The Telecaster was the original testbed solidbody electric guitar and it offers more scope for modding than any other model. Here are our top tips for curing common problems, improving playability and customising your Tele tone
1 SOCKET SOLUTION
Fender’s original design for the Tele’s output jack socket would have been sheer genius had it worked. Instead, you need a specialist tool or a lot of ingenuity to fit one and, in most cases, they’ll eventually work loose or fall out once again. The Retrofit Jackplate is an all-in-one solution. The jack socket screws into the cup that is fixed inside the body hole by two screws that go diagonally into the wood. It’s available in aluminium, chrome and gold, and the only tool you’ll need is a crosshead screwdriver. And if you ever want to swap back, you can.
2 NO SQUEAL
A screaming guitar is fine, but the squeal of microphonic feedback certainly isn’t. Unfortunately, Tele bridge pickups are quite prone to squeal when used with high-gain amps and pedals such as fuzz boxes. However, there is a simple workaround that might cure the problem and it costs next to nothing. Place some foam rubberon the bottom of the pickup cavity so it presses up against the metal inductance plate. It must be firm enough to dampen vibration but soft enough to ensure the height setting screws still work. And while you’re at it, replace the spacer springs with rubber tubing.
3 INTONATION IMPROVEMENT
Six or three? Some die-hard Tele fans may insist on three saddles, but that means intonation adjustment will require some degree of compromise. For vintage-style saddles that are at right angles to the intonation screws, try Jerry Donahue’s method of tuning the fretted D string slightly flat of the 12th fret harmonic, and the G string slightly sharp. Alternatively, check out slanted saddles or the compensated saddles offered by Wilkinson, Graph Tech and Gotoh. Wilkinson’s swivel saddles and Mastery saddles probably offer the most exact intonation adjustment solution for threesaddle bridges.
4 CONTROL PLATE FLIP
No doubt ergonomics rather than aesthetics inspired Fender to revise the control layout for the Stratocaster, bringing the controls within easier reach for volume and tone adjustments and swells. It’s also all too easy to knock that Tele switch while you’re playing and one solution is to spin the control plate around. This has been a popular mod since the get go, with players such as Pete Townshend and Bill Kirchen having tried it at various times.
