This will be my 2nd. I had to sell the first to help pay for some vet bills. I didn't need the guitar at all, but I missed the old one.

Give me my membership card. I just got mine last week.

I'm in, got mine for X-mas (I was a good boy as far as anyone knows). Love the pickups, I think I'll replace the jack cup and maybe look through the electronics...

I'm a cool kid again! Got mine via brown truck yesterday and I love it. Its getting a work out at band practice today. Posted a thread about it in the main forum. Click here (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/175953-squier-tele-custom-ii%3B-back-p90-bidness.html#post2011711) if you want to read it.

I have one and love it. I want to upgrade the pickups. Which P90s are a fairly matched replacement as far as size and installation? I like Lollar or Seymour Duncan but heard the stock pickups are not installed typical.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Wayne

i''m gonna be a cool kid someday!!! :mrgreen:

I have one and love it. I want to upgrade the pickups. Which P90s are a fairly matched replacement as far as size and installation? I like Lollar or Seymour Duncan but heard the stock pickups are not installed typical.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Wayne
Not sure about the Lollars or SD's, but as long as the bracket from the stock pups fits on the new pups, you can install it just like the stock ones. Otherwise you'll have to install them Gibson-style. I believe it just takes the two screws into the body with some foam in between the pups and the body.

Check out this video with the Tonerider Hybrid pups installed. They sound pretty good and it looks like he was able to use the stock brackets for installation.

2STuvxzq7oI

I have a major, major hankering
I am determined to be a fully paid up member of this club - soon.
But I only just bought a CV. Choice was between a CV or a Custom II.
I chose the CV and I'm really happy with it, but i still got an itch that it just cant reach ;)

How on earth do I hide a vivid yellow guitar from the good lady .. sigh .. did they ever do these in camo?
;)

How on earth do I hide a vivid yellow guitar from the good lady .. sigh .. did they ever do these in camo?
;)
Get one in black. Maybe she'll never notice. I know what you mean about wanting one of these. Even though I have one, I find myself wanting the black one as well. Its such a great guitar and to be honest, it sounds great on any amp I've tried it with. I think that has something to do with the P90s. I had the same opinion of my Casino which also had P90s.

I am in!!
great bang for the buck - and i wanted to check out P-90s - never played them before...

http://university-park.org/guitar/squier/IMG_9890.JPG

I replaced all the mini pots with proper fender/cts pots, put in an electrosocket, and swapped out the stock pups for SD SP90-3 in the bridge and SD SP90-1 in the neck. I also put on an old wonderbar i had from another tele.

what a fun guitar this is!

http://university-park.org/guitar/squier/IMG_9891.JPG
http://university-park.org/guitar/squier/IMG_9892.JPG

My only question here is about the neck, which seems unfinished... can anyone who has had one of these for a long time tell me how i can expect this neck to age with use? i figure that the minimized (or lack of) finish will mean that it will discolor easier and/or quicker. any pointers about what to expect? Pictures?

thanks

I wanted one of those but I got a good deal on a used Yamaha SA503TVL and I think I'll be done with P-90's. But the Squier's look really good.

Does anyone know what replacement tuners are drop in replacements for the stock ones? I'm looking for the vintage 'split post' style tuners.

TIA,

Steve

Dude, what a steal from Sam Ash. I got it for $249, delivered, plus I got a free Squier Stratocaster Mini-Player for good measure!

Mine lasted all of two days before I took it all apart...

First, completely disassembled 'er.

320 grit sandpaper to take off the logos & serial number. Then install the Sperzel locking tuners. It's nice to have a drill press...

Then time to dig in with the random orbital sander!

I'm pickup up a full set of electronics to replace the garbage in there. Switchcraft jack & toggle, CTS pots, probably Lollar P90's, copper tape shielding and I'll have to pick out some nice knobs.

Who said Agathis isn't a great body wood? It's really nice looking, and it weighs at least a pound less after shaving all that polyester off.

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1065/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1066/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1068/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1070/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1073/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1083/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1093/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1095/web.jpg

This is after the first light coat of tung oil varnish.

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1097/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1098/web.jpg?

The Tele Custom Squiers with P-90's have some of the Spankiest pickups I've played.

Why did I sell my Blonde one???

I miss that guitar.

John

I'm with you john, but I have some of the answers as to why I sold mine.

Pickups? Yup. Great sound, spanky as hell. My favorite thing about that guitar.
Why did I sell? Well, it was heavy, and the neck didn't fit my hands like my favorite tele does. (CIJ '62 RI) It just didn't get the play time.

I (sometimes) miss it too.

Have fun, club members!


EDIT: HAWK -- Great work!

I'm new to this forum/site so bear with me. Does anyone know if there is a decent direct replacement to upgrade the tuners in the Tele Custom II ?
They would'nt necessarily have to be locking tuners...just good ones.
It would be nice to have a drill press, the Sperzels look great and I know
they're quality. HAWK, beautiful grain on you're guitar..after the upgrades
you are going to have a killer tele. I have the Blonde and I Love the color
so I won't be going that route but you gave me some ideas...I'm definitely gonna change out the pots and jack...I will probably keep the stock P/Us..
I really like the tone, but we'll see as I've only had mine for a couple of weeks. I appreciate all the good info on this forum. I dig telecasters.

Peace

What are you guys doing about the 250K pots? Are you replacing them with 500K? I like mine, but I keep wondering how swapping the pots would alter the tone, any thoughts?

Wayne

i just went straight for the 500k ones. seemed like a better match to me

-roberto

HAWK, beautiful grain on your guitar.

I'd thought agathis was plain, but maybe I'm thinking of basswood. Ater a bit of googling, turns out agathis is a member of the conifer family but is supposed to have a straght grain. Perhaps Hawk's guitar might be made from a piece o' ash they had lying round the factory?

c-

Whatever the wood is, I'm stoked on it! The grain does seem pretty pronounced compared to most of the images I've found online of agathis, but I'm no expert, that's for sure.

I can' believe how much lighter the guitar was after stripping that finish off. It completely changed the tone of the guitar. That plasticky edge is gone. Sounds so much better.

I'm waiting on all my new electronics to be delivered. I can't wait to hear how it sounds with Duncan Antiquity P-90's in it, with full size 500k pots, orange drop caps, etc.

Also bought a great decal for the headstock.

[EDITED: NO such links allowed. Read the rules.]

I'm also gonna put a bone nut on there and maybe replace the bridge with something heavy. Seems like a pretty decent bridge for a cheap guitar though.

Here she is all put back together. I couldn't wait for the new electronics before putting it back together to play.

Dude, the other piece of the puzzle is going to be to shield it properly. Lots of copper tape in my future. This guitar is NOISY. I have to turn my back to the amp to get the noise down to a decent level. The right electronics and a bunch of copper tape ought to fix that.

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1117/web.jpg
http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1121/web.jpg
http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1122/web.jpg

I'd thought agathis was plain, but maybe I'm thinking of basswood. Ater a bit of googling, turns out agathis is a member of the conifer family but is supposed to have a straght grain. Perhaps Hawk's guitar might be made from a piece o' ash they had lying round the factory?

c-

That DOES look a lot more like ash than any Agathis I've seen. Weird.

I have one on order....BACK order from Sam Ash. But I got it for $179.....$75 off of anything MF or GC or anywhere else would do, so it's worth waiting for. I ordered the blonde, but figure that I'll likely refinish it to something else. I already have a black/black Fender 72 Custom Tele reissue, so I didn't want a black clone of that. If I like the blonde, great. If not, it'll get turned into something else this spring.

Nice grain, Hawk. I doubt I'd go natural, but who knows. THat looks awfully nice!

Sam Ash has a $50 off purchases over $225 right now, too. Enter 50thanks at checkout.

Ends at midnight tonight.

That DOES look a lot more like ash than any Agathis I've seen. Weird.

I have one on order....BACK order from Sam Ash. But I got it for $179.....$75 off of anything MF or GC or anywhere else would do, so it's worth waiting for. I ordered the blonde, but figure that I'll likely refinish it to something else. I already have a black/black Fender 72 Custom Tele reissue, so I didn't want a black clone of that. If I like the blonde, great. If not, it'll get turned into something else this spring.

Nice grain, Hawk. I doubt I'd go natural, but who knows. THat looks awfully nice!

I would swear that was ASH......

I want to be a cool kid, too. Picked mine up new for $150 yesterday.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/welcome-wagon/35796d1259707218-finally-getting-my-hands-tele-10840_526914483696_170501769_31375610_1379776_n-jpg

New?! - for $150!
Thats currently £90 in UK money .. a meal out and a few drinks for two people

Jeez ..!

Congrats - nice purchase!

I don't really don't play mine much, but dig it when I do. I have often thought of letting it go to fund other gear items. It really is a great guitar.

I'm in. Bought my blackie in 2007 fresh from the factory. Kept it stock
except for these:

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee197/deepea51/TC2.jpg

After seeing Hawk's, I may break out the sander! Nice one, and it DOES look
like Ash.

dp

I want to be a cool kid, too. Picked mine up new for $150 yesterday.

How many did you have to play before you found a good one? Can ya get me one for that price (I'll pay the shipping to NJ)? :wink:


I have often thought of letting it go to fund other gear items. It really is a great guitar.

Let me know if you decide to let it go... :smile:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope to be joining the Club within the next few weeks. I'm wanting a new Blackie, but I don't want to pay $250 for it, since I'll also need a case!

There are a couple on eBay right now. I tend to find these most when "Squier" is misspelled (Squire).

Yellow "Relic" Auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Squire-Custom-2-Telecaster-P90s-RELIC_W0QQitemZ260516102106QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuit ar?hash=item3ca7f83fda)

Black Auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Squier-Squire-Telecaster-Custom-Electric-Guitar_W0QQitemZ300374433430QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGui tar?hash=item45efb61e96)

There are a couple on eBay right now. I tend to find these most when "Squier" is misspelled (Squire).

Yeah, I'm watching a black one. I didn't think to search for it as "squire" - that's a good tip.

I'm thinking that it may be better to wait for an on-line deal and buy a new one from a dealer.

Thanks.

Hey--

I just picked up a used black Squier Tele Custom II that I hope to be able to turn into my version of a LaCabronita Especial with two pickups. I have a spare set of Gretsch HS Filtertrons that I am going to install in the Tele Custom II.

