Modern Player Telecaster Bridge Upgrade

[btmohler]

Hey everyone, I recently nabbed my first telecaster, a Modern Player Plus model, at a local music store for what I thought was a good deal.


pl_003 by thegoodnightfields, on Flickr

But I must admit the pretty finish, incredible neck, and pushy sales guy sort of bullied me into a telecaster that doesn't quite have the twang coming from the bridge pickup I was looking for (I realize now that he was adjusting the amp I was playing through as he brought the different tele's down the line, perhaps to compensate). The humbucker in the bridge sounded pretty cool in the store, both with the humbucker on and using the coil split to just activate the single coil, but when I got it home, even through my AC30 it just sounds weak sauce. I've got the humbucker rock our of my les paul, the humbucker twang out of my grestch, and I'm looking for the spanking tele country twang out of my bridge pickup here. So I have three options:

1) Return the guitar. However, I really dig how this thing plays and looks, and as long as I can keep the price low enough, I think either of the below mods might make it worth it to me (I can't help it, love tinkering with my guitars)

2) I can buy a Wilkinson ashtray bridge with brass saddles (planned on doing this anyway) that only has a slot for a single coil (should fit in the hole for the humbucker no prob), get an area t or a nocaster upgrade p/u and do a bit of rewiring and hopefully get that nice tele sound out of it

3) If anyone has any good suggestions, I could also get a new Wilkinson ashtray bridge that keeps the slot for the humbucker, and purchase a new humbucker that will provide the twang in split coil mode. The humbucker on this thing does currently give it a unique sound, a brighter bridge les paul tone, but I'm not really going for unique here.

I'm not worried about drilling new holes in the body if I have too...while lovely, this guitar isn't american made, is super cheap and I'll bet everyone is going to get one, so I don't expect it to increase in value.

I wish I could see how much the brass saddles would increase the twang with the stock p/u's, because I would just nab that Wilkinson bridge for the humbucker, but I don't want to buy that bridge, decide I just want a single coil, and have to buy another. So, I know that was a ton of information, thank you so much for reading, and I look forward to all of your advice!

Best,
Blake

[huckdeuceman]

I think I would just return it, play a bunch more and find another thats more inline with
what sound you want!, because once you start modding it you can never return it.
Probably not what you want to hear but that's just my 2cents.

[KevinB]

I think that humbucker route is much wider than a vintage "ashtray" bridge. I know you're not too worried about aesthetics, but I think it would look really horrible with some major work required to plug the gaps at each side of the bridge.

I'd just return it, save up some more money and look into a Baja, Classic 50's or Classic 60's.

[waparker4]

Return it. There will be another.

[elmicko]

If you like everything else on the guitar, this might be a workable option. Or at least something to think about and you could keep the stock bridge on the guitar.

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Humbucke...RS_p_4350.html

[musicalmartin]

GFS do a tele bridge pickup routed plate made out of pickguard material to replace the humbucker and its mounting .easiest solution and doesnt alter the guitar at all .

[elmicko]

Originally Posted by musicalmartin

GFS do a tele bridge pickup routed plate made out of pickguard material to replace the humbucker and its mounting .easiest solution and doesnt alter the guitar at all .

WOW...same thought at the same time and a whole ocean apart. LOL

[Vonduck]

Also, if this is the price range you want to stay at and still get classic Tele twang...
you can always return it and check into a Squire CV50's.
They are generally well received around here as a fantastic instrument with really good pickups and great craftsmanship.
That is as long as you don't care about what name is on the headstock. And if the lack of Fender moniker bothers ya...you can always just look on the back of the headstock.

[btmohler]

Originally Posted by Vonduck

Also, if this is the price range you want to stay at and still get classic Tele twang...
you can always return it and check into a Squire CV50's.
They are generally well received around here as a fantastic instrument with really good pickups and great craftsmanship.
That is as long as you don't care about what name is on the headstock. And if the lack of Fender moniker bothers ya...you can always just look on the back of the headstock.

Thing is, she was a scratch and dent (there's a long scratch on the back), nabbed it for $200. I'm not sure how returns would work at this store, and besides I've played MUCH more expensive instruments that don't feel as great as this one does (including several american made tele's I noodled around on). If only the sound could line up...

