Fattening an Esquire

[esteban]

I've played an Esquire 2 or 3 times, but only at Guitar Center for about 15 minutes each time.

In the position with no tone control, I couldn't really take the brightness. The dark position was alright, but seemed muffled and quieter to me. In the normal position with tone control, I had to roll it off quite a bit to get it where I liked, but it still sounded thin to me. I like the fullness of a neck pickup.

It may have just been that I didn't spend enough time fiddling with the guitar/amp, but who knows.

So Esquire owners, what do you do to fatten the sound? Saddle mods, G.E. Smith style bridges, different pickups, thicker strings?

I'd like to have an Esquire someday for all its naked simplicity, and I like to plan ahead.

[rhinocaster]

Honestly, the thing to do to fatten up an Esquire is to turn the amp up.

Amps carry much more low end when pushed, and this really is where an Esquire shines. It's part of the reason that people that only play at moderate volumes at home don't really get what makes an Esquire so cool.

At gig volumes I would be surprised if most people here didn't think that an Esquire was killer.

[fenson]

I tried feeding mine doughnuts but she did not take to them.
Alot IMO has to do with amp setting and spending some time with them , and changing out the pup will help ,putting in one which has a base plate. Some vintage type ,nocaster , broadcaster ,made by one of the compentent makes around. A few guys will show up soon to tell ya about their pup change , mine is being built. But yes any bridge pup IMO compared to a neck pup will sound thinner. And the #1 no tone control is hard on the head sitting at home playing alone , but works well in band setting and fattens up nice when overdriven (amp, pedal), cuts through when wanted.

[refin]

Mark Davis has some cool mods----do a search.
One thing I did on the front position was run a cap to a trim pot,and turn it until the desired treble was gone.....I then superglued the pot and taped it off.
Here are some samples---I also put a push/pull pot for the tone to choose between 2 different caps.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=4309597

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by rhinocaster

Honestly, the thing to do to fatten up an Esquire is to turn the amp up.

Amps carry much more low end when pushed, and this really is where an Esquire shines. It's part of the reason that people that only play at moderate volumes at home don't really get what makes an Esquire so cool.

At gig volumes I would be surprised if most people here didn't think that an Esquire was killer.

How True...How True...I really wish this was stated much more often...Guitars at Home...and on a Stage, are two different Animals...and then there's that Amp thing.....

[jedi]

I have had much success utilizing a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster in front of my Mesa LoneStar Classic. The Esquire sounds huge and very present in the live mix.

[mistermullens]

+1 on a new pickup. Esteban, don't know if you read the "Magic of an Esquire" thread, but I had the exact same issue with my recently acquired 50s Classic Esquire. It actually sounded pretty darn good in store and when I got it home. In both places, the no tone position was just way too bright. So I swapped it out with a Nocaster pup, and it completely solved the problem.

[fenson]

And in case you do not know this the MIM classic 50s Esquire has the routing for a neck pickup under the guard. If you did get one and decided a tele is more to your liking ,well you just have to get a neck pup and guard or have the hole cut for it(pick guard) I know the classic tele is the same money. Just saying I guess if you did not know ,that it does not take much to change one to the other. Lots of guys change the pups and bridges on the MIM classics tele or esquire, Some say changing the bridge is a good idea I do not know: could be, I might one day.

[Poppatwang]

SD Jerry Donahue pickup.

[esteban]

Originally Posted by mistermullens

+1 on a new pickup. Esteban, don't know if you read the "Magic of an Esquire" thread, but I had the exact same issue with my recently acquired 50s Classic Esquire. It actually sounded pretty darn good in store and when I got it home. In both places, the no tone position was just way too bright. So I swapped it out with a Nocaster pup, and it completely solved the problem.

That, and a couple of other recent Esquire threads, actually got me thinking about this haha.

The simplest mod I did to my Tele to get a thicker sound was thicker strings (9's to 11's). Even though I tune that thing all the way down to C, it's still much fatter.

[IPLAYLOUD]

I have a Harmonic Design Vintage Plus in both my Esquires.
Love them!

[Wardpike]

WHY???

[esteban]

Originally Posted by Wardpike

WHY???

Hello.

[surfoverb]

I dunno about you but I can't tell what a guitar will sound like until I play it through my Twin on 7-8.

[ajgus]

One thing that I find always helps is raising the pup. My bridge pup is raised just about as high as it can get before coming into contact/conflict with the strings. This will absolutely "fatten up" your tone. GE Smith uses a similar technique, however he also combines this with the mounting of the pup to body. I tried that as well, but it became a real b***h to dial in my pickup height. If you can find a perfect "happy medium" between the two, you'll be all set. There are many option to consider...

