Questions re my new tele

[spauldingrules]

1.  Which Warmoth neck contour is closest to Fender vintage specs?  I have 3 Warmoth regular slim profile necks which I really like, but I was thinking of going a little chunkier.

2.  Are the Warmoth pre-installed nuts usable, or do they take a lot of work?  I don't mind making adjustments, but I don't like filing a nut from scratch.  I'd rather slightly enlarge a pre-cut.  I really like the graph-tec pre cuts, but I may get a finished neck for the first time and was wondering how the corian warmoth nuts compared.

3.  I only have the warmoth "pros".  Should I try a Modern Vintage?  The pros are "harsher" sounding than my others (which I like, btw), but I don't want my tele to be too icepicky.

4.  Which color pickguard on a sunburst tele?  I'm thinking black, but white seems to be the standard.  I also like mint.  Opinions?

5.  Pickups - I like vintage.  Any suggestions?  I love my Area 58s in my strat, so I was considering the Area Ts, but I may go true old school and enter some noise into the equation.  Rio Grande Tallboys?  Seems like the GFS may be a good choice - not a whole lot of Tech to tele pickups?

6.  Definitely 4 way switch - right???

7.  Bridge suggestions?  I only had one response to this in the hardware section.  Do the "lips" on the vintage bridge affect playability and that is why the new ones are flat?

 

[Micahbell]

4) I like white, but go with what ever you think looks cool.
5) I can't say for sure from a AB perspective, but I have tried a lot of different guitars teles, but I love Fralins blues specials. Now like I said, I haven't done AB tests, I have tried lots of pickups in different guitars and as I am suer you know there are plenty of other factors in tone so I can't say for sure...all I know is the guitar I played with the Fralins in them sounded best.
Also, Lindy is great to talk to. Fantastic customer support with them.
6) Yes.

 

[DiMitriR33]

pups are a personal preference. i won't tell you what to do there, but if you go 4 way use a neck pickup with a cover and make sure you un-ground the cover, then ground it with an extra wire.

if it will fit you can go 5 way super switch, and have a half phased position via a capacitor(this only works in parallel).

the nuts are a little high. well my corian one was a lot higher than my graphite one, needs some filing. the slots are perfect so maybe it's better to file off the back of the nut and reinstall it.

maybe a boat neck is vintageish?  :dontknow:  i myself don't like v necks.
the clapton and srv are based on fender necks that are worn out, and or sanded. and that's what the srv feels like. something that was poorly sanded, no disrespect to warmoth, i mean i didn't send it back. it is what it's supposed to be but i didn't find it comfortable. fat backs are great, i'm about to find out about the round back, and maybe a wolfgang would be more comfortable in my hands. if the drawings on the warmoth site are accurate it has a little more meat where i'd like it.

i like mint on a sunburst.

yes the lips on the bridge affect playability, but after playing mine a bit it became natural. i guess it's not totally in the way, just felt unnatural.

 

[dbw]

1)  :dontknow:
2) They're pre-cut but unless you use very thin strings you'll have to enlarge the slots a little.  Anyway there ARE slots.  As for how deep, that's a matter of taste.
3)  :dontknow:
4) White or parchment, or maybe white pearl or vintage pearl.  Personally I don't like mint very much.
5)  :dontknow:
6) Yes, I think it would be very useful.
7) I've played guitars with the "ashtray" bridges and they seemed annoying... but I'm sure one would get used to them.

 

[chuck7]

The corian nut on my recently received neck seems a little high, and the slots on my A, D, and G strings seem a little tight. 

 

[tfarny]

I think the precut nuts are good overall. I've got two graphite ones. I'm having to enlarge the top three slots a tad on my new one, but my first one is just perfect even though i'm using 11s. Mine haven't been high at all, in fact just perfect. Too low and you'll get everpresent buzz when you play open strings.

Question 1 I think depends on what specific 'fender vintage spec' you're talking about (not that I would know the answer anyhow!). I don't think there's just one "vintage spec".

 

[jackthehack]

1.  Which Warmoth neck contour is closest to Fender vintage specs?  I have 3 Warmoth regular slim profile necks which I really like, but I was thinking of going a little chunkier.