Since I haven't received the Custom II yet, I was wondering if anyone has any of the following info:

-The dimensions of the Semour Duncan Designed P-90's (my Filtertron base plates measure 3.25 in by 1.5 in,)

-How is the Custom II routed.(If possible, I may want to put a smaller pickguard (La Cabronita style) on if the routing is not too extensive

Hey--

I just picked up a used black Squier Tele Custom II that I hope to be able to turn into my version of a LaCabronita Especial with two pickups. I have a spare set of Gretsch HS Filtertrons that I am going to install in the Tele Custom II.

Since I haven't received the Custom II yet, I was wondering if anyone has any of the following info:

-The dimensions of the Semour Duncan Designed P-90's (my Filtertron base plates measure 3.25 in by 1.5 in,)

-How is the Custom II routed.(If possible, I may want to put a smaller pickguard (La Cabronita style) on if the routing is not too extensive
Its routed for humbuckers, and I don't think a smaller pickguard would "cut it". I've actually thought about modding mine by getting a new pickguard cut for just the bridge pup, and (1) volume and (1) tone. I very rarely use the neck pup on mine.

Mistermullins,
Do you think the pots in the Tele Custom II are adequate for the filtertrons?

Mistermullins,
Do you think the pots in the Tele Custom II are adequate for the filtertrons?
I would think so if you're going "on the cheap". If you're installing nice pickups, and you're handy with a soldering iron, I'd upgrade all the wiring.

Hey guys. If you wanna hear some Squier Tele Custom II through a Vox Pathfinder 15R, I recorded a couple of tracks and they're posted over in Twanger Central. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Link. (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/twanger-central/190004-crossroads-feel-like-goin-home-squier-tele-custom-ii-vox-pathfinder-content.html)

Hey guys. If you wanna hear some Squier Tele Custom II through a Vox Pathfinder 15R, I recorded a couple of tracks and they're posted over in Twanger Central. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Link. (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/twanger-central/190004-crossroads-feel-like-goin-home-squier-tele-custom-ii-vox-pathfinder-content.html)

Another very cool addition to this thread. Thanks.:!:

Add me to the list of soon to be S.T. custom 2 owners. (thanks folks!):lol:

I am hoping the SVMTC ll will arrive BEFORE my wife gets off for Christmas break.:oops:

The black is so...well black and the blonde has been described as "greenish/yellow", IIRC, here. So we will see.

I have enough black teles, yes my wife is thrown by that...looking forward to "something a little different". :cool:

I have joined the STCII club, got mine today from MF (not my favorite place, but I get next day service with them). Out of the box setup seems pretty decent, cruddy strings that may react to a little fastfret. Great pick-ups, love the control setup! I have a Squier Standard Tele that I really had to fight on setup, but has come around with a lot of work. Anyhow, I am STOKED and looking forward to many hours with this great guitar!

I got mine off of ebay about a month ago. I added a decal to my pickguard, switchcraft jack, hipshot bridge (in the mail), tusq nut, and now I'm just waiting until after the holidays to replace the tuners.
Be careful on eBay though (like I have to even say that here). My tele's guts were a mess. Frayed wires and such. I couldn't play it for a few weeks until I took it to Sweetwater to be fixed and set up. They were able to take care of me thank God.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38938371@N05/4192926519/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38938371@N05/4192926587/

Hi Guys

I love my Squier Telecustom II....but the g string and b string now constantly lose pitch. Seems wierd because it was great the first 2 weeks. Have tried new strings and wound on properly etc.

So i presume the tuners are slipping. Can anyone suggest things to check but i think probably will need to replace them.

The thickness seems slightly more than normal, I get 14 mm (CV is 12mm), any one know or have suggestions for replacement tuners and an online supplier that ships worldwide...?

Cheers
Mark

Probably the nut.

Can I join? :grin:

I've got a black one on it's way to me and was wondering, is the switch tip black or creme?
Most of the pics I've seen, the black models have black tips, but the Squier site shows creme. :confused:

Either way, I've got my parts bin. :twisted:

Welcome!

I've got a blonde, and mine's black.

If you know what I mean.

How many directions can I take that...:twisted:

The Squier site has got the blondes as having black tips.

Well I just got mine and I have to say that you guy are right. Probably the best guitar under $300.00 out there. Only issue with mine is some sharpe fret ends, but nothing I can't fix with some fret files.

http://www.lauder.ca/Re%20Tele%20Custom%20II%20022-1.jpg

Ha! :shock:
Black switch tip! :grin:

My local music store has a black one.
I really want to try it but I'm a bit afraid cause I haven't got the money to it :(

Waiting...
UPS says Wednesday! :cool:

Sign me up! (Thanks for the invite, Chris S.:grin:) Lovin' my new Tele Custom II my wife got me for Christmas. Only played it through the headphones so far but will be doing some recording this week while I'm off for the holidays. I'll post a link.

My local music store has a black one.
I really want to try it but I'm a bit afraid cause I haven't got the money to it :(

Well, I liked it.
Really lightweight.
I'm in deep trouble causing I'm GASing bad for it...

No pics, but my blonde one arrived just before Christmas! Diggin' it!

Just got myself a set of Tonerider Hybrid 90 pickups, in preperation for ordering one of these tomorrow :)

c-

Got mine, been busy playin'!!
Changed out the block pot metal saddles for bent steel and I am very content with how she sounds and looks!
Back to playin'!! :mrgreen:

Just ordered one in black, looks smarter than the blonde they offer in my view. Only £190 as well. :) Always wanted one since checking it out in a nearby music shop.

May post some images later...

I've got a blonde custom 2, gig worn (cigarette burns on headstock chipped paint and dents on the body) but its all mine :)

Looks like I might be stuck with the humbucker Tele Custom. Any of you blokes in the position to trace the pickguard of your Custom II & scan it for me?

cheers,

c-

Hi,

What are the differences between the Tele Custom and the Custom II,

I picked up a Blonde one for 100 GBP!

Custom has humbucker pick ups and the Custom II has P-90s.

Custom has really microphonic humbucker pick ups and the Custom II has P-90s.

Fixed that for ya :)

They're pretty nice sounding actually, but I've already got an old Suzuki LP copy for when I want to record a bucker tone. I got my P90 pickguard outline, and one of my local luthiers is going to give me some pointers on safe router use in his workshop. I'm a little excited :)

c-

In the process of ordering this one. Should be an interesting learning curve: first non-rosewood neck, first 7.25 radius, first P-90's. As I am an out of control modifying fool I'll do my best to leave it stock for a while to check it out. Aside from that, what kind of tone change would you get by swapping out the block saddles for the bent steel?

Hey Hawk, nice looking guitar! Would you mind posting a short tutorial on how you achieved this? I'm primarily interested in varnishing - I have absolutely no experience with this sort of stuff, so no clue about what sort of lacquer I need to use, how to apply it et cetera.
Also I'm thinking that the pickguard is too glossy in contrast to the wood now, so it might need some tarnishing.
Thanks.

Can I join the club?
Got a Squier Tele Custom II today for my birthday.
Wow I was blown away playing the first time.
Feels and sounds great Looks awesome... well the knobs are not any good
but easily fixed, think Ill upgrade the pots too.

Where's my member card? Oh wait there it is... blonde for me.

Ran across this demo for the Custom II, best one I've seen yet!


http://www.gearwire.com/squier-vintagemodifiedtelecustomii-demo.html



.

Here's my most recent stringed purchase in all it's camera-phone'd glory
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj150/SmithersJones87/DSC00023.jpg

Has a really nice, warm sound. Neck pickup sounds beautiful, the bridge sounds meaty and means business when playing those old-school punk numbers. It's like the result of mating a Tele and an SG.

This thing is so good I struggled to put it down the day it arrived. Possibly the best £190 I've spent on anything. :smile:

Dauntless... where did you get the saddles that fit this bridge? I'm looking to change mine also.


Got mine, been busy playin'!!
Changed out the block pot metal saddles for bent steel and I am very content with how she sounds and looks!
Back to playin'!! :mrgreen:

http://rover.ebay.com/ar/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpt=1268628364&adtype=1&size=1x1&type=4&campid=5335828755&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2FCHROME-VINTAGE-Bent-Steel-SADDLE-SET-fits-IMPORTS-GS4_W0QQitemZ110425816657QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar _Accessories%3Fhash%3Ditem19b5e43e51
I believe I got them here. :confused:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CHROME-VINTAGE-Bent-Steel-SADDLE-SET-fits-IMPORTS-GS4_W0QQitemZ110425816657QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar _Accessories?hash=item19b5e43e51 (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335828755&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2FCHROME-VINTAGE-Bent-Steel-SADDLE-SET-fits-IMPORTS-GS4_W0QQitemZ110425816657QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar _Accessories%3Fhash%3Ditem19b5e43e51)

Problem is, mine are nickle and they've been in my stash bin for a while.

I've got one of these on order, in black. I was supposed to have it yesterday, it was being sent to my local guitar store from another store out of town. However, they sent the version with humbuckers. And it was in attrocious condition, dented and scratched. So hopefully they'll send the right one this time, and it'll be pristine.

My local store has a blonde one on the wall actually, which I was sort of tempted by. I do love a blonde guitar with a black pickguard, but for some reason it doesn't quite work for me with the Custom II. Too much pickguard I think, I prefer the black on black.

I've got a blonde Custom II. Love it. Those P-90's are hot. Fabulous neck on mine. Nice flaming on the fretboard and it's really, really comfortable. Just an unbelievable value for $250. I'll try to gets some pics up soon.

Hey Swoop, where in New Zealand are you. I was married to a Kiwi from Hawkes Bay and spent some time down there. I wish I was still there.

Hey mate, I'm in the Waikato, Central North Island. I certainly can't imagine living in any other part of the world! I just wish guitar prices here were more like they are in the US. You guys just don't know how good you've got it! Everything is comparatively cheap there.

For example, the Custom II is $249US at MusiciansFriend. I'm getting mine for $600NZ, which is $425US. $600NZ isn't what I'd call a really expensive guitar, but it's still not nearly as cheap as US prices.

Hey mate, I'm in the Waikato, Central North Island. I certainly can't imagine living in any other part of the world! I just wish guitar prices here were more like they are in the US. You guys just don't know how good you've got it! Everything is comparatively cheap there.

