# What would a Tele Tune-o-matic sound like?



## Lincoln

I was about to punch the string holes on a new tele body tonight when my mind wondered away on me. 

If I was to mount an LP style Tune-O-matic bridge setup with dual humbuckers on a custom shaped pickguard.......what would I end up with? Fire wood? 
Would I be violating any unwritten laws?
Anybody done this one? How did it sound?


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## martyb1

I'm thinking it is going to sound like a Les Paul.I have not done it with a tune-o-matic bridge,but with dual humbuckers.Even that way they sound more like a Les Paul than a tele.It really depends on the sound you are looking for.I had a Contemporary telecaster,twin humbuckers.It was actually a real nice guitar.Didn't really sound like a tele though.:smile:


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## Edutainment

Yea it might be more Les Paul than Tele, but I don't think it violates any unwritten rules. I like seeing something different on a Tele. It's simplicity allows for a lot of modification.


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## shoretyus

Humbuckers would sound LP ish with out the advantage of 24 3/4" scale. 

But it's your board cut it how you want. I love mini buckers in the neck position. 

Why a tune-a- matic bridge? so you don't have to drill holes? Go top loader.


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## Lincoln

Thanks for your thoughts guys :smile:

I'm gonna go with a strat hardtail style (thinline) bridge instead, and make a pickguard somewhere between a standard tele, a thinline, and ????
If it keeps raining, that will be today's project.


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## Hamm Guitars

A TOM bridge is a little taller than a standard Tele type bridge so you will have to pitch the neck back to compensate for it - unless you like high action. You could also get around it by countersinking the TOM bridge.


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## hoser

you'd wind up with a tele deluxe basically, minus the tune-o-matic.


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## Milkman

shoretyus said:


> Humbuckers would sound LP ish with out the advantage of 24 3/4" scale.
> 
> But it's your board cut it how you want. I love mini buckers in the neck position.
> 
> Why a tune-a- matic bridge? so you don't have to drill holes? Go top loader.


Looks like Wilkinson compensated bridge. I have one on a Franken Tele I built.

Nice bridge.


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## Milkman

I think humbuckers on a Tele are, well, undesireable.

Tele custom players would naturally disagree.

Give me singles on a Tele.

The TOM bridge could be made to work and I think it woukld have less of an impact than the pickups.

Just my opinion of course.


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## Tarbender

This is what a Telecaster looks like with humbuckers. It's a limited production model that Fender only offered for 2 or 3 years, the Fender Telesonic. It originally came with DeArmond pickups which have been swapped out. Lots of fun to play but sounds more like an SG than a Telecaster.


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## Milkman

Paul said:


> So would Ed Bickert also disagree, but what the H&!! does he know?
> 
> I've never been a Tele guy, but most of the ones that caught my ear had a PAF at the neck. That seems to work to my tastes.



What would Ed know? How to play Jazz for one thing.

I could live with a mini bucker in the neck but I prefer two singles. 

Did you know that single coils are cleaner than humbuckers?:banana:


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## Lincoln

Tarbender said:


> This is what a Telecaster looks like with humbuckers. It's a limited production model that Fender only offered for 2 or 3 years, the Fender Telesonic. It originally came with DeArmond pickups which have been swapped out. Lots of fun to play but sounds more like an SG than a Telecaster.




Shameless copy of an LP in tele shape, but I like it. lofu


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## shoretyus

Milkman said:


> Looks like Wilkinson compensated bridge. I have one on a Franken Tele I built.
> 
> Nice bridge.



Yeah works great put one on my 66' to . A heck of a lot cheap than the Glendales they keep pushing over @ TDPRI ...

I love that mini. I was trying to replicate the 66' I have which also has a mini. The build I did of all those Tele's gave my my first a single coils. 
:smile:


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## Lincoln

Well, I did finish it. Took everyone's advice and stayed Tele-true but with a humbucker in the bridge. Sounds fantstic!! Thanks everybody :bow:

















:banana:


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## shoretyus

Sweet. Shiney too :smile:


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## Lincoln

shoretyus said:


> Sweet. Shiney too :smile:


Thanks. :smile:

The sustain just seems to go on forever. Is that a trait of the "string though body" guitars?


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