Quick and easy Telecaster Upgrades to instantly improve your guitar…
Compensated Saddles
Most modern Telecasters will come with a 6-saddle bridge, so this may not be an issue for you. However, if your Tele comes with a 3-saddle bridge, you might want to take a look at these.
It can be a struggle to intonate a 3-saddle bridge, as you are limited to just an overall adjustment per pair of strings. But all is not lost. There are plenty of compensated saddle sets available which can ease your intonation pains.
String Tree
Remove and chuck the original, winged string tree (unless your Tele comes with Fender’s Roller Tree) for something kinder to your strings.
Graphtech’s TUSQ Trees are self-lubricated, reducing friction and the tuning issues that causes.
Locking Tuners
The benefits of locking tuners will vary depending on the guitar and its setup. What will always be the case is how much easier it is to change strings – pull the string through, lock in place, tune, cut away excess strings. And if you’re lucky, a set of staggered tuners may allow you to remove the string tree!
You can read about all the benefits of fitting locking tuners HERE
New Nut
The type of nut your Tele comes with will vary depending on the manufacturer. For sure, the bone nut on a US Fender is perfectly fine; a plastic nut on a Squier, not so much.
There are loads of options to go for, but to be honest, you can never go wrong with a simple, classic bone nut (or TUSQ if you prefer something synthetic).
If you fancy something a little bit different, give a Brass Nut a try. The brass material adds a weightier tone than the lighter bone or plastic nut. To save yourself the work, go for a pre-slotted nut, either radiused or flat bottomed depending on what you need.
Pickguard
White 3-ply. Black 3-ply. Maybe a Green 3-ply or even a pickguard with a bit of sparkle! But often they can be a bit bland.
Easily swap them out for something a bit more tasty but make sure you pick the right screw configuration!