For example, the Custom II is $249US at MusiciansFriend. I'm getting mine for $600NZ, which is $425US. $600NZ isn't what I'd call a really expensive guitar, but it's still not nearly as cheap as US prices.

Ah yes, I remember things being a bit more expensive, but then again, living in New Zealand is a great trade-off. Some things were substantially cheaper there. I remember going to the dentist and it didn't cost me much at all compared to here, but then again, our health care system leaves something to be desired.

I've been to Waikato. Remember the glow worms and the jet boating. Been around almost all the North Island. I still have people bring me local beers when they come to the States. Good memories.

Anyway, can't wait to hear how you get along with the Custom II. It's a fun guitar.

Cheers mate, I'll definitely be posting some pics when I get it.

Me again. Got my Custom II today. The right one this time and in flawless condition. I'm very impressed with the quality of construction and finish. The finish is fantastically smooth and glossy, and as good as much more expensive guitars. The neck is really great too. I wouldn't say it's chunky, but it's definitely more traditional Tele than slim and modern.

Pics! Not the best pictures. Lots of reflections, and as usual, black is extremely difficult to photograph flatteringly. Will get some better shots later.

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj91/mk2maniac/DSC01069.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj91/mk2maniac/DSC01064.jpg

Sounds great, although I haven't had a lot of playing time with it this evening. Mostly just clean and at low volumes. Even so, the clean tone is really great. So clear and articulate. I have the majority of the day off tomorrow, so will really crank it then to get a real feel for her.

howdy boys, i got a shot at one for $150 . should i do it or not ? that is the question ?

howdy boys, i got a shot at one for $150 . should i do it or not ? that is the question ?

DO IT!

howdy boys, i got a shot at one for $150 . should i do it or not ? that is the question ?
If the guitar's in good shape, there is no question: go for it. :cool: CS

Hi all, got mine in 2005 off ebay for 110 GBP, it was less than 12 months old and as new. The only changes were to the controls, for the industrial chrome knurled type. Is it any good? - It's a way better guitar than I am a player. I know I'm preaching to the converted, but is there anything else legal out there that makes you feel so damn good? Put some Rotosound Pinks on, and it rings loud without being plugged in. - Pickups, 0utstanding at both ends. Minor criticism the volume pots are a little scratchy, the jack comes loose. aAnd I really should get round to dropping the action to improve my widdling. VERDICT ? The only place this guitar is going, is around my neck.
That said.... I wouldn't mind an old school single-coil in blonde, but as well as, not instead of. (Or maybe a dan'o just to mix things up)

howdy boys, i got a shot at one for $150 . should i do it or not ? that is the question ?

Johnny if you don't pick it up tell me where it is and I'll jump on it!!!!

It is a killer guitar for slide

It is a killer guitar for slide
Couldn't agree more. Once of the best things I've ever done is tune mine to open G. I very rarely use the neck pickup, but I recently discovered, when using the neck pup, and turning the tone almost all the way down, I can get that cool "Supro-Slide" guitar sound.

Proper pic of mine. Just restrung her with some DR Pure Blues 10-46. It was really bright with the stock strings, shrill at times. But they're just coated steel which, from what I've been reading recently, is a lot brighter than pure nickel, which is what the DRs are. So hopefully that'll put a lid on the shrillness a little, but still maintain most of the brightness as it were.

Otherwise, I'm really enjoying it, great guitar.

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj91/mk2maniac/DarthVader.jpg?t=1270105440

Looks a bit like Darth Vader I think.

Anybody got a pic of the wiring? I bought one that's apart and the wiring diagram on the Squier site isn't accurate. The pic is for the humbucking guitar. Thanks!

http://www.squierguitars.com/pdf/current/Tele/Vintage%20Modified%20Tele%20Custom%20II-%20Service.pdf

Dauntless,
I found that diagram, but it is inaccurate. The pickups on the P-90 Custom II have 3 wires. That is the same drawing they have for the humbucker pickups on the Custom I. Thanks anyway. What I really need is a pic of the underside of the pickguard. Everything is intact, except my pickups have been de-soldered.

Thanks,
Al

Got a pic?

Anyone tried putting mini-humbuckers in one of these? I'm not that big a P-90 fan, evidently and would like something a bit more smooth/jangly.

I think I'll get one of these finally!
Someone purposed me a trade and I think I'm gonna do it...

I think I'll get one of these finally! Someone purposed me a trade and I think I'm gonna do it...
I bet you'll love it. :cool: It's got all kinds of juicy tones happening. :twisted: CS

Just got mine back from the shop today (needed a nut job bad) and having it actually play in tune makes a big difference in how I perceive the pickups. I need to give the stock P-90s a shot, I think, and accept the fact that this guitar isn't going to, nor was it meant to, sound as "pristine" as my '69 Thinline. I have it for the jangle, this one for the raunch...but, dang, that bridge p/u is hot beyond words.

I'm in - sold a 70's satellite LP and a dodgy old Vintage - and added the blonde to my growing Tele connection - used to be 5 LP Types and 1 Tele - now its 4 tele's and 2 LP's

I had a bit of time this weekend, so now mine finally has a proper bridge.

I had a bit of time this weekend, so now mine finally has a proper bridge.

How difficult was that to put on?

Not terribly. I had to put four new screws in the body, but the new bridge covered up the old screw holes, more or less. The tricky part was the string-through holes. The strings go through the body about 3/4" closer to the neck on this guitar than they do on a guitar built for a three-saddle bridge, so I did need to fire up the drill press and put six new string-through holes closer to the saddles in the new bridge.

If you look at the picture you can see the new holes near the screws and the unused ones at the tail end of the bridge. This particular bridge (a short Wilkinson bought on eBay -- details can be found here (http://tinyurl.com/yj97uz3)) also has toploading holes, so you could string it up as a toploader, but the guitar started as a string-through and I wanted to keep it that way.

Let me know if you need more details; I'm happy to help.

Sorry for the repost, but my attempt to find an accurate wiring diagram has failed. I just need a pic to show where the pickup wires attach to the pots. There are 3 wires on these P90's and the Squier site has the same diagram for the humbucking Tele Custom and the Tele Custom II. Any help would be MASSIVELY appreciated. I bought this guitar for my nephew and I'd really like to get my custom Tele-necked Strat back from him, LOL!

:roll: Don't know how I missed this thread but better late then never..:lol:
Here's my yaller bird that I bought used for $160..Mint and fun player..

Not terribly. I had to put four new screws in the body, but the new bridge covered up the old screw holes, more or less. The tricky part was the string-through holes. The strings go through the body about 3/4" closer to the neck on this guitar than they do on a guitar built for a three-saddle bridge, so I did need to fire up the drill press and put six new string-through holes closer to the saddles in the new bridge.

If you look at the picture you can see the new holes near the screws and the unused ones at the tail end of the bridge. This particular bridge (a short Wilkinson bought on eBay -- details can be found here (http://tinyurl.com/yj97uz3)) also has toploading holes, so you could string it up as a toploader, but the guitar started as a string-through and I wanted to keep it that way.

Let me know if you need more details; I'm happy to help.

I'll probably make mine a toploader, if not put a Bigsby behind it. :mrgreen:

Do you notice any discernible difference in sound?

Good call on the Bigsby. I've found that the three-barrel bridge is the best way to do it, and the toploader holes make aligning and filing the slots that much easier.

As for the sound, I didn't get a chance to set up the intonation properly so I haven't really put it through its paces yet. I'll give a full report as soon as I do so (hopefully sometime this weekend). The big difference (and the reason I did the mod) is the feel -- now it feels just like my other Teles when I rest my palm on the edge of the bridge while playing. Well worth it for that alone.

I acquired the following upgrade parts for my Custom II and have a few issues:

Chrome P-90 covers (figured out how to do that!)
500k CTS Full Size split shaft pots/ real toggle switch/ cloth wire (pots prevent the pickguard from lining up with holes...will have to route a bit)
GFS "Wilkinson ez Lock" Vintage tuners (fit with no issue)
"Wilkinson" WTBC bridge (how do I ensure that it lines up properly? also afraid of new mounting holes being too close to string though holes...)
Bigsby B-50 (if I can mount the WTBC, it won't be a problem. Is it possible to use toploader holes to feed a Bigsby or is the string angle not enough then?)

Its going to be amazing when I finish, but right now its just a big pile of metal, wood, and wire...

Edit: I think I'm going to drill/file the old bridge and put the slotted stainless steel saddles from my '69 Thinline on there and use the brass Wilkinson saddles for the Thinline...won't be as sexy as the cut bridge, but it'll be easier for me for the time being...if I get brave later, I can try whole bridge...:cool:

C'mon, one of you guys has a picture of the underside of the pickguard of one of these things, don't ya? LOL! I really need to figure out where the 3 wires from the pickups go and any help would be huge!

Thanks,
Al

C'mon, one of you guys has a picture of the underside of the pickguard of one of these things, don't ya? LOL! I really need to figure out where the 3 wires from the pickups go and any help would be huge!

Thanks,
Al

I thought that was gonna be a done deal days ago. I will look at my yellow one and see how difficult that would be to crack her open. Funny no one who has frequented this thread in days has a photo on tap.

My Custom is so funny with the interaction of the two vol. pot's that I am sure that the wiring is somewhat more tricky than a regular tele. Now I am more curious to see what they have under there.

Is this thing wired up at all like a two P-90 SG?

I thought that was gonna be a done deal days ago. I will look at my yellow one and see how difficult that would be to crack her open. Funny no one who has frequented this thread in days has a photo on tap.

My Custom is so funny with the interaction of the two vol. pot's that I am sure that the wiring is somewhat more tricky than a regular tele. Now I am more curious to see what they have under there.

Is this thing wired up at all like a two P-90 SG?

Yeah, its just like a SG/Les Paul. Exactly the same. My Custom II's P-90s only have 2 wires...red is ground, white is hot/signal. The "third" wire you might be referencing is the cable shielding. It should be grounded.

Concerning my upgrades:

I butchered the stock bridge pretty badly trying to file down slots for the Bigsby. Its a very thick piece of metal and I don't know which Dremel accessory should be used. I'm going to have to use the Wilkinson bridge now, and I'm nervous about not getting it on right...

