Mod-ing My Vintage Modified

[t_ross33]

Can't leave well enough alone, so I finally placed my order with Guitar Fetish.

I am anxiously awaiting the following:

Wilkinson Compensated Bridge w/ 3 brass saddles (http://store.guitarfetish.com/wicotebrbrsa.html)

Lil' Puncher XL (Modern Vintage 10K) Bridge p'up (http://store.guitarfetish.com/lilpuxlnewfi.html)

Dream 90 (8.2K) Neck p'up (http://store.guitarfetish.com/dr90husip90c.html)

And a push-pull pot which I am going to use to split the bridge p'up for single/bucker.

I find the Duncan Designed neck humbucker a little dark for my taste, and I've wanted to try a P90 for quite awhile. I much prefer the neck humbucker on my Washburn HB-30 for a smooth jazzy tone. A P90 should work good for chimey rhythm and still have a bit of growl.

The rail p'up should really crank in full 'bucker mode (I really like a bridge humbucker :dude:) and give a little push for leads, and still have the option for Tele spank in single coil/split mode.

I want to upgrade the bridge and saddles to smooth out the tone a bit.

So, for the price of one "brand name" pickup, I'm going to try my first mod. Wish me luck :rotflmao: Oh, and if anyone (**ahem** DVM) has any tips or even a wiring diagram, that would be wonderful :AOK:

Trev

[ted s]

Very cool Trev, looking forward to hearing about the finish.
Guitar Fetish is great stuff for a great price eh ?

[Robert]

Good luck! Hope it makes a screaming guitar.

[Algonquin]

Cool looking Bridge Trev.

Have fun with the mods. :AOK:

[Kodiak3D]

Can't go wrong with Guitarfetish.

[sunvalleylaw]

I will be waiting to see the results. Sounds fun!

[markb]

If you want top P90 sounds from GFS I'd go for the Mean 90. The Dream 90 is an overwound strat-like single coil in a humbucker case while the Mean 90 has a more accurately sized coil under all that metal. I really like their range of pickups, they offer a lot of options at a good price.

[t_ross33]

If you want top P90 sounds from GFS I'd go for the Mean 90. The Dream 90 is an overwound strat-like single coil in a humbucker case while the Mean 90 has a more accurately sized coil under all that metal. I really like their range of pickups, they offer a lot of options at a good price.

I thought long and hard about what I was going for and I think the Dream 90 offers a good balance of what I'm looking for, especially for the country/country-rock/rock-country stuff that we do (I switch to my Washburn HB-30 or my bass player's early 80's Gibson LP Deluxe - with the mini-buckers, for the "Rock and/or Roll" sets) . Don't want to take my Tele too far over the edge ;) Something with a little more oomph than a single coil, and not as dark as a neck 'bucker. I like a Strat neck p'up sound for some things, so I should be able to dial back the volume a bit and get in the ballpark.

That was my thinking, anyway. I may be wrong, but for $29.95 it's easy enough to change out if I want to go back to a full-on PAF humbucker or a Mean 90, or a TV Jones Filtertron. :D

I'll be sure to post pics of my adventures. Haven't wired up a guitar before, so this should be interesting. :poke:

[Spudman]

Boy I'm really interested in the results too. Both of those pickups I've been interested in as well. I hope it turns out just the way you expect.

[markb]

Sorry if my dashed off contribution sounded like a criticism of your choice. I only meant to highlight the differences between the two pickups. I was going to drop a mini-bucker into my tele' but have decided I don't want to lose that fruity SC neck tone and now, like you I have a guitar with humbuckers for the grubbier stuff. Good luck with the wiring :AOK: .

[t_ross33]

Sorry if my dashed off contribution sounded like a criticism of your choice. I only meant to highlight the differences between the two pickups. I was going to drop a mini-bucker into my tele' but have decided I don't want to lose that fruity SC neck tone and now, like you I have a guitar with humbuckers for the grubbier stuff. Good luck with the wiring :AOK:

No worries. Just wanted to clarify my reasoning for choosing the Dream 90. I must say, I've never heard of a SC neck tone being "fruity" before, not that there's anything wrong with that :rotflmao:

I like a neck humbucker, but find that the Duncan Designed p'up lacks some of the clarity/definition that I want.

