I'm thinking of replacing the neck position single coil lipstick pickup in my Fender B-Bender with a mini-humbucker. I checked the Gibson site, one page indicated that they had re-issued the pickup, but I couldn't find the model on the page where they listed all the pickups.
Does anyone know if they still make this model and who sells them?
Thanks,
Jerry
Jerry,
I have mini HBs in fron of two of my Teles and they work great. One is from an early 60s Epi Coronet and the other from an early LP Deluxe, both on trade from folks who didn't want 'em. I love 'em; depending on my picking/technique I can get jazzy tones or good blues raunch or nice clean and it mates up well with the stock style bridge PUs, ie doesn't blow it away in output like a full size bucker (I've tried that too). A mini HB lets me go from sophisticate to red neck in a flick of the switch!
Gibson does still make them because I had a customer recently acquire one and bring it in for installation, in a Tele of course, and it is new in the box... I don't know where to get one. I would suggest contacting a high volume/experienced Gibson dealer. Gibson as a company can be tricky to deal with...
KBR seems to like the Allparts mini HB and speaks highly of them. Seymour Duncan also makes an Antiquity version with the pole pieces and a Firebird style one in his regular line.
Best wishes and have fun!
Phil
This one's an Armstrong and it's Perfect.
Hey Rob is that one of yourn? Wait till you guys see Robs work. Please post some more pics for the folks here from tine to time Rob.
That black tele looks very nice. I would really like to know when ever you have some for sale too.
Body is a standard Squier (I routed for neck and middle fullsize hummers, plus a lightening rout in the upper arm), 1pc neck is a custom from WD Music, bridge pup is a Lawrence L290TLE, 250k CTS pots (.022uf tone cap), CRL 3-way, custom WD MOTS pickguard. A fine li'l Tele ... now residing somewhere in Cali.
My latest "Tele" is a highly modded Kramer Classic ...
BEFORE
AFTER
... I am loving this guitar big-time. Here are the mods, so far -
* headstock reshaped to look more "Tele-like"
* PVC nut swapped for vintage cow bone
* frets leveled, crowned and polished
* body arm and tummy cuts ground in, clear coated
* body routed for neck and middle hummers, upper arm routed to lighten
* Kramer pickups replaced with a set of L280TL and L280TN Lawrence pickups
* pickguard drilled for neck pickup adjustment screws
* 500k pots replaced with a pair of CTS 250k pots, cheap 3-way switch replaced with a CRL 3-way, .047uf tone cap replaced with a .022uf cap
These Kramers are currently on sale for $200 and typically are $215/delivered - a real super bargain even if you don't mod at all. Very good quality, and with a little simple setup work and a set of new strings, you'll be twanging in style ... the stock bridge pup is pretty killer, too (both pup are well built and feature AlNiCo polepiece mags). Even the tuners are sealed Grover lockers!
Read my review of the stocker at UGF
leo fender was a genius and he didn't even play the guitar, thank god for george fullerton! ADMINISTRAITOR OF THE MESA/BOOGIE FORUM
Hey Jerry,
Guitar Heaven sells the Gibson mini-'bucker.
http://www.gtrheaven.com/pickups/gibson_pickups.htm
Check'em out...
-Butch
Last edited by Butch Snyder; 07-28-2002 at 07:28 PM.
Guys, thanks for the help. I notice it comes with a large pickup surround that contains the height adjustment screws. I wonder if I should cut the pickguard to the full size and use as is, or if I can remove the pickup from the surround and use the pickup (without the surround). I need to pull the pickguard off tonight, I might be lucky and find the area under the pickguard is routed out so I won't have to take any wood out.
Thanks again
Jerry
I have custom Tele pickguards created that'll allow the mini-hummers to hang off 'em, rather than use the pickup surrounds. Using just the pickguard looks neater and cleaner, IMO.
For any standard tele that uses a pickguard, I rout out the neck and middle pup positions with a humbucker cavity - this lightens the body up a bit (most Tele's could go on a diet, IMO), provides some nice unplugged sound chambering, and allows me the option of any kinda pickups on the pickguard. I use a 3/8" top bearing router bit and a plexi humbucker router template. A 1/2" wood chisel and a hammer would also do the job, but take lots longer and be a bit rougher ... however, the pickguard hides all the good and bad you do underneath it.
Hey stratNtele,
I went to your website and you have a bunch of really nice pieces there. As far as the customizations go, do you do your own finishing?
-Butch
Hi Butch,
Yes, my finishes are all Min Wax wipe on polyU, as I describe in the Rap menu section.
Thanks for the info. I'm getting ready to do my own Tele project and you have some very nice info there.
Thanx Butch! Go for it - all this stuff is easier than you think!
I did this mod in 1974 to a 1973 Tele I even went so far as to put another in the middle. Let me tell you I keep up with Les Pauls all day long. I took the pups apart and soldered nuts on the bottom of the mounting legs then cut the pick guard and had the pups coming up through and adjusting from the top.
I put a fullsized Duncan Antiquity humbucker in the neck slot of my Tele and it sounds great.
StratNTele,
I must say that your work is very impressive! Great stuff!
I'm glad we've got men like you to show us amateurs the way!
Aw, shucks ... thanx for yer nice comment dlmoreiii ... I do try my best and have as much fun as possible assembling guitars and speaker cabs.
Scott Lentz does some pretty nice work, as well!
Steve
Well Jerry, did you do it yet?
I'm thinking of doing the same thing.
-Butch:bigal
Last edited by Butch Snyder; 08-20-2002 at 12:40 PM.
Hey Butch, I put the pickup in a G&L semi-hollow (rather than the B Bender). I figured since the G&L was hollow it would get a better jazz sound than the B-Bender and the min-humbucker would be a good fit . Also the G&L has a large route under the pickguard so no routing would be needed (I can't remember if the B Bender had that routing or not). I like the change, it gives a nice mellow sound and in combination with the bridge pickup it gives a nice note for Chet Atkins style stuff.
Someday I might put one on the B Bender and try to do a Brent Mason type deal with 3 pickups and 3 knobs. He's got a mini himbucker in his tele and gets a real cool George Benson sound out of it.
Jerry
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