Just bought a used Tele B Bender

[samgrogers1]

I just bought my first B bender. It's a 96 Tele with the factory fender bender. The guy changed it out from the standard pickups to a 3 pickup. He put fender cusom shop strat pickups in the neck and middle and left the stock pup in the bridge. I's wired as a 5 way strat. So here's my questions:

This guitar doesn't get the true tele sound I'm used to, I usually play my 52re-issue(with a 3 way switch) in the middle position. I am however happy with the Strat sounds the bender guitar gets with the neck and middle pickup. But I dont like the middle bridge combination, out of phase I guess it would be.

1.Do you think I'll get the sound I want if I have it wired Nashville style. will the strat neck - bridge pup combination give me a good tele lead sound, I like a honky tonk sound but smoother than just the bridge pickup.

2. Would it do me well to upgrade the bridge to a punchier pickup than the stock to blend with the Start neck pup.

3. He sent me the original pickguard with the original neck pup, maybe I should just put it back to that?

I just would like to hear some opinions
Thanks

PS if anyone lives in the Dallas area I could sure use some bender tips, might be able to help you find gigs also.

[Don Miller]

I had one of those 2 pickup Parsons Green benders...essentially an American Standard with a bender. I thought the bridge pickup was pretty lifeless and I swaped it out pretty quickly..I had a Duncan Broadcaster in the bridge and a 54 custom strat pup in the neck, Velvet Hammers, and finally a 57/62 strat pickup in the neck and 52 RI pickup -the old ones not the vintage noiseless, in the bridge...and they all beat the AmStd pickups six ways to sunday...

You might start with a new bridge pickup....and wire it so you get the neck-bridge combo...I never played a 3 pickup tele so I dont know if Id keep the middle pickup or not....

[Rick Towne]

over 15 years with 3 "Nashville" Teles with benders is that the bridge/middle combination is the least satisfactory. The bridge just doesn't match well no matter what pickups I've used unless the bridge is so hot that I lose the essential Tele tone that is the reason I don't have a strat.

[bendecaster]

Sam,
I think you might be happiest just getting some '52 reissue pickups, a 3 way switch, and put the original pickguard back on. I don't think the 3 pickup setup that Tele presently has will reproduce what you're accustomed to. So, instead of wasting a pile of $, and countless hours trying to get an apple to be an orange, go for what you know. Good luck with your bender guitar.

[samgrogers1]

Thanks for the good advice. I rewired the switch set up and have a push pull on the tone to bring the bridgs pick up in whenever I want it. Did not like the tone of the the stock pickup. I put in a used 52 RI and so far I'm happy with it. It doesn't sound like my 52 RI, but it has Van Zandt pickups, I really don't need it to sound like that. I'm getting good tele sounds and some good strat sounds. Now on to learning how to to use the bender.