Telecaster custom vs custom II

kevinpaul · 02-15-2010, 03:45 AM

A friend of mine just picked up a Custom II in mint. He wants to trade it for my Custom in mint also. I realy like my guitar and told him to go buy one some place. Is the custom II better? He thinks it is. Did I pass up a good deal?

steadyriot · 02-15-2010, 06:12 AM

It's the same but with p90's, do you like -90's or 'buckers better?

Roxy · 02-15-2010, 10:50 AM

Depends on the sound you're looking for . Play them both and make a choice . I did and went with the hummers.

yegbert · 02-15-2010, 06:56 PM

When they first came out the Custom was $30 more with the US street prices at $200 for the Custom and $230 for the Custom II. It looks like they are now priced the same at $250, at Elderly and MF. I have a Custom that I put the effort into converting to a Custom II because I like the P-90s better than the HBs. I would glady have traded mine even up or even given $30 extra in a swap for a Custom II in like new condition. But whether that would be a good swap for you depends on whether you like one better than the other and the relative condition of each.

NJjoanjettfan · 02-15-2010, 11:25 PM

Either one is a great guitar but I've found one thing, you won't get the best out of it unless you use a TUBE amp.

I was using a Hartke G15R until my girlfriend of 23 years alerted me to an amp she saw at a yard sale. Well a mile drive and a half hour + $40.00 USA later after being wiped down and having the input jack nut tightened I was the proud owner of a Crate "V" Series 1512. Once I plugged the '08 Squier Tele Custom in it came ALIVE ! Here I was considering changing the pickups, it would have been for naught as it was my amp that was deficient.

Moral of the story, use a TUBE amp and it will not disappoint whether either a Squier Tele Custom or a Tele Custom II as they're both fantastic guitars.

kevinpaul · 03-23-2010, 01:27 AM

I kept my Custom. The P-90 pick up just didn't blow my skirt up. The C II was a noise trap.

lboorse2 · 12-09-2011, 10:04 PM

Bringing this topic back up with a question. Is the Custom II routed the same as the Custom? Can I put full size humbuckers in a Custom II in place of the P90's?

I like the Custom, and I love buckers, but I like the blonde version of the Custom II which unfortunately, from what I can tell the Custom is only available in black. I'm willing to snag a CII for the color, but want to be able to swap for humbuckers if I don't like the P90's. Is that possible? Do both have the same pots?

FasterLouder · 12-09-2011, 10:51 PM

That's a great question-anyone with a Custom II want to pop their pickguard off,next time you change your strings?
Yeah,I've never seen a Custom in blonde,just black,like mine.
I love P-90'S,if you want to trade a pair for the 'buckers out of my Custom,I'd be happy to do so.

lboorse2 · 12-09-2011, 11:15 PM

I'll keep that in mind. Just research for now. I'll probably be shopping for one after Christmas though.

Papa Joe · 12-09-2011, 11:27 PM

My situation seems to be quite the opposite..Mine is the yellow Custom II with P90s..I love the P90s but not the color..

lboorse2 · 12-09-2011, 11:54 PM

Any idea if full size buckers will fit in the CII body Papa Joe?

Papa Joe · 12-10-2011, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lboorse2

Any idea if full size buckers will fit in the CII body Papa Joe?

Nope, no idea..Might find out though pretty soon..

Roccobagadonuts · 12-10-2011, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steadyriot

It's the same but with p90's

Not exactly 100% true. But close... The 2nd difference is the neck... The Custom II comes with a satin finish on the neck. The Custom comes with a gloss finish on the neck...

Again, for folks out there interested in these guitars... Custom II = P90's and satin finish neck... Custom = Buckers AND gloss finish on neck...

Roccobagadonuts · 12-10-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lboorse2

Any idea if full size buckers will fit in the CII body Papa Joe?

I belive both versions have the same routing done to the body. You would need to get a new pickguard tho obviously... The easier route is mini buckers as you only need the pickups. Not the pickups and new pickguard as well...

An example of a Custom II with GFS Mini Buckers...

Papa Joe · 12-10-2011, 11:16 AM

I don't see a problem with opening the pickup slots in the pick guard to accept the hum buckers..

lboorse2 · 12-10-2011, 04:31 PM

Hmm... the satin neck might be a game breaker for me. I likes me a glossy neck.

Papa Joe · 12-10-2011, 04:37 PM

$8 can of clear will solve that..

lboorse2 · 12-10-2011, 07:23 PM

Good point. I immediately went to "I'll just have to get a Custom and strip and repaint the body." Since I'd rather have the 'buckers, I may go that route. I'm torn now...

Papa Joe · 12-10-2011, 07:44 PM

That's a ton more work than altering the pick guard and spraying the neck..
Besides you don't have to strip the bod to repaint...Rough it up, prime, and color coat it..Wet sand in steps from 600 grit to 2000 and rub it out..

kevinpaul · 12-14-2011, 06:43 AM

I have a Brian Moore iP2 guitar with P90's in it and they are great pups but a big difference between Hummers and P90's is lost on me, they sound the same. take in mind I have blown up AR, Advent and many other sound stuff. I go thru earphones a couple times a year. I may have recked my hearing? The P90's on the BM look the same size as the Hummers

lboorse2 · 12-14-2011, 03:43 PM

Those aren't humbuckers above?

Either way... slow day here at work. I've spent the past 2 hours watching Youtube clips of people demoing their Squier Tele Custom II's. I've come to the conclusion that P90's sound more like humbuckers than they do single coils (at least the Duncan Designed ones in the Cii do to me). They have a deeper humbucker tone with a bit of single coil quack attack. I've often thought my neck buckers sometimes sound a little too thick sometimes. A P-90 in the neck might be the perfect remedy.

A guitar player buddy of mine owned one of these a year ago, in blonde, and offered to sell it to me. I was so sure I didn't want anything to do with the p90s and he's since sold it (though I know where it is). He had chrome covers on his. That was the only thing he changed. He suggested something he wanted to do but never had time was to leave the p90 in the neck position and put a mini-bucker in the bridge. Now I bet they would sound incredible together.

At any rate, I think the hunt begins for a blonde Custom II shortly after the new year.

totheMax · 12-14-2011, 04:25 PM

My hearing must be on it's way too -

I can barely tell the difference between most of these similar PuP's... Buckers and P90's

Seymor Duncan Pickup samples

enjoy...

lboorse2 · 12-14-2011, 04:55 PM

Yep -- Those P90 and bucker clips are all very similar. The only differences I hear are the depth of the bass and the level of some of the harmonic overtones. For the most part -- they sound the same, or at least not as a much of a varied difference from between p90 and bucker as there is between p90 and a Strat or Tele single coil.

I could listen to those samples all day.

Papa Joe · 12-14-2011, 06:10 PM

OK, now my question is this...Those of you that notice little difference between the P90 and HB, are you using the same guitar with the same electronic in it when comparing???
Reason I'm asking is because of the difference between the 250 K and the 500 K pots mostly.
I have only one guitar with P90s and (to me) it sounds like a brighter attact than my HB guitars..

mijstrat72 · 12-14-2011, 08:44 PM

P-90's should have a brighter clearer tone then humbuckers. But should be a bit more burly then your standard (strat-sized) single coil. YOu can use either pot you want in your guitar, but the industry standard for a P-90 is a 500k pot, just like the HB.