Fender telecaster american standard and wide range pickup.

[greenalex]

I wonder if there is anyone who placed the wide range in the neck of tele american standard?

I'm gonna put one but before that i want to make sure that it sounds cool in this guitar.

I've got telecaster AmSt 2011 but after i've bought it i learned about telecaster 72 custom and was totally amused with the neck pickup, so could you tell me if it sounds the same in standard tele?

well yes, sorry i've already asked about wiring diagrams but forgot about the sound

 

[greenalex]

soooo

 

[hongaku]

You may need to enlarge the rout slightly to accommodate a wide range size humbucker, and obviously get a pickguard cut to fit it.

I would also NOT consider using the Fender reissue "wide range humbucker" as it is nothing even remotely close in sound to original wide range humbuckers from the 70's. If you're gonna do it you should get one from the Creamery, Lollar, Telenator, or Curtis Novak - these guys all make wide range reproductions and also offer modding services to the Fender reissue ones (except for Lollar, he offers a full on replacement, but currently not any modification service that I'm aware of).
Or you could try and pop for an original one on Ebay, but it is going to cost you so much that if you were dead set on getting one that was 100% made to vintage spec you might as well talk to Telenator as he offers a new production pickup that is 100% vintage correct (as I'm sure he'll gladly tell you he's the only pickup maker on the planet to offer this), at a price lower than what you'll end up paying for an original on Ebay. I've been thoroughly enjoying my Creamery wide range humbuckers (Classic 71's), all week long in my 72 thinline tele reissue.

As for the sound, I think it would be very much comparable to the 72 style Custom. With the standard tele control layout you won't have as many options, but you could always add some concentric pots (stacked) to have two volume and two tone controls. You may want to change out the bridge pick up as well, a lot of folks with 72 Custom reissues seem to speak highly of the American Vintage 62 reissue bridge model as a good match to a wide range type humbucker. YMMV.
I think you'd be pretty happy with the tonal results if you went ahead with your proposed modding and put a good wide range style humbucker in there - just don't make the mistake of getting a new Fender reissue one!

 

[greenalex]

You may need to enlarge the rout slightly to accommodate a wide range size humbucker, and obviously get a pickguard cut to fit it.

I would also NOT consider using the Fender reissue "wide range humbucker" as it is nothing even remotely close in sound to original wide range humbuckers from the 70's. If you're gonna do it you should get one from the Creamery, Lollar, Telenator, or Curtis Novak - these guys all make wide range reproductions and also offer modding services to the Fender reissue ones (except for Lollar, he offers a full on replacement, but currently not any modification service that I'm aware of).
Or you could try and pop for an original one on Ebay, but it is going to cost you so much that if you were dead set on getting one that was 100% made to vintage spec you might as well talk to Telenator as he offers a new production pickup that is 100% vintage correct (as I'm sure he'll gladly tell you he's the only pickup maker on the planet to offer this), at a price lower than what you'll end up paying for an original on Ebay. I've been thoroughly enjoying my Creamery wide range humbuckers (Classic 71's), all week long in my 72 thinline tele reissue.

As for the sound, I think it would be very much comparable to the 72 style Custom. With the standard tele control layout you won't have as many options, but you could always add some concentric pots (stacked) to have two volume and two tone controls. You may want to change out the bridge pick up as well, a lot of folks with 72 Custom reissues seem to speak highly of the American Vintage 62 reissue bridge model as a good match to a wide range type humbucker. YMMV.
I think you'd be pretty happy with the tonal results if you went ahead with your proposed modding and put a good wide range style humbucker in there - just don't make the mistake of getting a new Fender reissue one!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, IT WAS REALLY ALL I NEEDED.

i have already got the pickguard

and really thank you for telling me about these guys

 

[hongaku]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, IT WAS REALLY ALL I NEEDED.

i have already got the pickguard

and really thank you for telling me about these guys

You're welcome

 

[greenalex]

You're welcome

and what do you think about that creamery humbucker sized wide range?

buying that one means i don't need to enlarge the rout because there is enough space for humbucker.

 

[spankdplank]

WRH are bigger than standard humbuckers and the standard humbucker route may not be big enough. Also, the original WRHs came with and really need 1 meg pots, instead of the 250k pots in an Am. Standard. If you get a Novak/Telenator/Creamery/Lollar, I would check with them and see what sort of pots you should use.

 

[hongaku]

and what do you think about that creamery humbucker sized wide range?

buying that one means i don't need to enlarge the rout because there is enough space for humbucker.

The ones I have from the Creamery are the full size reproductions, the Classic 71's. If the humbucker sized one sounds anything like them, and I imagine that it most likely does sound reasonably close, then it probably is a good choice - plus you wouldn't have to rout the body, which I would personally try to avoid whenever possible. I'm actually considering putting the Creamery wide range humbucker size pups in my Les Paul at some point myself.

FWIW, I'm actually using 500k volume and tone pots and it sounds fantastic; I may try 1meg at some point, but I'm quite happy with it like it is now.

