Replacing pickups in a RI '72 Tele Thinline...

[brad347]

Hey all. New to the forum. I'm helping a friend replace the pickups in his reissue 72 tele thinline (with the humbuckers). He already bought the pickups and stuff... and he got standard sized humbuckers, I think from Seymour Duncan... he should've asked me first.

Anyway, he really wants to use these pickups, and I know the holes in the pickguard that accomodate those huge Fender humbuckers are going to be way too big.

What are some suggestions for things I can do, short of telling him to get a custom-made pickguard...

I think looks will be secondary on this one so any ideas of anything that will make it functional and will look acceptable (not sloppy) but it doesn't have to be pretty or look 'stock.'

Thanks in advance.

[tonezoneonline]

Maybe he should have asked me first:-)
The Seymour Duncan humbuckers and the Fenders should fit the same opening.The size of humbuckers is pretty standard.

[brad347]

are you sure? Those Fender humbuckers are enormous. They are not a standard humbucker. They look like this:

http://www.eddiesguitars.com/DSCN6165.JPG

[brad347]

yeah but this kid is on a budget and i'm trying to find a way around a new PG. Anyone ever try sanding down some old leftover Gibson mounting rings to make them flat and very short...?

[tonezoneonline]

Yeah.I forgot about the thinline pickups.I shouldn't have because I used to own an original.WD Music Products is the cheapest place I have found for new pick gaurds.

[brad347]

tonezoneonline, do you recall if your Fender humbuckers had about the same footprint as a Gibson humbucker in its mounting ring/bezel? This is the idea du jour.

[tonezoneonline]

I couldn't honestly tell you but here are the dimensions of a mounting ring

1 3/4" X 3 1/2"

[Old Tele man]

...contact me (pm or e-mail), I have scanned image of original '71 CBS/Fender "installation drawing" for these pickups with dimensions that I can send you.

[brad347]

got your email... from the measurements it looks like my scheme might work...

will report back.

[Lammy]

Would love to see how your project works out!

[JimiB]

Whats he gonna do with the pickups he takes out?

[brad347]

haven't asked! keep them? ebay them? Don't know.

I'm doing other mods on the guitar too... really he should get a new pickguard but he says the thought of a modded-looking "frankenstein" guitar appeals to him, so that he will get.

[Old Tele man]

...if he does decide to sell them, he'll certainly make two Tele-players VERY happy (neck and bridge pickups are identical)!

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eelmccaul/GTRS/elm_68tele2.jpg

[Rhomco]

This may be too late for this job but, here is what I used in this situation. I bought a pair of flat chrome humbucker mounting plates from guitarfetish.com ($8.95) and simply mounted a regular sized humbucker centered over the fender wide range pickup cut out. It just does cover up all the old holes and looks fantastic.
Rob