Replacing pickups on an Indonesian Squier Tele

revsorg

This week I replaced the pickup selector and potentiometers on the Squier Tele I bought from @strumjoughlamps back in March.  Turns out that in order to save money Fender make the control slot smaller than on a standard Tele because they only have to accommodate tiny potentiometers and a crappy switch that doesn't poke so far into the body cavity.  So I had to grind away extra space in the body to accomodate my new components.  Now my electronics don't crackle   

This wasn't too much of a hardship.  I suspect there are others out there who have encountered this same issue.

I am now planning on replacing my pickups.  Does anyone know if I will encounter similar problems fitting new pickups to my Squier?  Will standard pickups just pop straight in there or am I going to find myself having to carve out a bigger space?

Alegree

They'll be a direct replacement without modification.
Only issue can be some bridge pickups can use wide mounting screws that are wider than the screw holes on US models. If you're using an import one then you don't have that to worry about.

revsorg

Thank you @Alegree ;

I think the planets must be coming into alignment - that you should be the person who answered - because I'm considering a Cirrostratus to go in the bridge position.  My plan when I bought the guitar was to put a Seymour Duncan five-two in there.  I wonder whether you've experimented with a different alnico for the B and E strings to try and make those strings a bit sweeter?

impmann

TBH, Alex's Cirrostratus bridge pickup doesn't need sweetening on the B and E strings imho!!

Funkfingers

On budget instruments from the Indonesian Cort factory, I often find that the cavity routing can be pretty ragged. It would be worthwhile to take a good look for bumps, dips and splintery bits sticking out wherever the routing bit had to change direction.

Alegree

revsorg said:

Thank you @Alegree ;

I think the planets must be coming into alignment - that you should be the person who answered - because I'm considering a Cirrostratus to go in the bridge position.  My plan when I bought the guitar was to put a Seymour Duncan five-two in there.  I wonder whether you've experimented with a different alnico for the B and E strings to try and make those strings a bit sweeter?

A3 is pretty much as sweet as alnico gets.

Funkfingers

Fender American Standard Stratocaster pickups used to have moulded plastic bobbins. This construction made it possible to shift the rod magnet polepieces with no fear of damaging the copper coil. 

In one experiment, I substituted three A3 magnets from a knackered Highway1 pickup for three of the original A5 magnets. The result was a "Five-Three" - so to speak. In a coil of approximately 6k Ohms, the strings vibrating above the A3 rod magnets generated noticeably less signal than those vibrating above the A5 ones.

All A3 or all A5 is usually the most practical solution.

impmann

I wonder if the magnet charge has something to do with that @Funkfingers ; Ive got a set of Strat pickups in my fave Strat built by Marc at Mojo with different magnets and they are incredible plus balanced. Perhaps (without giving away secrets) @TheGuitarWeasel  or @Mojopickups  could comment on that.

OilCityPickups

Funkfingers said:

Fender American Standard Stratocaster pickups used to have moulded plastic bobbins. This construction made it possible to shift the rod magnet polepieces with no fear of damaging the copper coil. 

In one experiment, I substituted three A3 magnets from a knackered Highway1 pickup for three of the original A5 magnets. The result was a "Five-Three" - so to speak. In a coil of approximately 6k Ohms, the strings vibrating above the A3 rod magnets generated noticeably less signal than those vibrating above the A5 ones.

All A3 or all A5 is usually the most practical solution.

Both Mark and I make A3/A5 sets quite happily. I recommend that my Cal 53 sets are given a little more tilt, and are a little closer at the treble side than the bass side. Never had an issue with different volumes across the strings. There are a couple more things I do ... and Mark probably does ... that even things out ... but that is in the realm of 'tricks of the trade'.

As an aside plastic bobbin Strat pickups can never be made to sound like conventionally made Strat pickups as there is 1mm plus of plastic surrounding each magnet, and the winding wire can't lay directly on the magnets ... which is right in the 'sweet spot'. It was a cost saving measure from Fender. 

Funkfingers

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Both Mark and I make A3/A5 sets quite happily. I recommend that my Cal 53 sets are given a little more tilt, and are a little closer at the treble side than the bass side. Never had an issue with different volumes across the strings. 

As mentioned above, I was experimenting with a pickup that was already knackered. I was given it for free. I received no indication of what damage may have been inflicted upon it.

TheGuitarWeasel said:
As an aside, plastic bobbin Strat pickups can never be made to sound like conventionally made Strat pickups as there is 1mm plus of plastic surrounding each magnet, and the winding wire can't lay directly on the magnets ... which is right in the 'sweet spot'. It was a cost saving measure from Fender. 

This explains why Fender plastic bobbin single coils always disappoint me.

revsorg

Alegree said:

They'll be a direct replacement without modification.
Only issue can be some bridge pickups can use wide mounting screws that are wider than the screw holes on US models. If you're using an import one then you don't have that to worry about.

My Cirrostratus arrived today and you're quite right the Squier bridge pickups use smaller screws