Help: Telecaster, MIJ, 1988/89 issues...

[zimske]

Hi, guys...

A while ago i asked round here about the tele i was looking at to buy, basic info, expectations and so on. Few of you that replied might even remember. In the end, i've bought it. Japanese Fender Telecaster, late 80's, basswood body, maple neck. There were some issues with the neck pickup, but i replaced it with homemade (from the guy who knows his stuff) single coil (stratlike) pickup, got it cooked and waxed and finally everything seemed fine.

But everything's not fine. The thing is, I switched to tele from my friend's mid 90s american standard strat: alder body, rosewood neck. I got used to the sound of it's neck pickup. I love that sound. Of course I did not expect the tele to sound the same like the strat, but to not get even close is what begins to worry me. The sound with the strat was rich and full in lows and lower mids with nice sparks in highs (ugh, i sound like press release...). Combined with the usual setting on my twin (B-8/9 M-0/2 H-7), it sounded beautiful.

When i plug the tele in, no matter how much i tweak the bass knob, there's almost no change in the sound (as opposite to the strat plugged in). It's as if the guitar can't give enough lows to amplify. Highs and mids are still nice (a bit TOO sparkly), but that i can control in a degree.

Anyway, general impression is that there's no sign of that fullness and richness of the sound that I was able to get from the strat. Instead of thundering, rich roar I get a flat, lifeless squeal.

What can I do before i just drop it and sell it for scraps..?

Buy some good, awesome neck pickup? To what degree would that help? And which pickup would you recommend? Equalizer?
Anything that comes to your mind will be helpfulland most welcome.


Thank you,
z.

[lightice]

There is a technique to playing the tele, to bring it from lifeless to full blown.

You might wanna check the wiring/pots/caps to see if tweaking it a lil will change the way it sounds.

Once you got the technical stuff sorted out, check out your technique.

[zimske]

wiring was done as soon as i bought it.

There is a technique to playing the tele..

i played with the same... technique.. an ash tele from the end of '70s and it sounded tremendeous. the way i see it, techniquealities are the last element in that chain. instrument gives (wood, pickups, wires, wiring, etc..) and then you take as much as it can give (technique). it's like saying that with a WW beetle you can drive as fast as with a ferrari, it's just a matter of technique. it is not.

[Axis29]

It sounds like you might need a different pickup.

I mean, I have a MIM Nashville and I love the sound of my neck pickup. It does sound different than my daughter's strat or the strat I sold last year, but it's just as tone-full in a different way.

I would suggest going over to the just pickups forum and then checking out some of the manufacturers websites to see if there's something that sounds more like what you are looking for.

If the guitar plays well and all you need is a little tweak to the sound, don't trash it. Make it yours.

[lightice]

I did mention that technique was the last, do check out the electronics before hand.

Tweak the pickups , move the bridge one higher?

[singlecoil]

a strat pickup uses different gauge wire in the winding and will never sound the same as a tele neck pickup. if you want a strat tone put a strat pickup in your tele. i can't understand why you get no response when you tweak your bass knob, problems with your wiring or pickup possibly?

[zimske]

do check out the electronics before hand

anything specific? as in "try this" and "don't ever try that?"
like i said, i had this guy handling the rewiring and electronics, but if there's something that can be done even better...

move the bridge one higher?

that can help even though i play strictly on the neck pickup?

if you want a strat tone put a strat pickup in your tele.

but strat tones also differ, depending on the body wood... but, basically, i just want to know whether basswood can be rich and full and well, bassier. and how. i mean, what's it called BASSwood for, goddammit, if it gives the least bass of all the wood...?

i can't understand why you get no response when you tweak your bass knob, problems with your wiring or pickup possibly?

so, since nobody here talks about the wood, my guess is that the issue is mostly with the pickup?


thanks guys...

[lightice]

Sorry, I meant move the neck pickup higher. adjust the screws.

Check out the electronics as in Tone cap that it is 0.047, check that the tone pot works, see if the wiring is done correctly.

Can get the wiring schematics online.