Build a Tele from parts from Ebay

Bbenderman · May 31st, 2008, 01:59 PM

Body Mighty Mite Fender lic. Wood?????
Neck Fender delux.
Pickups Lindy Fralin Blues Special.

But i dont like the sound.
Its sound thin.?

yegbert · May 31st, 2008, 03:02 PM

Is is thin in all positions?

What value pots?

What value capacitor?

What other guitars are you comparing it to? What amp are you using?

mellecaster · May 31st, 2008, 03:14 PM

Yep..need more specifics than it just sounds thin ??...lets put a little thought into things before you hit the submit thread button...but yourself in the place of those who will try to answer....OK ?

BritishBluesBoy · May 31st, 2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yegbert

Is is thin in all positions?

What value pots?

What value capacitor?

What other guitars are you comparing it to? What amp are you using?

Yegbert's got the right questions here... Answer these and maybe we can help...

Bbenderman · May 31st, 2008, 04:19 PM

I compare to my Am-standard Tele-96 with Blues Special.
I try al kind of different pickups but its sounds realy thin.
I wonder if the Wood quality in Mighty Mite body is bad.

BritishBluesBoy · May 31st, 2008, 04:20 PM

Forget about the wood and the pickups for now...

I ask again -

What value pots and caps are in there....??? That will make a HUGE difference to the sound...

surfoverb · May 31st, 2008, 04:48 PM

I'm no expert but, that looks like ash from the back.

robt57 · May 31st, 2008, 04:54 PM

That custom shop neck plate is killing your tone...

Purty BTW.

Details on the wiring, as asked, would get you headed to some answers.

Bbenderman · May 31st, 2008, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BritishBluesBoy

Forget about the wood and the pickups for now...

I ask again -

What value pots and caps are in there....??? That will make a HUGE difference to the sound...

Ok.
I do nt know.
But i think its cheap.

[IMG]http://archive.pixbox.se/arkivet/syn...0/20877808.jpg[/IMG]

yegbert · May 31st, 2008, 10:28 PM

yegbert · May 31st, 2008, 10:31 PM

Where did you buy the pots? Their cheapness won't affect the sound, their specs will.

Can you use one of these and measure them?

robt57 · May 31st, 2008, 10:32 PM

Does a magnet stick to the bridge plate??

JDRNoPro · June 1st, 2008, 02:27 AM

Beautiful guitar, Bbenderman.........get info about the pot & cap values - I'm sure with some more info folks can help.

Jim

Ronkirn · June 1st, 2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

What value pots and caps are in there....??? That will make a HUGE difference to the sound

Yep... makes more difference than any other single aspect of the guitar...

Loose all the funky switching... get ya some 250K CTs pots a good 3way switch a .05 mf cap, and wire it the way a tele's intended.

Then you will have a point of reference. With all that stuff you got soldered to those few poor old contacts, who's to know if it's not supposed to sound thin.

Remember, in a Tele, “more” is rarely better. And I really do not like those “Super” switches, I find ‘em not so super. And they encourage going where no Serious Tele man should go.

Ron Kirn

musicalmartin · June 1st, 2008, 10:09 AM

I also built a Partscaster from Ebay .In my case most parts were Fender .I put Keystone pickups in it ,a four way switch and 250k pots and 0.5 cap and it sound very good .Thick jazzy classic tones if i want it or clean and mean .I run it through a modded Champ 600 with the tone stack switchable and new tubes .The amp can make a hell of a difference but basically any decent amp will get some usable tones if not so good as a valve amp.Maybe Fralins are that a bit too ice picky for you but try the advice given on pots and wiring first .A good Telecaster should get many satisfying tones from it without even touching the amps tone knob ,especially with Fralins .

bowlfreshener · June 1st, 2008, 10:15 AM

Try bigger strings? I prefer bigger strings cause they sound beefier.

PJ · June 1st, 2008, 02:00 PM

Yep....go to the Fender webiste and download the wiring diagram for
the 50s Classic (or AV52) and wire it that way with an normal 3-way Tele switch and an .050 mf (many are .047 and still OK) capacitor.
It should sound fine (depending on the pickups you;re using).

experience · June 1st, 2008, 02:05 PM

250k pots + orange drop capacitor + nocaster pickups and it will sound greats :)

yegbert · June 1st, 2008, 02:24 PM

With the saddles positioned almost perfectly aside each other as shown in that picture, the intonation is most likely off. That doesn't have anything to do with it sounding thin, but the intonation off will make notes up the neck sound out of tune.

