Swapping my 52 RI pickup back to stock.

[bandeapart]

I traded my Deluxe Ash American Tele for a '52 RI straight up with someone. The previous owner placed a SD Hot Rails pup in the bridge with a push/pull pot in the volume position....

I thought it was terrible, and hardly playable, I couldn't wait to rip it out of my guitar. It was so bottom heavy and wanted to distort no matter what. This is bad because I like good cleans. The good news is that he included the stock 52 pup and the guitar has been plek'd. Unfortunately for me, I never learned to solder, so I had to wait to save up money to take it to a tech.

Anyways, I dropped my guitar off today with a good tech I found in LA, and he swapped the pickup, swapped the push/pull pot to a 250k, and is doing a setup. He emailed me just now letting me now that all is well and I can pick it up tomorrow.

I'm excited to pick it up! I just had to share this news with people that respect the telecaster.

[Twang Tone]

Good decision. Those OVs that come stock on the AV52RI are hard to beat.

Thanks,

[doster]

Lots of love of OV's, I really like their sound.

[SteveY]

Real men don't try to turn a '52 RI into something else.

[Mark Davis]

Those stock 52ri bridge pickups are great.

You should learn how to solder its very easy. I learned when I was 12 and have used these skils thousands of times since 1962.

Terry Downs a member here has a how to solder DVD you might check out then you can swap pickups all day long and not have to wait or pay a tech.

[shinigami747]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

Terry Downs a member here has a how to solder DVD you might check out then you can swap pickups all day long and not have to wait or pay a tech.

+1.

darn good video.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

Those stock 52ri bridge pickups are great.

You should learn how to solder its very easy. I learned when I was 12 and have used these skils thousands of times since 1962.

Terry Downs a member here has a how to solder DVD you might check out then you can swap pickups all day long and not have to wait or pay a tech.

+2.

Learn how to solder and be set free from the constraints of always bringing an item in to change basic things.

++

The only downside I can think of on the OV pup set is it is not RWRP in stock form; and it stands partly in the shadow of the No-Caster pup set which in recent years is RWRP.

I sure wish someone offered a compatible Strat middle pickup in individual form, i.e., sold separately for retail. The Texas Special S middle pup is kinda hot for this application.

[Steel Mill]

Originally Posted by SteveY

Real men don't try to turn a '52 RI into something else.

I'm leaving mine just the way they came from the factory. Amen.

[bandeapart]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

Those stock 52ri bridge pickups are great.

You should learn how to solder its very easy. I learned when I was 12 and have used these skils thousands of times since 1962.

Terry Downs a member here has a how to solder DVD you might check out then you can swap pickups all day long and not have to wait or pay a tech.

I believe I will have to get this item. I was going to attempt the job myself, but the hot rails wiring with the push/pull confused me too much, haha.. even with a diagram.

[bandeapart]

I have to wait til 8:30 to pick it up, such torture! Instead of going straight home, I'll probably drive into downtown and go to my band's practice space so I can crank it.

[absurdplanet]

Good for you Band . . .
Keep her stock--you can mess with pups--try an El Cheapo or partscaster!

[Bill]

Originally Posted by bandeapart

the guitar has been plek'd.

I hope you want the same type and gauge strings and action the previous owner had, otherwise I would think the plek'ing wouldn't matter.

[Mark Davis]

Originally Posted by Bill

I hope you want the same type and gauge strings and action the previous owner had, otherwise I would think the plek'ing wouldn't matter.

Ive set my action 3 different ways and used 3 different sets of strings 10's-11's and 52-10's on my Pleked Les Paul and it played fine. When I first got it the action was so low I couldnt bend the strings at all and it still didnt buzz.

I can have the lowest buzz free action on it than any guitar Ive owned.

[smokerjoe34]

Sounds like u made a very good trade and the stock 52RI pickups r great !! I have 2 or 3 of those OV bridge pickups layin' around !!

[bandeapart]

Originally Posted by Bill

I hope you want the same type and gauge strings and action the previous owner had, otherwise I would think the plek'ing wouldn't matter.

We played the same gauge, but different brands... it feels great, the action is perfect.

[bandeapart]

I just got the guitar back and took it to the practice space for an hour or so to crank it at full volume... I don't understand how the previous owner made the pickup swap in the first place, the original pickup sounds so incredibly good and the hot rails sounded so much like crap. The guy even told me to, "think twice before swapping it back to stock," because I will regret it...

No, I don't regret it.. not one single bit. I couldn't stop playing it with the stock pickup. The middle position is amazing too!

oh yeah... and now it looks right too, the hot rails looks wrong.. I know looks aren't THAT important, but I'll admit that they are a bit.

[Mark Davis]

Ya to me there is nothing hot about the hot rails.

Good deal! Glad you like it more.

[bandeapart]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

Ya to me there is nothing hot about the hot rails.

Good deal! Glad you like it more.

I feel like what the pickup's purpose is is to try to make the telecaster into a "metal" guitar... I don't listen to metal, so I can't gauge it, but I'd say that it fails IMO.

[nixpix]

Congrats on the pickup change! I'd have done the same.