I'll keep you posted :AOK:

[just strum]

No worries. Just wanted to clarify my reasoning for choosing the Dream 90. I must say, I've never heard of a SC neck tone being "fruity" before, not that there's anything wrong with that :rotflmao:

I like a neck humbucker, but find that the Duncan Designed p'up lacks some of the clarity/definition that I want.

I'll keep you posted :AOK:

Hey, if it ends up you don't like it, we'll just wait to see the "Mod-ing My Vintage Modified, Modified" thread.:rotflmao:

[duhvoodooman]

Looks like a good plan, Trev. Should punch up the guitar some while maintaining its fundamental Tele-tude. We will, of course, require PICS & CLIPS!! :poke: :D

[LagrangeCalvert]

Our drummers brother has a full set of lil' killers for the strat....if they sound anything like them your in business. The P90 is a great choice for a neck PU IMHO; Beefyness of a bucker and clarity of a Single coil.....mmmmmmmm great choices!

[sunvalleylaw]

Looks like a good plan, Trev. Should punch up the guitar some while maintaining its fundamental Tele-tude. We will, of course, require PICS & CLIPS!! :poke: :D


Tele-tude, Hm, I like that! I think an economical modded tele has to be on the get someday list.

[Iago]

PLease a review and pictures after it`s done!

[t_ross33]

My first mod project is complete (almost! :rolleyes: - I forgot to ground one terminal on the volume pot so it goes from 100 to 50%, but not "off" *sigh* what a noob!).

I had to do some detective work to mash together the wiring diagram I received from GFS and one I got off seymourduncan.com but all in all it went together pretty easy! My soldering and wiring ain't purtty, but I thought I managed pretty well.

I was going to photo-document the project, but my wife left our digital camera at her work, and I just couldn't wait to get started :D

It's late, and I've only plugged in at "everyone-in-the-house is-sleeping-except-me" levels, but here are my first impressions:

:drool::beavisnbutthead::bootyshake:

The Dream 90 is absolutely creamy, it should be renamed the Cream 90, but then again, maybe not :D. I wasn't able to get any grind from it at the volume I'm restricted to at the moment, but I can feel it under the hood! Very musical, rich without being muddy and surprisingly quiet hum-wise. The Lil Puncher packs a pretty good one yet isn't so hot that I lose the Teletude. Splitting the coil works to get me back into classic Tele territory, though there is an expected drop in output level.

The two play very, very nice together and the middle switch position has none of the "honkyness" that the stock p'ups had when in tandem. I would certainly have no problem recommending this combination of p'ups.

The Wilkinson compensated bridge swapped in perfectly and I think the brass saddles have had an impact. Unplugged it had a sweet singing sustain without the "plunkyness" the stock bridge gave it.

I can't wait to open the gate and let the horses run! :rockon: I still have to do a bit of a setup, intonate and fine-tune the saddles. After that, I'd put this Modified Vintage Modified SQUIER Tele up against almost any "real" Tele.

Going to try to get some sleep now. I feel just like a kid on Christmas Eve. Maybe I feel a *cough* *cough* cold coming on ;)

Pics and clips will follow shortly, I promise. She looks as sweet as she sounds.

Later, Boys and Girls!

Trev

[duhvoodooman]

Going to try to get some sleep now. I feel just like a kid on Christmas Eve. Maybe I feel a *cough* *cough* cold coming on ;)

Way to go, Trev. Now you understand why modding can be so addictive! I find it to be a combination of enjoyment of the work itself and the satisfaction derived from a successful outcome. Your first project, but not your last, I'll wager! :dude: :AOK:

[mrmudcat]

Exactly what Vood said .great job ...and on to the next project!!!;)

[sunvalleylaw]

Cool Trev! Sounds like a great project! Clips please, and at least "as built" pics too.

