My Frankenstein Telecaster & Why You Need One Too- ASK ZAC EP 10

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Everyone needs a crazy thrown-together parts guitar. Why? Because you never have to stop modifying them! In this episode, I give the story behind my Tele that I have toured all over the world with and changed everything on it except the body's finish. My Frankenstein even has a Joe Glaser B-Bender that I had installed back in 1997. I show a few bender licks, and also share how the large brass 6-saddle bridge changed the tone of it.
Gear Used:
1982 Kubicki Tele body with Danocaster soft V maple neck
APC Adder (Neck) Ron Ellis 60T (Bridge)
Strings: D'Addario 9.5-44 strings EXL120+
Amp: 1967 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion V30 speaker
Cables: George L's.
Effects:
Mirage Compressor
Boss DM-3 Delay
Power: Truetone CS6
#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

[@howardskinner4916]

My Warmoth Teles are all Frankensteins. They're all responsive, light, and toneful. They're all individual, and all deliver great tone.

[@InGratitudeIam]

What I've come to appreciate is not only the technical side of things, but more importantly, you are very humble, gracious and kind in acknowledging those who have helped you along the way. That, in and of itself, speaks volumes. Thank you for what you do, Zac.

[@AskZac]

You are so welcome

[@thethesaxman23]

I love that these videos feel like guitar support sessions for guitaraholics anonymous!

[@robertdoerr5582]

I for one have never been that big of a Tele fan until I found this channel. Thanks for all the cool stuff and info you share Zac!

[@greygland]

it's not a frankenstein.. it's a LIFESTYLE

[@AskZac]

Love it!!! I like your take.

[@christianscazzieri]

Amen. I feel you brother. Let's start a band together right NOW.

[@ocduff]

17:45: “I know, it’s a sickness.” Comedy GOLD for us guitarists...

[@AskZac]

And I don't want to be cured!!!!

[@les047]

@@AskZac I hope its a beat up silverface DR on the floor

[@AskZac]

Timothy West it’s a 67 BF Deluxe with a 68 OT

[@DennisAlvarezMusic]

I was "infected" in '93 when I bought my first Tele. It's been my #1 since!

[@mjt5576]

I love the Frankenstein approach for Teles and Strats. I have a parts Strat that I put together for about $1300. It sounds better than a lot of Custom Shop Strats I've played and heard. I said to my friend, "It sounds pretty good for a parts Strat, huh?" He replied, "They're ALL parts Strats".........I hadn't looked at it that way, but it's true.

[@hunkydorian]

Strats, and mostly all bolt-ons, are like Legos.

[@DieselWeazel]

I’m telecaster crazy after watching these videos and listening to your podcasts. You are an excellent interviewer and you get a lot your guests. Every episode is a great story.

[@kastrodamas]

Thank you for mentioning Pat. Glad to hear he's still around. I recognized the licks immediately.

[@monkmchorning]

Mine started as a MIJ '50s reissue, snot-colored basswood body and maple fretboard. Along the way it gained a Duncan Jerry Donahue lead pickup and a fiesta red swamp ash body from the Warmoth reject bin. Japanese V necks are my favorite.

[@margarethickling6150]

Hey Zac, this channel is such an inspiration - seeing you play shows just how much can be achieved with lots an lots of talent and practice!

[@johnl.6930]

Very cool story about that guitar! It applies to so much we as guitar players think about and discuss constantly. Thanks for this one Zac. Great playing with great tone as well!

[@AskZac]

Thank you, John

[@AriePapernick]

I am liking this new series. You have an incredible memory of all the people that have come through your musical life. My two fav teles are both parts guitars.

[@AskZac]

Thank you. Parts Telecasters many times are great instruments

[@rickbearden6041]

Thank you again Zac. As always your sessions are like a guitar education class. The Tele vids are especially interesting. You keep instructing and I'll continue learning. RIP Reggie Young

[@AskZac]

Thank you so much, Rick. Love doing them, and that you enjoy them.

[@TheStephensjoshua]

Great Post. Double thumbs up for the bender.

[@theguitaramptech]

That's exactly what I do for all of my Single Tone pot guitars. I leave the Neck pickup unloaded and wide open and have the Tone knob only for the Bridge pickup. This way I can flick back'n'forward between pickups without having to continually dance with the Tone pot. One of my amp customers gave me one of your schematic (a Deluxe) T-shirts as a thank you. I wear it with pride.

