Tele bridge pick up repair?

Voxman

Hi guys, I have a 1988 USA Telecaster Standard. The bridge pickup 'went' last year - something to do with grounding I believe (@ICBM have I got that right?) whereby the tone control acted like a volume control with it. Currently it has a Roswell pickup in the bridge but its not quite as bright and spanky as the same p/up in my Harley Benton TE52NA probably because the TE52 is ash v alder in the 88.  A new pickup set eg 64 pure vintage or nocaster etc are around £150 plus c£60-70 fitting.  I was wondering if the original can actually be repaired, is it worth doing and is it economical/uneconomical?  If it's viable does anyone know who might be able to do this?  

Thoughts/advice?

Funkfingers

Voxman said:

 c£60-70 fitting.

Thoughts/advice?

Daylight robbery - unless you use solid gold strings.

Okay. So replacing the bridge pickup involves detaching the bridge. It is possible that it goes back on aligned fractionally differently, requiring intonation corrections. 

There are any number of sonic variations open to you, on a sliding scale from wiry Country twang to grinding Rock rivvum à la Keef.

Are you determined to have Fender USA pickups, considering the options available from several illustrious UK makers?

Do you actually need to purchase two pickups? In what way does the stock neck/Rhythm pickup displease you?

OilCityPickups

Even if you pickup needs a full rewind ... it'll only set you back about £45.00 including postage to original spec. 

Funkfingers

Maybe, even, to better than original spec.?

My recollection is that American Standard Telecaster bridge position pickups were a little bit spiky. (Probably to compensate for the modern, machined-from-solid bridge assembly.) Perhaps, a change of wire gauge or winding tension could improve matters?

Voxman

Funkfingers said:

Voxman said:

 c£60-70 fitting.

Thoughts/advice?

Daylight robbery - unless you use solid gold strings.

Okay. So replacing the bridge pickup involves detaching the bridge. It is possible that it goes back on aligned fractionally differently, requiring intonation corrections. 

There are any number of sonic variations open to you, on a sliding scale from wiry Country twang to grinding Rock rivvum à la Keef.

Are you determined to have Fender USA pickups, considering the options available from several illustrious UK makers?

Do you actually need to purchase two pickups? In what way does the stock neck/Rhythm pickup displease you?

Good question. I've never been happy with the neck pick-up, too bassy (I know you can change or remove the cover that can make a difference - I'd always want a cover though). The original bridge p/up was nice and spanky/gutsy. The problem is I lack experience of different Tele pickups to know what I want. I play classic rock & blues but I also like to play some country, The Fender PV 64's were recommended because of the clear neck p/up.  

Funkfingers

If you are content to send away the bridge pickup for attention, you might as well send the neck pickup too.

Ask to have the original chrome-plated brass cover removed. 

Either have a nickel cover fitted
or go coverless - with fabric tape or waxed string to protect the copper wire coil.

ICBM

Voxman said:

Hi guys, I have a 1988 USA Telecaster Standard. The bridge pickup 'went' last year - something to do with grounding I believe (@ICBM have I got that right?) whereby the tone control acted like a volume control with it. Currently it has a Roswell pickup in the bridge but its not quite as bright and spanky as the same p/up in my Harley Benton TE52NA probably because the TE52 is ash v alder in the 88.  A new pickup set eg 64 pure vintage or nocaster etc are around £150 plus c£60-70 fitting.  I was wondering if the original can actually be repaired, is it worth doing and is it economical/uneconomical?  If it's viable does anyone know who might be able to do this?  

Thoughts/advice?

Honestly - just get a better pickup. Those 80s USA Standard Tele pickups are awful. I had one... for a while I thought that the perceived wisdom that the USA Std bridge with the six stainless steel saddles was responsible for the thin and 'not classic Tele' tone was true, until I fitted a Duncan Broadcaster set and the guitar was totally transformed. (I also removed the TBX control, which I don't like - if you don't want to replace it, just cut the 82K resistor.)

The original neck pickup was nowhere near as bad, but the Duncan was still a noticeable improvement.

I later sold the guitar to a friend and didn't play it for about twenty years, but recently got it back to clean the switch and pots, and was pleased to find that I hadn't remembered wrong, it's still one of the best-sounding Teles I know of.

The Pure 64s are also really great-sounding if you want to 'keep it Fender'.

Funkfingers said:

Okay. So replacing the bridge pickup involves detaching the bridge. It is possible that it goes back on aligned fractionally differently, requiring intonation corrections.

Nah .

If you tighten down the screws fully the bridge will go back exactly where it was.

strtdv

I'd probably just replace the pickups and fit the replacements myself. If you're worried about overheating pots etc when soldering you can just cut the old wires leaving some tails to attach the new wires to

Voxman

ICBM said:

Voxman said:

Hi guys, I have a 1988 USA Telecaster Standard. The bridge pickup 'went' last year - something to do with grounding I believe (@ICBM have I got that right?) whereby the tone control acted like a volume control with it. Currently it has a Roswell pickup in the bridge but its not quite as bright and spanky as the same p/up in my Harley Benton TE52NA probably because the TE52 is ash v alder in the 88.  A new pickup set eg 64 pure vintage or nocaster etc are around £150 plus c£60-70 fitting.  I was wondering if the original can actually be repaired, is it worth doing and is it economical/uneconomical?  If it's viable does anyone know who might be able to do this?  

Thoughts/advice?

Honestly - just get a better pickup. Those 80s USA Standard Tele pickups are awful. I had one... for a while I thought that the perceived wisdom that the USA Std bridge with the six stainless steel saddles was responsible for the thin and 'not classic Tele' tone was true, until I fitted a Duncan Broadcaster set and the guitar was totally transformed. (I also removed the TBX control, which I don't like - if you don't want to replace it, just cut the 82K resistor.)

