Beginner's Guide to Upgrading Your Telecaster PART 1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- In prior Guitar Collector Guy videos, I have used the term “a guitar has good bones.” What I mean by this is that the guitar body and neck are well made and the everything basically works out of the box. I will take this definition one step further in that the builder has also followed known specifications for the dimensions of the bridge, tuners, electronics, and pickups. This will facilitate future modifications to the guitar or what we call modding. If you have this then you have a great guitar platform.
In this video and the videos in this series I am going to focus on the reason, viability, and actual upgrades of a Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster. I could just as easily select many other guitars of other manufacturers like Epiphone and others that also have good bones. What is wonderful with the Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster is you are going to be able to find a plethora of aftermarket parts that are drop in specifications. Meaning you pull the old part off and install the new part and after adjustments you are ready to go.
The Squier line of guitar has really grown up. Originally Squier was seen as a line of guitars that students and beginners would use before maturing and purchasing a more expensive name brand guitar like something from the Fender line of guitars.
Now Squier is starting to be seen more of a quality and affordable guitar that plays is some cases just as well as its more expensive versions like Fender. Working musicians now regularly will take a Squier version of a guitar on tour and to gigs because if it is damaged or stolen you are only out hundreds of dollars instead of thousands of dollars.
The Telecaster is an amazing guitar platform that is so versatile. With the correct (for you) set of pickups and electronics installed the Tele can be used in Jazz, Hard Rock, Punk, Country, or any other Genre of music you care to play.
A third-party industry has grown up around the Tele that offers everything from affordable to expensive components that allow you to modify the guitar to whatever you would like the guitar to be. When I use the term third-party, I mean a company other than the original guitar manufacturer.
When I first started playing guitar, I could not afford name brand guitars until I was in my thirties and finally had the financial wherewithal to buy them without going broke. My first electric guitar was a black Squier Telecaster. Even buying this guitar new was a financial stretch for me at the time. Even though it was a Squier I was so proud to own it. She was such a beauty.
After playing for a while I discovered some of her shortcomings. I did not like the tuners. They seemed to slip like a broken car transmission when turned the tuning knob. What I mean is that when I turned the knob it with would a while before something started to happen - meaning the tuning shaft started to turn.
At the time I did not have the internet so I could just pull up my web browser and google for replacements. I went to the store where I had purchased the guitar from and talked to the guitar tech. I thought he was a god. His name was Gary and everyone in the store told me had had been a guitar tech for bands the likes of the Grateful Dead. He showed me a few sets of tuners that would work, and I picked the least expensive one and went home. With the guitar on a towel on my dining table I removed the strings and tuners and replaced them with the tuners I had just purchased. When I restrung the guitar, I was happy that the tuners I had installed were light years better than what was originally on the guitar from the factory. And the REALLY f’ing cool thing was I had done this.
It is a very different thing to spend $750 to $1000 incrementally over the course of a year or two with an affordable guitar, then it is to plop down the full amount one time for the name brand version. I know, I know a lot of folks will say - just save up and buy the name brand guitar it is so much better. Here is my answer back - you do you and you let me do me.
So, that is the background and the why you would do what I am going to do in this series of videos.
I plan on taking this Squier guitar and replacing the tuners, bridge, electronics, pickups, etc.
First, we will talk about the “why” I am choosing to make a specific upgrade and what I am looking to accomplish.
I will then show you what goes into selecting the correct parts and then how to remove the old parts and install the new parts.
The next video in the series will be focused on tuner issues and problems. Why you would want to replace the tuners and then ultimately what tuners will work as either a drop-in replacement or a replacement that requires some modifications to the guitar.
You’re my favorite guitar TH-camr and we never really hear you play. I enjoy watching people shred but your knowledge and in depth work with the actual composition of the instruments themselves are super refreshing and fun to watch.
Thank you very much. I am always the person playing the guitar tracks in the background of the shorts and at the end of all of the videos. Even the track in the back of this video is me. I am such a crappy player that I never want to detract away from the guitars themselves.
Looking forward to it! The Telecaster is such a great choice for this series.
I couldn't agree more.
Superb explanations, thanks!
Squier 50’s CV pinewood body > fender standard poplar body. Plus you save $150 you can used to upgrade the pick ups.
The only downside to the classic vibe is the thin neck.
Great idea for a video series. I'm looking forward to all the useful information you will provide. One question, if I may, just curious why the classic vibe over an affinity?
I have a squire affinity telecaster single coils,made in Indonesia....I was thinking about putting G&L MFD pickups in both the neck and bridge .
G&L told me : Thank you for the interest in G&L products, I have attached the dimensions for the ASAT Classic neck and bridge pickups. The height of the G&L pickups are larger compared to the fenders, which means you might have to rout the cavity to accommodate the G&L pickups. If you have any questions email me back, have a great day.
Best regards,
Have you any experience with this ❓
I love the pickups, but I've not installed them in a guitar like this before. So I apologize, I don't have any experience as of yet.
@@guitarcollectorguyno need to apologize.... just checking.....
Very intresting video, I just subscribed to your channel. I have a question: I own a Squier CV 50s telecaster and I'd like to have a 60'S telecaster. Considering my budget I have 2 choises: Vintera2 or Player2 (this one to modify with vintage bridge and Fender Pure Vintage 64 Pick ups). What would you choose?
Both are great. I have owned two Vintera 2 Red Telecasters and they are one of my all time favorite guitars - period.
@guitarcollectorguy thank you for your answer. I should go to a music store and try both guitars to try out the necks!
@@stefanogiannotti7801 I think that is a good idea.
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Jefe: A what?
El Guapo: A *plethora.*
Jefe: Oh yes, you have a *plethora.*
El Guapo: Jefe, what is a *plethora?*
Jefe: Why, El Guapo?
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Thank you. This totally cracked me up.
@guitarcollectorguy Do you know if the bottom of the Squier bone nut is flat or radial? My CV50s made in Indo needs a new bone nut and not sure which bottom to get. Do you know if the precut Stew Mac Fender Bone nut works on this guitar for the string spacing, or does it have be be custom slotted from a blank?
It is curved. You might want to try the graphtech nut that is precut and pretty much sized.
@@guitarcollectorguy Thank you for the info! I didn't want to remove it yet until I had one in hand. Love your channel, thanks.
Thank you!