[@AskZac]

THANKS!

[@nathancourtney2006]

Thanks for your time. Subscribeing to your channel was like picking up a guitar and playing it for the first time knowing your going to enjoy it.

[@AskZac]

Wow. Heartfelt thanks

[@rogerludwig7619]

I just love listening to your stories. Just the same way my guitar pals and me are swapping yarns...it’s just a guitar thing!

[@AskZac]

It is!!

[@kyrandell3290]

Hi Zac, another excellent show. Informative and laid back style. Can't wait for the next one! Thanks

[@AskZac]

Thank you, Ky. Every Tuesday I will release a new episode.

[@jamesha175]

great story - i don't have a question, i just want to say super cool of you for answering everyone's questions!

[@AskZac]

I try to

[@Theweeze100]

Your channel has become part of my daily Routine! Thanks!

[@AskZac]

Happy to hear that!

[@MrTom-Songwriter-Composer]

The reason why I really like this video, it shows as long as the "parts" are great parts, it does have to be "every single Fender branded part" stuffed into the telecaster. As long as the guitar fits your playing style, sound that you want and budget.. that's the right guitar for you.

[@alexandergriggs9934]

With the proper parts, it is easily possible to build a partscaster that smokes Fender Custom Shop

[@JimWalkerMusic]

Still one of my fav episodes. There are hungry people but hungry musicians are a special bunch. There were a few times I survived on mayonnaise sandwiches and garden hose water. It was what it was. The price some pay when they really love to play...

[@AskZac]

Mayo sandwiches are not too bad

[@YellahandtheTeleman]

Hey Zac, I love this episode. I just recently assembled a “Frankenstein” Tele myself. Great job with your series! I watch every episode I get the opportunity to. I truly appreciate your knowledge and experience!

[@AskZac]

Thanks! Will do!

[@zazoomatt]

Well done Zac. Thanks for all you are putting up. Trying the finger style is a challenge for me just starting at 60.

[@AskZac]

Start slow. Then speed up.

[@tomfoolery2082]

Im 66 and if i can u can . Not an expert by any stretch , dust in the wind would b the tuffest thing i can do id say . Gota start som where . Good luck .

[@davidsnyder4362]

I'm not sure if I'll ever be any kind of an accomplished musician, but I sure do enjoy playing music. Thank you for sharing that little chapter in your musical journey.

[@b.rodclark7349]

A local pawnshop wanted $125 for a second-hand DIY Tele kit but after plugging it in an amp to hear it, I noticed a lot of defects that brought the price way down already knowing what was needed and what I wanted to do with it so I was on my way after cashing it out for $80. Its current state as follows: Emerson Pro CTS 500 volume & 250K tone pots while retaining the 0.047uf green cap & volume/tone knobs, a CRL 3-way switch w/a Sprague 0.022uf orange capacitor in the 3rd position, a Switchcraft jack threaded to an Electrosocket, a twin railed SC sized humbucker that's got a P90 reminiscence to it. Long story short, it's almost 100% the way I want it so it's definitely good for the moment... by the way nice video and I'm now a subscriber!

[@AskZac]

Thanks, B!!

[@nickf9392]

The Telecaster is just a great guitar to work on. I love the traditional design and I have several. Grew up on Buck Owns, Johnny Cash, and all the country greats. Still love to go back and listen to those songs, such incredible memories! I also like to mod Tele's, just something about the Tele bridge PU paired with a quality Humbucker Neck PU, makes one power house of a guitar and extremely versatile too. Thats nothing new, they've been doing that since the 60's. Lately I been just building them ground up with Fender bodies / necks, and various PU combinations, just did one for around $800 or so and its killer.

[@Grumpyoldman60]

I'm in the middle of rebuilding my Frankencaster for the second time. Mine is a cheap Chinese Tele that I've changed the pick guard on twice and installed three pickups to turn it into a Nashville Tele. Well now I'm changing the pick guard again and I have a Freeway 10 way switch to install and I'm waiting for my new Peters palm bender to arrive so that I can finish it. I'd love to post a picture of of it when It's finished. Love your channel and your merch that I've purchased. Thanks for all the inspiration.

[@edwardkennedy5500]

Love the road stories.

[@AskZac]

Thank you!

[@el0blaino]

Really enjoyed this one, how you wove in the stories and the playing. Thanks, Zac.