The original neck pickup was nowhere near as bad, but the Duncan was still a noticeable improvement.

I later sold the guitar to a friend and didn't play it for about twenty years, but recently got it back to clean the switch and pots, and was pleased to find that I hadn't remembered wrong, it's still one of the best-sounding Teles I know of.

The Pure 64s are also really great-sounding if you want to 'keep it Fender'.

Funkfingers said:

Okay. So replacing the bridge pickup involves detaching the bridge. It is possible that it goes back on aligned fractionally differently, requiring intonation corrections.

Nah .

If you tighten down the screws fully the bridge will go back exactly where it was.

Thanks @ICBM - Kind of what I thought.  Although I've heard mainly good things about the PV 64's, I've also read the bridge pick might be a bit 'tame' - thoughts?  Doesn't have to be 'Fender' & I just want that real Tele sound, so for around similar cost is there anything else that you think might be better with an alder body/rosewood neck, 6-saddle 80's tele?  I really lack knowledge & experience of different pickup sets.  Might I be better off taking my Tele to a custom p/up maker who might be able to fit their p/ups for me too?  

ICBM

Voxman said:

Thanks @ICBM - Kind of what I thought.  Although I've heard mainly good things about the PV 64's, I've also read the bridge pick might be a bit 'tame' - thoughts?  Doesn't have to be 'Fender' & I just want that real Tele sound, so for around similar cost is there anything else that you think might be better with an alder body/rosewood neck, 6-saddle 80's tele?  I really lack knowledge & experience of different pickup sets.  Might I be better off taking my Tele to a custom p/up maker who might be able to fit their p/ups for me too?  

I would definitely say the Duncan Broadcaster set, or something similar to it by one of our UK-based makers - it's basically a vintage Tele sound with a slightly hotter and more midrangy (rather than trebly) bridge pickup. However, if you're finding the guitar a little dull and do want something that will bring out the brightness, the Pure Vintage 64s are really excellent. The bridge pickup isn't 'tame', unless you mean in terms of sheer output - it has a lot of bite.

Voxman

ICBM said:

Voxman said:

Thanks @ICBM - Kind of what I thought.  Although I've heard mainly good things about the PV 64's, I've also read the bridge pick might be a bit 'tame' - thoughts?  Doesn't have to be 'Fender' & I just want that real Tele sound, so for around similar cost is there anything else that you think might be better with an alder body/rosewood neck, 6-saddle 80's tele?  I really lack knowledge & experience of different pickup sets.  Might I be better off taking my Tele to a custom p/up maker who might be able to fit their p/ups for me too?  

I would definitely say the Duncan Broadcaster set, or something similar to it by one of our UK-based makers - it's basically a vintage Tele sound with a slightly hotter and more midrangy (rather than trebly) bridge pickup. However, if you're finding the guitar a little dull and do want something that will bring out the brightness, the Pure Vintage 64s are really excellent. The bridge pickup isn't 'tame', unless you mean in terms of sheer output - it has a lot of bite.

Thanks @ICBM and it's the traditional distinctive twangy Tele sound that I'm after.  I mainly play blues, and classic rock but I'm beginning to play more country type stuff too. 

Funkfingers

ICBM said:

Funkfingers said:
Okay. So replacing the bridge pickup involves detaching the bridge. It is possible that it goes back on aligned fractionally differently, requiring intonation corrections.

Nah .

If you tighten down the screws fully, the bridge will go back exactly where it was.

That is the theory.  

nero1701

Hey, I've a bridge pickup from a Fender JV Modified 50s Telecaster. You can have it for £45, if you want to collect, happy to install it for you. 

Voxman

nero1701 said:

Hey, I've a bridge pickup from a Fender JV Modified 50s Telecaster. You can have it for £45, if you want to collect, happy to install it for you. 

That's very kind thank you, but I think I'm going to opt for a new set - possibly the PV 64's. 

bandmaster188

Sell the neck pickup you dislike and there’s some cash towards installation and i’d be inclined to look at one of our uk winders who will no doubt have something very close to the pv 64’s.

Voxman

bandmaster188 said:

Sell the neck pickup you dislike and there’s some cash towards installation and i’d be inclined to look at one of our uk winders who will no doubt have something very close to the pv 64’s.

I've learned to always keep the originals. Any suggestions would be much appreciated on UK pick-up makers and pick-ups that might fit the bill?  

bandmaster188

Never tried them before but Alegree Texan dustdevil might fit the bill. I believe @Funkfingers has had some experience with their pickups and may have some info.

Funkfingers

Indeed. I have an Alegree TDD bridge position pickup. Through valve overdrive, thanks to the A5 magnets, it is powerful, bright and aggressive but not "icepick-in-the-forehead". 

I have not tried the TDD neck position pickup. Hence, my only suggestions are to pay the extra for a nickel cover with a separate ground wire.

I paired the TDD-B with an Alegree Tele-format Texan Hailstorm neck pickup, via a Schaller Megaswitch M (circuit SS3). 

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If I wanted to go into spiv mode, I would recommend my own Oil City Angel 2012 pair.

Dave_Mc

bandmaster188 said:

Never tried them before but Alegree Texan dustdevil might fit the bill. I believe @Funkfingers has had some experience with their pickups and may have some info.

I think it's a bit hotter than the Fender? I haven't tried the Fender, but I've got a custom Alegree tapped Cirrostratus/Texan Dustdevil set. Mine has alnico 3 magnets, though- I had to pick. Well, I guess I could've gone 5 on the bass strings and 3 on the treble, and I did consider that, but in the end went just with alnico 3 as the set I really wanted was the Cirrostratus... I was only getting the extra output of the Dustdevil as a sort of hedge, just in case the Cirrostratus wasn't hot enough for me.