Fender Telecaster Bass club #1

[georgiagoodie]

I thought the "guidelines" accepted a Squire Tele with a "mudbucker", even if it does not say "Telecaster" on the head....If not....KICK ME OUT!
Yes, the pups DO offer quite a bit of difference in sound. I am going to install stacked-knob V/T for each pup as when both pups are on I need some more control for tones. Where is a good place to find those, with the knurled chrome knobs?

[rodl2005]

They do. Your in as listed Mr. Goodie. Hard to get much more "Telecaster" than that

[georgiagoodie]

Thanks rodl2005! I ordered my CTS concentric pots, Gotoh chrome stacked knobs, and Sprague orange drop caps yesterday from Guitarelectronics.com. I'll get some photo updates once I get 'er done.

[JvN]

Guys - can you give me a clue as to when Fender used rounded knobs and when flat topped ones on the first model Telecaster bass? Or were they of 1 make the whole period?

[muzikman7]

The domed knobs did not come on Telecaster only flat top knobs.

[muzikman7]

Here is another pic of mine '68 Telecaster.

[JvN]

Originally Posted by muzikman7

The domed knobs did not come on Telecaster only flat top knobs.

So yours are not original? Beautiful specimen, by the way.

[muzikman7]

Originally Posted by JvN

So yours are not original? Beautiful specimen, by the way.

No they are not original I put domes on all my Fenders because I like them, I have the original Tele knobs stashed away. Thanks for the compliment.

[bassclef112]

Here's my '70 Tele the same year I got it brand new ($185).


Here it is now, same neck/tuners & covers on a Warmoth Swamp Ash body, SD 1/4 lb'er, Hipshot A bridge.

[JvN]

New family member on the right, just a year younger than her '70 sister - AND all original :-).

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by JvN

Attachment 309386 New family member on the right, just a year younger than her '70 sister - AND all original :-).

Gorgeous!

[JvN]

I know it's a familiar problem with these 2-string saddles / vintage basses, but anyone any bright ideas on better tuning the E-string? I can live (and play) with it being slightly out of tune by tuning it on the 5th fret A against the open A string, but maybe there are some bright minds with a better solution without modding the bass. I have exactly the same 'problem' on both Teles.

EDIT: Plucked up some courage and put a shim under the neck myself :-D. Better action, slightly better tuning.
EDIT 2: Slightly turned the E/A-saddle perpendicular to the strings and now its perfectly in tune. Halleluja!

[JvN]

On/off topic: if we ever need to get more visual than TB allows us, the Facebook geeks among us may consider the FB offshoot of our biblical thread there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/614902341857590/. Just to let y'all know.

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by JvN

On/off topic: if we ever need to get more visual than TB allows us, the Facebook geeks among us may consider the FB offshoot of our biblical thread there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/614902341857590/. Just to let y'all know.

Count me in!! Joined.

[Chef]

What do you mean more visual than you can here?
You can post as many pix as you want here.
You don't even have to upload them here; just paste in the IMG link:

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by Chef

What do you mean more visual than you can here?
You can post as many pix as you want here.
You don't even have to upload them here; just paste in the IMG link:

Such a beautiful example.

[JvN]

Easter Contemplations... any experiences here with having a fretless fingerboard installed on a '69 Telecaster bass? Problems, obstacles, things to keep in mind...? Thanks in advance.

(Oh, and please no "Don't you ever do that..." stuff please. Nobody is going to touch my other, 100% vintage, almost mint, fretted '71 Tele...)

[gurensan]

Originally Posted by JvN

Easter Contemplations... any experiences here with having a fretless fingerboard installed on a '69 Telecaster bass? Problems, obstacles, things to keep in mind...? Thanks in advance.

(Oh, and please no "Don't you ever do that..." stuff please. Nobody is going to touch my other, 100% vintage, almost mint, fretted '71 Tele...)

I just inquired with a luthier about doing this exact thing with my Squier VM TB. The neck has the same construction as your '69, but with a different profile.

They said no. "do it yourself.. .if it works, bring it in..." They mentioned it was about a $600 mod and that it would be cheaper and easier to get a custom neck made. Warmoth does not make a neck that will fit that bass (GRRRR), but B. Hefner makes a square-heel Tele neck that should be a drop-in replacement. Fretless is an option

That said, if you're not glued to that ginormous profile, buy a Squier VM TB neck and try it out on that first. That way you're out less than $200 if it blows up. The '69 is not an easily replaceable hunk of wood.

The main issue is the fact that it is not a glued-on fingerboard (unless you've got some super-rare neck, in which case you should NOT cut off the original fingerboard!). Since it's not, you have to plane the face of the neck down past the radius, and the luthier was afraid he'd hit the truss rod anchors with a power tool while trying to get it flat. Understandable, as neither Fender nor Squier are perfect with respect to construction.

I'm going the B. Hefner route and buying two necks, one fretted and one fretless.

[rust_preacher]

Originally Posted by JvN

Easter Contemplations... any experiences here with having a fretless fingerboard installed on a '69 Telecaster bass? Problems, obstacles, things to keep in mind...? Thanks in advance.

(Oh, and please no "Don't you ever do that..." stuff please. Nobody is going to touch my other, 100% vintage, almost mint, fretted '71 Tele...)

I would advise you to get a new replacement fretless neck for it - should cost you about the same as the process of ruining the original.

[jumbodbassman]

+1