OSP Telecaster Project

[djonesy59]

Hello all!

I'm new to the forums.

I'm not sure if this was the right place to post something of this sort, so if it's suited for a better place, Admins feel free to move it.

Anyway

I have an OSP Telecopy - no pics, but will upload some soon if needed - and I am wanting to do the following things -

:!: Sand the body and paint it good ol' Telecaster blonde.
:!: Install new pickups.
:!: Get rid of the microphonic problems and any other ones!

:arrow:This thing plays well for a $175 guitar, but it does have its problems...

The middle and neck positions are useless when using any volume past bedroom levels. If I installed new pickups, would this get rid of my microphonic problems?

Also, speaking of microphonics, you can hear whenever I touch any of the electronics. What should I do in order to get rid of all these problems?

Lastly, anybody got any pickups they'd like to recommend? I want all of my pickups to be distinct, you know. I've heard good things about GFS pickups, but hated the Lil' Killer Strat pickups (trash, in my opinion).

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

[JasonRobert]

Hello all!

I'm new to the forums.

I'm not sure if this was the right place to post something of this sort, so if it's suited for a better place, Admins feel free to move it.

Anyway

I have an OSP Telecopy - no pics, but will upload some soon if needed - and I am wanting to do the following things -

Sand the body and paint it good ol' Telecaster blonde.
Install new pickups.
Get rid of the microphonic problems and any other ones!

:arrow:This thing plays well for a $175 guitar, but it does have its problems...

The middle and neck positions are useless when using any volume past bedroom levels. If I installed new pickups, would this get rid of my microphonic problems?

It will get rid of any microphonic problems, yes... BUT only if you get pickups which dont have microphonic problems. Almost all new pickups are fine...

Also, speaking of microphonics, you can hear whenever I touch any of the electronics. What should I do in order to get rid of all these problems?

what are you hearing? is it a crackling and/or humming when you touch metal hardware... or is it actually amplifing noises you make when you tap the scratchplate, for example? If it is the first then you have a grounding problem... if it is the second then it is the pickups and by replacing them it will fix this problem.

Lastly, anybody got any pickups they'd like to recommend? I want all of my pickups to be distinct, you know. I've heard good things about GFS pickups, but hated the Lil' Killer Strat pickups (trash, in my opinion).

different pickups give different sounds... what sort of sound do you want from this guitar? ...rock?... country?... blues?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

Although pics arent necessary... people here (including me) like to see pictures...

 

[andrewb]

whats osp?


for 175 i would expect the pickups to be crapo....
but you may aswell try some new pots and switch and caps....
if the pickups sound ****ty still then atleast you have brand new controls, then you just wire the new pickups straight up....


and we all like pics

 

[djonesy59]

I will post pics as soon as I get some pictures taken of it.

- Microphonic problems - it's like you can hear my tapping on it through the amplifier. I can lightly poke anywhere on the hardware (knobs, plate, around pickups) and it will come through the amp.

When I say I can't play at louder volumes with the other two positions, that means that it will start feedbacking unlike any other guitar I've heard. It's a very loud howling screech

- I hate to label the tone I try to achieve, but if anything, I want a rock/bluesy sound with a very clean neck pickup.

The bridge pickup needs to have a typical Telecaster compression and the neck pickup MUST be cutting! I HATE a muddy neck pickup.

I like Jimmy Page's tone on the first Led Zeppelin album (but, then again, who doesn't? )

 

[djonesy59]

whats osp?

(link removed)

I don't think they make the kind I bought anymore...

This is the closest thing to it I could find on their site - mine doesn't have dual humbuckers, though. It's a traditional Telecaster setup (single coils, ashtray, pickguard, yadayadayada...)

 

[djonesy59]

Does anybody have any pickups they'd like to recommend?

Tight bridge tone, no-muddiness-whatsoever neck tone?

 

[LocustPlague]

Depending on whether or not you're willing to risk destroying your existing pickups, you could try potting them to eliminate the microphonics. I have potted a few pups and it's really not hard. It'll probably cost on the order of $20 (assuming you have to buy a lb of beeswax, because you can't find anything smaller) and won't really take that long at all.

Just make sure you make/use a double-boiler. If the wax gets too hot, it'll explode...seriously. I use about 80% Gulf brand paraffin wax (found in the canning section of your grocery store) and 20% beeswax (I got a pound for about $15 at Michaels craft store). My ratios are measured by eye and aren't very precise. I've heard of other people just using the paraffin, so that would be an even cheaper option.

If I were in your shoes, I'd want to know if it is truly a microphonic reaction (which is caused by parts of the pickups vibrating, [usually the wire, but could be the baseplate on the bridge pickup, or the magnets]) or if something else is at play. If potting the pickups doesn't get rid of the reaction you're seeing, either the problem lies somewhere else (wiring, amp, etc) or you didn't pot them properly...