Fender '72 Thinline MIM Modification Questions

[jesper98]

Hi, I've just bought a Fender '72 Thinline MIM Telecaster (2002) and plan to do some mods to get it just right. I've already ordered 2 CTS 500K pots but do I need to replace the capacitor as well? If so, shall I just go for the same value .22uf or .47uf?

I also plan to buy a Tusq 1 11/16" nut but do I need a flat or curved one?

Also, it looks as though my pickups have already been wax potted but when I tried to adjust the pole pieces as per the Fralin mod I couldn't move the poles on the underside at all (the top poles turn easy!!). Is the Fralin mod really worth doing as I'm scared that I'll snap the pole pieces on the underside?

Lastly, are there any other mods I should consider?

Cheers,
Mike.

[The String King]

Hi Mike.

If it were me I'd opt for 500k pots and a 0.22uf cap. This should help brighten them up no end.

Also, those bottom poles can be a little snug as they have generally never been moved. Make sure your screwdriver fits well. You may need to apply a small amount of heat with a soldering iron to get them free.

To be honest, I didn't notice a huge amount of difference when I did the Fralin mod to mine. It's a bit of a placebo effect, especially when you fit new strings at the same time!

One thing I did was swap the neck and bridge pickups round as my neck was actually more powerful which made it very dark.

Hope this helps.

[jesper98]

Hi, thanks for the reply! I'll let you know how I get on.
Cheers,
Mike.

[boris bubbanov]

Congrats. Mike!

Mike, the stock nut is cyclovac and I wanna encourage you to give it a chance. Unless it is chipped or damaged.

Check out the Spacklehoss tutorial if you do proceed. The preslotted Tusq nut used there works best; it has a "foot" on it and you just remove as much or as little of the foot as the slot commands you to do.

[Jalpow]

The poles are just waxed in there, mine were tight at first but I was able to get the poles out. Sounds great now! Cleared the bottom end quite a bit.

[jesper98]

Just finished the mods and the guitar is silent. I've soldered pots and pickups into guitars a couple of times before and haven't had any problems.

I did it systematically e.g. unsolder wire from original pot then solder to same place on new pot etc. I did use lead free solder so could that be the problem or maybe I've overheated the pots?? That was an hour well spent

[The String King]

Best way to make sure it's all working and isn't your amp.

Plug in an old lead into your jack socket, which is cut down exposing the two inner wires. Then check the continuity across these two with an ohm-meter. Not definitive, but a pretty good indicator.

If its open circuit check your earths, jack connections, make sure you didn't put the jack socket to earth if you've shielded the guitar.

Failing that post some pics of your wiring. It's usually something simple, don't worry!!

[jesper98]

Hi, thanks for that! I'll print off a wiring diagram from the Fender website and see if I've done the same. The lead free solder wasn't the best as it looks a bit dull compared to lead solder. If it still doesn't work I'll upload a picture. The amp is not the problem as my other guitars are working fine through it.
Cheers,
Mike.

[jesper98]

Printed off a wiring diagram of the Fender website and re-soldered everything with better quality solder and it's working

The wiring diagram was slightly different to how it was wired before which is a bit strange as it worked fine before I upgraded the pots. I still need to do some fine tuning but it sounds much better to my ears.

Thanks for all your replies - really appreciate it!!!

Cheers,
Mike.