[shades]

Seymour Duncan Broadcaster, Five-Two, little 59 or BG1400 will have the shmaltz your looking for in an Esquire.

[Durtdog]

I feel the way Wardpike does. Why go Esquire and then try to change the very nature of the guitar to sound like something it's not? Seems silly to me.

Unless you want to look like a "hardcore Esquire guy" but really can't hang with it.

[Poppatwang]

Originally Posted by Durtdog

I feel the way Wardpike does. Why go Esquire and then try to change the very nature of the guitar to sound like something it's not? Seems silly to me.

Unless you want to look like a "hardcore Esquire guy" but really can't hang with it.

The nature of which Esquire? The SD Jerry Donahue pup is an attempt to
replicate JD's '54 Tele pup. Presumably what would have been used in a '54 Esquire.
It's fatter sounding than most stock tele pups I've heard & using it as a stand alone
ala Esquire doesn't diminish the Esquire vibe.

[e-merlin]

I guess there's nothing wrong with trying to make a guitar sound like you want it to, but sometimes there's just no way to do it without turning it into a different guitar. If you're expecting an Esquire to sound exactly like a Tele, you're going to be disappointed. I like my Esquire pretty much the way it came from the factory. Sure, I put on different strings and set it up the way I like 'em, but I haven't touched the electronics. I had plans to install a different pickup, but I dropped that idea when I got some playing time in. The only thing I'd like to do is work on the tone of the front position. Maybe brighten it up a bit.

I suppose fiddling with the knobs on the amp is probably the answer to your question. That or just leaving the switch in the middle and rolling off the highs. Maybe play with pickup height. Swapping out the pickup may or may not give you the desired result.

In the end, a single pickup Esquire is what it is and that's why this board is so divided on 'em. People either love 'em or hate 'em.

[Durtdog]

Originally Posted by Poppatwang

The nature of which Esquire?

The nature of the one without a neck pickup, and the one that's bright in the no-tone position.

"In the position with no tone control, I couldn't really take the brightness. In the normal position with tone control, I had to roll it off quite a bit to get it where I liked, but it still sounded thin to me. I like the fullness of a neck pickup."

[esteban]

Originally Posted by Durtdog

The nature of the one without a neck pickup, and the one that's bright in the no-tone position.

"In the position with no tone control, I couldn't really take the brightness. In the normal position with tone control, I had to roll it off quite a bit to get it where I liked, but it still sounded thin to me. I like the fullness of a neck pickup."

I don't believe the nature of the Esquire has anything to do with the switch positions, but getting as many possible sounds as you can out of one pickup.

One of the ideas I have in my head is that one position will be normal volume/tone, one will be vol/tone with a slightly dark capacitor, and the third will be vol/tone with a second, darker capacitor. Another is a GE Smith style bridge. Another is a single-size humbucker, or even full-size humbucker.

Will it sound like a neck pickup? no. Did I say I wanted that? not necessarily; I just don't like ice-picky guitars.

Feeling this way doesn't mean I "can't really hang with" an Esquire. This has nothing to do with looking like a "hardcore Esquire guy."

[Poppatwang]

Originally Posted by Durtdog

The nature of the one without a neck pickup, and the one that's bright in the no-tone position.

"In the position with no tone control, I couldn't really take the brightness. In the normal position with tone control, I had to roll it off quite a bit to get it where I liked, but it still sounded thin to me. I like the fullness of a neck pickup."

I was thinking of my no neck pickup Esquire that's bright but I'd bet not as bright as the one Esteban tried due to choice of pickup.
If the Esquire concept were simply "overly bright" there's a knob for that on my amp.

[Mark N]

there's no question that an Esquire is bright...in comparison to my old 52 ri it's really bright. It does sit in the mix real well with the band however. I play through a TRRI and when I do switch guitars I have to re adjust the tone controls on the amp for sure...two totally different guitars. Now as far as guys ghanging this and that on their Esquires its no different than those changing pups, bridges, tuning keys etc etc on any guitar. We are always looking for ways to either improve or change tones. Our ears are all different...what I like in an Esquire or tele may be something totally different than what others like...ie. humbuckers in the neck position of a tele, I see no reason for it but some do...it's all a matter of personal taste. I am gonna swap the pup in my Esquire cause I want a fatter sound and I will be changing the bridge plate and saddles out too. Don't get me wrong, the guitar is great as it is, I am very happy with it...I just want to make it a bit better. That's why there are after market companies such as Fralin, Duncan, Barden etc...we are all crazy and will buy those products in search of our perfect tone...this is all just my humble opinion

[surfoverb]

Originally Posted by esteban

I don't believe the nature of the Esquire has anything to do with the switch positions, but getting as many possible sounds as you can out of one pickup.

One of the ideas I have in my head