Can the neck pup be heard through a guard?

Johnnytone · April 11th, 2005, 01:25 PM

Strange question, I know, but what I mean is: I have a 50s Classic Tele and I am thinking of converting it to an "Esquire." If I just lower the neck pup and slap on an Esquire guard, will the neck pup be usable?

TIA

Tele295 · April 11th, 2005, 01:46 PM

Yes, but the output will be low. Use the hottest pickup you can find to get good balance.

inertian · April 11th, 2005, 03:12 PM

...there was custom Fender Esquire some years back that had holes drilled in the neck position of the guard so that only the polepieces stuck through. Still looked like an Esquire (except upon very close inspection), but had full two-pickup versatility.

Only issue is if the polepieces are close enough to pickup string vibration at usable levels, won't that negate the purpose/benefit of not having a neck pickup (no magnetic node) in the first place?

I did a Stealth Esquire once, used a HD V+ neck pickup with black plastic cover set low in a black guard. Looked great, sounded great - but it wasn't really an Esquire.

Mark Davis · April 11th, 2005, 04:10 PM

Here is what inertian was talking about.

THis doesnt give the guitar the esquire sound cause its still a 2 pickup guitar to completly hear the difference an Esquire makes you have to remove the neck pickup completly.

JMH65 · April 11th, 2005, 04:28 PM

That is really cool!

Essex Boy · April 11th, 2005, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMH65

That is really cool!

I agree.

tpaul · April 11th, 2005, 07:10 PM

... but not with an actual Tele neck pickup. I used a cheap pickup from a '60s Kay or similar off-brand guitar, dropped it into a middle-position route that a previous owner had thoughtfully added to a '74 tele, and covered the whole thing with a regular two-pickup style pickguard, with no middle cutout. Used a 5-position switch plus a mini-switch to get more tonal possibilities than a strat! And the middle pickup was totally invisible and didn't get in the way while picking.

You don't have to drill holes for the polepieces to stick through. But I guess it might help to have a higher-output pickup under there. In my case, it didn't need to be especially loud, because I wear my other pickups low anyway - don't like the tone if they're too close to the strings.

Ringo · April 11th, 2005, 07:36 PM

Saw one once with an Esquire pickguard that had a P90 sunk into the neck pu position , no polepieces showing, looked just like an Esquire but sounded like a Tele.
As others have mentioned, if you go this route I'd opt for a hotter neck pu to compensate for the pu being lower than normal.
Since it's going to be covered up most anything would work, Strat pu, rail type Strat pu, humbucker, P90 etc....

Johnnytone · April 12th, 2005, 01:24 PM

Thanks for the replys :D

baseballhat · April 12th, 2005, 07:11 PM

if you were to use a five way switch and wire the bridge pu like an esquire, using the first three positions of the 5-way to access the bridge pu, why would having an extra pu at the neck change the sound of the guitar?

April 11th, 2005, 01:25 PM	#1 (permalink)
Johnnytone Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: 30 miles west of Albany, NY Posts: 176	Can the neck pup be heard through a guard? Strange question, I know, but what I mean is: I have a 50s Classic Tele and I am thinking of converting it to an "Esquire." If I just lower the neck pup and slap on an Esquire guard, will the neck pup be usable? TIA

April 11th, 2005, 01:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tele295 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Haunted Amp, CA Posts: 3,403 14 Photos	Yes, but the output will be low. Use the hottest pickup you can find to get good balance. __________________ "Turn it up and it doesn't need any reverb." - Danny Gatton www.dannygatton.info Tiger Town Aces - Music That Bites Back In Redd we trust! Free Bill Kirchen! If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

April 11th, 2005, 03:12 PM	#3 (permalink)
inertian Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lindenhurst, NY Posts: 583	Seem to recall... ...there was custom Fender Esquire some years back that had holes drilled in the neck position of the guard so that only the polepieces stuck through. Still looked like an Esquire (except upon very close inspection), but had full two-pickup versatility. Only issue is if the polepieces are close enough to pickup string vibration at usable levels, won't that negate the purpose/benefit of not having a neck pickup (no magnetic node) in the first place? I did a Stealth Esquire once, used a HD V+ neck pickup with black plastic cover set low in a black guard. Looked great, sounded great - but it wasn't really an Esquire. __________________ "There's very little you can't do with a Dremel if you have the right attachment."

April 11th, 2005, 04:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
JMH65 Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Denison TX Posts: 163	That is really cool! __________________ "I probably ought to quit my drinking but I don't believe I will"~James McMurtry

April 11th, 2005, 07:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
tpaul Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kingston, NY Posts: 753	Yeah, I've done it ... but not with an actual Tele neck pickup. I used a cheap pickup from a '60s Kay or similar off-brand guitar, dropped it into a middle-position route that a previous owner had thoughtfully added to a '74 tele, and covered the whole thing with a regular two-pickup style pickguard, with no middle cutout. Used a 5-position switch plus a mini-switch to get more tonal possibilities than a strat! And the middle pickup was totally invisible and didn't get in the way while picking. You don't have to drill holes for the polepieces to stick through. But I guess it might help to have a higher-output pickup under there. In my case, it didn't need to be especially loud, because I wear my other pickups low anyway - don't like the tone if they're too close to the strings.

April 11th, 2005, 04:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 58 Posts: 12,874	Here is what inertian was talking about. THis doesnt give the guitar the esquire sound cause its still a 2 pickup guitar to completly hear the difference an Esquire makes you have to remove the neck pickup completly.

April 11th, 2005, 07:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
Ringo Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 1,914	Stealth Esquire Saw one once with an Esquire pickguard that had a P90 sunk into the neck pu position , no polepieces showing, looked just like an Esquire but sounded like a Tele. As others have mentioned, if you go this route I'd opt for a hotter neck pu to compensate for the pu being lower than normal. Since it's going to be covered up most anything would work, Strat pu, rail type Strat pu, humbucker, P90 etc....

April 12th, 2005, 01:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
Johnnytone Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: 30 miles west of Albany, NY Posts: 176	Thanks for the replys :D

April 12th, 2005, 07:11 PM	#10 (permalink)
baseballhat TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: los angeles Posts: 22	? if you were to use a five way switch and wire the bridge pu like an esquire, using the first three positions of the 5-way to access the bridge pu, why would having an extra pu at the neck change the sound of the guitar?