That's a beautiful Tele, by the way. And nice pictures. I've considered building a partscaster using one of those Mighty Mite bodies myself.

Did you put a gold cover on the Fralin Blues Special neck pickup, to match the other gold hardware?

PJ · June 1st, 2008, 02:37 PM

For good intonation, your saddle positions will probably look different from what I see in the picture. As the diameter of the string gets smaller (from low-e up), your saddles will get closer to the nut, in a stepped arrangement.

skunqesh · June 1st, 2008, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bbenderman

Ok.
I do nt know.
But i think its cheap.

[IMG]http://archive.pixbox.se/arkivet/syn...0/20877808.jpg[/IMG]

It sure don't sound like the pups are the problem, but it wouldn't hurt to check their resistances (and include that info if you post more)

Sounds like you might be cross wired - from the picture of the control guts it appears as if one of the white wire leads is soldered to the volume pot body (ie grounded), - am I seeing that correctly??
If that line is coming from the switch, it should be connected to a terminal on the volume pot, not the body (search on schematics at TDPRI for exact specs)

Shorting a pup or the controls might still allow some signal to pass, but it will sound weak or thin.

Bbenderman · June 1st, 2008, 04:16 PM

Fralins are that a bit too ice picky?.
I believed Blues Special sound FAT. (Brad Paisley)

jwells393 · June 1st, 2008, 05:20 PM

Quote:

That custom shop neck plate is killing your tone...

That could be the problem. It's been said that during the plating process of the Custom Shop neckplates a special wireless tone thinning circuit is deposited on the backside of the neck plate before the actual chrome plating is applied. A special shielding paint formulated specifically for shielding the effects of the tone thinning circuit is painted in the pickup cavities. Therefore the Custom Shop neckplate should only be used on Custom Shop bodies with this special shielding paint.....

Bbenderman · June 1st, 2008, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yegbert

With the saddles positioned almost perfectly aside each other as shown in that picture, the intonation is most likely off. That doesn't have anything to do with it sounding thin, but the intonation off will make notes up the neck sound out of tune.

That's a beautiful Tele, by the way. And nice pictures. I've considered building a partscaster using one of those Mighty Mite bodies myself.

Did you put a gold cover on the Fralin Blues Special neck pickup, to match the other gold hardware?

Yes a but a gold cover on the Fralin.
But a need to use longer screw for the intonation.

mellecaster · June 1st, 2008, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwells393

That could be the problem. It's been said that during the plating process of the Custom Shop neckplates a special wireless tone thinning circuit is deposited on the backside of the neck plate before the actual chrome plating is applied. A special shielding paint formulated specifically for shielding the effects of the tone thinning circuit is painted in the pickup cavities. Therefore

May 31st, 2008, 01:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bbenderman TDPRI Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sweden Age: 35 Posts: 32	Build a Tele from parts from Ebay Body Mighty Mite Fender lic. Wood????? Neck Fender delux. Pickups Lindy Fralin Blues Special. But i dont like the sound. Its sound thin.?

May 31st, 2008, 03:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
mellecaster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 4,766 17 Photos	Yep..need more specifics than it just sounds thin ??...lets put a little thought into things before you hit the submit thread button...but yourself in the place of those who will try to answer....OK ? __________________ I have never owned an Ipod or Blackberry..and doubt that I ever will......

May 31st, 2008, 04:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
BritishBluesBoy Friend of Leo's Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brooklyn, NY Age: 40 Posts: 4,619 62 Photos	Forget about the wood and the pickups for now... I ask again - What value pots and caps are in there....??? That will make a HUGE difference to the sound... __________________ BBB.

May 31st, 2008, 04:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
robt57 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lost Yankee in Nashville Age: 51 Posts: 3,703 21 Photos	That custom shop neck plate is killing your tone... Purty BTW. Details on the wiring, as asked, would get you headed to some answers. __________________ Leo's Great, Leo's Good, let us thank him for our... Twang!

