Will putting a humbucker in my Tele hurt its sound?

[drjordan]

Well, I don't have a Tele...I have a G&L Asat Classic. But I bought a Seymour Duncan Jazz model humbucker to put in the neck position. I don't really like the stock neck p'up, and I'd like a warm jazzy sound for the neck p'up. I called a luthier with a good reputation about installing it. He said that I shouldn't install a humbucker because of the routing involved. I suppose I understand reluctance about routing a guitar, but it's not like my guitar is stock. It has a middle strat p'up and a Glaser double bender installed. I just don't see that routing out for a humbucker would make that big of a difference. What do you think?

[Colt W. Knight]

If it makes you happy, go for it. I can't believe a luthier turned down work!

[skydawg]

did he turn down the work or just advise against it?

[esteban]

I wonder if he realized that a quarter of the wood in the body had already been removed, if not more, given your modifications.

[garytelecastor]

Seymour Duncan offers fit on board humbuckers, and they will only enhance your sound. But you will lose some twang if you use it in the bridge.

[bendecaster]

Do you think the reluctance is because he doesen't trust his skills, doesen't own a router, or maybe he'll be too envious? If you want that done, and he is reluctant, I'm sure theres a competent luthier in Ga that will do it right for ya'.

[reddogbass]

If routing is a concern for him (and, it's really a simple procedure- it'll take longer to strip the old parts off and reassemble) then he really should take down his sign.

[do not be afraid]

Originally Posted by esteban

I wonder if he realized that a quarter of the wood in the body had already been removed, if not more, given your modifications.

actually, i wonder if maybe that's why he's worried? maybe he thinks that, with all the routing that's already happened, that last little bit more might just be too much? i don't know… just thinking out loud…

[Robert H.]

Take a look at what the professional musicians do to their guitars. They mess with them every which way to get them just as they like. True, they probably don't worry much about resale value---but you got to make your guitar loveable.
I play a Suhr Tele with a neck humbucker and I do love it.

[johnnytronics]

Shouldn't be a problem for someone who knows his stuff. I'm sensing recluctance based on skill level. Also, you can always go back to single coil if you don't dig it.

[AC-50]

Could also be that the luthier (with a good reputaion?) wasn't informed that the guitar had already had some mods done, which would make his advice pretty sound in the sense that a guitar is worth more in its original condition compared to a modded guitar.

[drjordan]

Thanks for replying.

I told him about the work done to the guitar, so he's aware of that. Also, I used to work at a guitar shop with a good repair guy. We would send our very-difficult/dang-near-impossible work to this guy. And he didn't turn me down, he just advised against it. He said that SD makes a single coil size Jazz model p'up (which I can't seem to find) and that I should install that one instead. But I don't think the small humbuckers sound exactly like the regular ones, and before I have someone else do the work, I wanted to know that I'm not royally screwing something up.

Thanks again for your input.

[bonemachine78]

my guitar came with a neck humbucker, and while i generally hate humbuckers i definitely think they can improve the neck pickup on the tele. i've always thought the neck pickup on a tele was a little weak, and my humbucker doesn't sound like metal or some other terrible derivative. it's got a driving swampy sound that kind of reminds me of pj harvey. now that i think about it she plays a tele with a humbucker as one of her guitars.

[0le FUZZY]

...This thread requires a pix (for me at least) of that area yew are gonna put the hummer in.

...Sum hummers require a deeper route on the ends for the frame tew fit and that may be the prollem for this feller. A different style hummer with a flat bottom will prolly werk with the depth that iss there. Lotta issues we kant resolve here lookin blind.

...Hummers sound good onna TELECASTER. Sew many thousands of 70s Tele owners kant be rong. I haff had many and they add tew the fullness of sound a bunch. If the faze match iss good and the type of hummer matches yer ears it iss a good weigh tew go sept fer vintage where re-sail value may be effected/affected.

...I suspect depth of route knott width iss the prollem here but thats jes a guess.



0le FUZZY

[boris bubbanov]

Congrats on your ASAT Classic. I'm assuming you have a US model, and if so, the rout is fairly close in shape and depth to many single coil neck pup routs.

Perhaps you've already tried a US G + L ASAT Classic Bluesboy. If you haven't play a couple of those, and if you like it, consider trading your neck MFD ASAT for one of those. On that guitar, you could switch the stock SD Seth Lover with the jazz model yourself, then change it back to stock as needed.

Here's why. I think of US G + L guitars as equivalent to Fender Custom Shop. You wouldn't rout one of those, would you? Though the G + L is about half the price, street cost, the quality is every bit the same. I changed the bridge on one, and kinda felt relieved when the A/B revealed it was better stock. Even if you got yours cheap, its a high quality item and should be treated as such. Maybe this is what is governing the recommendations of your people.

If yours is Indonesian or Korean (Tribute) just save for a used US Bluesboy.

Bubbanov

[carlos]

bonemachine78 said:

it's got a driving swampy sound that kind of reminds me of pj harvey. now that i think about it she plays a tele with a humbucker as one of her guitars.

I have seen PJ Harvey playing teles (seemingly a 52 and 60's with rosewood board) but never one with a humbucker... is there any pic around of this guitar? Of course I haven't seen all her shows! just one in person plus some videos. She plays a firebird and a semihollow guitar though.

[bendecaster]

About the bender, a Glaser doesen't require any routing( I thought ), just drilling two small shafts through the body. Beside the levers on the neck-plate, you see only adjustment screws atop the guitar, and at the butt-end that identifies it as a bender externally.