Help! What the smack is wrong with my tele?

[Tbone135]

I play humbuckers 99% of the time, but last night I dragged my old 80's MIK tele out for a practice. We're doing a new song that really needs the tele sound. I haven't played this guitar at all for a few years now and last night it was noisier than I remember and the lower notes sounded pretty dull with little sustain. It would also feedback like crazy when I hit the solo boost on my FD2 while still sounding dull. Other than the noise, the clean stuff sounds great on chord work.

I remember I put in some 52RI pups years ago, but I can't imagine I would have left the guitar like this. What is/are the likely problems here?

Thanks!

[Passenger84]

I'm not a guitar expert at all...but I know sometimes I'll get on a kick with my Les Paul and use it exclusively for a few months straight without really realizing it. Then I'll grab my strat and it'll sound terrible. And it's 'cause over the few months with my Les Paul, I've made little amp changes or bought new pedals and dialed them in with the Paul, and then any other guitar sounds horrible and/or feeds back or what not.

I don't know if this applies or not, but it's happened to me a few times. :)

[Tbone135]

I hear you on the whole different guitar syndrome, but there is definitely something wrong here. There is a buzz (not like a 60 cycle hum-probably grounding related), a real dull sound when really overdriven, and the feedback problem with that boost channel.

[syxxstring]

Maybe something funny with the tone circuit. Maybe grounding? Hard to tell with out opening it up and having a look.
If you show some gut shots I'm sure we can help you out.

[Tbone135]

Well, I resoldered the pickup grounds to the volume pot instead of the tone pot and seems to have helped a bit. The guitar still wimps out when I add distortion on top of the FD2. I'll take some pics of the interior tomorrow.

[larry1096]

Just a guess, but did you try hitting the jack and pots with some contact cleaner? Assuming there's no damage from the storage, I'd think 'corrosion' first.

Larry

[Bo Faulkner]

My strats sound really thin and noisy now that I have been plying my LP alot lately... you might need to get your pups repotted to cure the squeel

[daddyo]

Tele's are no good junk guitars. Vermin! Being the compassionate guy I am, I've started a shelter, a preserve of sorts, for unwanted, unloved Teles. I'll send you my mailing address and you can ship that critter to me.

[Mike9]

Haven't played it at all in several years?? Your strings are probably dead and it needs a setup. Might as well have someone go through it and shield it while they're at it.

[Structo]

You get used to humbuckers and plug a single coil in, happens every time.
You can pot the pups to cure the microphonics but to cure the hum you should try some noiseless pups like Kinman, Area's, etc.

[Tbone135]

Thanks y'all. I did change strings before I took it out this weekend. It performed pretty well. I did use a noise suppressor (as usual) and that was fine. Something is definitely up though. The boost channel of the FD2 sounds pitiful with it and it loves to feed back. There are 52 RI pickups in it, maybe it's time to put something beefier in there anyway.

I may use this as an opportunity to gut it, paint it, and put better stuff in it. Seafoam green or burnt orange, hmmmm........


Daddyo, just go stand by the mailbox for it. :)