1. The WTBC bridge: Get some double-sided tape (the thinner the better, and don't use much) and use it to stick the bridge in what looks like the right place. The distance between the nut and the 12th fret should be the same as the distance between the 12th fret and the saddles. At the same time, you need to make sure the four new screws don't interfere with the string-through holes (which are very large on the Custom II for some reason) so make sure you can't see them through the screw holes (you didn't cover up the screw holes with the double-sided tape, did you?)

Get yourself some sort of string or thread (dental floss works well because it's tough and has a little give to it). Tie one end to your high-E tuner, run it through the nut, through the high-E string-through hole on the bridge, around the back of the bridge to the low-E string-through hole, then back down the neck and through the nut to the low-E tuner. Make it taut but not crazily so, and tie it off.

Now inspect the alignment of your dental floss strings from all angles and move the bridge around until everything looks right, keeping in mind the avoidance of the string-through holes. When it looks right, mark the placement of the holes you'll need to drill. I used a dry-erase Sharpie for this so I could wipe it off and try again if need be. Now remove the bridge and take a look at your marks. With any luck, they'll be centered and avoid the string-through holes. If this is not the case, wipe 'em off and try again. Remember this is a Squier, so tolerances may be a little off (my original bridge was woefully misaligned). Your goal is a workable compromise between straight lines and avoidance of the string-through holes.

Sidebar: since you're going with the Bigsby and won't be using the string-though holes any more, you might consider plugging them up with dowel. I still wouldn't recommend drilling into them, but it might provide a little more structural support.

Once you've got the holes marked where you want them, it's time to drill. Ideally you'd use a drill press for this, but my press isn't deep enough so I did them freehand. Just take deep breaths, go slowly, and try to hold the drill as vertical as possible. Then screw in the bridge. I highly recommend rubbing some wax on the screws to get them in a little easier.

2. Filing the bridge: You're better off filing the bridge than trying to run the strings through the toploader holes. There's just too much metal-on-metal friction using the holes and you're going to have tuning issues and/or break a lot of strings (unless you run some teflon tubing or something through the holes, but that seems like a colossal pain in the ass). At any rate, the operative word here is "filing;" I don't recommend a dremel for this job. What I used was a small triangular file like this one (http://tinyurl.com/yyfflvb), because it's exactly the right shape for what you're trying to accomplish. Start filing above each of the string-through holes and keep going until you break through to the hole. Then clean up the edges with the file and a wire brush. It'll take a little while, but it doesn't require a whole lot of concentration so you can watch tv or whatever.

Note: I highly recommend that you take the bridge off the guitar to do the filing. (I would have recommended you do the filing first, but you needed intact string-through holes for your dental floss.) Just screw the bridge to a piece of scrap wood and do it from there. The reasons for this are threefold: 1) You'll want the stability of the scrap wood to hold on to; 2) You're going to scrape the crap out of your guitar with the file if you leave it on; and 3) pickups are magnets and you're going to be making a whole lot of metal dust.

3. The Bigsby: You didn't ask, but my advice is to use the dental floss to figure out the alignment here too. Fore-aft position is not as important, but you will want to make sure it's good side-to-side and doesn't rub against the sides of your filed slots.

I hope this helps. If you need more information or clarification, please let me know. I've been through these surgeries before and know how useful others' experiences can be.

ordered a blonde friday ,ya'll convinced me

I have a question before I order:

Is the custom II (P90's) routed to fit humbuckers as well as P90's?

See, I want a tele with humbuckers, but I don't want another black guitar (the regular custom only comes in black where I can get it)! So if the Custom II will take humbuckers then a new pickguard and I'm set :) If somebody has one open could you fit a HB in there?

David

I have a question before I order:

Is the custom II (P90's) routed to fit humbuckers as well as P90's?

See, I want a tele with humbuckers, but I don't want another black guitar (the regular custom only comes in black where I can get it)! So if the Custom II will take humbuckers then a new pickguard and I'm set :) If somebody has one open could you fit a HB in there?

David

http://gallery.me.com/dcorbell/100092/IMG_1098/web.jpg?

I don't know if a humbucker will fit there...

Ach nuts, it doesn't look like it, especially the bridge, where I want a HB the most! :( Which makes my decision even harder, as I've seen on the squier website that the custom II has a satin finished neck, whereas the other has a gloss. I prefer the satin, and the colour, so I guess I'll have to route it out, which I'd have rather have avoided.

So, next question!

I'll need a pickguard for 2 HB's. Will a regular deluxe pickguard have the pickups the the right place? Screw holes aren't a problem!

Actually, looking at pics on the website compared to the picture, HB's MIGHT fit (looking where the pickguard holes are vs the pickup routing). Guess there's only one way to find out!


EDIT: And it's ordered! should be here by the weekend, just in time for the gig that's paying for half of it!

IT's BEEN DELIVERED! Going over to the folks house to pick it up soon, pics will follow, as will me measuring those cavities for HB's!

I. CAN'T. WAIT.

I'm pretty certain those routs will handle either pickups. My Tele Custom (w/HBs) is exactly the same.

Except for the transcontinental shipping, I'd trade ya!

Yep, they'll handle both :) Fearnot, I wanted the vintage blonde, even with the P90's, which are HOT! Also, it seems to prefer .010's, my normal .011's don't feel right on it. Also, there was a screw that had no wood underneath! Bizzare. Tuners don't seem fantastic either, broke my top e while stretching it. Bummer. Still, it seems pretty solid, will be a good guitar for the modding!

Have some photos, will upload them after I get back from a walk with the missus to be ;)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b63/gorebuc/IMG_0400.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b63/gorebuc/IMG_0403.jpg



Wilkinson "EZ Lock" Vintage Tuners
Wilkinson WTBC "Cut" Tele Bridge (slotted for Bigsby/ traded brass saddles with the notched steel saddles on my Thinline)
Bigsby B-50
CTS Pots/Cloth Wiring/Copper Shielding/Chrome P-90 Covers

I like it. I'm going to have to dowel some screw holes and realign the bridge and Bigsby on next string change, as the side with "e" string is just a little off, forcing the saddle to an angle and forcing the "e" and "g" strings to rub against the bridge. Honestly don't know if I'll keep the Bigbsy, but it looks damn cool.

That is rather nice! If you use it, keep the Bigsby!

As for me, got a picture at last, before I mutilated it! Trying to find a pickguard with humbucker holes, for the new pickups I got comming :) Anybody have one going in the UK/IRL or know where I can get one from?

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs568.snc3/31009_122609617753112_100000122239322_307767_30497 74_n.jpg

I was going to gig it on Saturday night, but seeing as I'm unfamiliar with it and I don't want to spoil somebody's wedding, I'll probably avoid it :(

That is rather nice! If you use it, keep the Bigsby!

As for me, got a picture at last, before I mutilated it! Trying to find a pickguard with humbucker holes, for the new pickups I got comming :) Anybody have one going in the UK/IRL or know where I can get one from?

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs568.snc3/31009_122609617753112_100000122239322_307767_30497 74_n.jpg

I was going to gig it on Saturday night, but seeing as I'm unfamiliar with it and I don't want to spoil somebody's wedding, I'll probably avoid it :(

Order the exact pickguard you need here:

http://guitarpartsresource.com/pickguard_telesquier.htm

I was raging for a minute there (after ordering TWO sheets last night because it's so big!), then saw it was a US store. If I wasn't so desperate though I'd have done it, cheers for the link gorebuc! Taking it to get set up today with .010'a as opposed to the .011's I have on it now, just doesn't like them too much!

Also, is it just me or is it thicker than a fender tele? Feels it. I have one of the new pickups here in another guitar (another P90!) for the neck, and I've ordered my humbucker for the bridge. To say I'm excited is an understatement! For the money, this is an excellent guitar :)

Nice work, gorebuc. Hopefully some of my advice was helpful. Sorry to hear about your alignment trouble -- is it possible you could just file some more metal off the bridge instead of repositioning everything? And I think I need some of those chrome P90 covers -- where did you get them?

ebay has cream or chrome p90 covers ,are they standard size?

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Calm down! Only just seen your question, the pickups (or ID of the covers) are 80mm x 30mm!

Has any one who has changed the saddles notice a real measurable difference?

I'm in!
I just got the Squier from a trade but I didn't played it yet.
I'm at work and got it here in the morning.
I'll have to wait till tomorrow in the afternoon cause that's when I'll have about half an hour free to play it!

One thing I noticed is a misalignment in the bridge... My CV 50's has the exact same problem but that never was really a problem!

Here it is:
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/9208/14052010689.jpg
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/2356/14052010691.jpg

I think I'll like it!

Someone asked for pics of the wiring. Don't know if they can help but here they go:

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5707/18052010699.jpg
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/6228/18052010698.jpg
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/2241/18052010697.jpg
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/2781/18052010696.jpg
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/2928/18052010694.jpg
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/1562/18052010693.jpg
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/7776/18052010692.jpg

A THOUSAND "Thank You's", XJazzy!!! I'll put the guitar back together tonight and give it to my nephew tomorrow. Then I can get my Strat back! I miss my Strat. Here's a pic!

http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/rr174/flintpunk/Strat/StratandSilvertone.jpg

Hope it helps :wink:

Has anyone changed caps on this guitar?
I have another P-90's guitar and they're much more bright and sparkly than the ones on the Custom II.
I found that the Custom has 0.022 caps and the other guitar has 0.047. Could this make the difference I hear?

Not much interest in the Just Pickups forum, so thought I'd pitch this one in here too...

Anyone tried a minihumbucker in a TCII yet? I find myself gravitating to the neck P90 most of the time, and was wondering how a P90 neck + bridge Mini combination would sound. I noticed that the pickguard pics a few posts back clearly show there are several mounting holes on the base plate/bar for the P90...the outermost two (the ones next to the pickguard mounting screws) look like they would align with the height adjustment screws of a P90-sized minihum mount (like the Allparts mini here (http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/allparts-guitar-amp-parts/pickups/guitar-pickups/mini-humbucker-w-cover-adjustable-pole-pieces-2-p-2743.html)), suggesting it might be a pretty simple drop-in replacement.

Any thoughts?

