Joe Strummer Tele mods

[SKC Willie]

So, I'm thinking about doing some stuff to the Strummer telecaster (that UPS may or may not get to me). I have planned all of this because I have anxiously been waiting the tele but UPS has had for a month and they're just now admitting that these is a problem. But that's a different story. Right now, I've been thinking about doing a few things to it. Note: please ignore my lack of photoshopping skills. Right now, I think I'm leaning towards 4. The down sides though is that it is the most expensive and of course the least stock. I don't really care but if I decide to get rid of it for some reason, someone else might. But then again, it has already been painted, so who cares?

Option 1 - leave it as it is
Option 2 - add some kind of single coil humbucker in the bridge + bigsby
Option 3 - same as option 2 but with a black pg
option 4 - no pickup, no bigsby, but a black pg

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Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

[serfx]

i vote for twang king in the bridge + bigsby

[Thom]

I do like bigsbys on Teles, and also prefer white to black guards so option 2.

[laterallateral]

Just put a black one ply guard on that sukka.
The pickups on the Joe Strummer that I tried were really nice in that glassy tele kind of way.

[crofty]

i cant say much for black guards on that finish. option 2.

[SKC Willie]

Yeah. I haven't actually played it yet, so if I like the pickups, I won't replace them.

I do like the idea of having a single coil size humbucker in the bridge though.

[James]

I have planned all of this because I have anxiously been waiting the tele but UPS has had for a month...

This is why you shouldn't mod it.

You're planning it because you're thinking about the guitar often, and daydreaming about how to improve it so as to mentally remove it from the UPS shambles. It's completely understandable and to be honest I would do the same, but you definitely shouldn't plan to throw money at it. If you have a black guard sitting around already, and it fits well enough, by all means try it, but see how you like the guitar 'as is' for now.

I personally don't like the black guard because it has too much of a 52 look which the body doesn't carry off. The body looks good as it is, in a sort of mid-way between an aged white and a 52 blonde sort of way. It looks classy and while it's different from a normal Tele it's subtle. With the lipped bridge it all looks very classic, and the white pickguard sets it off as 'this isn't some 52 re-make that only goes part of the way to the magic of the originals, it rocks for what it is'.

The bigsby is more of a playing issue and you should definitely spend a couple of months rocking the stock bridge to see how it works for you. You might play it and find it just works as it is now. The same goes for the pickpus. Definitely give them some time first, at the very least if you don't like them you'll know which way you want to go from there (more bass, lower output, whatever).

[chisa]

leave it, if anything put some better pickups in - not humbuckers, they have no place on a tele!!

[SKC Willie]

Haha. I won't have the money to do anything until at least June. So I will have 2 months to decide. As far as pickups go, I probably will end up leaving them stock, unless I really dislike them. And if it sounds anything like a Tele; I won't.

I'm pretty set on the bigsby at some point. I also thought about adding the Jag style trem to it but that is a lot less reversible than the bigsby. You can the bigsby out without a trace other than a few screw holes. Jag trem, not so much. But I am going to play it and see.

[benecol]

Option One: that is a very pretty tele that certainly tickled my fancy.

[SKC Willie]

But the bigsby looks so sweet!

[benecol]

Put a Bigsby on your second tele: leave this one as it is.

[SKC Willie]

I wish I had the money for that!

Maybe I'll try to trade my Jazz bass for a tele . . . . hmmmm

[lorez]

I played one at the weekend and thought it was a very good guitar and if I had £600 for it I would seriously consider it. The neck was a dream and I really liked the slim profile of it and the pickups sounded great. i know it looks a dog but seriously, like the others have said. Play it for a few weeks first.

I mean look at my avatar, can't you see that Rob is telling Joe to play it a while before putting a bigsby on the damn thing

[SKC Willie]

I played one at the weekend and thought it was a very good guitar and if I had £600 for it I would seriously consider it. The neck was a dream and I really liked the slim profile of it and the pickups sounded great. i know it looks a dog but seriously, like the others have said. Play it for a few weeks first.

I mean look at my avatar, can't you see that Rob is telling Joe to play it a while before putting a bigsby on the damn thing

hahaha.

"You're going to do what? . . . Remember last time you tried to do something to that damn guitar?"

[hotrodperlmutter]

option 1. no doubt.

[sp3k]

option 4. I really like tele bridge single coils, i wouldn't put a humbucker there

[Mages]

the single-coil tele bridge pickup is pretty much the best sounding guitar pickup ever.

[brambleperro]

That bridge pickup is a beast! I'm glad to see your plans. With all the wait, it'd be hard not to think about the potential. I have some ideas ready for the Mustang, myself. One thing to note is that the pickguard is indeed a very light mint color. It's a perfect example of how subtle of a difference that color of guard makes on a guitar.

Also, check your inbox for an update. I think we're getting somewhere.

[SKC Willie]

That bridge pickup is a beast! I'm glad to see your plans. With all the wait, it'd be hard not to think about the potential. I have some ideas ready for the Mustang, myself. One thing to note is that the pickguard is indeed a very light mint color. It's a perfect example of how subtle of a difference that color of guard makes on a guitar.

Also, check your inbox for an update. I think we're getting somewhere.

haha, four days!!!!!

I complain about UPS but I can't imagine your wait. Every time I think about how bad it has sucked I just think, "Man, it really, really sucks for bambleperro."