QUICK HIT: A simple Fender Modern Player Telecaster pickup and hardware upgrade template.
In this build guide we're taking a mid-range Fender Telecaster, the Modern Player Thinline model with P90 pickups, and upgrading to a more robust pair of Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickups for a little more growl along with a smoother jazz-like finish and a distinct '50s tone.
We'll also replace the stock bridge with a Callaham American hardtail bridge and swap out the four tone and volume knobs.
For a broader list of recommendations, checkout our best guitar pickups article.
Here's what the guitar looks like out of the box:
Fender Modern Player Thinline Telecaster electric guitar as it comes out of the box.
The pickups and original bridge are Fender stock. Not awful, but nothing to write home about and easy upgrade fodder. The knobs are a kind of hard plastic, so we'll swap those out with chrome-plated Ernie Ball Telecaster knobs.
Here's what we'll end up with:
Finished product with all the mods.
The body design is a semi-hollow mahogany, which means our base model is solid and worth the investment. It's essentially an economy guitar from Fender that can be dramatically improved by some simple upgrades.
We like the maple fretboard and will keep the ferrules that can be seen holding the strings in place on the back of the guitar's body.
Here's everything we'll be using:
Gear for Fender Modern Telecaster Upgrade
Gear | Title | Rated | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Fender Modern Player Thinline Telecaster | n/a | |
 | Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90 Soapbar (neck) | n/a | |
| Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90 Soapbar (bridge) | n/a | |
 | Callaham Vintage Hardtail Bridge | n/a | |
 | Elixir Nanoweb Lights, 10 - 46 | n/a | |
 | Ernie Ball Telecaster Knobs, Chrome-Plated, 2 sets of 2 | n/a |
Approximate Total Cost: $850
The Pickups
If you buy the Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90 pickup set, you'll need two versions of the same pickup, one for the neck and one for the bridge. In this set, the bridge version is wound to be slightly brighter and more aggressive than the neck pickup.
Together, the pair will give your Telecaster a lot more growl and bite along with a smoother jazz-friendly appeal to help balance things out. Mids and treble are both voiced a little stronger in this set, per the Alnico 2 magnets and custom coil winding. Chords sound full and well-rounded while melodic note runs are sweet and bright, hinting at an early '50s Les Paul.
You'll need to remove the strings, knobs and face plate in order to remove the stock P90s that come with the guitar.
Once the original pickups are out, go ahead and install the new ones, then put the plate back on.
Add the neck and bridge Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90 pickups.
The Bridge and New Strings
You'll need to take the stock strings off the Telecaster in order to remove the bridge and the ferrules from the back of the guitar's body. Keep the ferrules close and set the original bridge aside.
Note that on a hardtail bridge, the screws are under the saddles, meaning you'll need to turn the saddles to the side in order to install the new bridge.
This video from Fender details the process pretty clearly.
You can see in the photo below that the three holes for the screws are nestled in between each saddle. As demonstrated in the video, you can temporarily turn the saddles to the side in order to install the new bridge.
Holes for the screws are located underneath the saddles.
Once you have the new bridge installed you can run your strings through the back of the body and through the bridge, using the ferrules to hold them in place.
The Knobs
Now that everything else is back in place, remove the four knobs and replace them with the new Ernie Ball set.
The tone and volume knob upgrades are pretty straightforward.
They're really just a "finishing touch" and I personally tend to prefer the knobs without numbers (and that aren't made of plastic). You can certainly leave this mod out, or choose a different set of knobs if you prefer.
Your Questions and Ideas
Have a mod or part that you know would work particularly well with this Fender Telecaster Thinline pickup mod?
Maybe you disagree with the choices we've listed?
Let us know in the comments section below. If you have an idea that holds water, we'll add it to the list so others can benefit as well.
Likewise, if you have an idea for a guitar (electric or acoustic) build, you can drop it there as well and we'll look into it.
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Written by Bobby on Electrics and Build Guides
Written by Bobby on Electrics and Build Guides
I think this upgrade is really gonna help the sound
I changed my pickups this weekend to Mojotone 56 Quiet Coils. I was reluctant to do this because the original pups do have a good sound, however, they do have some 60 cycle hum. The sound man for the band always tells me about it when I play this guitar. The Mojotones are quiet and the improvement in sound is dramatic. I can’t say enough about these pickups. The bridge is bright with a bite and cleans up like a p90 should when backed off. The brightness is not irritating or harsh, but pleasant to your ear. The neck is the same with a warmer tone and has the same bite but in a fuller way. Together they blend in an extremely complimentary way. Glad I did it.
Thanks for sharing, Michael. Mojotone P90s are a great fit here. Enjoy it 🤘🏻
Is there a reason you didn’t change the pots and possibly go with 50’s wiring?
Spec says it has 250k pots and you would think 500k might be a better choice.
Mike – you’re right about that. 500k pots would have definitely been a better option but I just overlooked it. Thanks for pointing out.
I changed my tuning machines out with the fender vintage gold tuning machines. It gives a great suttle retro look to this guitar
My buddy put some kind of Ernie Ball tuning heads on his Telecaster and I noticed it tunes a lot better. Like the stability is somehow improved noticeably. Hard to explain but the benefit isn’t just aesthetic.
You get what you pay for I guess.
Was the Fender style pole/string spacing an issue when finding replacement P-90s? I have this same guitar and the bridge pickup just died. Looking for a replacement and this seems to be an issue sometimes. Also debating whether to just go ahead and replace both pickups and pots.
