MIM Muddy Waters Fender Telecaster

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

Okay, I bought the above mentioned guitar at the swee lee sims drive during their year end sale 2005. Cost me a good 900 bucks.

However.

The pickup sound for the neck+bridge config kinda weird.. I dunno if it's the intended sound or a problem with the wiring... it's like a flat, bass-less clanky sound.

btw this is a true Fender MW telecaster... I don't doubt it at all aside from the rumour that guitars sold by swee lee tend to have QC problems.

Could it be the MIM factor? or is it a tone that Muddy Waters incorporates, and Fender has re-created faithfully?

Anyhow, it plays well and sounds a little thinner compared to some teles I've played before (including a '52 reissue and a '97 standard w/ bigsby). But I like the bridge tone.. like a live Jimmy Page.. piercing and just out-of this world.

 

[thor666]

http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/STDTELE/SD0135102BPg2.pdf

http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/MUDDYTELE/SD0138500APg2.pdf

They are drawn the same wiring.

I've never heard of wiring problems by Sweelee.

You can check the pickups used at the fender website. if not maybe send it back to Sweelee to check your guitar.

 

[MrE]

well in case anyone else is wondering, these are the pickups in the Muddy Waters

2 American Vintage Tele® Single-Coil Pickups (Neck/Bridge), with Special Staggered Alnico 5 Magnets in the Bridge Pickup

 

[nkubi87]

MIM means made in where? malaysia?

 

[qwerty]

MIM means made in mexico.

personally i've not played a muddy waters tele, but i find the mid pickup selection on a tele really sounds wierd. maybe cos its a parallel connection and i hardly used that for playing. you could consider changing to a 4 pickup swtich, with one that puts the pickups in series, it'll sound a little like a humbucker.

again, i'm not too sure at this moment if its the normal sound of the tele in that mid pickup selection or if its your wiring. if it really bothers you just bring it to a guitar shop and have it looked at. or just play it there, they might be able to tell you straight away if its a problem with the wiring..

 

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

yeah I know what you're talking about... and it's a crutch not being able to use that neck+bridge combo because it sounds so weird. That said do you think it's worthwhile to modify the electronics (in a manner of speaking)?

After all this guitar represents a significant amount of investment for me, and in the event that I do sell it (10-15 years down the road) wouldn't the value be affected?

I know how some people/collectors are rather picky about "original" wiring.

*sigh* Dunno what to do.

 

[GC]

Crawldaddy, your pickups are probably wired out of phase. I'm not sure if it's a stock feature and it could also be a factory mistake. Reversing the phase of either pickup could be tricky as the neck pickup has a chrome cover and the bridge pickup has a steel plate which are both usually grounded to the black wire of the pickups.

 

[calibre2001]

Crawldaddy,

Could you give us a mini review of the MW Tele? Especially on the neck (feel and construction) and pups. If time permits that is ....

 

[fgl]

as far as I know even the MIM teles not bad - but U wanna kixass instrument, change the pups to fender tele noiseless - vintage tone / with out the hum!