Hope it helps :wink:

Has anyone changed caps on this guitar?
I have another P-90's guitar and they're much more bright and sparkly than the ones on the Custom II.
I found that the Custom has 0.022 caps and the other guitar has 0.047. Could this make the difference I hear?
It's quite possible. Strats and Teles usually use .022 caps which don't filter out as much of the high frequencies. LPs usually use a .047 for a darker sound. Changing the caps will change will change the brightness of the guitar.

I'm in.

Got a nice "blonde" one. Never been into Teles but was kind of interested in a P-90 guitar, and when a buddy needed to unload it, I helped him. Glad I did. Loving the DD P-90s.

It's quite possible. Strats and Teles usually use .022 caps which don't filter out as much of the high frequencies. LPs usually use a .047 for a darker sound. Changing the caps will change will change the brightness of the guitar.

Well, the new caps made little difference.
I'll be changing pickups.
I have a pair of P-90's in a SX that sound like a single coil in steroids and for me that is how a P-90 should sound like.
The ones in the Custom II are too powerful and a bit muddy. They sound like a humbucker to me!

Not much interest in the Just Pickups forum, so thought I'd pitch this one in here too...

Anyone tried a minihumbucker in a TCII yet? I find myself gravitating to the neck P90 most of the time, and was wondering how a P90 neck + bridge Mini combination would sound. I noticed that the pickguard pics a few posts back clearly show there are several mounting holes on the base plate/bar for the P90...the outermost two (the ones next to the pickguard mounting screws) look like they would align with the height adjustment screws of a P90-sized minihum mount (like the Allparts mini here (http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/allparts-guitar-amp-parts/pickups/guitar-pickups/mini-humbucker-w-cover-adjustable-pole-pieces-2-p-2743.html)), suggesting it might be a pretty simple drop-in replacement.

Any thoughts?

Just to answer my own question (in case anyone else is interested), yes, this works! Experimented with an Epi Wilshire reissue bridge mini-hum, and using an Allparts p90 ring/mount, the holes align with the stock brass mounting bar perfectly. Really happy with the bridge p'up sounds now - less raw and spiky, a lot more "air" and chimier sounding. Mixes really, really well with the neck p90.

Oh, and measured the resistance on the Epi mini-hum at 10.3K. This seems to balance really well with the stock neck p90, if anyone's wondering what a good match might be, output-wise.

Im cool again!

http://i.ebayimg.com/03/!B)D71KgBGk~$(KGrHqEOKkMEwOQOhDOwBML2Y3Cp8w~~_12.J PG

Like my 70s bullet truss rod mod?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/adamsmith90/c5914a09.jpg

Just found you guys , I got my Custom11 from ebay , paid £160 +£20 for delivery , seems a bit pricey compared to others , but I,m happy with it . I,ll try and get some pics on .

Just found you guys , I got my Custom11 from ebay , paid £160 +£20 for delivery , seems a bit pricey compared to others , but I,m happy with it . I,ll try and get some pics on .

Congrats! Was it this one?

http://i.ebayimg.com/16/!B)DDim!EWk~$(KGrHqZ,!g4Ev1+0DoM8BML)8fs)HQ~~_12.J PG

No , It was from a bloke in Kent .I know there were a couple on sale a few weeks ago .The one I got has chrome p/ups p90 I think.

No , It was from a bloke in Kent .I know there were a couple on sale a few weeks ago .The one I got has chrome p/ups p90 I think.

Lets have some pics!!

Lets have some pics!!

OK , I,m working on it .:grin:

Best I can do just now.

Best I can do just now.

Your in the wrong club!



Anyway, this one is finished for now...

Full size alpha pots and Sprague orange drop caps
Brass switch tip (makes a nice clunk)
Bullet truss rod mod
Fret dress
Dulled the pickguard
Full set up with 10s

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/adamsmith90/cfcea7ff.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/adamsmith90/f628b861.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/adamsmith90/8e3d1479.jpg

Plays and sounds great!

I thought I was in the correct club .Please let me know the error of my ways.

Youre just fine Henry B I think Adam S was just confused by the array of non tele customs on your pic, a wood for the trees thing!

Hi Henry,

I like to check this thread because I hope to grab one of these myself - whenever that magic moment of an overlooked and cheap one arrives on eBay.
Ive got the time ... ;)

Maybe 'wrong club' sounded a little harsh as a phrase by itself there!

That said, this thread is essentially about the Squier Custom II - the one with the (black covered) P90 Duncan Designed pickups.

It looks like yours might be the 'Custom' - with humbuckers - not the Custom II with the P90's ?
Well, thats how it looks in your pic - is that right?

Nice guitar anyhow! - & hope you are enjoying it.

I'm sure you would be most welcome to hang about 'here' and chat.
I do occasionally, and I havent even got any kind of Custom ... yet .. :)

On the P-90 to hum conversion question - check these out:

http://store.guitarfetish.com/gip90stminhu.html


.

Not sure how it was 'harsh'? Anyway, someone has just started a club for the humbucker version.

The Tele I bought was advertised on the bay site as a Custom 11 ,I was unaware of any differance on p/ups. Maybe I should contact the seller , thanks for the info.

First, many thanks for all the stripped/disassembled/wiring pics of the Custom II's. They're a big help.

My only complaint about the II is the weight. I still haven't found some scales to check but it's the heaviest electric I think I've ever owned (never owned an LP!). So, the idea is to replace the body with one from GFS and convert the layout to a traditional no pickguard P-90, standard Tele control plate with 'stacked' volume/tone pots to fit the two hole plate layout.

The pic at the bottom is the look I'm going for. The three bodies are the ones I'm looking at to replace the stock body. Hardware will be chrome with locking tuners. I'll have to rout the pickup holes and possibly use trim rings to cover the excess opening around the bridge pickup. Anyone tried this before?

Edit: I've emailed GFS to see if they have the P-90 routed bodies from the Xaviere guitars available - will update when I get a reply.


.

I have decided to look for an other lighter tele as the Squier Custom is giving my back and shoulder ache , so I will advertise this one for sale. Are there any reccomendations as to what would suit the bill , max £500.

I got some new strings on mine and it's gonna replace my CV on the road.
I need something with more low end and the Custom II it's perfect for that.
The pickup replacement is now on stand-by.

My first guitar.
They're lovely guitar but there is this little niggle in the back of my mind saying that I would have preferred the dual-humbucker version, if only because 'buckers are easier to find replacements for if I ever decide to change the pickups. Trying to find P90s in the U.K. is ridiculous. But, then again, I probably wouldn't want to anyway. They have a marvellous sound, great for blues, very traditional P90. I would easily recommend these guitars to anybody.

Trying to find P90s in the U.K. is ridiculous.[/I]

I'm surprised, I thought there is quite a few options,

ranging from Axesrus and Axetec and websites, and the Wilkinson stuff etc,

Or, up a notch, there's Irongear pickups - which are apparently great 'punch for the pound.'

If you are really serious theres the top shelf 'handwound' wares from Bareknuckles pickups:

http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=22

Probably a fair few more I have not remembered off the top of my head

My first guitar.
They're lovely guitar but there is this little niggle in the back of my mind saying that I would have preferred the dual-humbucker version, if only because 'buckers are easier to find replacements for if I ever decide to change the pickups. Trying to find P90s in the U.K. is ridiculous. But, then again, I probably wouldn't want to anyway. They have a marvellous sound, great for blues, very traditional P90. I would easily recommend these guitars to anybody.

As said above, there are loads available. Im thinking of picking a set of Irongear P-90s up...

http://www.axetec.co.uk/axetec%20guitar%20parts%20spares%20pickups_081.htm

Got mine on the road:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs269.snc4/39771_427150223600_201513593600_4829461_2502207_n. jpg

Thanks for all of the P90 recommendations. Obviously my dumb eyes have just been lookin' in all the wrong places. :lol:

I've had mine for about a year! Blonde! Love it.

Forgot to stop by the clubhouse and tell you guys about my makeover (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/223795-my-squier-custom-ii-gets-makeover.html) ...

http://walpow.com/images/!music/telecustom2.jpg

Forgot to stop by the clubhouse and tell you guys about my makeover (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/223795-my-squier-custom-ii-gets-makeover.html) ...

http://walpow.com/images/!music/telecustom2.jpg


Very cool!

I ultimately decided to take the Bigsby off, too much trouble to get it right...and the four small holes aren't a big deal. Might try to fill them in and refinish with a ReRanch Vintage Cream? marker, which seems like the same color. I also inadvertently ordered a top loading bridge, and it keeps that plinky jangle that it doesn't have when the strings route through the body. Upgraded wiring/pots make a big difference in sounds/sensitivity. Sounds lovely through both of my Voxes (AC15 and Pathfinder). Makes for a nice Tele pair along with my '69 Thinline.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b63/gorebuc/IMG_0461.jpg

Yes, even Milhouse would be cool with a SVMTCII. Gawd, I love the fact that the name is that long. Anyhoo, I can be a cool kid now because the twin-turboprop Hawker-Siddeley that substitutes for the brown truck here in the North brought mine today. I've spent some time playing it, to make sure it's all in order, and I want to thank all you Cool Kids for convincing me that this was the way to satisfy my P90 jones. I really like the sound of these pickups, and other than a plastic nut (and questionable tuners) the neck is great. Not the prettiest neck I've ever seen, but excellent size, feel, and finish. Pretty maple would just be gilding the lily. The knobs are my preferred style, but man do they look low-budget. They'll get swapped down the road. A bit of setup tweaking and a bone nut are the only playability issues, and the nut can wait. Not that it's any different from any other, but here's the pic:

Here's mine in action...

idI8l7mcJJ4

I posted this info in my NGD thread, but I thought it might be of interest to the Cool Kids.

UPDATE: I've finally had a few days off since the guitar arrived, and nothing better to do than play it. After about 6 hours total playing it as is, I replaced the strings and worked on the set-up a bit. Here are the results:

NUT: Clearly cheap plastic and sloppily finished (bits of flash around the slots), pretty much spot on for depth. When I have my nut files I will tweak it a tiny bit, but nothing required urgently.

NECK: Dead flat, needed a bit of relief. Since I replaced what appeared to be .009-.042 with .010-.046, I waited until it was restrung. One tiny tweak to the truss rod took care of it.

The intonation was way off, and once the relief was good I lowered the action a bit. The fret ends are nice and smooth and the edges of the fretboard are nicely rounded over.