[@AskZac]

My pleasure!

[@XLBiker13]

Love your Tele. Love your mods. Great tone. Great playing. I need a FrankenTele in my life. Something I can mod out without a worry or care about compromising its value. We live in an era now where history has taught us that if we own a guitar with Fender or Gibson on the headstock and don't mess with it it will eventually be worth more than we paid for it. I need a parts guitar so that I can release my inner guitar tech!!!

[@jppagetoo]

You're right. Everybody needs a "Frankenstein" to experiment with and not cut up a branded instrument and ruin it's resale value. I wanted a Tele with Duncan Hotrails in it. I didn't want to lose my single coil Tele in the process. I like it and it's a nice "limited edition" Fender Tele so it may be worth keeping original. So I rolled my own "Franky". Built from parts I put on all the hardware and features I wanted. No guilt, no butchery. I can change it and it's still just my Tele. I love it.

[@nohillforahighstepper]

I've always wanted a Tele with a B bender and either a Hipshot G bender or the pull string. Since I'm mostly retired from performing, I might have some fun with one but I don't really NEED one. It is possible to play those licks without a bender but it does require constant practice....which I don't do anymore.

[@s9plus20]

Well done. Thanks for sharing your sickness!

[@AskZac]

The only kind that is ok to share

[@earlfarrior2100]

Hello Zac.Glad you mentioned the other Deluxe is on the floor. I enjoy your show and info.

[@AskZac]

I have also used the one on top to record with too. It depends on what I am doing. The 1965 is midrang-y, and the 1967 is more flat. The way to tell the difference is the 1965 is so clean, it looks like a reissue. The 1967 has a bruise or 2.

[@Thomasdgolden]

Your videos are excellent.Funny story about a LP standard I’ve had for years. It’s gorgeous. AAA top. Well man, I’ve tried a bunch of different mods to it. Four pup changes. Different wiring schemes and other stuff. It would NOT ever sound good live. Until I put SD Greenies in it. And it automatically just became a great guitar. Modding is my passion. Thanks.

[@AskZac]

You gotta make it your own

[@TheCWHatton]

Why can I only like this video once? Thanks Zac. Cheers from Canada!

[@AskZac]

Cheers!!!!

[@christianscazzieri]

I have the best time watching your videos. Stuff for the stripped-down working guitarist, straight-to-the-point pragmatism and very informative. Keep it up, this is precious, thanks!

[@AskZac]

Thank you!

[@mike1967sam]

Hey Zac, since I started watching your channel I've started to become obsessed with my Teles, I have 3 but am giving one to my son and keeping two. Cheers. Mike.

[@AskZac]

Cheers

[@CBGypsy03]

Damn I need a bender now.... that was a great video :).

[@cowtowncustoms2110]

I build my own so they are all different in a way I want. I recently switched to putting "V" profile necks on my #1Tele and Strat , it has given me a better feel in my hands. I am lucky that I have a great pickup builder nearby to get what I want and know it will be great. Partscasters are a lot of fun!

[@christophergallagher531]

I love the V neck feel. At this very moment a big soldering iron is warming up, to do grounds in my Thinline. Vintage '64s going in! Chris

[@cowtowncustoms2110]

@@christophergallagher531, Have fun! I use BrandonWound pickups most always and have for years. My last Tele build I used their "Early 60's" set and they were great! Sounds like your looking for that kind of sound too.

[@christophergallagher531]

Having a pickup builder near by must be great. The lead wires on the Fender vintage '64s is stiff and fatigues easily. The typical physical connection, I use, compromised the few windings. They where so stiff, at first, it looked like they where tinned. They are now simply soldered on. I was after balanced volume and clarity. I sure like the ones in my '52 RI. They shimmer . It will take time to wrap my head around and set up the '64s. For sure the 'twisted' Tele neck grabs me. Texas Specials thunder, but I am very happy there, especially with a treble pass. Just talking to a pickup maker would be a treat! Have fun ! Chris

[@popogejo7245]

Zac, thanks for bringing this one back, had kinda forgotten about it. Yes now most of mi tele's are "frankened", brass nuts, roller saddles, true lipstick pickups in the neck, rails in the bridge, flipped control plate, jojoba treated necks, (instead of any varnish or clear coat) lots of fun, and much better players.

