Hidden Tele Neck Pickup?

[isaac]

Yea, The partscaster I have is allparts, it also has the same 5hole plastic pickguard, and it has a fender logo on top, which I think the owner before the owner I bought it from did. But oh well. It's pretty nice, but I'm trying to trade it for something better. I wish I could buy a sheet of bakelite for not too much, as I'd cut out my own pickguard. I'd also like to buy a sheet of carbon fiber, and use that for a pickguard. I always wanted to do that, but before my personal tele (not the above partscaster), I had and still have, my strat, and I wanted to have white there, so carbon would be pointless as You wouldn't see the grain of it.

[big_teee]

Yea, The partscaster I have is allparts, it also has the same 5hole plastic pickguard, and it has a fender logo on top, which I think the owner before the owner I bought it from did. But oh well. It's pretty nice, but I'm trying to trade it for something better. I wish I could buy a sheet of bakelite for not too much, as I'd cut out my own pickguard. I'd also like to buy a sheet of carbon fiber, and use that for a pickguard. I always wanted to do that, but before my personal tele (not the above partscaster), I had and still have, my strat, and I wanted to have white there, so carbon would be pointless as You wouldn't see the grain of it.

You might try talking to Warmoth, they may be able to make you one, like you want.
They are pretty reasonable for custom Stuff.
Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts - Tele Pickguard
T
** WD also makes custom stuff.
http://www.wdmusic.com/

[isaac]

I'll see what I can get some other time, in the meantime, sorry I hijacked your thread...

[big_teee]

I'll see what I can get some other time, in the meantime, sorry I hijacked your thread...

No problem.
Glad to talk Pickguards anytime!
T

[big_teee]

My friend Allen and I have been beating this over quite a bit.
I'm going to try the under the cover pickups like the video showed.
The neck P/U is going to be made with home drilled Flatwork, the size of Strat flatwork, but to the narrower tele neck pole spacing.
The Middle will be regular Strat flatwork.
Probably use either .710, or the .788" A5s, depending on what I have on hand.
Like Rob said, flush on top with leftover magnet sticking out the bottom.
Jam the pickups up against the Pickguard.
May test in my strat first, until I get the guitar.
Anyone got any ideas what the DCR should be on the neck and middle pickups?
I normally use HPN on neck and middle pickups, but I think I will go with the 42 SPN on these?
Anyone got anymore ideas, or suggestions?
T

[JoeM]

Well, here's another dumb thought! How thick is the PG? I was just thinking, to get the pickup as close as possible to the strings, could you route (or maybe even drill) from the back side, but just leave a minimal amount of material where the pickup sit up against it? I guess not enough to really make a difference.

[big_teee]

The PG is according to warmoth either .06, .09 inches.
Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts - Tele Pickguard
I had thought about maybe removing some pickguard the size of the top of the pickup.
I have a dremel tool, a drill, and grinders, routing is not something I am equipped for.
I just got done making the flatwork for the neck pickup.
I checked all my magnets and I have some .688s I got from Shea that are after charging, the hottest.
So I'm going to wind one up later tonight and I'll mount it in a strat neck pickguard, just below the hole and see how it sounds?
Don't think it will be that hard to make it work.
I'm going to encourage him to stop at one pickup.
I don't think the guitar is routed for the middle position.
Also when you do 3 pickups and a 5 way switch on a control plate, it gets pretty busy in that small hole. lol
T

[Stratz]

Terry, I just talked to the doooooood that I made the stealth Esquire pickup for. I only made one for him (I thought it was two)
Anyhow, he first tried a stock Fender Strat bridge pickup in the neck position. Big difference in volume between the bridge and neck. Then he had me make him the long magnet version. My log shows A5 187 x781, 42 single poly @ 9,020 winds ~ 6.7k/3.2H

He didn't remember what bridge pickup was used but he told me the customer said the long mag pickup still had a pretty good drop in volume but it was still a nice option and much better than nothing at all, especially at club volumes as it cleaned up nicely.

Thats all I have for you T.
Good luck!

[Stratz]

I have a dremel tool, a drill, and grinders, routing is not something I am equipped for.

T

If you have the round adjustable height nose cone for the Dremel and a speed bit/cutter (I think its called a speed cutter, looks like a very coarse drill bit with very sharp edges) you can easily route the pick guard. There may be other bits for a Dremel that work better but that's what I've used in the past for routing small stuff.

[big_teee]

I wound a Neck pickup tonight to test In the stealth Esquire.
It is probably real similar to the one Stratz made.
It is a Strat Size Single Coil, but I made it with the Narrower Tele Neck Pickup Pole Spacing.
It is flush on the top, with the Magnets sticking out the bottom.
I will try to do some testing on it this weekend.
TBC,
T

[big_teee]

I tested and simulated the 3 pickup Stealth with a Strat with the pickups at under the pickguard height.
I mounted the new Low mount pickup in a pickguard in the neck position.
I also mounted a mini blade in the middle about the same height.
I mounted a hot overwound strat pickup in the bridge, to simulate the Tele Bridge pickup.
all pickups sounded pretty good, but the bridge was a little louder.
The strings that Suffered the most on the Hidden pickups were the big E, & A, they were by far the weakest.
The unwound strings were the loudest.
So It is a compromise situation at best, just like I thought it would be.
If it were mine and I wanted it to look like a Esquire, I would leave it an Esquire, with one pickup.
Otherwise, I would put a different pickguard on it so the neck, or neck and middle could perform like they should.
Like the Cliche, "No Such Thing as a Free Lunch", and like Daddy used to say, "For Everything You Gain, you have to Sacrifice"!
So that is where we are for now.
T
**Edit Note
I would like to add, that I don't want this to discourage anyone else from trying this. Your Mileage May Vary!
Also if you wanted to go to the trouble, drilling holes in your pickguard and letting the poles stick through a bit, would probably work.
Raising the pickup just a little goes a long way. Also with holes you could even do a little bit of stagger to make string strength equal.
You could darken the pole ends to go with the black esquire pickguard.
You would have to be, and look real close to the guitar to notice it!

[Stratz]

Interesting results. Thanks T!

[rhgwynn]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAR_yW2XCqw

Edit: looks like someone beat me to it...

[big_teee]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAR_yW2XCqw

Edit: looks like someone beat me to it...

That is the vid that got me off on this tangent in the first place.
But, I think there is some Deception going on in the viedo.
Like Stratz said, they never let you really hear true A&B comparisons.
I have a rule that I don't do anything for others, I wouldn't use myself.
This would end up one of those things you would always be tweaking, and beating On.
I think for now, I'll pass.
Peace and Tone,
T

[copperheadroads]

That is the vid that got me off on this tangent in the first place.
But, I think there is some Deception going on in the viedo.
Like Stratz said, they never let you really hear true A&B comparisons.
I have a rule that I don't do anything for others, I wouldn't use myself.
This would end up one of those things you would always be tweaking, and beating On.
I think for now, I'll pass.
Peace and Tone,
T

Nice work Terry .
PGS videos make everything sound great ,They sold me on the new Catalinbread Dirty little secret mkiii ,& I find it a little too bright & even with the treble turned down ..but it does sound true to there video