Fender Telecaster Humbucker Conversion
This is one of the oldest modifications and players started putting PAFs in Telecasters and Esquires as far back as the 1950s.
For best results, try installing a 500K volume potentiometer and solder a 470K resistor between the bridge pickup’s hot wire and ground.
This Dearnaley Taff Delta Blackguard replica already has a 1953 Fender lap steel pickup at the bridge and now it’s getting a vintage Gibson patent number unit in the neck position.
Getting the position of the new pickup accurately marked out is crucial to a successful humbucker installation.
The octave harmonic, pickup centre and centre line of the body have been marked and now the routing template is being positioned.
Most of the pickup material is cut out using a jeweller’s saw, being careful to cut inside the router template lines.
The pickguard is reattached to the guitar and the template is fixed on top using double sided tape with the body firmly clamped down.
Once the main cutout is complete, the template is flipped around to deepen the ends of the hole for the brackets and screws.
Routing the hole with the pickguard in place ensures everything lines up perfectly.
The pickup fits perfectly and it’s time for reassembly and rewiring.
Rather than mimic Keith Richards’ Micawber, the humbucker is set back slightly to achieve the neater look of the Terry Reid/Joe Bonamassa Tele.