[@marcessary6136]

Hey Zac! Just finding you on You Tube and love the videos. Seems that getting a Squire or a similar level guitar would be a great first go at learning to tweak your own guitars. Take an inexpensive overall piece and then Frankenstein it with the parts of your choosing and, like you mentioned, won't worry about devaluing a higher-end guitar. Again, love the videos. Thanks!

[@AskZac]

Great method!

[@christophergallagher531]

My trouble is I fall in love with them at some point, then I need another to fuss with. Squires have gotten much better over the years. Win Win! Chris

[@jimpasquale8643]

Thanks I share a lot of your thought, and truly enjoyed the vid. I'm an old Harmony Collector and various others including Tele ,Starts/LP's. Have a few Franko's myself. Oh and thanks for letting us know the pedals and amp you were using. Very few people ever tell you.

[@AskZac]

I try to share well

[@MezzMcGillicuddy1]

Gotta love them partscasters! Just put a partscaster tele together m’self, got a Strat pickup in the middle, and a humberdinker in the neck posish. I can mess with it any ol’ way I want to, ‘cause nobody buys partscasters anyway! 😂

[@jeffhebert9643]

I never care for the neck pickup sound on my tele , but that one sounds pretty good . Enjoy your stories . ..please continue .

[@AskZac]

Thank you, Jeff

[@BrianAlexSinger]

Love your videos. Thank you for doing them. Guitar sounds fantastic with you playing it. Awesome.

[@AskZac]

Thank you kindly!

[@brucerobenalt8048]

Great episode! Guitar Resurrection is still going strong! I worked there many years from the late 1990s until 2017.

[@AskZac]

Great shop!

[@mikesharpsongs]

You are my Telephile ASMR; thank you for that! Great info and insight❤

[@AskZac]

You’re welcome 😊

[@jazzguitarneophyte-christo7988]

Great story! Glad I found your channel! I've also now ordered the Ask Zac coffee mug!

[@AskZac]

Thank you buddy!!!!

[@jazzguitarneophyte-christo7988]

@@AskZac here is a funny story! We all now are returning to work in grand corporate America. I use your coffee mug at every meeting and they always ask me, "hey Chris, Who's Zac ?" LOL! After I tell them who you are of course they look puzzeled cause none of these nerds play guitar. The last encounter was a meeting with the VP of the company there. He was preciding the meeting and stopped in the middle of his talk and pointed at me and ask "Who the heck is Zac, Chris"? I know he does noty play guitar either so I just said "If I had to explain you would never understand". My hopes though is to hopefully have guitar players in the company ask me but then again they probably wont because I sure they already would have come across your channel ! BTW folks the quality of this mug is good! It is not a cheapo mug by no means and afte drinking coffee from this mug for a month, your telecaster playing will improve! Cheers!

[@johnroberts5285]

I'm a lefty, so at music stores the choices are limited. Sure, most manufacturers make left handed models, however you cannot hold, play or feel a guitar you buy online. I bought a Tele DIY kit and put it together. It felt and sounded great with the Chinese pickups etc. I started making modifications. Added a nicer pickguard, upgraded the controls, got brass saddles and a brass nut. I LOVE my Monster. It's my favorite guitar.

[@AskZac]

Cool

[@thoras1297]

Just found this channel, i am also a Telecaster Fan ! I have a 94 Fender Telecaster with a Bareknuckle Cobra T on the Bridge, i play it over a Peavey 5150. I also have a Fender Deluxe Reverb Combo, i am using a Boss Blues Driver on it. Thats all i need at home. I am searching a 12 Sting Telecaster but didnt find it now.

[@johnjozefowicz2022]

Love this channel, as an older player I would advise not to get rid of guitars..never liked Telecaster..till I found out I wasn't ready for it yet

[@ParaBellum2024]

Great video! I agree, it's good to have at least one guitar that you can modify without affecting its value. My red tele (1996 Mexican toploader bought for £175, with a hard case; sunburst in my earlier videos) has the same Gotoh brass bridge as Zac's, and I wired the tone control to the bridge pickup only, for the same reason as he explains in the video. My other mods, if anyone's interested: 1) shielded with aluminium foil, which doesn't alter the tone like copper does. 2) contoured front and back with a belt sander, to make it more comfortable. 3) resprayed red. 4) added a pearloid pickguard. 5) converted from toploader to string-through. 6) installed a Tonerider hot classic pickup set. 7) added a second string tree, to increase the G string angle behind the nut. 8) flipped the control plate. 9) changed the switch for a Gibson-style toggle, just to be different. 10) fitted threaded neck inserts, so the neck is bolted on rather than screwed - this made a real difference to the sound and I've done it to my other guitars too. 11) made and fitted a brass nut (it might be nickel-silver, as it's the same colour as the frets). No B-bender yet, but it is something I've thought about, along with hollowing out the body from behind, to make it lighter. I also have a Squier Jim Root tele, to which I added a tone control and Tonerider Alnico pickups, and covered the body with paisley wrapping paper from Tesco.

