What are your favourite Tele mods?

[Adam1578]

So far on my black american standard I've swapped knobs and switch tips, the pickguard a couple times (white then gold), and swapped out the bridge PU for a little 59 HB.
I rewired the switch to be 1. Neck 2. Bridge Split coil 3. Bridge HB

I also wanted to give it body contours but opted out of that task so that's why I got the offset tele which has them.

I was thinking of adding a middle Strat pickup at some point but we'll see.

Give me some inspiration, pics encouraged!

 

[Tritone]

Some ideas:

* Reverse the control plate
* Get a control plate with an angled slit for the switch so there's more space between it and the knob
* Bigsby! Both my Teles have Bigsbys and I love them
* Sand the back of the neck for a satin feel
* Put a Broadcaster pickup in the bridge, sounds markedly different than a 60's Tele pickup
* Firebird pickup in the neck position
* 4-position switch for series/parallel of both pickups
* Baritone conversion neck

 

[244300]

B String Bender

 

[earthmud]

Two humbucker and a chopped 3 saddle bridge.
4 way switch on single coils.

 

[doublescale1]

My homemade Nashville Tele mods - it began life as a nice Fender FSR Tele. Then came the SA EMG tele set and SA EMG Strat middle pickup w/normal Strat style 5-way pickup switch selector - first pot is trad vol., the 2nd pot is the EMG mid-boost and the dual-concentric domed chrome 3rd pot is a master Treb/Bass tone control. This Tele has a nice big fat V shaped neck, it's very comfortable to play and it easily covers an entire set list of songs. I generally just leave the back-up guitar in its stand when I bring this guitar to a gig.

 

[CloneTone]

I retro-modded my 2017 AM Pro Tele. It came with V-mod pickups, and the 3-ply pickguard that was prone to static electricity:

I added an Analogman/Fralin/Weider '52 Big-T pickup set, with a 5-way switch, and no load tone pot:

and a Fender Pure Vintage Bakelite 5-hole PG:

No more static pop, and it sounds incredible to my ears.

 

[Rossi163]

Remove the tone control from the neck PU

 

[TVvoodoo]

Reverse plate 4-way, can opened neck pickup

 

[Gclef]

I've only owned this one.

The only mods I did were to swap the 250k/.047 electronics to 500k/.022, and added a treble bleed.

It's oddities are:
Alder/spalt body
Mahogany/ebony neck
Harmonic design vintage+ pickups

It's a beast. I have no desire to pick up or bother with other teles

 

[Crunchtime]

Two humbuckers and a Strat headstock.

 

[JPF]

2-Tek bridge.

 

[kkroger]

Compensated Bridge saddles on a 3 barrel "Vintage" bridge...

I am leaning toward SD pickups these days...I like the Vintage Stack in the bridge and a Quarterpounder in the neck...

 

[MightyGuru]

I always flip the control plate so the pickup switch is in the rear (and flip the switch so the lead pickup is still at the rear position as well). I mostly play the middle and lead positions so it is easier for me to do that with this mod.

 

[Benz2112]

gotoh comped saddles
Mojotone 4-way solderless harness
Gemini Goldfoil and Suprocaster pickups.

 

[JohnnyRico]

My favorite Tele Mod is a reversed control plate with angled switch
made by Rutters, best Mod ever imo.

And I also love the Gotoh cut sides bridge

 

[Greg Johnson]

Switching to channel 2 on my Louis electric HD12.

 

[andrekp]

I never understand why someone who is actually convenient doesn’t market a modified Tele plate with the volume and tone a little bit closer (doesn’t need much) for extra clearance? I mean really. I don’t even understand why Fender hasn’t doe this as standard yet. You can buy every conceivable control plate config from blank to a bunch of holes for a bunch of pots, but not one that solves the one complaint that people have about the stock one.

This comes up every so often, and someone will link to some custom parts house in Belarus or something, but why can’t these things be as available, readily orderable, and cheap as all the zillion other Tele plates!?

 

[itstooloudMike]

One of the easiest is the 4-way switch mod. The most profound mod is to have a Glaser b-bender installed. It will change how you play, and open up new sounds that weren’t possible before.

 

[Binaural]

A 4-way switch and compensated saddles.

 

[GA20T]

electro-socket
Nocaster pickup set
intonate the brass barrels