TUNERS: A bit stiff-acting, but seem to hold tune very well. I'll leave them alone for now.

BRIDGE: A big concern. When adjusting the saddles it was obvious that care had to be taken to prevent stripping the adjuster screw heads. Not a big deal for me, as I have a replacement bridge on order anyway.

The protective plastic on the pickguard, pickups and knobs was ridiculously hard to remove. Doesn't have any bearing on the quality of the guitar, but it's an unnecessary pain. Cosmetically, I'll probably switch the pg screws for black (good idea, AdamS) and the knobs for something less cheap-looking. The neck is a little too pale, but I've seen worse. Maybe I'll just leave it alone.

All in all, it's my favourite electric. It covers a lot of ground, so I may have to think about thinning the herd a little now.

Naaaaaahhhhh!!!!

I'll probably be tweaking the pole heights on the pickups for a while to get the string balance right, but overall I love these pickups. How do they compare to "real" P90s? I dunno, never had real ones. But if this is any indication what P90s are like, I think I'm pretty much cured of any love for HBs. All the things I liked about HBs are here, with little of what I didn't like. This is probably the first guitar I've ever had where I find myself going for the neck pickup more than the bridge. Clean, the neck p'up is perfect for rhythm, dirty it's perfect for blues. The two together are very nice, and the bridge alone is as aggressive as I ever need to be. I'm definitely going to have to try me some higher end P90s and see how I get along with them. But in another guitar... this one is staying pretty much the way it is, other than a bit of hardware.

I'm in, just got my blonde custom II last week and am loving it. Gotta put some heavier strings on it though. Beautifully finished, can't believe it was only $249.

Got mine six days ago, blonde version. Love it to death. Play through a Bugera V5 w/ TS-9.

has anyone tried to make sort of a thinline type deal with these? I'm kinda lookin to do this mod, but now I'm not to sure after a little studio work where the p90s just flat out ROCKED...but I would like to have a standard neck and bridge type of setup. So I'm wondering what I can do on a budget.

It's been my faithful gigging tool since I bought it earlier this year,what a versatile guitar it is.Here's a couple of pics with my mex tele.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f399/phastasfuk/IMG_2686.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f399/phastasfuk/IMG_2685.jpg

I play mine exclusively, it's my best girlfriend. Just played out with her again last night. I sat in with a buddy's group- and MAN- I'm telling you- this guitar handles twangy country better than any vintage single coil I've ever owned, that middle slot is perfect for rhthym, the neck position has some Charlie Christian fullness to it when you back the tone down. I was announced, truly, by the bass player like: "AND here he is...with his $80 guitar..."


I got "Squier-happy", after many Fenders, early last year, when I grabbed one of the hideously beautiful Sparkle FSR teles. I imagined getting another, and putting a nice maple neck on it, but when I got back to the store, there was a blonde Custom II, with a big nick in the neck pocket, and music store smudges and dirt all over it. At first, I thought it wasn't even stock, with the p-90's.

Talked the dude down to $175, and the rest is a sweet love affair.

The protective plastic on the pickguard, pickups and knobs was ridiculously hard to remove.



Hahhaha so true, mine still has bits under the switch. My one design complaint of this model, that switch location. I totally agree with the rest of your comment, too. No more HB's for me, EVER!

The protective plastic on the pickguard, pickups and knobs was ridiculously hard to remove.

The shop where I bought mine didn't seem to realise there was a protective plastic,they knocked a healthy bit off the new price because they said the pickguard was marked. I wasn't about to correct them. :lol: It was perfect underneath.

Still love mine!

I sold mine this week.
I didn't like the sound of the pickups and I wasn't playing it.
I don't want more than 10 guitars so this opened a space for a long time dream guitar...

Just got mine last week... LOVE it!

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/Fender%20Squier%20Vintage%20Custom%20II/Telecasterblonde009.jpg

Hey Guys!

I'm enjoying this thread a lot. I am currently gassing for one of these to keep company to my MIM '72 custom. Fender offers the black dove, but that one has a 12" radius neck which I am not too thrilled about.

I have never owned as Squier, so I am having second thoughts about taking the plunge. Specially since it is acknowledged that this model is not one of their best finished.

I know I am going to love the sound, but my biggest concern is the neck finish/playability. For those of you that own "better" guitars, how would it compare finish-wise to a MIM made tele? Would you be able to tell the necks apart on a blind test? :)

Hi guys!

I'm new here, and this is my Tele. I have replaced the tuners with Wilkinson locking tuners, the nut, and put on black metal knobs.

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/7416/img4892i.jpg

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/9239/img4896z.jpg

:razz:

How are those tuners working, velourfog? I just bought one of these, but I think I need different tuners and thicker strings. Otherwise, it's cool. I like the feel of the unfinished neck. Pickups sound pretty good in my opinion. I'm playing through an Epiphone Valve Jr.

bonusmark: The tuners work pretty well -- feels a lot less flimsy than the originals and stays in tune better. I forgot to mention that I changed strings too, those are .11-.52 strings which I prefer, I can't play on .09's :)

I love the pickups on this guitar, but I'm not crazy about the neck. Perhaps I'll swap it someday.

is this the closest thing to a vintage modified club on here? i'm getting a white vm ssh in about 2 weeks

I have the white ssh...LOVE IT...i did remove the middle pup and replaced the bridge one with a Dimarzio, and had a bone nut installed...This is my favorite guitar I've ever owned...hope you have fun with it!

Here's mine. I think this was taken on the day I bought it, when it was saying "hello" to its new Gibson SG Special friend. Great guitar, gigged it, very dependable.

...I'll be getting a Custom II this week! This one....
72273

I've got two buyers who want the RG...yes!

I'm in!

Just unpacked my newly arrived black Squier Vintage Modified Tele® Custom II (that IS a long name!). Haven't played it yet, gotta change strings, peel of the plastic, and do an initial set up first. Looks sexy, but the neck is very pale...can anybody fill me in on the old shoe polish trick?

The neck feels good, frets could be better polished, and the fret ends better rounded, but I can fix that. The pickups will probably need some height adjustment. But that is nitpicking, this looks and feels lika a great axe for the money! I really, really like the way it looks!

Hey, Adam S! I like the dull pickguard look! Did you use steel wool, what grade?

I'll be back with a new post, when I've played it for a while.

/ Tony

FINALLY have the P90s loaded in my Custom, but wifey has the camera! No pics for a few more days.

c-

I bought one of these used about four years ago. Mine is the greenish-yellow model.

I wasn’t thrilled with the neck and had a spare I liked, so I replaced it.

I thought that the pickups seemed kind of dead so I installed replacements (“Dirty Dog” brand, sold on eBay). The replacements sounded kind of dead too. After a while I realized that the deadness was when I had the volume down a bit – the pickups sounded fine when I turned them up. Turning the volume down reduced the treble. I experimented with different pots to no avail.

I read in a couple places that there was no way to turn down the volume without rolling off treble with the way the guitar was wired. I don’t know how they’re wired stock, but mine was wired so that you could put the pickup selector in the middle, roll one volume pot all the way down, and still get volume out of the other pickup. I read that this wiring scheme will always result in rolling off treble along with the volume. I went in and rewired it like the old Gibsons I’ve had, i.e., pickup selector in the middle and rolling one volume all the way down turns the volume all the way down.

After rewiring I had a ground problem I couldn’t track down. I eventually started from scratch and rewired the guitar with a single volume knob. I’ve done this with other guitars and liked it. I covered the empty holes with circles of black electrical tape, which helps to hide them when the lighting is right. I put a black speed knob on the single pot.

I may put the original neck back on and try to do some fret work on it. The replacement is very nice but it’s rosewood and I prefer maple.

I’m not thrilled with the color, maybe I’ll take it down to bare wood like Hawk did. I’ve been under the impression that those Asian Squier paint jobs are just about impossible to get off, sanding or otherwise. It’s nice to see that it’s possible to remove the finish, if desired.

If anyone is interested I can take pictures.

-Scott

Count me in. I've owned one of these since they first came out. Long story, but it's been on loan for years and I'm getting it back soon. I remember it as a fun, good sounding guitar. I can't wait to get it back into my hands. I'll probably start modifying it soon though - bridge, pots etc and I'm tempted to try stripping the finish.

Tmm

I've had my blonde for around a year and just got it back today after swapping all the electrics; Switchcraft switch, Electrosocket, new pots & caps and, most importantly, a set of Lollar 50's wind P-90s. It sounds absolutely amazing...exactly what I wanted when I first thought "I'd really like a Tele with P-90s." Bloody expensive but utterly, utterly worth it.

-Might anyone help or educate me in dating the year/country of my Squier Telecaster
Custom 2.
Ser.No.:s/n ic 050718795(on the back of the head),nothing on back plate.
Haven"t found anything under google.
Thanks in advance

bought a custom ii from eBay last weekend It's in a bit of a state so it's a fixer upper, I was having a scout about t’internet for info on the custom and found this pic of the Dove. Apart from the anaemic looking neck and Strat headstock (I don’t like either). Fender ripping squire off strange times...


http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss274/dezb1/dovecustom.jpg

Of course the Black Dove pickups are supposed to be rather good... but I doubt it’s enough for a £465 price difference

I just ordered one in the vintage blonde color! I cannot wait to get it! I already have some mod ideas. I have ordered black screws for the pickguard, chrome dome tele knobs, and a new neckplate.

I also plan on eventually upgrading the wiring and pots, and getting a bone nut, but for now I am going to play as is. I hope it is set up pretty good from the factory, though I do plan on putting 10s for strings on it! :mrgreen:

I have had mine for at least a year now and have the following plans for it:

Strat Neck (I'm using the original neck on a part telecaster project)
P-Rails
Remove finish and stain either olive green, magenta, purple, or white wash
3-Brass Saddle compensated Wilkinson short bridge

This new guy is in. Should be delivered tomorrow.

I'm getting back into recording and took stock of all my guitars...all of them have Floyd or Wilkinson trems. I would like to have a heavy hard-tail, but I hate Les Pauls. I almost pulled the trigger on a Blacktop, but one of you guys posted one of these up. I'd forgotten that they existed (and about half the price!).

When all is said and done, the body might be the only original part left. Probably get a Warmoth neck the same specs as my other guitars, Gotoh bridge, Sperzel tuners, new electronics/p'ups...etc. Have some interesting ideas on the pickguard, too!

