Keefs fave..............

does anybody make a five string telecaster bridge and p'up?

I too love the tones that K/R gets, and am intrigued by the idea of building a five string tele
from the bridge to the nut.
 
does anybody make a five string telecaster bridge and p'up?

I too love the tones that K/R gets, and am intrigued by the idea of building a five string tele
from the bridge to the nut.
I don't know of any 5 string types available. Keith has customs with, but they're "customs". On his converted tele's (Micawber etc) uses a brass, 6 saddle bridge plate & simply removes the 6th (low E) saddle. The Gotoh GT201 type bridge is suitable having the brass base plate.The bridge pickup in Micawber has been rumoured to be from a lap steel, but his tech is on record as saying that Keith had him rewind the original Tele pickup to lap steel (champion??) specs, or right around 10k ohm with 43AWG wire. So it still has the base plate, unlike a 'steel pickup. Not 100% sure on the grade of alnico used for the magnets, but most recommend A3 for the bridge. I'm actively looking for a Tele at the moment for just such a conversion. I have a few different PAF types (symmetrical & asymmetrical coils, A2 & A5) to try as the reversed neck pickup. I intend using the old Broadcaster blender type wiring scheme. I also dig Keef's tones Col, & the open G/5 string tuning. Its a great tuning (banjo tuning) & I've kept a 5 string, open G axe for many years, though just cheap import guitar & not a tele. I was using a cheap Cort strat copy recently, but threw the 6th string back on & gave it to my 11 year old God daughteralong with a small amp to learn on, so am without for the first time in ages. Cheers
 
Last edited:
Cool guitar eSGEe, very cool. Good info sysco. I like how the Zemaitis was named Macabre. Keith named his first (& apparently favorite) 5 string Tele "Micawber" after the character Wilkins Micawber from the book David Copperfield. Who would'a known Keef was an avid reader. Cheers
 
I dig the old Kat Keefe....

I also dug that video where Jimmy Page grabs an old Danelectro and shows how Kashmir was recorded and Jack White and The Edge can't figure out how to follow him....
 
Somebody on here said they just tune there low E to a G too and ive tried that but ya if ya play like Keef ya dont need it.

Johnny on Brown Sugar, I use all the strings tuned DGDGBD I find it works cherry this way. With the first two "fatties" in G it would also work with a 12 string kind of thing. At least for the two "fatties" if you don't want to pull off the bass E string.
 
Johnny on Brown Sugar, I use all the strings tuned DGDGBD I find it works cherry this way. With the first two "fatties" in G it would also work with a 12 string kind of thing. At least for the two "fatties" if you don't want to pull off the bass E string.

GREAT idea!
 
Johnny on Brown Sugar, I use all the strings tuned DGDGBD I find it works cherry this way. With the first two "fatties" in G it would also work with a 12 string kind of thing. At least for the two "fatties" if you don't want to pull off the bass E string.
For playing ZZ Top's "Tush" I use a variation of what I think is a G6 tuning, where the first string is left as an E, then B, G, D, G, then istead of dropping the 6th string to a D, I leave it as an E (so basically standard tuning with the A dropped to G).This way I can use my thumb over the neck for the F/F# to G slides & still have the open G for the riff. There's no "right or wrong", whatever you can make work is right for you. Cheers
 
Back
Top