Help me understand Esquires

[fender23]

I didn't see a good discussion of this previously, so please bear with me if this is old news. I've seen Fender Esquires, don't know squat about them. They appear to look like a one-pick up Telecaster, but I'm sure there is way more to it. Are certain years considered more desirable than others? How about MIJ, are they wood and finish equal to the MIA guitars, like we find with the Strats? What pickup comes in them? Do people mod them much if any? Sorry, I don't know what to look at or whether I would enjoy one.

[Power_13]

The pickup is just a standard Telecaster bridge pickup. There's a lot of history behind them, but basically the Esquire was a student/budget model. It was possible to add the extra neck pickup, of course...the Esquire bodies were cut by the same template as the Telecasters, to save time. I guess the extra neck pickup could be considered a mod :)

I'm guessing the most desirable years would follow the Telecaster's. If I may sidetrack for a while, I'd love to find a 1969 Esquire with the CBS logo!

The Japanese ones were made in the late 80s/early 90s. There's a 50s style model, which I think is based on a '54, with ash body, maple neck and white pickguard....then there's a 60s model with rosewood board and sunburst finish. I *think* it has binding too. The funny thing I've noticed with the Japanese models is that the "ESQUIRE" lettering is thicker than the original. These, along with the other early Japanese Fenders, are quite well thought of :)

[Offshore Angler]

As one of the confirmed Esquire dudes here I'll give you my thoughts. If you are a hobbiest and never play live, you'd be way ahead with a Telecaster. An Esquire has a three-way switch. The middle position is pretty much the same as a std Tele bridge. The front is a pre-set rolled off tone, and the back position - the magic of an Esquire- is pup and volume only, no tone control. Esquires require a few things to play:

A great amp. Generally of the Fender persauson with a nice broken-in speaker that breaks up at resonable volume.

A live setting, or at least playing miked in a studio., Ripping out at stage volume an Esquire is one of the pure joys of playing guitar. It handles like a F1 car. It cuts through like magic.

You need to learn to use the volume knob to control drive, and how to use the tone knob. If you're a set everything to wide open and hit as tompbox for a volume boost for solos type of player, you'll feel handicapped with an Esquire.

There's been a lot written about the neck pickup's improper placement on a Tele and how it detracts from the guitar, but honestly, my Tele is wired such that I can remove the tone circuit from the bridge pup setting and it does just as well as my Esquire.

The real thrill of an Esquire is when you play one all night and realize you can play everything with one pup you can with two. Without the futzing around with pickups, you only have one thing to do - play - and that makes it much more fun.

Esquires need volume to work right. At home at hobbiest levels they can be a pain. But crank that Deluxe up to about 4 or 5 and let 'er rip and it becomes about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. The only thing an Esquire will never be is mellow. It's raw and in-your-face. If you like that boingy SRV stuff it's the wrong axe. If you like Albert Collins, Will Ray, or Roy Buchanon tones the Esquire is the hot ticket. Or an ASAT Special. Both are weapons of mass destruction in the proper hands.

[Offshore Angler]

Fezz, That's what I'm talkin' about!

I was feeling a little dazed and confused after hearing that. :)

Was that with EL's? Sounded a bit british there.

[Offshore Angler]

BTW, try a listen to "Cheese and Chicken". My Esquire and a DRRI, clean, a modded TS9, and a RAT.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandID=403392

[brudr]

I would agree with all that Offshore said about the Esquire. I would say about the same thing for LP Jr's. Check out some Kid Ramos recordings. He get's some incredible reverb drenched jump blues tones from an Esquire. The Live Thunderbirds's DVD shows it close-up and personal.

[Offshore Angler]

Cool fezz, killer bite on that sucker.

[Offshore Angler]

I understand completely!

[Offshore Angler]

Did ya check my the link? That Jerry Donahue pup screams babay! It's like a superchrged Antiquity.

[Offshore Angler]

It screams like crazy now!

I can dig it! We have fun for a couple of old farts, eh?

[The Nazz Are Blue]

woooaah I love those tracks. Flippin' amazing! Didn't know an Esquire had that kinda stuff in it.

Granted, you guys are making me want one of those again... guess I'd better start savin' up, huh.
That's what I get for hanging around here. :rolleyes:

[Jonnda]

BTW, try a listen to "Cheese and Chicken". My Esquire and a DRRI, clean, a modded TS9, and a RAT.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandID=403392

I like floyd the trippy barber, what axe did you use?

[brudr]

Did ya check my the link? That Jerry Donahue pup screams babay! It's like a superchrged Antiquity.

YES IT DOES! I think the JD would make a great pickup in an Esquire type axe. I paired one with a Phatcat in the neck of a Tele and I can say that it is a lethal combination.

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL514.../116939024.jpg

[EJG]

Just listened to Red Letter Blues and Cheese and Chicken.... you guys are AMAZING!!

I'm WAY outa my league in this place....

Thanks for sharing those and making me want to practice more!

[JAM]

Fezz and OSA, just had a listen to your respective tracks. Great playing and tone. I've been playing my Tele more with my new 'toy', and finding some great sounds.

[Offshore Angler]

Thanks guys. Agreed on the dumbasses! Everybody has something to contribute musically!

For info on the Floyd deal check out the Jam Zone.

[EJG]

Cool.. TFF really is a special place! One day, I hope to good enopugh to contribute something in the Jam Zone.