[Bloozcat]

Sounds pretty cool Trev!

Now, repeat after me...

I'm not addicted to modding. I can stop any time I want to.

I'm not addicted to modding. I can stop any time I want to.

I'm not addicted to modding. I can stop....:D

[Algonquin]

Trev you bugger... you went to work didn't you:reallymad:

That's cool... we can wait for updates ;)

Cheers :beer:

[Kazz]

Trev...I am sure you know by now...that it is very helpful to practice your soldering skills on scrap wires before getting started....cold solder joints can wreak havoc on a project.

That being said....my S101 Tele is looking better and better for such a project....I also have my eyes on a Washburn WI36 which is a Tele style guitar.

[t_ross33]

Here she is in all her upgraded glory :AOK:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/t_ross33/PIC_0176.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/t_ross33/PIC_0177.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/t_ross33/PIC_0178.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/t_ross33/PIC_0179.jpg

And one with her sister...

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/t_ross33/PIC_0180.jpg

[markb]

That's a really cool looking tele, Trev. How does it sound?

[t_ross33]

That's a really cool looking tele, Trev. How does it sound?

Thanks Mark, I'm quite taken with her :D
These upgrades have really made this Tele come alive! :dude: The Dream 90 is pretty much what you stated earlier, kind of an overwound Strat tone, but it has it's own qualities. Rich and creamy without being muddy. Nice harmonic overtones and the ability to growl when pushed. The Lil Puncher has a nice snappy Tele tone with just a hint of grind. The bridge/saddle combination has made a difference as well. This guitar is BRIGHT now! :cool: Not thin, but it really cuts through. The extra density of the brass saddles and a better quality bridge plate add tons of sustain and a bright, musical quality that wasn't there before. The volume and tone controls definately play a bigger part in shaping the tone now.

It has messed with all the patches I have programmed into my GNX3K :thwap: but a small price to pay. :AOK: I'll have to spend some time tweaking them. Many of the amp models I didn't care for before have suddenly perked up, so I have some homework to do...

I'll try to get some clips recorded for y'all.

Trev

[t_ross33]

These are really rough, but the best I can do in the time available :whatever:

Here's the Dream 90 neck p'up through a 59 Bassman model and into my laptop using "Reaper".

http://www.box.net/shared/m7u8vnxus4

Here's the Lil Puncher bridge, full bucker mode through a 65 Twin model

http://www.box.net/shared/iy71grbqc0

Please excuse the sloppy playing, I've been drinking a 7-11 Slurpee and my fingers is cold :thwap:

Trev

[just strum]

Please excuse the sloppy playing, I've been drinking a 7-11 Slurpee and my fingers is cold :thwap:

Trev

We had a guy here last night with a different excuse.

Very nice looking tele and strat. I have to go listen to the clips, but I wanted to comment on the looks.

[bigoldron]

The Tele and Strat are both nice! That Tele really looks awesome and, yes, she does have a nice, nasty little growl there. Don't sweat the clips. I'm just glad to know I'm not the only one who screws up - especially when trying to record something.

[t_ross33]

Who screwed up? I MEANT to play like that :D

Yeah, I don't know what it is. My playing is usually much more fluid, maybe it's all in my head - i dunno. But as soon as I press the "Record" button, it seems something switches in my head too and I get all fumble-fingered.

At any rate, just wanted to put some noise out there so you good folks can get a taste of the new p'ups and imagine what it would sound like in the hands of a master like Robert or Spuds :master::rotflmao:

Trev

[Guitar Gal]

Very nice looking tele Trev :dude:

Great job on the clips too :bravo: Really showed your teletude....and now I'm gassin' for a tele

GG

[sunvalleylaw]

Nice Trev! Tele on son! Some how the idea of some blues/blues rock being played on a Tele while your fingers are cold from a Slurpee seems so American! (Continent I mean, I guess!) LOL!

[Bomber]

Awesome job, awesome.