But, I am curious to see how good this is out of the box. Every one raves about the amount of guitar you get for the money.

Mine showed up on Thursday as promised. The strings, which are only slightly more comfortable than barb wire, were about 1/2 an inch off the board. A couple of cranks on the truss rod and quick restringing later...wow! It's hard to believe how good a "cheap" guitar is nowadays. I would have killed for this level of quality when I first started out playing. My first "Arbor" superstrat knock-off cost about the same,IIRC.

The fit and finish are excellent, tuners are usable, and the DD pup's are way better than expected. Even the electronics sound solid w/ no crackles, buzzes, etc. The nut slots are a little iffy and one of the upper frets is a little high, but those are easy fixes. I'm going to leave it in it's original state for now.

Anyone on the fence about getting one should proceed post-haste. I had a GC online coupon for 10% off. So, for $225 + $13 tax, I couldn't be more pleased.

Just discovered this thread through a Google search, although I've been on the forum for a while and have had my black Custom II for over a year now. Finally decided to take it to a guitar shop to have it set up due to the lower E string had a slight dead sound to it plus it seemed to me like it wasn't in good tune from going to one chord to another (particularly the standard D chord seemed slightly out of tune). Got it back yesterday, tried it out last night and I'm not sure it's much better, in-tune-wise but the bottom E string does ring better. When I picked it up, I had to specifically ask the luthier about it and he said it didn't appear it had ever been set up (it had not), and said something about the nut (didn't hear him real clearly) when I asked him about the dead E string. It ran through my mind that the guy may have had a bit of arrogance about working on a Squier due to my having to extract info from him although, to be fair, he was working on another guitar while I was talking to him so I could be totally wrong. Anyway, I'll be giving it a workout this weekend and check back in here.

Never mind the above post I made about not knowing if my Custom II was improved after getting it set up...played it again this morning and really noticed a difference - now, I love the thing! I think I must have thought a set-up on a $250.00 guitar was going to magically make it sound like a $750 guitar so I overlooked the more subtle improvements the set up did make. Count me as an excited member of this forum/thread! :cool: Can't wait to lay down some tracks with this guitar.

Hey, does anybody know if some antiquity p90's would fit my custom II? Has anyone tried them? How do they sound? I'm about to upgrade the DD's, pots (cts 250k) and selector switch and jack (switchcraft).
Well, in fact I have to find where to get those parts first. Here, in Argentina, its not so easy. Anyway the hardest part is to find the mics.
I would appreciate whatever info you can give me before I bother even trying to see how I can manage to get the antiquities.

Hi there.

I just took apart my Custom II, as I plan on giving it a new pickguard, pickups, and electronics.

Is anyone else finding that the pickguard screw at about 7 o'clock of the pickup selector switch totally missed the mark (if you are looking directly at the guitar vertically)? Mine goes like halfway into the wood and halfway out into nowhere.

C

I think I'm sold on the custom II, I would go with the blond version as I have the 72 deluxe RI already in my guitarsenal. Can anyone who already has a blond one tell me if the finish is solid or if it shows off a bit of the grain below? Just curious because I've seen a few pictures in the thread here that lead me to believe it might show some grain! Thanks in advance and I look forward to owning one of these someday!

Mine is a solid yellow without any grain.

Mine is also solid color with no grain showing through.

No grain on mine either.

No grain on mine, but I don't know whether mine is classified as blonde, as it has a sort of greenish tint. There's a yellowness to it to be sure, but I would call mine more of a pale pea soup color. Does anyone else have one that's like mine? Looking at the pictures of blonde models online and they're a warm custard like this:

http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/Tutorial%20images/Guitar/best-electric-guitar/squier-tele-custom-ii-530-85.jpg

Mine is is more like a TV yellow, like this (only more green):

http://image.dhgate.com/upload/spider/b/772/174/b_ae1q4n174772_0.jpg

Anyone else have significant green in their blonde Tele Custom?

-Scott

No green in mine, looks like the first pic.

http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx302/joeismyname/mybabies.jpg

there is mine in the middle....got it for $100!! a couple months ago on c-list. It's practically in mint condition too. Best $100 ive ever spent. Only mod I think I would make at this point is some new locking tuners, but I'm poor and always slow to mod. The pots and pickups sound pretty good to my ears. Also not great at doing wiring or sauldering (really just don't trust myself). I see myself buying 500k pots and they would just sit around for a long time until I pay someone to put them in. But I think it sounds great as is, the tuners are just iffy sometimes.....neck is awesome! The thing growls.

Mine is blonde with no grain too.

Does anyone know if it is an agathis or ash body??
The specs sheet says its agathis, but the pics of the stripped one in the first page of this post seems like ash to me. Also, mine seems to heavy to be agathis for what i've heard. Anyway, I just saw another post and it sure looked like agathis.
Not that I care too much.. Whatever it is made of it just sounds awsome. Nice vintage 7"1/4 neck too.

Just ordered a varitone switch from Big D, and waiting for a friend to fly to NY to get me antiquity p90's. Does anyone know where he might find them? He is only going to be there for a week so he can't get them on ebay (usualy takes 10 days).

jm

I took pictures of mine which sort of show what I consider to be a relatively greenish tint, compared to pictures of the "Blonde" version. I also noticed that I can sort of see some coloring of the wood underneath the finish. Not so much grain, but areas where one piece of wood appears to be lighter than the one to which it's laminated.

Hopefully the green comes across in these:

http://www.scottmcknight.com/STC1.jpg


http://www.scottmcknight.com/STC2.JPG


-Scott

New guy here. I just bought a Custom II (vintage blonde) used from Musicians Friend. I bought it for two reasons. I wanted a P90 guitar and I read the reviews here by you guys. At the price I didn’t think I could go wrong. I’ve had it for a couple weeks and the tone and pickups are great. I read that they had a great tone, but I was still shocked at how much I like it. (side note…my recommendation is for people to not jump into the upgrading of the wiring and pickups first). I knew that I would be modding this guitar when I bought it. The thing that I felt the guitar needed most was a Fender tele neck. I bought a neck from reliablefender on ebay (wait for the 10% off sales). I did pay decent money for the neck, but I wanted a good one and I did sell the original neck to help fund the new one ($250 for the new one with tuners). I bought a neck from a Blackout tele (has a 70’s style logo and tinted). I received the neck last night, and it is incredible. I have put the amount of money into it that I would have paid for a new MIM tele. These are great guitars, and well worth the money. Definitely a great modding platform. I imagine these guitars will continue to grow in popularity. One bad thing about my guitar is one of the saddles is screwed up so I’m going to have to put some money in it for that, but hey. I will try to post some pictures soon. I think it looks really good with the new neck. I’m glad there is an owners club for this guitar because this guitar deserves one.

Hi guys!

I've just joined the forum and thought I'd show my Squire VM Tele custom 2.

I've had the guitar for 2 years now, but unfortunately my ability is still at the beginner level. :sad: Anyway, the Squier Tele custom has been a great guitar for me. I bought it because I like the style and I fell in love with sound of the P90 pickup in the neck position. I'm really impressed with this guitar's value for money.

Since I am a hopeless tweaker, I couldn't help modding this guitar. Last week I fitted a GFS dream 180 soapbar humbucker in the bridge. I wanted a thicker sound for playing power chords and lead riffs. The stock P90 in the bridge seemed biased to the treble a bit. I never modded a guitar before so I welcome your comments if there are any issues with my install. The way I did is completely reversible, but so far I'm happy with the change.

Howdy folks,

I have a Custom, in black of course, with some upgrades that I wanted to convert to a Custom II since I've never owned a P90 guitar. I just ordered a P90 pickguard for it from Angela and have a few questions


Please provide pickup suggestions (I'm cheap)
Are the pickups stock Gibson P90 size?
Will dog ear P90s work--in other words, will the mounting holes line up with the pickguard holes?
Any other pickup mounting suggestions?


Thanks.

Tom

The thing that I felt the guitar needed most was a Fender tele neck. I bought a neck from reliablefender on ebay (wait for the 10% off sales). I did pay decent money for the neck, but I wanted a good one and I did sell the original neck to help fund the new one ($250 for the new one with tuners). I bought a neck from a Blackout tele (has a 70’s style logo and tinted). I received the neck last night, and it is incredible. I have put the amount of money into it that I would have paid for a new MIM tele. These are great guitars, and well worth the money.

Post dem pics!!! :cool:

Howdy folks,

I have a Custom, in black of course, with some upgrades that I wanted to convert to a Custom II since I've never owned a P90 guitar. I just ordered a P90 pickguard for it from Angela and have a few questions


Please provide pickup suggestions (I'm cheap)
Are the pickups stock Gibson P90 size?
Will dog ear P90s work--in other words, will the mounting holes line up with the pickguard holes?
Any other pickup mounting suggestions?


Thanks.

Tom

Probably too late, since you've already ordered the new pickguard, but a bunch of people I know have handled the HB to P-90 conversion by installing GFS Mean 90s, which are essentially P-90s in a HB-sized cover. I've heard them and like them.

-Scott

How do you post pictures? Here is a link until I figure out how to post a picture.

http://s307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/scotteads/?action=view&current=IMAG0095.jpg

http://s307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/scotteads/http://s307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/scotteads/

Looks great bigorange. Great neck! Bet you are loving that guitar now!

The thing that I felt the guitar needed most was a Fender tele neck. I bought a neck from reliablefender on ebay (wait for the 10% off sales). I did pay decent money for the neck, but I wanted a good one and I did sell the original neck to help fund the new one ($250 for the new one with tuners). I bought a neck from a Blackout tele (has a 70’s style logo and tinted). I received the neck last night, and it is incredible. I have put the amount of money into it that I would have paid for a new MIM tele. These are great guitars, and well worth the money. Definitely a great modding platform. I imagine these guitars will continue to grow in popularity.

Hi Bigorange, Thanks for posting the pics. I'm curious what aspect you didn't like about the standard neck. Was it because of the 7.5" radius fingerboard?

Personally I found the neck on my Squier to be really good. Mine seems perfectly straight and well finished. My only criticism is the matt finish. I think some people won't like the vintage fingerboard radius but its perfectly fine for me.

To post pictures you need to click the "Go Advanced" button, then below the text entry box there is another button to "Manage attachments" which allows you to upload the image files.

