Turn my Tele into a Les Paul

[myaudiodna]

Ok so here's my dilema, I absolute love my les paul. I've been a les paul player since I started playing and no matter what other guitars I played, I always came back to my good old LP. But this morning I picked up my tele, and it just felt perfect in my hands. I just cannot get over how good the feel on my tele is, but ever time I play it I miss the growl I get from my LP. Anyone have any advice on making my tele sound more like an LP? I know it will never be exactly the same, I'm just looking to get into the ballpark.

My first thought was to replace the bridge pup with a Gibson 57 Classic Plus, which is what is in the bridge of my LP, would this get me pretty close?

 

[Retreads]

I think you end up doing both pickups (the Gibson 57 will drown your neck anyway), but start with the bridge.

Other option is to get some higher output single coils. I'm assuming you crank up some distortion, yes?

 

[MichaelSaulnier]

Scale length, wood used, neck connection to body, bridge, volume and tone controls... all are going to be different between your Tele and LP.

You can put one or two humbuckers in a Tele, people have done this for a long time... but it's not going to make it into a LP.

But, who knows, you might like the sound of humbuckers in a Tele for what it is.

Good luck experimenting!

M

 

[Tidewater Custom Shop]

Check this TGP thread. Lotsa ideas in pics and verbiage...

 

[Tommy Biggs]

I'd try a SD lil 59 first - I think that'll fit without routing for a HB and replacing the Bridge.
Then, go with a fatter distortion/OD, and roll the Tele Tone control back a bit.

It will never have that Mahogany fatness - but can make a damn fine rock machine.

 

[Olds442]

overcoming the scale length difference is going to be the toughest thing. IMO.

 

[rickcard71]

It's called a DGT.

 

[huw]

Plug the Tele into a ToneBender, run that into a Supro amp, and thirty uears later people will still think it sounds like a Les Paul...