# Esquire! Why didn't anybody tell me before!



## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

So I just bought a parts-o-caster and unfortunately, despite my best efforts, the wiring/pots were unsalvageable. I decided to do the dirt simple esquire thing with the bridge pickup wired direct to the jack while I ordered some new parts. Holy cow! What a blast. I named the guitar Daffy because it quacks like crazy! Very spanky when I dig in, nice pristine clean played softer and pretty low noise for a single coil. Really a country tele sound to a "T".

So now I'm curious about various Esquire wirings and pickup options. Anybody else doing the Esquire thing? What wiring are you using? Why did you choose your wiring option?


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I tried to tell ya 










CV hosed out (routed) and humbuckered. Despite my ongoing Blackout project (2 hums), this cheap CV remains my #1 for the moment. It just sounds so right. DiMarzio PAF Pro in there.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Snagged a CS Ltd Ed that I didn't really need but was too good of a deal to pass up. Swapped out the super hot Duncan BG-1400 for a very low output (5.7k) pup from a vintage lap steel & wow, Holy Buchanan Batman!

Std Esquire wiring w/ a lower value (approx 1/10 of a normal Esquire) PIO cap in the 3rd position, kind of a cocked wah tone. But I usually keep it straight to the jack.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

so keto, is that just vol and tone, no switching? And roryfan, does yours have the "Eldred" mod. Do you find it usable in that position? (neck position for lack of a better term).


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Yup V-T no switch


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## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

Though I have my "Esquire" in the for-sale section now, I do love it. I tried the "Arlo" version of the fixed wah mod, but I'm finding it a little on the dark side. I'm going to try and change up the capacitors to get the frequency window higher. It appears to be a touchy mod, very dependent on the pickup. I'm using the SD Custom Shop BG-1400, based on a Fender CS Esquire. It's quite gritty, but when in the "straight to jack" position the extra little bit of top end really shines through. Loves tweed-ish amp tones - I have an Eleven Rack so can mess around with different combinations. If I keep the esquire, I'm thinking I'll ditch the 11R and one of my basses, and pick up a DRRI with a Les Lius...


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## Mike Potvin (Apr 30, 2009)

I love Esquires (and any single pickup guitars really). I still use a standard 3 way switch, but wired as:

1) Fixed tone, run through a secondary capacitor (I fiddle with the values)
2) Tone bypass. Pickup > volume > jack
3) Standard Esquire cap (.047) with volume and tone.

When you use the right cap value in position 1, some people refer to this as a 'cocked wah" wiring scheme because you get a funky, nasal/bass tone.

Mike


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

FWIW I found this wiring resource. More possibilities than I ever imagined.

https://sites.google.com/site/phostenixwiringdiagrams/teles/esquires

Keep your experiences and ideas coming. We should probably post photos too. I'll shoot one tonight.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Very popular indeed


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

I put this together last year. At first it had a SD Hotrail. Then I tried a Don Mare (I forget the name at the moment but its his version of a black guard bridge pup). Went to a Fender SCN because I liked it in my Am Dlx Ash. Also during this process I went from standard Esquire wiring to the Eldred (cocked wah) and its way more useable than stock. But all the while I just couldn't get the sound I was after out of this guitar so to have something different than I already have, I installed a Michael Reilander P90 in the neck. Now the neck was unbalanced with the bridge and coincidentally, Michael was just coming out with his tele configured P90 bridge pickup to complement his neck P90 so I installed one in the bridge. Quest over. This is the greatest sounding guitar I own (and that's more than a few and of just about every type). Not to derail this thread about Esquires as I still own a Fender and putting together another as shown below.

Obligatory pics....


















just waiting for the neck


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

My first lapsteel was a single pickup Fender Champ or Champion with a singlecoil (kind of Tele style except I seem to recall the back plate was different or nonexistent) at the bridge. In experimenting with pickups it was once wired direct to the output jack and holy Moses it was tone to biblical proportions. It makes a difference. The Esquire tone, I believe, was somewhat sacrificed with the advent of the Telecaster. Too bad, it came close to the lapsteel tone. The lapsteels I've designed and made myself have no volume or tone controls, I have them on the floor or on the amp, and they always sound best plugged in direct.

There have been many guitar designs since the Esquire but I'm not convinced any have matched the simplicity and purity of it, except other single pickup, minimal controls, instruments.

Maybe I overly romanticize the notion, but simple works.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

mrmatt1972 said:


> so keto, is that just vol and tone, no switching? And roryfan, does yours have the "Eldred" mod. Do you find it usable in that position? (neck position for lack of a better term).


Yes, mine came w/ the Eldred Greasebucket circuit but the 3rd position was too muted. Swapped that cap out for one that was approx. 1/10 of the value (I'd have to open her up to check), less volume loss, suddenly a usable tone/position.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Mooh said:


> My first lapsteel was a single pickup Fender Champ or Champion with a singlecoil (kind of Tele style except I seem to recall the back plate was different or nonexistent) at the bridge. In experimenting with pickups it was once wired direct to the output jack and holy Moses it was tone to biblical proportions. It makes a difference. The Esquire tone, I believe, was somewhat sacrificed with the advent of the Telecaster. Too bad, it came close to the lapsteel tone. The lapsteels I've designed and made myself have no volume or tone controls, I have them on the floor or on the amp, and they always sound best plugged in direct.
> 
> There have been many guitar designs since the Esquire but I'm not convinced any have matched the simplicity and purity of it, except other single pickup, minimal controls, instruments.
> 
> ...


The pickup that's now in my Esquire came from a 1950 Champ lap steel. It was rewound & a baseplate added to make usable in a Tele/Esquire. It's pretty much always on the 1st position (bypassing the tone control/cap), there's a clarity & purity to that tone, esp when it's plugged into something tweedy.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Well, I'm still very happy after the first day! Here are some pictures before and after.

before:

View attachment 2384


View attachment 2385


View attachment 2386


After

View attachment 2387


View attachment 2388


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Oooh, that white (parchment?) guard looks GREAT on the blue, an unusual but stellar combination!


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

heres mine-










pine body, allparts vee neck, klusons, avri bridge and pickup.

wired thusly-









gives me a regular pup/tone knob setting,
a more bassy rythm position (rather similar to a tele with both pups on
and a great screaming cocked wah position.


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## wayne086 (Jan 22, 2010)

Here's my Equire,went thru 6 Pickups,started with a Custom shop Broadcaster,then a Nocaster,Seymour Broadcaster,then a Fralin Broadcaster,Seymour Custom gt-1400,and finally settling on the Seymour custom shop pearly Gates.Took a a couple of years to finish it the way I wanted it.Started with a Custom Shop Nocaster neck,and 1969 tele body then replaced to a Telecaster Roadworn body,3.5lbs,Pickguard custom shop bakelite,and topped it off with a custom shop case.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Hey Wayne086 - nice one! Do you play it with the ashtray (bridge cover) on? If so, can you still palm mute?


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## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

I might give this a try.......eppy junior body.........eppy P90.........squir strat neck..........maybe sneak in a 3 way toggle..............or maybe a push pull pot?...........what do you think...................cheers, Gerry


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## wayne086 (Jan 22, 2010)

No,thats a cheesecake pic,I find it looks better with it on,but when I play her it comes off.


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