Friggin' Telecasters...

[Cogs]

The only ones I've owned have had either a humbucker in the neck, or a Strat p'up. I don't know jack about what is supposed to go in there, & I'm in the middle of a Tele clone. This is a USACG body & a neck from a Jerry Donahue Sig:

I've been looking at different Tele configurations & have noticed that some have adjustable screws on either side of the neck p'up, & some don't. The ones that don't: How are thery adjusted, & how are they attached? I need to decide which way to go before before I break down & just route this sucker for a PAF style p'up.

[Wilko]

Leave it as an Esquire!

[DanTheBluesMan]

just wire it directly to the jack cup. you don't need no steeking pots or caps.

[Cogs]

No, I like the round sound of a neck pickup so I gotta go there. I just don't know how right now.

[Billy Porter]

The're mounted directly to the body with a screw and spring (or rubber thingy). You can remove the scratchplate without taking the strings off to adjust pickup height as ther's nothing attached to it

This is my 62RI MIJ Tele custom with Custom shop Texas specials - great pickups

[Skip]

PAF in the neck (Seth Lover or Fralin so I think) would be nice and a broadcaster in the bridge...but allot of configurations will be great. It is looking good with the brass saddles and all.

[Kap'n]

I really like the CS Texas Special or Twisted Tele in the neck pos.

[curtisstetka]

Second the Twisted Tele. It's a great pickup - stock on the Baja Tele and many custom shop offerings.

[Cogs]

So the Twisted Tele fits into a standard Tele route? With or w/out the adjusting screws on the pickguard? Or does it go either way?

[Kap'n]

Both of the pickups I mentioned mount to the body (old school) vs. mounting to the pickguard American-Standard style.

Shoot me a note.

[curtisstetka]

Mounting the neck pickup directly to the body is a certain look but it's not practical if you want to experiment with the height adjustment. You'd have to remove the pickguard every time to adjust the height.

[Kap'n]

Mounting the neck pickup directly to the body is a certain look but it's not practical if you want to experiment with the height adjustment. You'd have to remove the pickguard every time to adjust the height.

Sure, but how often do you really tweak it? You can dial it in without the pickguard, and put it on when you're done.

It's only 5 screws anyway.

[FrankJohnson]

Twisted Tele Pup is THE SHEE-ZITTLE!!!!

[Gravity Jim]

Sure, but how often do you really tweak it? You can dial it in without the pickguard, and put it on when you're done.

It's only 5 screws anyway.

My thoughts as well. How long does it take to get the pickup dialed? If you were doing pickup adjustments on the fly at a gig, I could see this being a problem, but otherwise, not so much.

[Don]

I've done that at a rehearsal. When I first put the neck pickup in my T-Style I left the pickguard off for weeks!

[curtisstetka]

I guess it's an issue only to some folks.

I personally had my Tele set up with the neck pickup mounted to the body (no pickguard adjustment). After a while, I just drilled some holes and mounted it through the pickguard. It took me a while to find the right spot for it and meanwhile I didn't feel like taking the pickguard on and off.

Adjusting the pickup height during a gig would be pretty much the definition of compulsive.

[Gravity Jim]

Adjusting the pickup height during a gig would be pretty much the definition of compulsive.

They say Eric Johnson does it all the time.

[Wilko]

I'm reading Keith Richards' Autobiography and he describes moving his Dearmond pickup all the time during songs/gigs and how it wreaked havoc on the wiring.

[Don]

Another option is to mount the pickup to the body and drill holes large enough for a small screwdriver in the guard above the pickup mounting screws so you can adjust on the fly yet still have a body mounted pickup!

[Wilko]

My '73 has a guard with holes (second from left). The pickups is body mounted and I can adjust it from the outside with thin screwdriver.

[refin]

My '73 has a guard with holes (second from left). The pickups is body mounted and I can adjust it from the outside with thin screwdriver.

Nice family,Sir Wilko!