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?
Comments
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.
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?
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.
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.
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