Why own two NOS Nocasters

[digthosetubes]

Was able to acquire two new Custom Shop Time Machine '51 NOS Nocasters with COAs brand new for $1600 each, including tax, etc. Both look good sound beautiful and play great. One has a slight edge, perhaps in terms of "mojo." And yet the other one has its own nice vibe.

Have been lusting so long for a "vintage" Tele that I'm thinking of keeping both guitars. They just sound so good with my old Ampeg Gemini II and '68 Princeton Reverb.

Both necks are large -- THICK. But since learning on classical guitars as a youth, these Fender necks don't seem large at all, but rather comfortable. The round fretboard and smaller fret wire seems just fine. In fact, after playing these new vintage necks, the modern Strat C profile seems TOO small and looks structurally and tonally unsound.

So here's the question. Keep both Nocasters? Money is dear to me. I'm no lawyer. But supose I changed the wiring in one to a four-way selector with tone controls (vs. the supplied blend and dark curcuit, which I like) and thicker strings and a different bridge pickup angle -- and end up with sorta two "different" guitars to play. Just seems like the price and quality here are too good to pass on. Maybe the price isn't that good. You are the experts. I would like some ideas, opinions, and thoughts. Keep them both? And if so, how could I mod one to get a different playing experience. But no destructive mods. Want to have the option of selling either one.

 

[Rotten]

I love having two of the same guitar. They will always be slightly different and picking up your second favorite now and then keeps things fresh. Also, if you are a tinkerer having two teles that you know really well helps in comparing pickups. Twenty years from now, you will be glad that you kept them. They may not be collectors, but they will seem comparatively cheap.

I still think guitars are cheap. Ask a concert violinist what they payed for their axe and you will know what I mean. You just have to make the right choices. Instead of buying a new car get one with 20,000 on it. You will have saved enough for several really nice guitars and the car will likely last just as long.

 

[FloridaSam]

I would put a CC pickup in one, like this one, and be the happiest man in Tele Town.

 

[scottlr]

Yea, I was gonna say to convert one to Hot Rod with a mini hummer in the neck, but a CC would be along the same thoughts. Another thought is that if one becomes your main, you have a very similar backup guitar for string breaks, etc. I have no problems owning 2 identical guitars. I have 4 Strats, though they are all a little different. And if ever money is tight, you can always sell one then.

 

[jeremym19]

I would convert one to an esquire (and keep the other one)

 

[Johnnytone]

I would convert one to an esquire (and keep the other one)

yup

 

[XKnight]

I'd keep one is pristine condition in the hope that it increases in value and I'd play the hell out of the other one.

 

[snarkle]

I would put a CC pickup in one, like this one, and be the happiest man in Tele Town.

Damn! Now I need another Nocaster!

 

[tonedaddy]

I would convert one to an esquire (and keep the other one)

+2
:AOK

 

[gkoelling]

I would convert one to an esquire (and keep the other one)

+3...

 

[blues]

I would convert one to an esquire (and keep the other one)

Im with jeremy19 on this one.Play them, Try a Budz bridge pup if you turn one into a esquire. You can one that is pretty hot,they have a p-90 sting to them.They kill. Then you will have enough variation in tone. I have a tele and a esquire. I use the esquire for slide. I have the pup wired direct to the volume pot. The tone and pup switch are not hooked up. I have steel saddles on it also. Easy to change back if you want.

 

[Member 995]

I was tempted to get a second Nocaster and have the neck position routed for a humbucker. There were cheap enough when GC was closing them out that it made me think very hard about doing that. Then I started thinking about having it refretted with larger frets and the project just became too expensive.

Bryan

 

[JimmyR]

Put steel saddles on one. Makes more difference than the average pickup change and I personally love 'em. Then you have two equally good but different tones for not much outlay.

 

[Jerrod]

Esquire or CC in the neck.

 

[duckbunny]

+ whatever on the Esquire mod

Also, swap out the stock pickup for one wound to a twangy, 60s, Don Rich-type of sound & wire it as a true Esquire...for a bit of variety!



-db

 

[digthosetubes]

Can you tell me more about how to do a good Esquire Mod?

What's involved?
What materials are needed?
How will the sound differ from the Nocaster?

 

[wgs1230]

Can you tell me more about how to do a good Esquire Mod?

http://www.tdpri.com/wiringESQUIRE.htm

How will it differ? Aside from the obvious changes to the wiring itself, there's an argument to be made that removing the neck pickup reduces magnetic drag and thereby unlocks natural sustain.

Three more thoughts on "identical" guitars:
DADGAD
DGDGBD
F#A#C#F#A#F# (Curtis Mayfield tuning)

 

[Phil M]

So here's the question. Keep both Nocasters? Money is dear to me.

Sell one. You will eventually come to this conclusion on your own, despite any advice on mods. They're not even different colors.

 

[bastet]

I have two CS Les Pauls. One is for playing out. The other with the edge is the trailer queen.

Keep Both!!

 

[bluesjuke]

I almost jumped on one of those even though I had got one not long before GC di deal.

Now I'm going to get another anyway.

I would perhaps do the Esquire thing on the second one too.,