Syd turns in his grave..Telecaster tribute? Er no...

[tecelaster]

I'm always a sucker for Syd Barrett. The sound of that guitar on the 1st Pink Floyd album hooked me on T types when I was a teenager - well, that and tape echoes and loud tube amps.
So... when I saw a Tele just posted on the classifieds that purports to be a Syd Barrett tribute guitar (that should be an Esquire, I think), I had to have a look. Now, I don’t want to call out the guy as there’s so much wrong with the guitar any of us could spot the mistakes- but if you’re going to do a job, do it properly - i.e. convert the wiring to an Esquire circuit and not just leave the neck position disconnected. Sticking mirrors on a Squier Affinity and then asking over $1000 for your hatchet job doesn’t reflect well on any us here. Let’s put it down to youthful enthusiasm.

 

[Reedo]

Didn't Syd also have a Tele, or was it modded into an Esquire?

 

[MrTwang]

Didn't Syd also have a Tele, or was it modded into an Esquire?

Yes, he had a white Tele that he let Dave Gilmour use as a spare after he got kicked out of the band. He also had a black one that he used on his solo albums.

 

[neatone]

what fender?? haha

btw, this was the sound of syd..binson echorec..pf used them thru dark side..in pompeii, wright waters and gilmour all have one

cheers

 

[Televised]

Amazing Pre-Gilmour photo of Pink floyd!
Thanks

 

[tecelaster]

There's some great footage of PF performing a version of Interstellar Overdrive in a studio (I think it was in Sound Techniques) before the EMI album. You can see both the Danelectro and the Tele (maybe the Esquire) in action. Actually it's a better version than the album. I think it was from a movie 'Tonight Let's all make love in London'. It was on YT last time I looked.

 

[dhmpan]

I'm always a sucker for Syd Barrett. The sound of that guitar on the 1st Pink Floyd album hooked me on T types when I was a teenager - well, that and tape echoes and loud tube amps.
So... when I saw a Tele just posted on the classifieds that purports to be a Syd Barrett tribute guitar (that should be an Esquire, I think), I had to have a look. Now, I don’t want to call out the guy as there’s so much wrong with the guitar any of us could spot the mistakes- but if you’re going to do a job, do it properly - i.e. convert the wiring to an Esquire circuit and not just leave the neck position disconnected. Sticking mirrors on a Squier Affinity and then asking over $1000 for your hatchet job doesn’t reflect well on any us here. Let’s put it down to youthful enthusiasm.

properly?
is there something else to do than just take out the neck pu?

 

[VintageSG]

I guess it's my Danelectro bias. I'd always associated Syd with the Dano primarily and everything else was a backup or alternative. Not the first time I've been wrong ;-)
Seems Jimmy was an acolyte. http://www.feelnumb.com/2010/12/16/...d-barrett-fender-esquire-with-mirrored-discs/ and his Dano of course.

 

[tecelaster]

properly?
is there something else to do than just take out the neck pu?

There are Esquire experts here aplenty - but yes, there's a tone circuit that gives an imitation 'neck position' on the switch.

 

[Syd Lennon]

properly?
is there something else to do than just take out the neck pu?

The third position on an Esquire is a treble roll-off preset that was added before electric basses were more popular. A true conversion must include this mod. Taking out the neck pup and nothing else is just stripping a tele to masquerade as an Esquire.

 

[68tele]

Just saw the guitar. It's not the right color, and it has a 6 saddle bridge. Egad.

 

[backporchmusic]

Seller has 20 items up. But no posts? Can that be correct? Isn't there a participation amount required before access to classifieds? I know offsetguitars is that way.

 

[68tele]

Are the other items also fantasy-priced cheese?

 

[bchaffin72]

properly?
is there something else to do than just take out the neck pu?

Aside from the aforementioned treble roll-off in the third position, the middle position is the bridge with volume and tone and the first position is the bridge with the tone pot bypassed, for a slightly brighter sound. That's standard Esquire wiring. Otherwise, all you have is a tele with a missing neck pickup.

 

[dhmpan]

ok
you got me convinced.
I'll get a diy kit and fix me my first esq !

 

[bsman]

Now that I have a Kirn Barnbuster, I've been seriously toying with the idea of turning my '09 LPB MIM standard into an Esquire. Problem is, I've got a set of Mojotone "52 Clone" pickups in it and the thought of just tossing an $80 neck pickup is stopping me...

 

[bchaffin72]

If I get a chance to pick up another cheap tele, I'm thinking of the same, giving it the Esquire treatment.

 

[Syd Lennon]

If I get a chance to pick up another cheap tele, I'm thinking of the same, giving it the Esquire treatment.

I've always wanted an esquire but settled for a cheap tele. I planned on the conversion but the neck pup adds a lot of options that would be hard to part with. Is it possible to keep it a tele and just add the esquire preset with a 4-way switch?

 

[bchaffin72]

It might be possible, but I don't know the specifics. I've never worked with a four way switch, myself.

 

[MrTwang]

The third position on an Esquire is a treble roll-off preset that was added before electric basses were more popular.

This is also known as "ThePositionThatNobodyUses"