New wiring/pickups mod for Tele

Joe Bfstplk

Axe-Master
IMG_20210907_002514.jpg

Finally restored the original non-locking Fender tuners and pickups (though the original neck pickup is now in the middle). The new wiring borrows ideas from the Custom 24 and stirs in some of my own ideas that work with the SD Jazz 'bucker at the neck and its series/parallel pull switch on the tone knob.

The super 5-way switch options:
  1. Neck (with s/p - default parallel, pull for series)
  2. Neck (screws coil) + Bridge, OOP
  3. Neck (slugs coil) + bridge
  4. Middle + Bridge
  5. Bridge
This guitar was being overlooked before, due to the crappy set of Fender locking tuners, and now it again demonstrates what I liked enough about it to buy it. I think that the Fralin bridge pickup sounds great, but it is their medium curvature model (for 9.5" radius), and I think this guitar might have a 12" fretboard radius. The OOP option is a nice alternative to the standard Tele middle combination. It is a little snarky, but because the bridge pickup is a bit louder than the split neck pickup, it is not totally, nastily nasal. It sounds a little bit like the talkbox guitar in Frampton's "Do You Feel Like I Do?", actually - enough that you can vary picking location and loosely approximate the talkbox sounds. The neck pickup pulled up in series makes me want to play Poem 58. Totally a Terry Kath kind of tone. In parallel, it gives a slightly fuller clean Tele neck tone, due to the wider sensing field. Neck (slugs coil) + bridge sounds like a good Tele should, as does the bridge alone. Bridge + middle gives you a very Stratty quack.

Really digging this guitar again....
 
To be honest I don't find the ping made locking Fender tuners to be worse than most, on a parr with Schaller and Hipshot unless you were very unlucky. The worst big name tuners in general are Grover, closely followed by the new Kluson (but not the Japan made ones.)
 
To be honest I don't find the ping made locking Fender tuners to be worse than most, on a parr with Schaller and Hipshot unless you were very unlucky. The worst big name tuners in general are Grover, closely followed by the new Kluson (but not the Japan made ones.)
Maybe I got a bum set years ago. They were in my spare parts drawer, and demonstrated why when on this guitar. Tons of backlash and sticky feel to turning the keys - just pure garbage. They are (temporarily) back in my spare parts drawer until I do an audit and organization day in there, when they will get binned.

First work on the new work table. No more ripping guitars apart on the dining room table. The OL is pleased. :)

Maybe I am just really lucky, but I've had good luck with Grover auto-locking tuners, and they are on several of my guitars. Jury is still out on the new Kluson "Revolution" 19:1 Safe-T-Post tuners on the VZ Custom Tele. They seem ok so far, and the 19:1 makes tuning a cinch....
 
The auto lock Grovers can either cut the high E string or just not grip it IME ( probably about 200 sets.) If you get a working set they would be great. The design is good but the metal needs to be right and there is not a lot of room for inaccurate manufacture also backless city on most Grovers. They feel smooth but there is a lot of play in the worm gear. I'm surprised that they didn't break PRS's original cam lock patent.
 
The auto lock Grovers can either cut the high E string or just not grip it IME ( probably about 200 sets.) If you get a working set they would be great. The design is good but the metal needs to be right and there is not a lot of room for inaccurate manufacture also backless city on most Grovers. They feel smooth but there is a lot of play in the worm gear. I'm surprised that they didn't break PRS's original cam lock patent.
Well, I guess I have been lucky, then.

One thing I do that helps with preventing slippage is to pull the string through and get it to start grabbing, then bend the string back against the normal rotation direction as it comes out the hole so it helps hold the string tension and pulls the outer shaft in the grippy direction if the inner cam does slip any. Maybe that is why they haven't given me slippage issues?
 
Bough a guitar with Fender locking tuners about 5 years, and not right away, but ended up putting them on two more Fenders. They are great! IMO
On my 1980 Les Paul put on a set of locking Kluson's last year, I have say like them allot! Also geared down a bit lower then what was on there. Really smooth gearing.
However --- Last year also I put a set of Grover locking tuners on my Les Paul Custom. I find them a bit clunky compared to the other locking tuners I mentioned. Don't get me wrong, they are not cutting strings or anything like that and they hold just fine.

The Fender I bought with the locking tuners is what started this off. Don't feel any of them hold tune better than what was on there to begin with (after a little stretching). Bottom line 44 years of changing and trying different methods has made me decent at it. :)

Now that I think of it the Kluson's do seem to hold tune a bit better than the set that came off. But the set that came off is 40 years old and a bit worn
 
Even the worst tuners with huge backlash will stay in tune perfectly as long as you always tune UP to pitch.
The Fender locking ones were apparently the exception to this rule, and additionally, felt a bit stiff in places. Musta got a bad set all those years ago....
 
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