[Wilko]

I made a floydian jam that is across the hall. I'll bring it here too.

[JAM]

Thanks for the nice words, EJG & JAM.

And we only have one league here. "The Sland Of Our Youth" League, complete with phtots. In other words, we're a buncha dumbasses.:hee

JAM, is that the Vox you just got? Those things are cool. I still have to find time to drive to Pomona so you can hear this thing in person...

Yeah Fezz, the Vox. I was playing the tweed 4x10 sound with the Tele. I had become more absorbed in the sound and when I looked at the guitar had the Tele on the bridge pup with both the volume and tone controls somewhat rolled off. Surprised myself, since for many years my main ax was a 335 (through a SR) with both tone and volume controls close to full 'on'. I guess it's still not too late for this

[refin]

Fezz and Offshore,
I know this may be an old thread,but I'm cruising looking for Esquire references to wire my project (I started a thread on this one).I just listened to your cuts with your Esquires---mucho musical!
I've always been a fan of Lester Jrs.....if you have a good amp,a proper cap,and a little touch,you can do wonders with one pup,and Esquires are no exception.On my soundclick page I have one cut with my MIM tele that was "Esquired" for awhile,called "Lost In Space."This is why I'm building another one for giggles out of leftover parts.I know that there have been some good mods posted here for Esquires that are different than stock,and that's what I'm searching---sure glad I found your cuts,very nice and inspiring!:yay

[chuckocaster]

refin, stay posted on the esquire. i have something i'm going to work on...i posted about it a little while ago, but i'll hopefully get to it this upcoming week. i'm going to attempt to get the "combo" sound on an esquire. should be a fun project.

[Offshore Angler]

refin,

As far as the bridge position, the wiring is what it is.

But I use:


250K pots
2.2k resisitors instead of 4.7k per the original
use standard Fender 250 caps. My pups are a little overwound so I took that into consideration with the resistor value. I like a broad sweep on the tone control, and really, the rythym position is pretty useless anyway. If I do another one I'll just find the sweet spot on the tone and measure it and then make the third position have that sound all the time.

[Falstaff]

I agree...with one exception: I am not playing out at the moment but still love my Esquire (and LP Junior, too). It's just great to have a guitar that has a nice variety of tones from twiddling the knobs.

I used it in a jam on here and IIRC one member commented that he liked the way I used the different pickups. That made me feel good. :)

Now I shall listen to those clips.

[IPLAYLOUD]

OA:
What the HELL is up with Floyd the Trippy Barber?
Sounds like the "B" side to the Isley's "Who's that Lady"!!!

(I LIKE it!!)

[frank thomson]

chuck and fezz....real nice playing ....i liked the Preachin stuff, chuck...and fezz in the RLB's i thought i heard a little Achilles last stand, no?... sweet, sweet stuff. You guys should get paid for doing this. LOL.

[Offshore Angler]

LOL! I forgot about the Preaching track. I waws feeling kindof Curtis Mayfield that night. As far as Floyd, that water sound is a patch I've been working with for a while. I made it up for a song I wrote a couple years back, and just found it in the library and decided to have some fun.

You might like this one with Esquire, I was going for the late night, chairs going up on the tables vibe. This is what happens when I run out of ideas - I steal 'em!

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/song...songID=3773823

[frank thomson]

'..This is what happens when I run out of ideas - I steal 'em!'

i like it...great vibe!

[frank thomson]

AND 'stealin ideas'????

brother, old saying; there's nothing new under the sun.

[Dr Fene]

Loved that 'red letter blues'


heres my Esquire

[frank thomson]

wow, nice
what color is that?

[refin]

I have 2 songs on my Soundclick page using "Esquired" teles----the first one is "Moore Or Less" and the other one is "Refin Lost In Space".On the first one,I kept the middle position with the tone rolled back till 2:32---then I hit position 3 with no tone pot.These tunes have slight to mucho overdrive,gotta do a country tune soon!
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandID=330460

[Dr Fene]

wow, nice
what color is that?

Its a custom shop Frank and (I think) its teal green metalic.

[Rickenjangle]

Fezz, the tone on RLB is huuuuuge! Sounds great!

OSA, lookin' forward to hearin' the Esq. tomorrow...ya bringin' her along?

[Offshore Angler]

Sure, I'll play it. I might even pull out the Phantom too.

[blackonblack]

Fezz

Curious, what pup and cap values are you using for RLB?

[blackonblack]

Many thanks Fezz. I am thinking of starting an Esquire project and was curious.

[tommyj66]

Fezz, OA and refin you guys jam.....
Heres what I know about esquiers....
In 1950 the single-p'up esquire had been announced as
fender's first electric spanish guitar.
But after the company decided to launch the dual p'up
Broadcaster/Telecaster instead,the esquire's debut was
delayed until the following year.
It has a simplified version of the tele tone circuitry,
with a three position switch that can provide a preset bassy sound,
and allow the instruments rotary tone control to be used or bypassed.
The esquire continued in production until 1970.

[axecollector]

I've owned a '67 Esquire for almost twenty years. Got a great deal on it, because the original owner was too cheap to buy a Tele, so he added a neck p/u and scraped the "Esquire" logo off the headstock so nobody would know the difference!

Has been thru many changes (and colors) over the years, but I still love it. Here are a couple pics:

http://www.axecollector.com/212239.html