Routing a tele for HB bridge

N

notCardio

I walk the line
Anybody ever done this? Just wondering if it was possible and how hard it would be to do.

Got my eye on a tele body that need the bridge moved a smidge, and some associated routing done for the bridge pickup. So I was wondering if I could just go ahead and rout it for a humbucker.
 
If you've got a router it shouldn't be too difficult, as long as you've got the appropriate blade on it. May not hurt to have some sort of template thought, just in case.

Do you already have a bridge to fit the HB?
 
Nope on the bridge. Just thinking out loud whether it would be worth the effort and what my chances of success would be. I could have a friend do it for me, but I'd rather not if I didn't have to. I'll have to have somebody fill & redrill the holes for the bridge plate anyway. They're supposed off 3/16ths. It puts the high E too close to the edge of the neck at the highest frets. Come to think of it, I'll probably have to have holes filled & redrilled in whatever neck I get for it, unless I get a brand new undrilled neck.
 
Why does the existing bridge need moving?????
If a factory body, it should be on the right place.

Sounds like all you have of this guitar is so far just a body. A prospective body at that.
 
I considered something myself recently; there are telecaster bridges available. Also you can use this as a template for your routing.
 
RFR said:
Why does the existing bridge need moving?????
If a factory body, it should be on the right place.

Sounds like all you have of this guitar is so far just a body. A prospective body at that.
Click to expand...

This is a body from a partscaster tele. I don't know whether the guy did the drilling himself, or if it came that way. Must've come that way or the routing wouldn't be off too. But he finished it himself, and the body is beautiful (to me) and it even has a belly cut. 85 bucks.
 
And I can buy it with or without the bridge and control plate (w/electronic). That'll up it to $125. I haven't researched bridges and control plates yet, bt I wanted to get past this alignment issue first.
 
Dammit, it just logged me out while I was composing my post again! I don't have the energy or the patience to type all of that again.

Anyway, the point is that this is a unique body that I can't just go out and buy another one of, or I wouldn't waste my time with it.

black grain 2.jpgblack grain tele body.jpg
 
Holy fuck thats pretty. Don't go mental with the router. Treat it with love.
 
Well, you see what I mean about it being unique, and even though it's not very expensive, I still don't want to hose it up. But if I'm not going to be able to get it to what I consider playable condition (I just hate pulling the high E off the edge of the fretboard, it's infuriating) then there's no point spending any more time worrying about it. It'll probably be sold before I get to it anyway.

And it's even got a belly cut. :thumbs up:

It's not an HH, but there are enough HBs in a single coil form factor out there that I can live with that.
 
Cardio, I'm no luthier or expert anything…but could it possibly be that the saddles aren't right? The bridge saddles in that second pic look wonky, which could be throwing string alignment off - but it could be camera angle, my bad eyes or any other number of things going on there.

Either way, wtf…sold? I'd hang on to that thing, it's a purty git even if it is a parts-caster…
 
Looks to be a custom build out of ash with what some call a "dog hair finish". White pore filler on top of black. I like the look myself.

It seems the alignment issue is more one of the strings almost falling off on the treble side. That can be fixed without repositioning the bridge.

Sometimes all you have to do is loosen the neck screws, give it a yank into position, and tighten.

If it is an intonation issue, that is another can of worms. Plug, redrill, route etc.

Right now it looks like it has a Duncan lil 59 humbucker in it.

IF the intonation isn't an issue, why not just buy the body and everything on it from him??
 
It's silver on top of black.

Can't move the neck, he says the pocket is really tight. I'd rather reposition the bridge than shave anything out of the neck pocket.

I would think intonation would be easier to fix. It would have to be really off to make it not correctable by adjusting the saddles, wouldn't it?

Don't know about the Duncan, but it doesn't matter, pickups aren't for sale.

I can get just the body for 85, or the body with the bridge and control plate & electronics for 125.
 
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