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I've got a real thing at the moment for Esquires, can't stop looking at them.

Would I miss the lack of neck pickup ? How are the other combinations nice enough and useable ?

This one will be primarily a strumming machine, and I'm keen to get something straight up & no nonsense for a change.

Considering the Mex Esquire in fact, which is probably top of my list at the mo.



Really, I'd prefer a rosewood neck but that might be an issue on a 50s influenced guitar.

Alternatively I was thinking of buying Classic Vibe bound 62 and converting it into an esquire perhaps. Along the lines of this:



Would the pickup be audible or useful if left hidden under the guard, even for some jazz-esq warm tones. Don't mind removing it, just wondered.

Any thoughts ?

I think you should get one and see for yourself it is suits you.
Esquires are cherished by many who own them for a reason.........

I've never played one, but the switching is cool.

othomas2 wrote: Alternatively I was thinking of buying Classic Vibe bound 62 and converting it into an esquire perhaps. Along the lines of this:

Would the pickup be audible or useful if left hidden under the guard, even for some jazz-esq warm tones. Don't mind removing it, just wondered.

Any thoughts ?

Blonde + maple Esquires are legendary for their sexual prowess

Unless one shaved off 1/4" of the mounting side of a neck and dropped the saddles accordingly, I cant imagine a stealth pickup of any resistance sounding as useful as one would hope, but some TDPRI doods in the past have said it can work, to a certain extent. I myself would rather forget about neck tones and just do standard Esquire switching, but add a push-push pot for splitting hot double rails. Bypassing the tone pot and crunching out would be a sure-fire formula for teh rockz.

I've played them, and tried to mod my Tele into one and couldn't get the wiring quite right. but it was pretty cool, ones I played sounded great and I could understand why people love them so much. kindve the "off" telecaster even though it was first. but I ended up missing the neck pickup and stuff. this is when I realized I need a Tele and an esquire. was playing through a HRD when I had my Tele and it sounds wayy better through my silvertone so I wanna give an esquire another go.

There's something freeing about only having one pickup. It's sort of like running straight into the amp with no pedals... You stop worrying about what settings to use for everything and you just play.

I'd love an Esquire. I think guitars with one pickup do have a certain something; I'm sure there's something to the m@j@feathers thing of there being no magnetic pull from the neck pickup; they've definitely got a certain BRANG (I've had three Juniors of various descriptions now). There are also plenty of interesting switching configurations you can use in an Esquire (there are a couple I like, will try and find the youtube video) along the lines of tone controls/straight through/cocked wah.

Also think a rosewood neck goes fine on a 50s body (although sadly, the opposite's not true - don't like maple necks on bound bodies).

My theoretical future Esquire is double bound sherwood green with a rosewood neck, btw.

EDIT: one of the setups I like is called the Eldred mod (I hate myself for remembering that so easily...). Explanation from 3:40 here:

[youtube][/youtube]

othomas2 wrote:
Would I miss the lack of neck pickup ? How are the other combinations nice enough and useable ?

imo YES u will miss it AND u will miss out on being able to wire the bridge and neck in series w a 4-way which is one of the coolest mod to do with a telecats

the only way i'd do a esquire is with an splittable humbucker in the bridge

IMO if you're only going to have one pickup, it should be in the middle position.

Plug an Esquire into the wrong amp and it'll be icepick treble hell with no middle position to escape to.

I am building one. I am excited to give it a go. Just waiting on the Warmoth neck and decal to arrive. It has a tone pot and the bassier neck position option to warm it up. (Seems similar to how the rhythm section on a Jag/Jazzy works.)

brainfur wrote:the only way i'd do a esquire is with an splittable humbucker in the bridge

Yep that sounds pretty good. I've had loads of different pickups in this one: neck singles, hum buckers, p90s but the single hum bucker sounds amazing.
Switch goes from series, split and parallel wiring, all three pretty useable too. It's also the only guitar I use the volume and tone controls on, roll the tone down a bit and it's very neck humbuckery. It's my favourite gigging guitar too, solid tuning and almost nothing can go wrong with it.



"routed" with a hand drill though, wonky as fuck and made the resale value zero. Oh well.

yeh and maple neck.... pretty sweet

love an esquire, never really understood the switching options..

may have to build one myself soon.

benecol wrote:I'd love an Esquire. I think guitars with one pickup do have a certain something; I'm sure there's something to the m@j@feathers thing of there being no magnetic pull from the neck pickup; they've definitely got a certain BRANG (I've had three Juniors of various descriptions now). There are also plenty of interesting switching configurations you can use in an Esquire (there are a couple I like, will try and find the youtube video) along the lines of tone controls/straight through/cocked wah.

Also think a rosewood neck goes fine on a 50s body (although sadly, the opposite's not true - don't like maple necks on bound bodies).

My theoretical future Esquire is double bound sherwood green with a rosewood neck, btw.

EDIT: one of the setups I like is called the Eldred mod (I hate myself for remembering that so easily...). Explanation from 3:40 here:

[youtube][/youtube]

Funny you point that out... that's the video a resulted on after watching many Curtis Kent demo videos from my youtube subscription.

Would love this guitar (same as above demo) and amp, & is basically what started lust for one...

[youtube][/youtube]

Thanks to the rest for your advices. Listenin' to all your opinions. Very useful.

IMPORTANTLY: if you buy one and end up missing the neck pickup (cleu: you won't), the bodies are always routed for a neck p'up anyway, so with a new guard and a pickup, you're away.

From recent personal experience: PUT A STRAT PICKUP IN THE NECK POSITION.

Jim_Nowhere wrote:love an esquire, never really understood the switching options..

may have to build one myself soon.

Middle is normal. Back is tone bypass. Forward is sortof a half cocked wah sound.

ykk211 wrote:

Jim_Nowhere wrote:love an esquire, never really understood the switching options..

may have to build one myself soon.

Middle is normal. Back is tone bypass. Forward is sortof a half cocked wah sound.

Or at least ive been told