[@AskZac]

Impressive work! Wow

[@chuckdriver7741]

Fantastic content, as always Zac! You should have a million subscribers! 🎸🇺🇸🗽🦅🇺🇸

[@AskZac]

Very kind

[@davidjessee7701]

Great guitar! I love that you mention Steve Wariner! CGP. Was such an underrated triple threat entertainer!

[@smsnc20]

I love your channel. I love my Mexican parts tele. I got a set of peter florence voodoo te56 pickups in it. I have changed pots and wireing idk how many times. I love it

[@AskZac]

Thank you! I love the Mexican Telecasters, and of course love Florance pickups. Sounds like a great guitar!

[@aaronparker1614]

Brilliant video Zac, great content!

[@AskZac]

Thanks, Aaron!

[@markhammer643]

Two things I cannot recommend highly enough are the Bill Lawrence half-out-of-phase mod, and the bidirectional tone control. The half-out-of-phase mod was implemented on the Jerry Donahue Telecaster. Normally, when two pickups are put out of phase, you end up with a thin nasal sound and big volume drop. That results from the overlap in frequency content of the two pickups, and the substantial cancellation that results. Bill Lawrence found that if you chopped some of the bass off the neck pickup, the resulting cancellations did not substantially affect the resulting volume level. In the JD Tele, shaving bass off the phase-reversed neck pickup (it used a Strat pickup, but that's not critical), and combining it with an unaltered bridge signal, yielded a tone eerily reminiscent of the neck+middle "cluck" setting on a Strat. I implemented this on a guitar of mine, and damn if it didn't sound like a 3-pickup guitar on an axe with 2 pickups! Not any sort of absolute, but I used a 10nf (.01uf) cap in series with the neck. You can start there and season to taste. A great reason to use a push-pull pot. As a perk, it also provides a slightly thinner-sounding neck tone when using just the one pickup. Two new settings/tones for the price of one! Much to my surprise, I've successfully implemented it on a dual humbucker guitar as well. It certainly does NOT sound Strat-like, but it does provide another very usable N+B sound with no volume drop, and no nasal tone. The bidirectional Tone control is something I got from Craig Anderton in Guitar Player, decades back. One of my beefs about tone control caps is that no single cap value is really "right" for all pickups in all positions. I don't know of anyone who switches to their bridge pickup for a dull muted sound, so why is the same cap value used for neck AND bridge? Makes no sense. What I do is use a 1meg linear-taper pot for tone on a Tele (a W-taper with center detente would actually best, but just try finding one). The wiper is tied to the input of the Volume, like normal. One outside lug has a standard cap value going to ground. The other outside lug has a value around 1/4 - 1/5 the value, also going to ground. So if your "standard" value is .022uf, the other might be 4700pf. The pot now becomes essentially two 500k tone/treble-cut pots in parallel, with the middle position of the control being the "no-cut" maximum brightness setting. In one direction from mid-point you get traditional dulling, while in the other you get a kind of "rounding off" of the edges, while still maintaining bark and meat in the tone. The one is better suited to the neck pickup and the other a godsend for the bridge. It does take a bit of getting used to, but not much. The perk is that if one wants to do any "pinky wah" (and I mean, c'mon, it's a Tele), only half the rotation is required from either end-point. No additional routing is needed, it's easily reversible if you don't like it, and you have what amounts to a guitar with dual tone controls. Incidentally, gorgeous tone on that guitar.

[@AskZac]

We need a wiring diagram for the half-phase neck pickup.