May 31st, 2008, 10:32 PM	#12 (permalink)
robt57 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lost Yankee in Nashville Age: 51 Posts: 3,703 21 Photos	Does a magnet stick to the bridge plate?? __________________ Leo's Great, Leo's Good, let us thank him for our... Twang!

May 31st, 2008, 03:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
yegbert Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Clinton, Maryland (US) Age: 54 Posts: 4,849 85 Photos	Is is thin in all positions? What value pots? What value capacitor? What other guitars are you comparing it to? What amp are you using?

May 31st, 2008, 04:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bbenderman TDPRI Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sweden Age: 35 Posts: 32	I compare to my Am-standard Tele-96 with Blues Special. I try al kind of different pickups but its sounds realy thin. I wonder if the Wood quality in Mighty Mite body is bad.

May 31st, 2008, 04:48 PM	#7 (permalink)
surfoverb Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,889	I'm no expert but, that looks like ash from the back.

May 31st, 2008, 10:28 PM	#10 (permalink)
yegbert Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Clinton, Maryland (US) Age: 54 Posts: 4,849 85 Photos

June 1st, 2008, 02:27 AM	#13 (permalink)
JDRNoPro Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Orrington, ME Age: 58 Posts: 431 1 Photos	Beautiful guitar, Bbenderman.........get info about the pot & cap values - I'm sure with some more info folks can help. Jim __________________ Reflection upon my playing is a reminder to keep my regular job..........pays better but not nearly as enjoyable!!

June 1st, 2008, 10:09 AM	#15 (permalink)
musicalmartin Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: UK Age: 61 Posts: 510	I also built a Partscaster from Ebay .In my case most parts were Fender .I put Keystone pickups in it ,a four way switch and 250k pots and 0.5 cap and it sound very good .Thick jazzy classic tones if i want it or clean and mean .I run it through a modded Champ 600 with the tone stack switchable and new tubes .The amp can make a hell of a difference but basically any decent amp will get some usable tones if not so good as a valve amp.Maybe Fralins are that a bit too ice picky for you but try the advice given on pots and wiring first .A good Telecaster should get many satisfying tones from it without even touching the amps tone knob ,especially with Fralins .

June 1st, 2008, 10:15 AM	#16 (permalink)
bowlfreshener Tele-Afflicted Join Date: May 2007 Location: Virginia, USA Age: 33 Posts: 1,550 6 Photos	Try bigger strings? I prefer bigger strings cause they sound beefier. __________________ RAMA LAMA FA FA FA

June 1st, 2008, 02:00 PM	#17 (permalink)
PJ Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 2,077 4 Photos	Yep....go to the Fender webiste and download the wiring diagram for the 50s Classic (or AV52) and wire it that way with an normal 3-way Tele switch and an .050 mf (many are .047 and still OK) capacitor. It should sound fine (depending on the pickups you;re using). __________________ PJ "I don't know if it's art, but I like it."

June 1st, 2008, 02:05 PM	#18 (permalink)
experience TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Niort,France Age: 39 Posts: 42	250k pots + orange drop capacitor + nocaster pickups and it will sound greats :) __________________ My Nocaster "Home made first partcaster" : http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...a-project.html

June 1st, 2008, 02:24 PM	#19 (permalink)
yegbert Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Clinton, Maryland (US) Age: 54 Posts: 4,849 85 Photos	With the saddles positioned almost perfectly aside each other as shown in that picture, the intonation is most likely off. That doesn't have anything to do with it sounding thin, but the intonation off will make notes up the neck sound out of tune. That's a beautiful Tele, by the way. And nice pictures. I've considered building a partscaster using one of those Mighty Mite bodies myself. Did you put a gold cover on the Fralin Blues Special neck pickup, to match the other gold hardware?

June 1st, 2008, 02:37 PM	#20 (permalink)
PJ Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 2,077 4 Photos	For good intonation, your saddle positions will probably look different from what I see in the picture. As the diameter of the string gets smaller (from low-e up), your saddles will get closer to the nut, in a stepped arrangement. __________________ PJ "I don't know if it's art, but I like it."

June 1st, 2008, 04:16 PM	#22 (permalink)
Bbenderman TDPRI Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sweden Age: 35 Posts: 32	Fralins are that a bit too ice picky?. I believed Blues Special sound FAT. (Brad Paisley)