A little update on Esquire #1 after a week of living/playing.
I’m still very happy with it!
I’m used to my US Std partscaster at 8 1/2 lbs, so I thought the very light Esquire may feel like a toy. Not so. The weight is fantastic, and the guitar is well balanced.
Like the US partscaster, all my other Teles have modern 6 saddle bridges. This is my first Tele with a vintage bridge. I wasn’t worried about intonation with the compensated saddles, but on Teles I have played with vintage plates previously the sides got in the way of my strumming and picking. With the saddles up quite high, this isn’t an issue at all, so I don’t have to do the cutaway mod that some players find necessary, and see no need to work on getting them lower. The action is fine for me where they are.
The bridge does make a difference to the tone though. Most definitely more of that Tele twang and a little brighter, even unplugged.
The Tonerider Hot Classic pickup is very nice indeed. It’s a keeper. Certainly a different sound to my Keystones loaded US partscaster. (I’m not going to subject you to my ham fisted neck strangling I call playing!)
The Greasebucket tone circuit is coming out on the setup/string change. I find it very useful in the US Std, but not so much in the Esquire. I’ll put a regular tone circuit in, or 50s style and keep the bass cut and Eldred/cocked wah settings.
As ever, the Wilkinson Deluxe vintage machine heads hold tune very well. I have them on 2 other Teles, and one day will put them on the US std too – I love them.
I haven’t changed anything on the setup since initial tuning/intonation, but when I change the strings I will check relief and string height etc for my records, dial in the intonation and play around with it a little. However, it plays and feels just fine for me.
I’m still a happy camper!
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