[Duff]

Beautiful guitar Trev. Looks a lot like my Peavey Gen Ex Vintage I got for 176 with price matching from uncleikes.com, at a local store; except mine has a vintage humbucker in the neck nickel plated and a standard Peavey really good sounding bridge pup.

My G&L ASAT Classic Tribute tele I recently acquired has standard tele pups but made by G&L in the states and sound fantastic and are different from other pups in their design specifics but yet are still single coils. The G&L you might be interested to know, has six brass barrel saddles; pretty cool saddle set up. The G&L is great. I said I'd post pictures and I will.

The Peavey tele's are really really really nice looking, feeling, sounding, playing, and are selling at some great prices; like 149 for a triple single Gen ex from siglermusic.com . Standards, too, for 149. The Custom has two humbuckers and a piezo acoustic bridge saddle pup system and is a tele style and sells for 200 at sigler I believe. The store by me will match the price. I want one but have some other stuff I want first.

The humbucker, Guitar Gal, on my Peavey Gen Ex Vintage is in the neck and is vintage voiced and not real real hot like a Seymour Duncan JB, but I like the vintage tone and it blends in with the bridge pup really well so that both are approximately the same volume and match really well. Peavey makes a really nice tele. I, too, think that they will be disappearing soon and I got two standards; one antique burst that is called a three tone burst, and a butterscotch that I really love the looks of. You can see the wood grain thru it and some people aren't thrilled by the way the softer part of the grain absorbs the color and makes it a darker tone of color in those grain areas. At first I didn't like it either. I now really love it. I like the way the color differentiates with the grain and it is a really nice butterscotch but not like paint, not one solid color.

Those Peavey's are some great tele's Guitar Gal. I don't like to give advice, but I would in this case advise that you find one somewhere to play thru a good amp like a Peavey Delta Blues or Classic 30. I play mine thru my Crate V8 straight up and it sounds great and sometimes I put a Korg AX5G in between and wow. I also play it thru my Fender SCXD and my Vox DA5 (what a great and under recognized amp); usually straight up with the DA5 because it has such really cool settings, like three separate blues amp emulations plus crunches and drive and cleans; on top of that some great effects like autowah and a really nice highly adjustable reverb.

I would say if you play one of those Peaveys you will want to buy it and you'll be thinking, "How can they sell these this cheap?". Plus the Peavey's have vintage style tuners, Kluson style and most have locking tuning machines that are different from the usual ones I see. These have a split tuning post with a hole in the center that you push the end of the string down into and then wind down toward the face of the headstock.

The Peavey tele's are really well thought thru and designed guitars that work really really well. They are definitely in G&L ASAT Tribute territory for a fraction of the price and have some common features like great necks.

Hope some of these observations help.

Duffy
Winfield, Pa

Ps: Although I'm by no means an expert guitar tech, I have learned that to get a really good solder joint like on the ground on the pot or other solder joints, it is essential to use paste flux that you brush on before you apply the solder. The flux burns off impurities and allows the solder to form a superior joint. Also, using as little solder in the joint as possible for a solid joint is best. Huge piles of solder with a bunch of grounds on top of the pot is not the mark of a professional and a huge pile is not necessary and may be hiding a poor solder joint at the bottom of it. I'm not a professional solderer and have a few piles on top of some of my pots, but I'm trying to keep the solder joints small and clean, using plenty of flux and getting a good solder joint.

It is the quality of the solder joint that is important, not the quantity of solder massed on top of the connection. Like I indicated earlier, it's what's at the bottom of that mass of solder where the wires contact the surface of the pot or other connection and it is at this contact surface that you want to have a good clean solid joint, free of solder slag, etc.

I always keep the tip of my iron cleaned off. I even scrape off the slag if I need to and then tin the tip. Tinning is applying a small coating of solder to the tip of the iron. Apply a little paste flux first then apply the solder to the tip. This helps ensure a clean tip and results in a better chance of getting a clean solder joint. It's an art.

I don't mean to sound like I know it all, but I hope some of my observations help others in their quests for improvements. I know I learned a lot from people on this net.

I really like that tele Trev. I bet it can twang big time.