(Please don't shoot me) I'm much more partial to Gibson instruments, and in my experience putting brass saddles on any Les Paul guitar gives it a twangier sound. Can anyone advise and possibly ad that into the equation? I've played crap guitars, good guitars, great guitars, and phenominal guitars and this one is definitely at the level of great and I'd hate to let it go when I might able to get it going for under $200 more (new bridge and p/u).

[btmohler]

Also, thanks for all of the advice everyone. There's a great community going on here!

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by btmohler

2) I can buy a Wilkinson ashtray bridge with copper saddles (planned on doing this anyway) that only has a slot for a single coil (should fit in the hole for the humbucker no prob), get an area t or a nocaster upgrade p/u and do a bit of rewiring and hopefully get that nice tele sound out of it

Hey, Blake!

I'd return the guitar, because the 3 barrel saddled bridges out there all use different reference points than does the bridge you have on that Modern Player.

I don't know anything about an "ashtray" bridge that takes a PAF sized HB, not from Wilkinson or anyone else. Can you expand on these?

If you'd paid $ 125 (as I did for some Squiers I bought, to learn these hard lessons) I could see keeping the guitar. But, no, not even accounting for the pushy sales guy, I would return this model and start over fresh.

I pulled the stock bridge, doweled and redrilled the through body holes diagonally on a Squier to make this 4 mount hole half Tele bridge fit:



But it leaves ugly little exposed holes showing on the guitar body. You shouldn't do that to a spanking new guitar, at least not to one at that higher price point IMO.

Edit: He paid $ 200, and the guitar is not spanking new. I think we should keep looking for possible solutions. Anyone tried other bridgeplates on a Modern Player?

[btmohler]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

Hey, Blake!

I'd return the guitar, because the 3 barrel saddled bridges out there all use different reference points than does the bridge you have on that Modern Player.

I don't know anything about an "ashtray" bridge that takes a PAF sized HB, not from Wilkinson or anyone else. Can you expand on these?

If you'd paid $ 125 (as I did for some Squiers I bought, to learn these hard lessons) I could see keeping the guitar. But, no, not even accounting for the pushy sales guy, I would return this model and start over fresh.

I pulled the stock bridge, doweled and redrilled the holes on a Squier to make this 4 mount hole half Tele bridge

But it leaves ugly little exposed holes showing on the guitar body. You shouldn't do that to a spanking new guitar, at least not to one at that higher price point IMO.

Welp, it's by Gotoh I was confused:

http://www.allparts.com/Black-Gotoh-...b-0031-003.htm

But I can see this is starting to look more like a long road to success. Ugh this may be the first mistake I've made guitar buying and it's tough eating crow haha.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by btmohler

Welp, it's by Gotoh I was confused:

http://www.allparts.com/Black-Gotoh-...b-0031-003.htm

But I can see this is starting to look more like a long road to success. Ugh this may be the first mistake I've made guitar buying and it's tough eating crow haha.

Oh, yeah, those land yachts. That's what I thought at first, but you said "ashtray" so I wasn't sure.

First, these look awful, on a Tele, IMO. Worse in chrome than in black, but they so dominate the front of the guitar, to me it spoils the look of such a guitar. Black bridge on black "modern look" Tele, kinda OK, otherwise fail. Oh, and the pickguard would need cutting.

But the shock of it all is, even if it bolts right on (50/50 it will), all you have is a more expensive version of what you already had, similar but more refined sound I'd predict.

Edit: Wait. You paid $ 200? I'm sorry, I saw "a great deal" and I figured $ 300, 350. For $ 200, it is up to you, if you wanna keep it. Let's do some research, and see if the compact hardtail Gotoh 6 saddle bridge will work fairly easily, the sister to that "Land Yacht" we were discussing. Check and see if Marc Rutters has something that will fit nicely.

You could get some great pickups from Bill and Becky Lawrence; you might be just fine.

$ 200? All right!

[boris bubbanov]

As a test piece, you could cut down a typical Fender AV52 style plate, leave it plenty long, drill some toploader holes in the bottom lip and mount this up and see what you hear:



You can find out if this transforms the sound much. Maybe you could borrow some nice pickups of the same basic design as these from another guitar, see if they help. For $ 200, all kinds of options start being possible.

