What’s with mounting a Telecaster neck pickup to the body? Can’t I just mount it to the pickguard? Ok, then how do you mount a telecaster neck pickup to the body?

Inquisitive guitarists ask us these questions every day. And we don’t blame them. Not only do different T-style guitars use different pickup mounting methods from the factory, but so do replacement pickups. Seymour Duncan Telecaster pickups, for instance, include screws for direct-mounting a Tele neck pickup. While others assume you will be installing it in the pickguard.

This brings us back to our three questions. So let’s dig in.

What’s with mounting a Telecaster neck pickup to the body?

The idea of mounting a Telecaster neck pickup to the body of the guitar is as old as the Tele itself. When the first Telecasters rolled off the line in around ’52, the idea of a neck pickup was new. The Esquire, a precursor to the Tele, featured a sole bridge single-coil pickup. So when they added the neck pickup, Fender simply cut a route, screwed the pickup into place, then dropped a pickguard on top.

Today, the tradition of mounting Telecaster neck pickups to the body continues. And it does so for two main reasons.

Because players love old Teles

If you ever see a vintage Telecaster, it usually sports a direct-mounted neck pickup. So when players go looking for a vintage reissue, they expect to find the same. It’s also a great way to give a modern Tele a bit of old-school vibe.

Because it sounds better (allegedly)

There are Tele devotees across the world that swear a direct-mounted Tele neck pickup sounds better. And they’re not alone. Many humbucker fans—including Eddie Van Halen—feel the same way about their pickups and only use a straight-in approach.

You see, hanging a pickup from a pickguard leaves the pickup with a lot of movement. The added rigidity of direct mount eliminates tonal losses of that movement. While your experience may vary, you don’t hear players espousing the tonal virtues of pickguard mounting. That tells you something.

Tech Tips

If mounting a Telecaster’s neck pickup to the body has one drawback, it’s lack of convenience. To make any adjustments to the pickup height, you must remove the pickguard. Or you can drill unsightly “access holes” through your pickguard.

So if you choose direct mount, be sure and get the pickup where you want it. Then put on your pickguard.

Can’t I just mount it to the pickguard?

A modern way of mounting a Telecaster neck pickup is to suspend it from the pickguard. It’s similar to a Stratocaster. You hang the pickup from two screws attached to the pickguard. Usually, you’ll use springs or rubber tubing between the pickguard and the pickup for stability.

That height adjustment is the main reason for this style of mounting. The adjustment screw heads remain above the pickguard. This lets you perfect your pickup height without removing the pickguard or any hardware, making adjustments easy.

Tonally, players have been using pickguard-mounted Telecaster neck pickups for years without issue. But, again, you’ll never hear a player discuss how it sounds better than direct-mounting. Only the other way around. We’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions there.

Ok, then how do you mount a Telecaster neck pickup to the body?

Are you sold on mounting a Telecaster neck pickup to the body of your guitar? We’ll teach you how. And Seymour Duncan Telecaster pickups come with the mounting screws and rubber tubing you need. So it’s easy to do.

1. Remove the strings and pickguard.
2. Measure from the bottom of the pickup route to the top of the pickup you’re removing. Write that down.
3. Remove the old pickup from your guitar
4. Install the mounting screws through the top of the pickup’s mounting screw holes.
5. Slide the provided rubber tubing over each screw.
6. Secure each screw into the screw holes in the pickup route.
7. Adjust the pickup height to match the height of the old pickup or to taste.
8. Make the necessary wiring connections.
9. Reinstall your pickguard and guitar strings.

 

Tech Tips

1. For installation on a Telecaster without previous body-mount screw holes, you’ll need to drill them yourself.

2. Center your new pickup in the pickup route.

3. Using the pickup’s mounting screw holes, mark where you will drill your screw holes.

4. With the correct drill bit size, drill pilot holes for your mounting screws.

Let’s talk tone!

If you have any other questions about pickups or installation, check out our Knowledge Base here. You can also email us here. And don’t forget to dig deeper into the Seymour Duncan blog! There’s a ton of in-depth info, how-tos, tone demonstrations, and a lot more.