Also, this thread is starting to become more of a 'Just Pickups' sub-forum type of thread...any Mods out there agree?

 

[boris bubbanov]

I wonder if there is anyone who placed the wide range in the neck of tele american standard?

I'm gonna put one but before that i want to make sure that it sounds cool in this guitar.

I've got telecaster AmSt 2011 but after i've bought it i learned about telecaster 72 custom and was totally amused with the neck pickup, so could you tell me if it sounds the same in standard tele?

well yes, sorry i've already asked about wiring diagrams but forgot about the sound

The reason IMO there's been no flurry of responses is because this is a match we just don't see.

Complicated, in asmuchas the neck pup rout is wrong and must be enlarged a lot, and the string array is way narrower on the American than on the '72 (so the pole pieces align worse) and no one really knows what it will sound like. The reissue WRHB models have pickups that have disappointed so many people - you're really stacking the odds against you here. At least on a whole WRHB guitar you can try it out and see if it works well enough. This is a long shot in the dark, I say.

 

[hongaku]

The reason IMO there's been no flurry of responses is because this is a match we just don't see.

Complicated, in asmuchas the neck pup rout is wrong and must be enlarged a lot, and the string array is way narrower on the American than on the '72 (so the pole pieces align worse) and no one really knows what it will sound like. The reissue WRHB models have pickups that have disappointed so many people - you're really stacking the odds against you here. At least on a whole WRHB guitar you can try it out and see if it works well enough. This is a long shot in the dark, I say.

You've got some really good points as usual boris. I will say though that the humbucker sized repros offered by the Creamery and Curtis Novak should be available with tighter (50mm) pole spacing for the neck position pup and might just be the OP's best bet to get close to the 70's Tele Custom sound (which is what it seems he's going for). Incidentally, the full size repro from the Creamery also comes with 50mm neck spacing standard (although Jaime will make it with the vintage 53mm spacing if so desired).

Honestly, greenalex, you might be better off just getting a used 72 Tele Custom reissue and modding it - which for me would translate to at least replacing the pups (at least the neck "wide range"), new saddles from Callaham, and 500k pots...YMMV.

 

[Controller]

Greenalex, I recommend that you listen to them all and decide for yourself.

My reissue WRHB pickups sound great in my '72 Thinline.

 

[greenalex]

You've got some really good points as usual boris. I will say though that the humbucker sized repros offered by the Creamery and Curtis Novak should be available with tighter (50mm) pole spacing for the neck position pup and might just be the OP's best bet to get close to the 70's Tele Custom sound (which is what it seems he's going for). Incidentally, the full size repro from the Creamery also comes with 50mm neck spacing standard (although Jaime will make it with the vintage 53mm spacing if so desired).

Honestly, greenalex, you might be better off just getting a used 72 Tele Custom reissue and modding it - which for me would translate to at least replacing the pups (at least the neck "wide range"), new saddles from Callaham, and 500k pots...YMMV.

I am thinking about that, but to tell the truth i am a bit afraid of mexican guitars

 

[Vegetable Man]

For what it's worth, I put a Lollar Regal WRHB in the neck of my MIM standard tele (250k pots). I'm happy with the sound and get compliments on it all of the time. It did require some routing to enlarge the standard humbucker route that was already there.

Also worth mentioning, from the FAQ's at lollarguitars.com:

Do I need to use 1 meg pots for my new Regal like the original Wide-Ranges?

We cut all the Regal sound clips on our site with 250k because that’s what generally comes in re-issues and they sound fine. We like 500k pots a bit better, it helps tighten up the bass. Pots can be changed to different values if you like. For instance, if the guitar seems to be slightly brighter and it has 500K pots try 250K pots and see if you like it better. In the other direction, if the guitar seems a little dark or dull and it has 250K pots try 500K.

 

[chrom-freak]

I am thinking about that, but to tell the truth i am a bit afraid of mexican guitars

nothing wrong with mexican guitars. my mim std strat is one of the best strats that i've ever held. (imo of course.)

 

[jefrs]

My AmSer07 has a full size G&B spilt pole neck humbucker. Despite its looks, this is a conventional alnico humbucker, not a WR, and it works very well. Bridge pickup is (after pic was taken) now a Barden T-Style, they compliment each other - a full size neck humbucker can easily over-power any single-coil bridge pickup. Vol 250k linear (because Barden must have 250k), tone TBX (works with humbucker and single-coil) with extra 1.5mH inductor/cap filter added at "10" and 4-way selector.

 

[jefrs]

Fyi - the MIA AmSer07 string spacing is same as the MIM Baja06, saddles and nut, which is to say the "wide" vintage spacing. But the AmSer has a neck humbucker rout, and a middle rout (HSS) whereas the Baja (SS) would need carving. The full size humbucker dropped straight into the AmSer07, no problems.

 

[Jackson753]

Did this project get completed?
I'm very interested to hear what the results were. I'm considering taking this route.

 

[Jackson753]

I've not done it yet as I came across a deal on Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom which I really like. It plays and sounds great. I've put this project on the back burner now I havet his Custom.