I can only speak for myself, but I would think that a dealer would be more willing to take back a monkeyed with $ 200 scratch and dent piece, than they would a monkeyed with full retail guitar that had left the store in perfect condition. If you don't tear it up too much, you could try a few quick things and probably still be on the same footing when you try and return it.

[btmohler]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

As a test piece, you could cut down a typical Fender AV52 style plate, leave it plenty long, drill some toploader holes in the bottom lip and mount this up and see what you hear:

You can find out if this transforms the sound much. Maybe you could borrow some nice pickups of the same basic design as these from another guitar, see if they help. For $ 200, all kinds of options start being possible.

I can only speak for myself, but I would think that a dealer would be more willing to take back a monkeyed with $ 200 scratch and dent piece, than they would a monkeyed with full retail guitar that had left the store in perfect condition. If you don't tear it up too much, you could try a few quick things and probably still be on the same footing when you try and return it.

Alright, taking all of this in, I'm starting to get kind of a different idea here for the ol' modern player. It's never going to sound exactly like a top shelf tele, because, it's not. It's a cool guitar that does have it's own unique thing going for it, I got it at a good price, it is super versatile (has strat, tele, and les paul like sounds), and I enjoy playing it. I'm super lucky enough that I can currently afford to keep it, plus make a few mods. MAYBE I should work with it how it is, and use it as an awesome traveling guitar incase I don't want to risk the big guns.

That being said, I'm kind of coming back to a modificaiton of my original option #3:

Are there any Humbuckers out there, that when the split coil is turned on, are going to give a tele like twang out of the back single coil?

[Vonduck]

Boris, that's a great idea you have there with the cut-down bridge.
I noticed this as a cheap(ish) option from GFS/Wilkinson

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Cutaway-...es_p_1805.html

And at least the saddles are compensated.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by Vonduck

Boris, that's a great idea you have there with the cut-down bridge.
I noticed this as a cheap(ish) option from GFS/Wilkinson

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Cutaway-...es_p_1805.html

And at least the saddles are compensated.

Thanks.

Yeah, the Wilkinson/Sung Il you have posted is a solid piece, and popular because it is both top load and string through compatible. But it is fairly short, and some screw holes will show from the previous bridge I am convinced. The substitute I show (and mine all have slant compensated saddles which work great) is a little longer, which serves to cover the old holes. I've actually slipped the AV52 style bridge on that Squier 51 down an eighth of an inch or so to ensure the holes are covered.

Yeah, Blake, if you wanna hang on to it and just play it as is for 6 months, you only have $ 200 riding and I'm thinking you could sell it off if need be at any time for most or all of that $ 200. It does after all have a Fender label on it. You may find subtle ways of teasing more sound out of it.

I still hope I can convince you the dramatically larger Gotoh bridge that surrounds a PAF style pickup is a bruiser, visually speaking. If you want a pickup that splits pretty good in that application, try for a used Squier 51 bridge pickup.

[Bartholomew3]

Return it and get what you wanted - changing pick-ups and/or hardware is like a crap-shoot.

So you may get exactly "that sound" but probably won't.

Plus you may keep changing parts and in the end accomplish very little.

[btmohler]

Originally Posted by Vonduck

Boris, that's a great idea you have there with the cut-down bridge.
I noticed this as a cheap(ish) option from GFS/Wilkinson

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Cutaway-...es_p_1805.html

And at least the saddles are compensated.

DUDE nice find. That would be perfect, I think, to get some brass saddles on there which I'm hoping should twang up the tone a bit.

Then, if that's not enough, I'll probably start thinking about replacing the pickups (and keep the stocks of course for resale!) and see where it goes.
I've got some humbuckers lying around from other projects I might plop in to see what I can get.

I have had excellent luck in both my Les Paul Classic and Grestch Electromatic trading out pickups and getting exactly what I was looking for. However, never delt in single coils/Fenders so if this is unusual to want this then that's why.

[btmohler]

...I've got a funny feeling this is the first of many posts with this same question as these Modern Players get into the market.