Tele Deluxe Ideas

[paulmurphy]

Hey all.  I've been admiring the Tele Deluxe since the reissue came out. Particularly this vintage model:

http://sparklejet.typepad.com/exuberance/images/2004.09.Telecaster.Deluxe.jpg

I was thinking of what I would do with full creative control.  Here are a couple ideas I came up with.  Please me know what you think!

 

[DangerousR6]

 

[m4rk0]

I am still in love with Jack's Tele Black and Gold Deluxe!

 

[Nando Vallart]

N°2 but with vintage style tuners...

 

[Graffiti62]

I would personally take #1, but I'd have the body finished in the same stuff that Warmoth uses to do up the vintage necks. Also, if you decide to use Fender Wide Range HB pickups, spend the bread and get the originals. From what I've read, the re-issues aren't built anywhere near Seth Lover's wide-range design. Basically, what the reissues consist of is nothing more than standard pickups with the adjustable pole pieces like the originals had.

 

[paulmurphy]

Yeah I've heard something similar also.  I hear that the reissue model comes with 250k pots, which most people replace with 500s, and find it to be a much improved sound.  Any idea how much the originals go for... or where I might find some?

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

Loose the Pick guard Doug, it looks nasty

 

[-CB-]

I like that black one~

But, take the chrome hardware, make it gold.  Take the white binding and make it creme.  Keep the moto inlays just as they are.  Creme bind the neck...  and hotdamn!

 

[dbw]

I like #2.  Get white binding on the neck.  (I know Kisekae can't do it but Warmoth can )

I'd also get PAFs rather than the goofy Fender HBs.  Good luck  :rock-on:

 

[DangerousR6]

Loose the Pick guard Doug, it looks nasty

Nah, then it wouldn't be a Deluxe....Well it's more of a Heavy Metal Deluxe.... :headbang1:

 

[Telenator]

Also, if you decide to use Fender Wide Range HB pickups, spend the bread and get the originals. From what I've read, the re-issues aren't built anywhere near Seth Lover's wide-range design. Basically, what the reissues consist of is nothing more than standard pickups with the adjustable pole pieces like the originals had.

If I may comment on this, (I hope I'm not being inappropriate here), there is an alternative available now in Wide Range Humbuckers. My guitar tech and I have spent the past 8 months developing a retro-fit for the Fender MIM pickups that so far, everyone has said "nails the tone of the original WRHB from the 70's."

This process involves a person sending us their MIM re-issue pickup which gets dismantled and re-built with hand machined delrin bobbins, hand wound coils, and alnico V magnets that are ground and slotted to look like screw heads. They are NOT adjustable, but they look like the real deal and the sound is very balanced.........................and they cost less than an original 70's pickup. One other key point is, they look brand new!

Here's a couple photos.

We have just shipped the first 9 orders and reviews should start showing up shortly at www.tdpri.com

Here's one guy's comments: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/just-pickups/133167-telenator-wrhp.html

Again, I apologize if this post is in any way out of line.

If anyone has any questions that might not be suitable for this thread, please contact me privately.

 

[jackthehack]

I like that black one~

But, take the chrome hardware, make it gold.  Take the white binding and make it creme.  Keep the moto inlays just as they are.  Creme bind the neck...  and hotdamn!

+1, but take it all the way; cream binding on neck and body, same block inlays, but rear route it and all gold hardware/cream pu rings, make it into a Telecaster "Black Beauty"

 

[paulmurphy]

I tried it with gold, wow.  Also, telenator, those are pretty sharp.  Any chance you could do a recording comparing the originals to the reissues to your creations?

 

[Graffiti62]

Also, if you decide to use Fender Wide Range HB pickups, spend the bread and get the originals. From what I've read, the re-issues aren't built anywhere near Seth Lover's wide-range design. Basically, what the reissues consist of is nothing more than standard pickups with the adjustable pole pieces like the originals had.

If I may comment on this, (I hope I'm not being inappropriate here), there is an alternative available now in Wide Range Humbuckers. My guitar tech and I have spent the past 8 months developing a retro-fit for the Fender MIM pickups that so far, everyone has said "nails the tone of the original WRHB from the 70's."

