General Music Chat

At the October songwriter group meeting, the prompt for the next month was was to use the hook/title from an existing song, but make it your own.

This is the first song I wrote on my baritone uke. Performed it solo at the CD Release Party (although its not on the CD, obviously). Recorded uke parts (it's doubled with one panned left, one right) and the vocals on Saturday while my wife was out of the house before my mom came up for the holiday. Other parts were done today. I recorded the middle lead part 16 times (it's doubled too, 2 separate tracks panned left and right), finally settling on a sound that (to my old ears) duplicates Randy Bachman of the Guess Who's "No Time" sound.
I got a new set of pickups for the Tele for Christmas, but this is still the (Squier) neck pickup that I put in a few years ago because the old one had lost all its volume and bite. The original bridge pickup has now done the same. I know I can get them rebuilt (but not sure where), but in the meantime hoping these GFS pickups (and new pots, switch, jack and wiring harness) will get the sound where I want it.

https://soundcloud.com/mikebirch/crossr ... 26-16-demo

That's a good song Mike. Ukes sound nice. Would have probably gone with some major/ minor scales on the solo myself, but the blues stuff still fits.

Sambop - as the original 72 hardware is worth some money, I'd only want to go with someone experienced with them. I've got no way of knowing what's really wrong with them - how do you tell if the copper wire needs re-doing? I can put an ohmmeter on the pickups, but not sure what I should be seeing!
On the hardware - the tone pot has been scratchy for some time, have used electronics cleaner on it a few times, but hasn't helped. The jack is crackly, too - just age-corroded, I think, as I took it out a month ago and checked the solders and that the end connector was bent in enough.

Jook - real close to the amp to get the natural feedback-sustain, and just kept dialing in volume/gain/amp on my Spider IV. People think Teles are only good for country music - uh-uh!

Schmed - I had tried a number of simple licks for this song, almost decided not to use the electric lead at all. Laid down a bunch of piano leads (you can just hear one behind the guitar leads in the bridge) but I'm not really a keyboard player, so wasn't happy with them. I also recorded a couple of electric guitar rhythm tracks, but ended up muting them.

Thanks for the listens.

You should hear the noise rock band Whites. That guy gets crazy tone from a standard Tele.

The magnet thing looks pretty easy to do. Once I've got the old pickup out of the guitar I'll be able to check the resistance.

Ohm meter on the bridge pickup - ouch! Nothing, infinite resistance with every scale (yes, I verified the ohmmeter was working, read about 8500 on the (newer) neck pickup.

So I was all set to install the new pickups and controls from GFS - only to realize they sent the wrong pickups, supposed to have quick-connect jacks on the leads (no soldering needed), instead they are bare wires.

C'mon, Mike.
Get out the old iron and go to work!! You can do it!!

Yeah, the Tele is probably one of the most versatile guitars around. I love 'em.
But I'm not shakin' loose of my 335 for nothin'. It's also very versatile.

The controls loom has the quick plugs already on them, I just want to 'plug and play'!

what do they plug INTO?

...a harness that gets soldered to your existing pots? or does the p/u come w replacement pots that are wired up w appropriate male or female jack(s) and input jack that's also prewired?

otherwise you're gonna have to do some soldering, no?

what do they plug INTO?

...a harness that gets soldered to your existing pots? or does the p/u come w replacement pots that are wired up w appropriate male or female jack(s) and input jack that's also prewired?

otherwise you're gonna have to do some soldering, no?

Everything has prewired jacks/plugs.
Turns out the pickups have jacks, too - they come with 2-wire pigtails already plugged in, I didn't realize that they just need to be pulled out to insert the plugs from the control harness.
Didn't have time last night to assemble it all, will get to it later this week.

mike, you didn't really answer my question of what the jacks from the p/u plugs into!

into a new set of pots and input jack that are already prewired?

or.... do you have to solder jacks to your existing pots/input ?