I have this squier tele in storage

adamm82

never gets played as I play my other tele but I actually like the neck on it.

I never really modded any guitars but tempted to use this one to experiment on it. any ideas? I was thinking maybe humbucker in the neck, it doesn't really have to keep the telecaster sound. i just play rock music really.

Funkfingers

Q1 - Do the strings anchor at the back edge of the bridge or pass through the body to ferrules on the rear of the guitar?

Q2 - How generous is the routed cavity beneath the pickguard?

Q3 - Is the control cavity the same depth along its length or is there a shallower portion about one third of the way along?

adamm82

It’s a top loading bridge. I’ll have to go and get it this weekend to have a look at the cavities. I might have a old photo of it laying around. Let me check 

Shark_Eyes

Mini-hum in a Tele neck position is a wonderful thing.

Funkfingers

adamm82 said:

It’s a top loading bridge. 

On some of the lower priced Squier T type guitars, the bridge fastening screw hole layout and the angle of the pickup cut-out do not conform to the specifications of the majority of off-the-shelf replacement parts.

That immediately gives you two choices.

• Stick with the stock bridge.
• Commit to an upgrade and the necessary drilling.

If you do not need a second guitar with traditional Telecaster sounds, you could get a lot from one Rails or Li'l 'bucker type bridge position pickup and some fancy coil and capacitor network switching.

BeardyAndy

Funkfingers said:

If you do not need a second guitar with traditional Telecaster sounds, you could get a lot from one Rails or Li'l 'bucker type bridge position pickup and some fancy coil and capacitor network switching.

I've just fitted SD hot rail in the bridge of my Tele, splits on the tone pot. Still gives you that classic Tele sound but has got some ooomf if I need it!

I also had a neck SD '59 in a Tele i've just sold and the middle position was tonetastic!

Funkfingers

adamm82 said:

I’ll have to go and get it this weekend to have a look at the cavities.

Shark_Eyes said:

Mini-hum in a Tele neck position is a wonderful thing.

Agreed but I do not think that the standard Affinity rout will accommodate one. It might not even accept a Stratocaster-sized hum-cancelling replacement pickup.  Luckily, there is always the Duncan SHRT-1N Hot Rails for Telecaster - as used on the Chapman ML-3RC.

The bridge pickup cavity should be a strange pentagonal affair. With a suitable replacement bridge base plate, it should accommodate a regular humbucker, Filter'Tron clone or Duncan P-Rails. 

ICBM

I would go for a Hot Rails or some other sort of high-output bridge pickup, and possibly a hotter neck too. Great fun, no need to do any woodwork, and not at all like a traditional Tele sound.

guitarcookie1

ICBM said:

I would go for a Hot Rails or some other sort of high-output bridge pickup, and possibly a hotter neck too. Great fun, no need to do any woodwork, and not at all like a traditional Tele sound.

This. Or esquire it with a new pickguard and wiring.