This process involves a person sending us their MIM re-issue pickup which gets dismantled and re-built with hand machined delrin bobbins, hand wound coils, and alnico V magnets that are ground and slotted to look like screw heads. They are NOT adjustable, but they look like the real deal and the sound is very balanced.........................and they cost less than an original 70's pickup. One other key point is, they look brand new!

Here's a couple photos.

We have just shipped the first 9 orders and reviews should start showing up shortly at www.tdpri.com

Here's one guy's comments: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/just-pickups/133167-telenator-wrhp.html

Again, I apologize if this post is in any way out of line.

If anyone has any questions that might not be suitable for this thread, please contact me privately.

I'm not trying to bash at all--I think its great that someone has come closer to the sound than in the past. The only question I have is this:  is it possible to get the magnets in cunife instead of alnico?  The reason I'm asking is becaus cunife was Seth's idea to use in order to give the guitar a more "Fender" sound to it.

I honestly feel that if the code were cracked by someone who could mass produce them, that the Wide Range could offer a really nice authentic alternative to someone who doesn't want the same sound as everybody else, so to speak.

 

[Telenator]

Please don't slag my playing in the following clips. I get "red light fever" when I know I'm being recorded and often choke, especially when I'm not prepared.

Here's a few sound clips of the retro-fit neck pickup: http://home.comcast.net/~nicholas.caruso/Docs/WRHB.htm

I understand your skepticism. Further research into the past reveals that Seth Lover actually wanted to use alnico v for the Wide Range Humbucker in the first place. Although this pickup is somewhat shrouded in mystery, the truth is that CuNiFe was used for the sole purpose that it can be machined. Not for any tonal reasons. Other magnet materials crumble or shatter when you try to machine them.

CuNiFe is a fairly weak magnet material having a gauss of about 18. The key to matching the original tone with alnico v magnets (25 gauss) was to cut them really short thereby reducing the magnetic field and having it mimic the reduced field creatyed by the CuNiFe magnets. It works!

I know that I'm just one guy here making a claim of tonal parity with the original but you have to consider that 8 months of research and experimentation went into this design as it was developed and continually matched against several other original Teles from the 70's. This is indeed a viable replacement option for those wanting the sound of the original.

It's easy to make claims, and it's even easier to doubt something you've never heard. A little faith goes a long way and the reward is "awesome tone!" One of the owners of an original 70's Tele said, "if someone doesn't like these retro-fit pickups, they just don't like the sound of the wide range humbucker. You guys have matched the tone of my original guitar and I just can't believe it!" (he was happy)

There is now a viable alternative for those wanting the great sound of a 70's WRHB in their new project guitar.

 

[nathan a]

In those sound clips, I'm almost getting a P90 vibe, mostly on the treble strings. Anybody else hear that?

 

[Telenator]

You could say that. The low end is rounder and tighter than a P90 though. I set the amp dead neutral to be as fair as possible in the sound clips. I could have EQ'ed the amp and recording to bring out the absolute best tone of the pickup but I didn't think that would best suit anyone. When you do hear an actual 70's Tele recording, you are hearing it EQ'ed to soun d it's best. Sound clips are a funny thing in that so much can change from my room to your room. I was hoping to be able to play an actual 70's Tele side by side with mine for the sound clips so people could hear the incredible similarity. Of course, then some people would chime in with things like, "that doesn't sound like any 70's Tele I ever heard" or "those two guitars might sound alike but neither one sounds like a real 70's Tele." Such is the danger of sound clips. Anyway, I feel that the key here is to listen to clip for the pickups actual "voice" and not so much for the recording quality. To anyone very familiar with original WRHB's, I feel that the character in the sound clips is clearly authentic in tone.

 

[willyk]

I like Jacks idea about the Black Beauty  (But I usually hate black guitars  :icon_scratch

 

[kreig]

" I get "red light fever" when I know I'm being recorded and often choke" ... from Telenator

WOW... I have suffered this for years - I thought I was the only one ! ! ! It's even a phobia to me. More than stage fright.

anyother time, people say I'm the sh*t.  ( I know there is a million better guitarists than me out there, there always will be ! )

 

[Nando Vallart]

"red light fever"

Don't go to Amsterdam  :laughing7:  :icon_jokercolor:

:icon_biggrin: