67 Tele - undo mods?

If it were mine as a player I could see the fun of the extra HB. Perhaps I would put in a different pickup though (e.g. PAF type). If you want to sell it I don't think it will make a lot of difference. Perhaps to some extend if the route was expertly filled without refinishing but that and finding an old pickguard won't be cheap. I don't think it's worth it.

 

I also don't think it's worth "fixing" it.

An extra pickup route - even if it's hidden under a pickguard - devalues the guitar very significantly, and it becomes a "player" guitar. Removing the humbucker and replacing the control plate isn't going to make much difference.

I'd just leave it alone and play it as is.

 

I'd probably buy some repro parts (guard and control plate, I assume the plate was drilled for the mini toggle) to bring the appearance back to an original look and put the modified parts in the case for the next owner to do what ever with.

 

I have a 68 with 2 sets of pickups including a neck humbucker that was put in 45 years back.

Last year I found a new pickguard in a local music store and went back to a single coil at the neck, bought a couple of new pots & switch for that set-up.

On a slow day I can switch configuration in under an hour at minimal cost. I also personally think the empty humbucker hole under the pg opened up the sound slightly - but that may just be my imagination...

That floating humbucker is a nice option to have - I got a great sound from it.

 

if you're selling it, making it look right at first glance will be worth money. curb appeal. if you're keeping it, do whatever you want.

 

Pics of this monstrosity.

I'd put it back to original as fast as I could. The thought of a HB in the middle makes me ill.

 

My opinion and personal preference would be to revert it to stock appearance. However, it's your guitar, so my opinion, of course, is worth what you payed for it.

 

I think it depends on whether it's your player or a collector-piece. My local luthier does a lot of these "return to vintage" projects and I've seen a couple that look great. But, they're mostly collector guitars. I could go either way, depending on what my plans were for playing it out or keeping it at home. You do hear a lot of horror stories about valuable old guitars going missing while they're on the road. So, I'm not sure I'd chance that with the only old one I have. I keep that one at home.

 

Welcome, Shrek. I would make that a Brent Mason type of 3-pickup Tele. As for repairs making a collectable guitar out of a guitar that has had a chunk of wood taken out of the body??? Not in my world. Such work might make the guitar more valuable than if it had the hole still in it, but the guitar is still down in the player's grade, IMHO.

 

No one in their right mind wants to see a Dimarzio humbucker stuck on a vintage tele, the extra pickup is an abomination and I think it would put buyers off more than the full disclosure that something bad has happened to this guitar in the past, but it's all hidden under the scratch plate.

I would remove it and put another plate on there, even if it's a vintage repro one and stick the original in the case.

 

I reckon anyone buying the guitar will realise that the mod is easily reversible (cosmetically at least) and, after looking under the pickguard to check how good or bad a job was done on the routing will pay accordingly. Seeing it on there won't put them off. Some might even like the idea of a vintage guitar where they can mess about with pickup configurations without the worry of devaluing it further.

 

Well, Shrek posted once and we all have been making our suggestions....and our suggestions have been left wanting for responses. I hope all is well with Shrek?