• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

MIM Tele upgrades questions

Cliff Gress

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2004
Messages
3,302
I am ordering a new body for my 2015 MIM tele with Tex-Mex pickups. This is my first tele so are there alternate pickups I might investigate?

I would also solicit your opinions on MIM pots and caps and their alternatives.

Gracias
 

jrgtr42

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
2,308
if you're replacing the body is it still a MIM Tele? :ganz
I do have a MIM, and have done a bunch of upgrades over the years. It's black with the maple PG. When I got it, it already had a replacement pickguard - the black mother of pearl one.
I replaced the pickups early on with the Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials. Definitely a big difference there over the stock ones.
I did the input jack with the Switchcraft one that screws into the body - the original wasn't holding the plug in anymore.
Just recently I swapped out the original switch and pots with the Oak Ridge 4-way switch set from Stewart-Macdonald.
talk about a night and day difference there! Besides having the extra switching option, it's much louder now. Not sure if it was due to the pots or switch or what, but I'm really liking this guitar way more now.
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
What was wrong and what did you need?

So it's just a MIM neck on a partscater then?


I find a lot depends on which MIM model you're talking about. They are very different. Most are OK/so so, imo, but for my tastes as a 50 year user of Fender products I'm very happy to own and use anything from the "Classic" series and my favorite MIM's are the Baja Teles and Jimmy Vaughn Strat, which are good to go, needing nothing. The Roadworns seem cool but I don't have any.

I love the necks, but the Classics have smaller vintage frets which I replace. The pickups sound much better than I expected though I threw Duncan Broadcaster sets on the Classic 50's Teles because I have several. Pots, switches and jacks were fine and I kept them.
 

Cliff Gress

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2004
Messages
3,302
Thanks Al. It's a roadworn model. I figured that all MIM could benefit from having their electronics upgraded. Opened it up and found 250 pots and a .1f orange drop cap, if I'm reading it right. So all I will be swapping is the body.
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Thanks Al. It's a roadworn model. I figured that all MIM could benefit from having their electronics upgraded. Opened it up and found 250 pots and a .1f orange drop cap, if I'm reading it right. So all I will be swapping is the body.

Yeah, they were similar to the Classics which I like so much. I liked the Roadworn 50's Tele neck but the Strat was waaaay to thin. What are you doing with the body?
 

sonar

New member
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
The MIM Standard Tele is (imo) the best bang for the buck guitar out there. I've seen used ones go for as low as $250 asking price on Craigslist.

Apart from the pickups (and maybe choice of bridge) it's every bit a professional level Telecaster. I had a FSR, basically a dressed up Standard, and adored the neck profile. Fretwork was really good and liked the truss rod adjustability without unscrewing the neck bolts.

A 3 saddle bridge is a $30-40 drop in replacement. We're members of the LPF, so we all know about aftermarket pickups...

I'm a fan.
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Not sure, maybe let it hang around awhile in case I come up with something. If I loose it, I'll let you know.

Cool, I have a 50's build birdseye neck and all the blackguard parts and thought I'd try to build a blackguard Tele before these ghouls amputate my arm.
 

Elmore

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 10, 2003
Messages
1,853
The MIM Standard Tele is (imo) the best bang for the buck guitar out there. I've seen used ones go for as low as $250 asking price on Craigslist.

Apart from the pickups (and maybe choice of bridge) it's every bit a professional level Telecaster. I had a FSR, basically a dressed up Standard, and adored the neck profile. Fretwork was really good and liked the truss rod adjustability without unscrewing the neck bolts.

A 3 saddle bridge is a $30-40 drop in replacement. We're members of the LPF, so we all know about aftermarket pickups...

I'm a fan.

sonar, I agree. I bought a FSR BSB blackguard in 2014, and was so impressed with the neck, frets, and body. It was a new $500 guitar. I wanted something not ultra precious so I could mod it without shedding a tear. I put in CTS 500K pots, a Jensen paper in oil cap, an early 70s Gibson min-humbucker in the neck, and a Duncan vintage stack in the bridge. And a Gotoh six saddle bridge. Going for a sort of Brent Mason thing, but BSB. Amazing sounding guitar, twang city and all humbucking. That mini-humbucker is too good. Big balls when needed for rock. More versatile than my strat.
Beef with clarity.

MIM teles are the best guitar deal that I know of.

zfQVnGH.jpg
 
Last edited:

sonar

New member
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
sonar, I agree. I bought a FSR BSB blackguard in 2014, and was so impressed with the neck, frets, and body. It was a new $500 guitar. I wanted something not ultra precious so I could mod it without shedding a tear. I put in CTS 500K pots, a Jensen paper in oil cap, an early 70s Gibson min-humbucker in the neck, and a Duncan vintage stack in the bridge. And a Gotoh six saddle bridge. Going for a sort of Brent Mason thing, but BSB. Amazing sounding guitar, twang city and all humbucking. That mini-humbucker is too good. Big balls when needed for rock. More versatile than my strat.
Beef with clarity.

MIM teles are the best guitar deal that I know of.

zfQVnGH.jpg




Nice guitar Elmore. I bought the Copperburst version of your guitar (alder body, not ash) as a backup when Guitar Center did a "Blow-Out" sale. The manager also threw in an extra discount, with my out the door price being a little under $350.

I was pleasantly surprised that the stock pots were CTS 250k and the switch was a decent quality Oak Grigsby. The cap was about as cheap a ceramic disc as you can get (about half the size of a tic-tac) but for me not a big deal. Pickups were ceramic, with the neck PU actually being pretty useable (for a Tele neck pickup :)), but the bridge pu needed to go. My only quibble with the guitar, outside the pickup(s), was that it was on the heavy side.

I really liked that guitar, but it was a casualty when I thinned the herd to purchase a 6120T-55 VS. I still keep a casual look out for your model (BS/ash body) on the used market, although I have been dancing with the idea of a '62 Custom Tuxedo Telecaster.
 
Top