It wasn’t an issue for my buddy who did this upgrade (although he may have used Lindy Fralin pickups). In my experience, even if it’s slightly off, it’s not going to cause significant problems. If you swap out one, I’d go ahead and do both.
Thanks a bunch. What do you think of the Mojotone 56 Quiet coil P-90s for this guitar? Did you get much hum with Antiquities?
For the traditional SS Tele setup I’ve always been too scared to go without some kind of “noiseless” set (Teles are so noisy). But for the HH configuration the Antiquities are pretty quiet (at least in the mods I’ve done/used).
I love my MP thinline, it feels great and has very stable tuning. I upgraded the knobs to chrome telecasters and swapped the scratchplate for a tortoiseshell one which IMHP makes the guitar look great!
Sounds awesome, Ed. If you get the chance, post a pic of the finished product. You can use the attachment option here in the comments section. Thanks for sharing!
I replaced the pots in mine with 500k CTS pots,changed out all the wiring and fitted a switchcraft switch.I installed Tonerider vintage P90’s and Gotoh locking vintage tuners.I went with graphtech string trees.
I might try that Callaham bridge in the future.
Yeah, the Callaham bridges are great. Babicz and Hipshot are nice upgrades as well.
Thanks for sharing your upgrade. Sounds like you’ve got an entirely new instrument on your hands. Good deal.
Thanks for the bridge suggestions.
I really enjoy taking inexpensive instruments and trying to make them the best they can be with new parts.Its probably not cost effective but it’s a lot of fun and a good learning experience.
Yep, although it can be more cost effective, depending on the parts and the guitar. Plus, the tonal nuance and variety available to you – in pickup upgrades alone – make it worth the extra effort IMHO.
How much difference did the pots make in the tone? Did you wire it the same?
What effect did the change in the pots make? I just picked up some 500’s and wanted to ask.
Did you leave the wiring the same?
Is it this kind of modern player? https://c1.zzounds.com/media/productmedia/fit,2018by3200/quality,85/8_Full_Left_Front_NA-d921252c471081691b6dc340153398d4.jpg
Looks like mine
Send over a shot of it if ya get a chance. Use the![]()
tag if you want to post directly in the comments.
Can’t seem to get pictures to post.
I’m getting ready to change the pots and caps with Emerson’s. I’m thinking I’ll wire it like a 50’s Led Paul with 500k pots. I’ll change the knobs to metal domes as well.
I’m gonna shield the cavities while I’m at it.
I did this a while back on a strat and it made a huge impact. I’m excited to see what it will do for this guitar.
Thanks for sharing, Michael. Check back if you think about it, and let us know how it turns out. Would be interesting to see if you can replicate the Strat’s success.
https://killerguitarrigs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/0241202539_gtr_frt_001_rr.jpg?ezimgfmt=ng:webp/ngcb117
I plan on upgrading my modern player. Do the Antiquities need to be the dog-eared kind or the regular bar?
Hi guys,
interesting upgrades. I own this guitar myself and I am planning to do an upgrade. I have a question concerning the bridge. Has this upgrade any impact on the sound of the guitar? Thanks,
Adrian
Hey Adrian – it’s not an issue of tone so much as one of tuning stability and playability. The change in sound will likely be tough to notice.
Why would the new bridge be an improvement on tuning stability, they look almost identical ? The only issue I have with this guitar is the other en in that t one of the tuners can turn a bit without engaging.
That’s not always the case. Though I’ve found that in some instances getting a nicer bridge installed can solve tuning issues.
Not sure you have answered my question as why the new bridge is an improvement as it looks mechanically very similar, is it just a “nicer” bridge ?
The tuners could be improved, do Gotoh SD 91 locking tuners fit ?
Callaham’s bridges are closer to what you would get in an American model Telecaster. It’s basically a $40 bridge compared to a $120 bridge, though I can’t remember the specific material in each one.
The SD-91s should fit here. They’d actually be a good add to the upgrade.
Seems like a lot of expense and you could buy a better gritar for the extra 850….
Yes, I’m totally with you on that. I can’t really see the point in spending this kind of money on a cheap Chinese made guitar. It does not make sense to me at all. If you don’t like the sound of the guitar in stock form…why buy it? It’s not even a proper telecaster, it only looks like one. Spend the money on a guitar that you do like. In any case the same result of a marginal improvement in tone could be achieved easily and far more cheaply by swapping the magnets in the pickups, and/or upgrading the pots and caps. Also in this case the stock amp style knobs suit the guitar so much better than the chrome.
This is a Chinese made guitar, but it doesn’t feel or sound cheap. The pots and caps do need an upgrade, but do does almost every guitar I’ve ever bought (I’ve had some nice ones). Mine did need a good setup, but once I did that it plays great. I like pickups they are responsive and have a good growl when maxed and they clean up well when rolled off. I got mine used for $300 and I can see it being worth twice that other than China on the headstock. Hey, I’ve got a fantastic player for not a lot of money. I can afford to gig with it and not worry about dings. I am updating the pots and caps with Emerson’s and am going to shield it as well. I love the look and the sound. What more can you ask.
The 850 dollars is the total cost of the whole build including the guitar.
I’ll wager that the Seymour Duncan P90’s sound almost indistinguishable from the stock Fender pickups.
I disagree. My buddy actually did this mod and the SDs made a world of difference.
Always this dude in every thread