[@markhammer643]

@@AskZac Here you go: i.imgur.com/zfhX3Sv.gif There are wiring diagrams on the web of the JD Tele, but since it involves a very complex multi-pole switch, I've simplified it here, down to a push-pull switch on the Tone pot. White is the "normal" path for the neck pickup. The grey wires coming out of the phase switch are the two in-phase and out-of-phase alternatives, going to the pickup switch. So, the phase switch, while installed on the back of a push-pull Tone pot, *precedes* the normal pickup selector switch. As such, the bass cut works a little like the "strangle" switch on the Jaguar, just not as severe. I included the bidirectional Tone control just in case anyone is interested. Hope the drawing makes sense.

[@zachjarrett8730]

I got my ‘89 ASAT Signature at Guitar Res. Great shop!

[@BaritoneOneFive]

Played a Frankentele for 30 years. Tone machine!

[@andreeadobre3190]

I'm a living room hobbyist but my only electric guitar is already on its way to franken-tele-ville. Cheap Harley Benton kit that I built to look and feel just how I want it (pitch black including the back of the neck + Tru Oil finish, rounded off the edges of the body a little bit, also it's pretty light), 500k CTS pots + 47nF cap, Kluson Tuners, got a Gretsch Filtertron to install in the bridge position and next on the list are Duesenberg Domino P90 & Les Trem, which of course will need some sort of tune-o-matic bridge. Also contemplating the idea of a behind-the-bridge pickup since the trem would leave room for that. Frankenstein guitars, my Spellcaster salutes you 👍

[@AskZac]

Sounds really cool

[@jakestewartmusic]

I bought an American Deluxe Tele and I've swapped everything on it except the wood and the tuners; it's even going to get a nitro refin... Love the modular Fender design in that you can mix and match and make your instrument truly yours.

[@bldallas]

Cool stuff! Thanks.

[@ajtblues]

This is a great story as many of yours…I dont know why I follow these but your style and way of telling is something I like. I have noticed a graudual signs of this tele …Im earlier liked Strato but Tele is the things. Thanks for your fine presentations!

[@AskZac]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@martinskanal]

Wow! That Adder PU! .. .. Gorgeous!

[@caleshtcincredibles]

Yep I have a Super Tele put together will premium parts bought on Ebay .......I saved a lot of cash and the result was way better than I ever thought would be possible. I could have spent 6 or 7 times what I spent modding on a Deluxe Tele and not been as happy and heck it was a blast watching it take shape .

[@AskZac]

It is a great way to go

[@rivulus]

Putting together specialist teles is addictive in and of itself.

[@pichipachu]

Great video. There's lots of good/great guitars out there that aren't worth a lot of money but worth LOTS of enjoyment! (as greygland says: a LIFESTYLE!)

[@AskZac]

I love the "Lifestyle" comment too

[@Tonetwisters]

I built perhaps the first "FrankenTele" back around the end of 1970, beginning of 1971. Was made of solid mahogany with standard bridge pickup and two Gibson SG Standard pickups ... 500k pots and a Stratocaster neck. Loud, heavy and backbreaking! My sons eventually named it, "The NortonCaster ... "

[@AskZac]

That sounds like a fantastic build

[@thelongvirtuesignal8551]

Filter-tron-y vibe in the middle position there, characteristic instrument, would be gorgeous with that ebony board first neck.

[@ranjburman9768]

Brilliant video!🤗🤗

[@AskZac]

Thank you 🤗

[@ARFthegodking]

I have an 06 Tele mim standard in electron blue. It's my only Tele and its been stock for 4 years. Then I started watching your channel and I have changed the bridge to a standard cold-rolled tele bridge and 3 brass compensated saddles. That was enough for a while. Recently I've purchased some '51 Nocaster pickups, a control cover with an angled selector switch, the new standard string tree, and a 3-ply black guard. I dig that classic black guard tone, but I don't have the budget for even a used American tele, let alone a reissue or a vintage guitar. So I'm turning the guitar I have into the guitar I want. Thanks to this channel I have been inspired to get handy. I found your wiring diagram to by pass the tone control for the neck pickup. I don't really understand it yet, but I hope to try this mod when I change my pickups. I love the way a wide open bridge pickup sounds. Does your wiring allow for a tone controlled bridge blended with a bypassed neck pickup in the middle position? Thanks for the information and encouragement. Update: I got all the stuff that I ordered to upgrade my Tele a couple days ago. It was a learning experience to learn to solder and learn to read the tele wiring diagrams. After much effort, some mild troubleshooting, and some burns on my left hand fingers (they don't prevent me from playing, thankfully), Ol' Blue is all upgraded and rewired. My Tele has gone from the guitar I keep out near my chair because it's indestructable and I have a 4 year old to my favorite guitar. It now beats out my LP Jr. The fully open neck is amazing! Even though they don't have as much output as the old pickups, they are much more dynamic and rich. I love it so much. I could not be happier. Thank you, Zac, for the knowledge and inspiration. Also, thank you for introducing me to Roy Buchanan. He's one of my favorites now. All Roy seems to need is his Tele, a cable, and an amp to melt faces. Amazing.

