1. I'm picking up a new Tele soon, and I can't decide between a Highway One Tele and that black '72 RI (with the single coil bridge). I can't find much info on how the '72 sounds, anyone know how they match up? I know the Hwy1 is a beast, so I'm leaning that way. (I'm looking for the sound in Can't Stop by the Chili's)

2. My MiM Strat has really bad tone. Are the stock pickups lower quality than those in an American, and how much of a difference would that make? I've also heard that extra thick paint muffles it, could I get that glossy finish off without damaging the paint?

Extra credit: My pickup selector scratches when I switch, how do I fix that?

Ok I just opted the '72 out, I read a little more on it and I still really like that Highway. Anyone have advice on the Mex Strat???

Dang maybe I should have this posted in the Repair forum.

The pickups on all the MIM strats I've owned have been a bit muddy and weak, so they might be the problem. Other than that, they're pretty well made. The other weak point on them that I've encountered is the factory setup. The pickups are not always set at the right height and angle, so that's something else you can mess with before you replace the pickups. Every Mexi Strat and Tele I've owned has dramatically improved with a good set of pickups.

Concerning the finish, the polyeurathane lacquer is damn near impossible to get off. The only thinning agents strong enough to get them off will also melt your skin and can potentially kill you with noxious fumes, so I wouldn't recommend going that route. You can sand some of the finish off (wear a mask!), but you'd have to be careful not to sand too far and remove the paint. After you sand, you can use rubbing compound to buff it back to the mirror shine.

It's a long process to remove factory finish, and if you don't want to repaint it I'd say leave it alone. Some people say that bare wood sounds better than a laquered guitar, but having played Telecasters both finished and bare wood, the difference is minimal to my ears. I think the pickups and electronics makes a bigger difference, and it's a lot easier to do. I usually replace the switch, pots, and tone caps as well, but I may be a bit obsessive.

And for the extra credit points; your scratchy switch might just be dirty. Spray them out with contact cleaner, which you can get at Radio Shack. Also make sure all the points are making good solid contact with the switch lever. Worse case scenario, replace it with one of better quality.

I've tampered with the heights and angles, and it still sounds thick... Foggy would be the best way to describe it. Even acoustically, it's pretty damn muffled.

As for the finish, I used to love it, then it got darker... Seriously, light blue to aqua, it un-faded! If the pickups can't eliminate the muffle, I might as well try to sand, I'll just be really meticulous.

No, that's just voodoo. The finish is really not that thick, anyway.

Could it be too much wood? It's routed for single coils, what would removing some wood under the pickguard do?

One last thing (yes, it's really problematic), the neck is able to move very slightly left to right, even with the screws tight. This throws off my tuning every once in a while. is there some sort of spacer I could buy/make to seal it in the body tighter? I love the feel of this guitar. I was really close to selling it, but now I believe it can be saved, so help is appreciated.

Not much. Besides, I don't think you can have too much wood on a solid-body guitar.

The neck shouldn't move much or that easily, but it doesn't sound like a serious problem. It could be that the screws aren't going far enough into the neck, propping it up slightly and allowing it to move in the pocket. Does it move up and down, too, or only side-to-side?

About your selector: is it a POP sound or does it sound really scratchy? If the latter, it probably needs cleaning, but I'd just get a new one. They're so cheap it's just not worth the time trying to fix it. Can you solder?

Those Highway 1 guitars really peak my interest. I was dead set on getting a Strat. I was.



Then I found out about the new American series. Stampled saddles, refined tremelo block, bigger frets, thinner finish, and a indestructable-new-design SKB case. It's almost a no brainer.

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The neck moves enough to deaden some of my strings. It only moves left to right, I think I'll try a spacer on one side and make sure the neck is airtight on the body.

The switch just scratches, and I'm a DIY kinda guy, so I'll clean it.