This is the "vintage" one, right? Depends on which vintage period you're trying to recreate, which is it? '50-55 - chunky D shape Boat or Fat back 56-57 - Clapton contour is as close as you'll get to the V shape 58 - '59 Roundback '59 or later Standard Thin

2.  Are the Warmoth pre-installed nuts usable, or do they take a lot of work?  I don't mind making adjustments, but I don't like filing a nut from scratch.  I'd rather slightly enlarge a pre-cut.  I really like the graph-tec pre cuts, but I may get a finished neck for the first time and was wondering how the corian warmoth nuts compared.

Either factory nut is fine, but corian rather than the graphite for "vintage"; precut slots work for .010 or lighter standard string sets, if you're using heavier strings or a set with fatter than regular lower strings you might have to do a little filing, nothing major

3.  I only have the warmoth "pros".  Should I try a Modern Vintage?  The pros are "harsher" sounding than my others (which I like, btw), but I don't want my tele to be too icepicky.

Actually Total Vintage for a "vintage" build...

4.  Which color pickguard on a sunburst tele?  I'm thinking black, but white seems to be the standard.  I also like mint.  Opinions?

White SINGLE PLY for '58 or older; white or mint for '59-mid/late '60s

5.  Pickups - I like vintage.  Any suggestions?  I love my Area 58s in my strat, so I was considering the Area Ts, but I may go true old school and enter some noise into the equation.  Rio Grande Tallboys?  Seems like the GFS may be a good choice - not a whole lot of Tech to tele pickups?

If you're doing a "vintage" Tele and trying to get the sound of one, the Fender Custom Shop "NoCaster" set is hard to beat

6.  Definitely 4 way switch - right???

Not on a vintage Tele; 3 way

7.  Bridge suggestions?  I only had one response to this in the hardware section.  Do the "lips" on the vintage bridge affect playability and that is why the new ones are flat?

Callaham if you can afford it; if I was seriously doing a "vintage" Tele, I'd shell out for their whole hardware kit, but it is pricey. Doesn't affect playability in any way. The "new" ones - assuming you are referring to the Gotohs are thicker/heavier and have individual more Strat style saddles. "Vintage" Tele should have a 3 saddle "ashtray" bridge.

 

[spauldingrules]

Thanks Jack - I'm not super into the vintage thing, I just played a couple of older ones and liked the necks as a change of pace from my standard thins.  I don't want to have to take the neck off to adjust the truss rod!  That's crazy in this day and age. :blob7:

My major concern was the playability and intonation of the vintage bridge with the lip around the edges.  I know the pickups are key to the sound, as well as the neck to a certain degree.  I was hoping for opinions as to the various vintage spec pickups.  I really just like weaker pickups and hate hot ones.

 

[Kostas]

I'm not into vintage guitars or vintage correct recreations either. Just let yourself free to choose what you want, not what Leo Fender would choose...

1. Choose the backshape that feels right in your hand.
2. I ordered the graphite for my strat, not much work needed.
3. Only Vintage Moderns/straight radius for me so far. My personal preference. Read here for more and decide yourself: http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=truss_rods
4. I'm not an expert on vintage guitars, I choose only what I like. With a... boring color like sunburst my first choice would be tortoise. Maybe Brown Shell, Anaconda.
5. Kinman, Van Zandt, Fralin, Duncan Antiquities.
6. Definitely 4 way switch.
7. The vintage tele bridges are not an option for me, the lips and my hands are not doing well together. I used this http://www.warmoth.com/hardware/bridges/bridges.cfm?fuseaction=bridges_standard_tele for my thinline and I like it.

 

[jackthehack]

Otay; I got the impression from this and I think another thread you started that you were going vintage, if not, forget the ashtray bridge; get the Gotoh std. Tele, heavier and individual saddles.

Check out the Fender Custom Shop NoCaster PU set; think they will sound like what you're looking for, and they're a bit less than some of the other "vintage" style PUs; hot-rodded a Tele for a friend last year, put a pretty Warmoth birdeye neck and a NoCaster set in for him; sound is pure vintage Tele, definitely NOT "hot", but sweet

 

[spauldingrules]

Well - I want the Vintage SOUND - I don't really care what the bridge LOOKS like!  Do the vintage brass saddles make a difference?

 

[DiMitriR33]

debatable. supposedly the bridge itself sounds diferent, vintage ashtray style is steel, and i believe the newer 6 saddle ones are brass. the steel ones apparently have some effect on the magnetic field according to seymour duncan.
and bill lawrence says brass, and other metals near the pickup cause eddy currents, from what i understand that cuts highs.
well all theory aside i like the sound of the modern six saddle tele's that i've heard. maybe an a/b comparison would show some difference but i think either one is satisfactory.