Got A New Tele

[boneyguy]

Well I just got home with one of these. $199. Couldn't pass it up.



There were 2 in the store. One with humbuckers and the other with P90's. I actually prefered the humbuckers over the Duncan Designed P90's. Also the one I came home with just played better. Even with the humbuckers it still sounds like a Tele.

I've already got some mods planned but based on past experience I'm not gonna do anything to it for a while just to be sure it's going to stay with me.

I think it already sounds pretty decent and I'm quite surprised by the p/u's. Gotta get the 9's off it right away and do some intonation and tighten everything up etc. All the normal stuff on a $200 guitar.

It's nice and light and only very slightly neck heavy so it hangs quite comfortably.

Eventually of course I'll start upgrading the electronics and so forth but for now it's just fine.

I'm thinking of putting in some GFS Bigmouth humbuckers in the future perhaps. I did a quick and sloppy photoshop of what that would look like. As well I'll amber tint the neck so it looks like it should oughta look.

[jenton70]

It's cool that Squier is doing some Tele customs now. At that price point I might buy one, too.

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by jenton70

It's cool that Squier is doing some Tele customs now. At that price point I might buy one, too.

Yeah I think there worth a look for sure.

I was going to mention in my original post that the only thing that I've found so far that seems out of wack is the slot in the neck that the nut sits in is incredibly shallow, like maybe a 32th of an inch. That seems like it might need some attention when I replace the nut. I've never seen one so shallow before.

[T_L_H]

Congrats!

This guitar was a birthday present from my parents and I really love it! I replaced the electronics with 1 meg pots and GFS Vintage Split Humbuckers and I found exactly the sound I was looking for. Also, I love the neck. It plays really well with how I've set it up.

I've made plans recently to begin some major mods on it. I'm going to strip it, and finish it in a whitewash with a nitro coat. Also, I'm switching to just one volume, and one control knob. I'm looking forward to it...

Have fun with it! It's a great guitar for the price...

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by T_L_H

Congrats!

This guitar was a birthday present from my parents and I really love it! I replaced the electronics with 1 meg pots and GFS Vintage Split Humbuckers and I found exactly the sound I was looking for. Also, I love the neck. It plays really well with how I've set it up.

I've made plans recently to begin some major mods on it. I'm going to strip it, and finish it in a whitewash with a nitro coat. Also, I'm switching to just one volume, and one control knob. I'm looking forward to it...

Have fun with it! It's a great guitar for the price...

Thank you.

The neck is fairly fat which I like. I've just finished taking all the protective plastic off and tightening all the screws and nuts etc.

These humbuckers really do sound pretty good.

If you're going to be stripping your guitar it's not gonna be easy. According to the Squier website these guitars are finished in polyester. I've got some experience with that from another project. You can forget about using normal chemical strippers. Your polyester finish will just laugh and ask for more.

I rented a heat gun which worked really well. Just heat it up and use a putty knife to scrape it off. If you choose to try this method you may first of all have to make a cut through the finish to get things started. If I recall accurately the heat gun doesn't really melt the polyester it just loosens its grip on the wood and it comes of in brittle chunks. Once you get it started it goes pretty quickly.

I suppose you can also sand it off but I'll tell you that stuff is tough.

Good luck with it. It sounds like a cool project and I'll bet it'll turn out great.

[mistermullens]

I have the Custom II (w/P90s) and I love it! Its definitely a keeper. I briefly had humbuckers installed, and I did like it, but my love for P90s was stronger and won out. I really need to upgrade the pots, mine are scratchy after a year of play, and I think I'm gonna get some GFS soapbar P90s to replace the stock pups. They're great guitars.

[studio1087]

I had the one with P-90s. It played really well. Your GFS idea sounds really nice. Great guitar with lots of potential. Congratulations.

[Bill Jones]

Two of my fav guitars are my black and amber Master built M80's I bought from Sam Ash for 1/2 price on closeout (set necks-200 bucks). Wish I could have found an Esprit. They are BeeUUUTeeful. Love my 51's too.

[yegbert]

Congrats on the new Tele, boneyguy!

I have a black one myself. Mine came with humbuckers but I converted it to P-90s.

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by yegbert

Congrats on the new Tele, boneyguy!

I have a black one myself. Mine came with humbuckers but I converted it to P-90s.

I'm a big fan of P90's myself but I'm surprised at how good these humbuckers sound, especially the neck. They had one with P90's at the store but the one I bought with HB's played better.

[boris bubbanov]

This guitar will really benefit from a nut replacement; a tusq 1 + 3/8ths string spread precut (called 1 + 11/16ths) from Stew Mac is just the ticket.

I long for a real 'Custom' configuration with a true vintage specs ashtray style bridge and one of those decent Squier single coil tele bridge pups in there. Then the variant could be a P-90 in the neck. Squier Customs are too much like Tele Deluxes for my wishes. I sure wish they'd transfer all the Vintage Modified stuff to the Cortek Surubaya plant, they've shown how good they can do it.

[T_L_H]

Originally Posted by boneyguy

If you're going to be stripping your guitar it's not gonna be easy. According to the Squier website these guitars are finished in polyester. I've got some experience with that from another project. You can forget about using normal chemical strippers. Your polyester finish will just laugh and ask for more.

I rented a heat gun which worked really well. Just heat it up and use a putty knife to scrape it off. If you choose to try this method you may first of all have to make a cut through the finish to get things started. If I recall accurately the heat gun doesn't really melt the polyester it just loosens its grip on the wood and it comes of in brittle chunks. Once you get it started it goes pretty quickly.

I suppose you can also sand it off but I'll tell you that stuff is tough.

Good luck with it. It sounds like a cool project and I'll bet it'll turn out great.

I did not know that...crap. Ha! Oh well, I'm still bound and determined to strip it, so I guess I'll have to find myself a heat gun. That seems like the most reasonable way to do it.

[raf]

How about some TV Jones Classics in there? I have recently discovered them & although I don't have anything with them, they sound awesome & still maintain the twang.

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

This guitar will really benefit from a nut replacement; a tusq 1 + 3/8ths string spread precut (called 1 + 11/16ths) from Stew Mac is just the ticket.

That's already on the to do list BB. Graphtech is located in Vancouver, just across the water from me. The music store I deal with stocks their products although I usually have to order what I want as they never seem to have exactly what I need in store. Oh and thanks for giving me the dimensions of the nut I need. I appreciate that BB.

As I mentioned earlier I've never seen such a shallow slot that the nut sits in. I mean it's so shallow it's hard to see what's keeping the nut from flopping over!!! I think I'd like to deepen it a bit when I replace the nut.

Well I got up this morn and stared playing it right away and the good news is I still like it. That's always a good sign. I think I got lucky and got one that is really lively and responsive.

I've promised myself however I'm not going to start any mods on it until I've played it alot over the next few weeks just to be absolutely sure it's a keeper. The store I deal with has a very good return policy but the guitar you return still needs to look like the one you bought!!!

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by T_L_H

I did not know that...crap. Ha! Oh well, I'm still bound and determined to strip it, so I guess I'll have to find myself a heat gun. That seems like the most reasonable way to do it.

If it was a urethane finish it would be much easier.

Anyway as long as all you're doing is taking the finish off there's not much you can screw up other than gouging the wood. It's really only a question of finding the easiest and quickest method.

The heat gun worked really well for me and it was fast once I got the technique down. The heat gun throws alot of heat and it will scorch the wood so you need to be cautious and not be too aggressive with it. Just go slow at first until you get the technique down.