JohnnyF, I think it might be possible that the quality on the necks of these guitars are hit or miss. When I look at pictures on this site and others it just doesnt look like the same necks. I could be wrong. I would say if your happy with the neck keep it. I did have to get someone to setup the neck on the new guitar. It wasnt just bolt it on and start playing, so that did cost me a little. Right now I dont think the guitar needs any other upgrades. I may change my mind as I play it, but the pickups are great in my opinion.

RubyRae, I really like the neck on this guitar I'm really digging it!

JohnnyF, I think it might be possible that the quality on the necks of these guitars are hit or miss. When I look at pictures on this site and others it just doesnt look like the same necks. I could be wrong. I would say if your happy with the neck keep it.

Interesting.. I wasn't too sure what to expect when I ordered the Squier TC2, though it seems I lucked out with the neck on mine.

I decided to upgrade my neck. I wasn't thrilled with the original but I also had a decent neck lying around. The original buzzed a bit too much for my liking until the action was set a little too high for my tastes. If it weren't for that I would have kept the original and probably done some fret work on it.

I tried to upload a picture, so hopefully this works. mcknigs what brand p90s do you have on yours? Do you upgrade wiring too? What tone differences did you notice?

mcknigs what brand p90s do you have on yours? Do you upgrade wiring too? What tone differences did you notice?

It's probably more accurate to say I "downgraded" the wiring. As I mentioned in an earlier post to this thread, my guitar was previously owned by a friend who had done some shielding and rewiring. When I got it it was wired in the fashion of newer Les Pauls, i.e., so that putting the pickup selector in the center (both) position and turning one volume pot all the way down resulted in turning that pickup all the way down but the other remained on. I was more familiar with the older Les Paul system, where putting the pickup switch in the center position and turning either volume knob all the way down resulted in tuning the guitar's output all the way down, even if the other volume pot was still up.

I was bothered by a loss of treble when turning the volume down on the guitar. I tried changing pot values and tone capacitor values. Eventually I was told that the new Les Paul configuration would result in loss of treble no matter what I did with tone pots or capacitors. So I attempted to rewire it the older way. I ended up with a ground loop I couldn't track down. I ultimately pulled all the wiring out and started over with a single master volume knob. I've decided I like it that way. I rarely use the volume knobs independently on two-volume guitars, and almost never touch the tone knobs, so the one knob guitar works for me. As long as I have a choice between pickups and can shift my picking hand around for different tones I'm good. I still lose a little treble when turning down but I know I can fix that by putting a cap and resistor in series between the volume knob input and ground.

The pickups are Dirty Dogs that I got off eBay. I think I paid about $50 each. I replaced the Duncan-Designed pups because I thought they sounded kind of dead. I think now that was more a factor of the treble loss when turning down than it was the pickups. I've since put one of those Duncan-Designed in another guitar and like it fine.

-Scott

I actually don't mind the stock pickups. I bought this guitar to mod so I will eventually change em

Thanks for the explanation Mcknigs. It sounds like you have it setup like you like now. As of now I dont plan on changing pickups/wiring. That could change given time since it is still a fairly new guitar for me, so far I have really enjoyed the tones that I'm getting from it. I continue to be amazed by this guitar. This guitar is a hidden gem.

I'm curious about the stock wiring on these, because I don't know whether mine was stock by the time I got it. If you put the pickup switch in the center position, turn the bridge pickup all the way up and the neck all the way down, what happens? No volume, or full bridge volume and no neck volume?

-Scott

Mcknigs I check for you about the wiring. Mine is stock wiring so you'll know. I want to say that it turns the volume off, but I'll check.

New to the forum, and this club.

Count me in - got mine delivered today, second hand from ebay, uk. In mint condition. Not played it plugged in yet but feels really nice unplugged. Beautiful looking guitars for such little money. Recently sold my '52 reissue in blonde as needed to raise some cash.

Long story short over £750 in cash plus this little one seems a very good deal to me.

Dumb question, but which position selects neck, and which bridge? Is up bridge, and down neck, or vice versa?

Thanks

Welcome to both, new myself. You will love the guitar. They are great stock or to mod. The up position is the neck and down bridge.

This is the stock wiring. It's kinda confusing. When u look at the seymore Duncan website for 2 p90's it's different.

I wanna change the pots but I'm scared lol

Welcome to both, new myself. You will love the guitar. They are great stock or to mod. The up position is the neck and down bridge.

Thanks for that - and yes, she is playing nicely out of the box. Am getting a little trouble with tuning on low open chords, but think it may be the nut is too high.

Have come from playing acoustics predominantly, so probably pressing a little hard too!

The nut seems to high on mine too. Is it a bone nut stock? It's not plastic.

I don't want to intrude because I have a Version I, black, w/buckers…. but it's the same base model. Over the past week, what I disliked about the neck and frets…… I believe the problem is solved.

The once skinny, horribly high frets, (mash string to board = sharp notes) are now broad and low like Vintage Jumbos. I even rolled the edges similar to a custom shop Strat. neck) I roughed, slightly tinted, sanded, lacquered, wet sanded and gloss nitro'd the entire neck & board.

8.4K Burstbucker "PAF" knock-off's, too.

It's setup very, very sweet, and plays/sounds wonderful but I'm giving it more downtime for the finish to fully cure and harden.

:grin:(Talk about foreplay……):grin:

Mcknigs, the wiring is with the pickup selector in the middle position and the bridge pickup turned up to 10 and you turn the neck pickup off it will turn the whole thing off (and vice versa).

Mcknigs, the wiring is with the pickup selector in the middle position and the bridge pickup turned up to 10 and you turn the neck pickup off it will turn the whole thing off (and vice versa).

Thanks. Apparently mine was rewired before I got it.

I'm in!

Just unpacked my newly arrived black Squier Vintage Modified Tele® Custom II (that IS a long name!). Haven't played it yet, gotta change strings, peel of the plastic, and do an initial set up first. Looks sexy, but the neck is very pale...can anybody fill me in on the old shoe polish trick?


/ Tony
Tony, lucky you, my 1st post, just joined, please excuse if I'm doing it wrong, ok? But, noticed your question about SHOE POLISH trick. I did it to my
Butterscotch Affinity, and actually made a video pictoral of it. Right now it's a private listing YouTube vid, but will share w/ anyone that wants to view.
It was easy, and it was my 1st time KIWI-ing. I got the results I wanted. Probably too small to see, but my profile pic here, is a small image of that Butterscotch Tele , right after the KIWI , still w/ strings off. ( had to pick a pic, so that one for now ) Once I figure out the correct way of posting questions, I will, 'cuz I have one regarding my new Tele Custom II Blonde P90.Thanks for listening. abcsoundguy

Hi there.

I just took apart my Custom II, as I plan on giving it a new pickguard, pickups, and electronics.

Is anyone else finding that the pickguard screw at about 7 o'clock of the pickup selector switch totally missed the mark (if you are looking directly at the guitar vertically)? Mine goes like halfway into the wood and halfway out into nowhere.

C
Brand new to TDPRI, excuse if this is posted wrong, ok? But, re: odd pickguard screw(s), my blonde TCII is fine in that 7:00 selector area, BUT,,, I just got this guitar yesterday btw, mine only has 13 pkgrd. screws total. Everything is where it should be,
EXCEPT there's no screw, and no screw-hole between the innermost Vol., and innermost Tone control. In other words, if you're looking at the guitar dead-on, there's 6 to the left of the bridge, and only 7 to the right ( all others, Black, or Blonde, I've seen, have 8 that side. Anyone else ? Again, excuse if this is not the place to post this question, Thanks !
abcsoundguy

Ran across this clip over on The Gear Page. Be aware: the language gets a little raunchy. The lead singer, guitarist appears to be playing a Blonde Squier Tele Custom II. Internet chatter suggests it might not be the original neck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88TRcnhUW9k

here's another with a better view of the guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l7PL24KgzI&feature=related

-Scott

Howdy Everyone, I just joined today, after rec'ving my 1st ever mail-order guitar, being the very cool so far Squier Tele Custom II P90, Blonde, in my case. 1st, I've been reading the forums here for quite some time, and really dig this place. You guys have a comradery, and mutual respect, that I admire.
So I finally joined, hope to be good company, and bring something useful to the table. Kindof a lame 1st question ,,, but, gotta ask ! Does anyone here have the above described guitar ( mine's a 2010 ), with only 13 pkgrd. screws, and btw, only 13 holes ?? Mystery to me. I just got this guitar yesterday, played it ( nice! ), and then noticed the "missing" screw+hole.
If I can't post a pic, there is no screw, or hole, where it 'should' be, between the Vol., and Tone pot, nearest the bridge. I'll attempt a pic upload from my phone camera. Every single STCII, black, or blonde has this screw, not mine. Anyone? Thanks guys ! abcsoundguy

Tony, lucky you, my 1st post, just joined, please excuse if I'm doing it wrong, ok? But, noticed your question about SHOE POLISH trick. I did it to my
Butterscotch Affinity, and actually made a video pictoral of it. Right now it's a private listing YouTube vid, but will share w/ anyone that wants to view.
It was easy, and it was my 1st time KIWI-ing. I got the results I wanted. Probably too small to see, but my profile pic here, is a small image of that Butterscotch Tele , right after the KIWI , still w/ strings off. ( had to pick a pic, so that one for now ) Once I figure out the correct way of posting questions, I will, 'cuz I have one regarding my new Tele Custom II Blonde P90.Thanks for listening. abcsoundguy
Howdy, "Big Tony" inquired about this, so I thought this might answer his question about the 'Kiwi Shoe Polish' trick. It's a video of when I did the trick to my Butterscotch Squier. Hope it's helpful to anyone wanting to do this. I like the results myself !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zYsiBOX_ns

abcsoundguy

Here's a better shot of the guitar. It looks like he put a US neck on there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3mY5E1MET0&feature=related

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This is my Custom ii

Upgraded tusq nut and locking tuners.

Someone was asking about discoloration. The third pic is exactly that. It turned grey like that after a couple of weeks of owning. I can't get it out but I don't care.

I just installed a hipshot b-bender on mine with some minor mods to the bridge. I love this guitar much more than my Fender 50's Tele. I will post some pics when I get a chance. I have had a bad case of GAS this spring.