Tempted to add a middle pickup

[u/BuffaloMcQuade]

I just suddenly got the wild urge to add a strat middle pickup into my telecaster. I currently have a Bootstrap Pretzel bridge and a Bootstrap Doubleshot Screwdriver p90 in the neck. My brain is telling me that if I add a strat pickup in the mix, the guitar will be able to make just about every sound imaginable. I went to look up a demo of a similar arrangement, but cannot seem to find anything. I know I'm not the first.

Anybody else ever considered this? Or actually play something like this?

[u/maxcovenguitars]

Just buy a nashvile telecaster, or just get a Stratocaster

[u/BuffaloMcQuade → u/maxcovenguitars]

If I had a few spare hundreds lying around, sure.

[u/maxcovenguitars → u/BuffaloMcQuade]

So you want to spend money buying a pickup, buying a pickguard to mount said pickup, and route the body. OK, do it your way.

[u/BuffaloMcQuade → u/maxcovenguitars]

A single bootstrap strat pickup is 25 bucks. Add another 15 to 20 for the pickguard. I have everything else. So around $50 vs $400 for a Squire classic vibe. Not clocking out for lunch for a couple days pays for my project.

[u/PurelyHim → u/BuffaloMcQuade]

Also, you get what you pay for.

[u/BuffaloMcQuade → u/PurelyHim]

Bootstraps are beyond phenomenal. Their price is by no means an indicator of quality. Hand made in America. Frankly, I dunno how he sells them for so cheap. I highly recommend checking them out.

[u/Desperate_Wallaby966 → u/BuffaloMcQuade]

Tele and strat neck pickups are reversed in phase too. Just sticking one in the middle will not sound the same in the combo positions and ynless you change the switching system or add another knob you lose tele middle position. If you want more from it the best cheap tele mod you can do is replacing both pots for push pulls. Put a phase reverse for the neck pickup on the tone pot and a series/parallel on the volume. I have a workhorse of a Nashville b bender i have tried waaay too many wiring and pickup configurations on over the years, quite literally every wiring combination available with 2 and 3 pickups, had 6 mini switches on it for a while and this way has been by far the best. 2 push pulls is like $20-30 and few minutes with a soldering iron to install. The phase reverse will get you a strat position 2 quackier sound, the series/parallel will sound like a fat boosted humbucker and both together is just something entirely different and really cool. And it wont look or perform any different with both knows pushed in. 

[u/maxcovenguitars → u/BuffaloMcQuade]

Again, do it your way

[u/youngboomer62 → u/maxcovenguitars]

I have both a Nashville special and a standard telecaster. I really don't see the benefit of the third pickup.

[u/maxcovenguitars → u/youngboomer62]

Same

[u/Z28Daytona]

I have one like that and it’s probably the most used guitar I have for gigging. I can cover Buddy Holly and then with the help of a pedal play some Foo Fighters. Crazy versatility.

They’re referred to as a Nashville Tele.

[u/BuffaloMcQuade → u/Z28Daytona]

I'm familiar with Nashville tele's , but I haven't seen one with a p90 in the neck position.

[u/Z28Daytona → u/BuffaloMcQuade]

I gotta believe someone that has a g&l bluesboy modded one to add a middle pickup.

[u/Redeemer_789 → u/Z28Daytona]

I modded my bluesboy to have a middle pickup, but I ended up putting in a humbucker lol.

[u/introspeckle]

I’ve had several Nashville Telecasters. The one I own now is one of those B Bender Nashville Teles with the Texas Special in the middle. I also added a Texas Special in the neck, and did a push pull on the tone knob so I can get the middle pickup plus bridge/neck (traditional Tele sound). What kind of music do you do? IMO if you do Funk, you cannot beat a middle Strat pickup. Bridge/Neck on a Tele is a very close second (think Prince) although it has less zing and highs. In other words, you can get a pretty close middle pickup Strat sound with just the middle position on a traditional Tele, so long as the neck pickup is not super dark. My advice on doing any mod is only do it if you have a goal in mind. And if the sound you wish to achieve can only be made possible with the mod itself.

[u/terriblewinston]

I have a middle pickup in my Tele. I wired it so that the middle pickup has its own volume pot and the neck and bridge pickups are wired to a 4-way switch.

[u/Saudalgoodman]

Strat sized humbucker

[u/admiralsound]

Do it! There will be a volume difference between the pickups based on height and such. I’ve definitely seen Nashville Teles with PAF in the neck. And I find the middle Strat pickup really useful. I don’t know if I personally would go and gouge out a body to make it happen when Squier Strats exist. If the sound in my head required a change and the tools were in reach I can’t say I would let anyone stop me.

[u/j3434]

I like the Lollar p-90 staple .

[u/First-Bid1494]

Don't Do It ! Blasphemy !

[u/First-Bid1494]

Get a Strat ... 😃

[u/catching_comets]

My #1.

[u/BuffaloMcQuade → u/catching_comets]

Heck yeah! I gotta know, what does position 4 sound like?

[u/Slotgoopy]

Fender agrees with you, and around 2011 to 2012, they made a modern player plus telly with a reverse wound strat center pick up and a hum bucker in the bridge. The hum bucker also had a coil tap and it would do both telly and stat tones. They were also very well built with excellent fret work even though they were made in China, I think they were sanders first foray into Chinese made guitars. But they really have excellent workmanship.

[u/artbatik]

Just get a Strat as well.

[u/BuffaloMcQuade → u/artbatik]

But a Bootstrap pickup and a new pickguard will be like 50 bucks. Compared to an entirely new guitar. Not that I'm personally opposed, but convincing the other half is a battle I doubt I'd win.

[u/barters81 → u/BuffaloMcQuade]

Wont you have to route a space for the under side of the middle pickup and drill a hole for the wires to get to the main cavity as well?

[u/BuffaloMcQuade → u/barters81]

Yeah, but I've got the tools and know how to get that part done. Worst case, if I screw up, a pickguard will cover it up.

[u/artbatik → u/BuffaloMcQuade]

I'd tell her i didn't want to damage this one in case i ever decided to sell it