[@AskZac]

Wow! I am so glad to hear how you have personalized your Tele and enjoyed it. Zac

[@ARFthegodking]

@@AskZac Thanks. I love your channel. It reminds me the stories a guy I used to know told me about when he was a roadie. I love the stories, the history, and the music recommendations. I wrote classic country off for years because my dad listened exclusively to classic country when I was a kid. I have a new appreciation for the music I grew up listening to, now. Thanks so much.

[@marshallsmountain]

I was a Les Paul only player since 1974, being into Doobies and Allman brothers. However, in the 1990's I found a guy who had an Ensinada Strat and Tele with a Bandit amp for 400.00. I bought them thinking I would sell the Tele...but then I got inspired playing it. Years before I had played a hollow body Tele in a music store in Sacrameto. The neck to body flatness put me off, but the Ensinada Tele i bought years later really made me think again. I love it for fingerstyle, but also like playing it with a flat pick. I use a 74 Deluxe and same vintage Bassman 10. Cool guitars!!!

[@maxwhitten8376]

Awesomeness again. Thanks for your knowledge Stay blessed!

[@AskZac]

Thanks, you too!

[@davidtaylor813]

Great video Zac! I.m a big fan of Steve Earle and Mike McAdam and Richard Bennett...I also have a Frankenstein tele..Mexican tele..it's the one I do modifications on and it's cool to me..thanks for your video!

[@AskZac]

Thanks! So glad you appreciate McAdam's playing. Big fan.

[@corneliuscrewe8165]

ALL of my Teles are Frankensteins. Love ‘em!

[@AskZac]

Yes!

[@cruller23]

It’s always good to have instruments that can be hacked and manipulated at will. It’s not only great for the needs of the moment, but also invaluable for developing mod skills. I have a parts ‘Tele’ that has been through 3 different bridges (using different acre locations), 2 phases/locations of ferrule routing, 2 paint jobs, 4 different wirings, expanding the control rout, and the neck pickup rout first expanded for a humbucker and then again for a Peavey Super Ferrite. It’s easily one of the best Teles I have played. Plus, it’s been through the trenches with me, so there’s that, too…

[@WillyKidd]

Exciting!

[@AskZac]

THANKS WILL!

[@78tag]

I took you up on the Brent Mason wiring diagram download - It might come in handy if I can't get the loaded pickguard. Thanks.

[@barbmelle3136]

From Leo: Good Story on your Tele. The Tele is a great instrument to experiment with sounds. I have one with a lipstick for the neck, A real lipstick out of a DanElectro. With a slightly overwound bridge and a 4 way pickup selector, it has a sound of its own, without abandoning the more traditional tones. If I ever get tired of it, I can always put it back to standard pickups.

[@AskZac]

Nice!

[@RidiculousFlightSimmers]

Great videos, thank you!

[@AskZac]

You are so welcome

[@allendaleguitars.stpetersb4528]

I just bought a charvel Gojira Telecaster. It's the most amazing tele I ever played. I did a review on my chanel. Thanks zakk. Most inspiring and like the story in your video. Glad I subscribed.

[@AskZac]

Thank you

[@allendaleguitars.stpetersb4528]

@@AskZac I was never a tele guy. Always more of a super strat guy until I bought a firefly guitar and moded it with EMG pickups and then bought a Charvel San Dimas. Now I want a fender traditional tele. Thanks for the videos and storytelling. .

[@johnpandolfino8663]

I made one using an MJT body....a Fender neck with jumbo frets.....an American special neck I believe....a DiMarzio tone zone in the bridge and a true velvet in the neck..... I play it all the time.... it has a 64 reissue Fender bridge.....with threaded screws for the string intonation.....great sounding......easy to play..... it's tahitian coral finish....the neck is maple.....

[@TeleCaster66]

Both my Strat and Tele are made from parts and are both truly great. But then again, I think Fenders are the same, just whatever neck happens to be next in line gets married to the body that next in line. The best thing about building your own is you get the frets you want along with everything else.

[@cletussea-ray944]

Awesome! Thank you Zac... and yes, it is a sickness

[@AskZac]

You’re welcome Fister

[@transamination]

Binding on a tele body looks really nice.

[@AskZac]

And I really like the single bound look

[@edwardkennedy5500]

Great guitar! I want a bender lol!

[@AskZac]

Benders are fun!

[@edgarmcbee2474]

I have a Fender Nashville Telecaster with a body built by Guitar Mill. Mario and company do a AWESOME job

[@AskZac]

They do!

[@ColinStuart]

Oddly enough, my latest Tele is a model made by J&D guitars! It feels to me, that they made it for my hands! To have it really made for me, it would have to come Fender's Custom Shop! Maple fretboard, no skunk stripe, ash tray bridge, strings through body, or top load, fits my '67 ashtray cover! I met Phil, when he was making a Tele for Don Mclean! The same NAMM show where I met Albert Lee, and had lunch with Tommy Tedesco!

[@AskZac]

Great story, and that sounds like a killer Tele

[@sheikantoniovonpeanutbutte9667]

I have an ‘82 Fullerton reissue jazz bass - love the Fullerton’s

[@mrnelsonius5631]

I really love the sound of that guitar. It’s not as quacky as the “chicken pickin” tele sound but it has a nice sort of warm roundness to it, reminds me of old guitar sounds from the Chet Atkins era (like you mentioned :). The neck position blends really nicely too

[@rpmblues7018]

I bought a Frankinstein Tele Custom made non-Fender back in 1982. Solid Koa body from Hawaii with a solid brass Kahler vibroto. super heavy for a Tele but what a great guitar. . It has a Seymore Dunkin Humbucker in the Bridge and Fender single coil in the Neck position. A thin taper slim neck, I bought it from this guy in Huntington Beach for $300.00 , kinna pricey back then Hah. Cool B Bender

[@joebubbit]

Hi Zac! I decided recently to slap together my own guitars, and I looked up your neighbor Mario Martin at his Guitar Mill shop. I've put together some guitars that play as good or better than the FCS guitars I played. I'm now running out of room in my apt, but that's ok. Every step I take, I can play a different guitar.

[@AskZac]

Very cool!

[@joebubbit]

@@AskZac , BTW: would love to see you incorporate MORE of your smooth playing in your videos!

[@dreamingone615]

Benders are crazy cool.

[@Badhands55]

Agreed- telecasters are a way of life

[@ptrgreeny]

I've done 3 Franks...it's the only way to go for me now. I LOVE a hard V neck w/ 7.25" radius, vintage wire and a 2pc neck maple/maple...NO ONE offers a guitar with those neck specs. Who else but me would buy them? I started with a Hardtail Strat, then a Nocaster-ish Tele and a bound black Tele like yours, but I installed Charlie Christian pickups.

[@AskZac]

Killer!!!!!

[@birdman316]

great vid bro! talk about a "frankentele" i have a wild one! started out as something a friend put together and me and another friend gave to another friend lol..... then years passed and it was forgotten about... then i bought this old retired police car.va state police car 1999 crown vic p71... the same guy we gave that frankentele to just had to have the lightbar so he traded me that old tele for the lightbar! im not sure what the body is but its a tele clone...6 saddle bridge....the neck was off a peavey rockmaster... i replaced the pups/wiring with a gfs 63 vintage voiced(bridge) pro series unit and replaced the neck with a guitarmadness 72 era unit...i knew the 63 bridge gfs was a great budget unit...but never heard of the neck one... man this thing has magical tones! its my most fave tele that i own...the body has small chunks missing and i colored all the bad spots with a dark blue sharpie.....i bet mr paisley himself would like this one! i named her my "peaveykaster".....o ya i also put bent steel saddles on the bridge....

[@3cardmonty602]

I put a Warmoth conversion neck - 24.75” scale w/compound radius - 10-16 - on my Squier Classic Vibe ‘50’s Blonde Telecaster and I absolutely love it now. I put a boiled linseed finish on the neck and it’s satin in feel. It makes it much easier to play as stretches are getting harder for me due to a genetic blood disease that’s putting iron in my joints. The Tele has Alnico III’s in it, which I love. Have you ever played a short-scale Tele?

[@AskZac]

I have, but prefer the 25.5 scale