Upgrading a Peavey Reactor

I recently bought a mint condition Peavey Reactor – a made in USA Fender Telecaster copy – for $125 on craigslist (see here: http://tonewarrior.blogspot.com/2009/12/peavey-reactor-great-telecaster-copy.html). These are very nice guitars for the money and are ideal platforms for a wide range of upgrades.

While the guitar played really well, the stock pickups were fairly average in tone so that’s where I started. There are so many fantastic high-end pickups around from the likes of Lindy Fralin, Don Mare, Lollar and Kinman, but as this would not be my main guitar I decided to go with a more economical choice. I wanted a traditional ‘50s Telecaster tone so I selected a Seymour Duncan Vintage Rhythm STR-1 and a Seymour Duncan Vintage ’54 Lead STL-1. I am very happy with the results.

The STL-1 is a vintage-correct reproduction of 1954 Tele lead pickup and is well suited for a wide range of styles, from traditional country, country pop, chicken pickin', rockabilly, blues, and blues-rock. The STR-1 is a vintage-correct reproduction of 1954 Tele lead pickup that delivers a twangy, bright and biting sound. The Seymour Duncan web site states that the rhythm (neck) pickup should compliment the bright twang of the lead pickup with a smooth and open tone, warm lower-mids and airy highs. I agree and these pickups work well together. Compared to the stock pickups they are louder, fuller, and much more articulate (less muddy) – especially the neck pickup.

While I was at it, I also decided to upgrade the electronics. I have been interested in trying a 4-way switch for some time and this was a great time to experiment. I replaced the stock 250k pots with 500k pots because I wanted a really bright sound and added a Sprague Orange Drop 047µF Capacitor. I also dropped in a 4-way switch, which was wired in this manner:

• Position 1: neck/bridge pickups in series
• Position 2: neck pickup
• Position 3: neck/bridge pickups in parallel
• Position 4: bridge pickup

These upgrades have made a huge sonic difference. This Tele really rocks now and delivers great twang and bite. Play with some gain and this little guitar is a blues-rock monster. Position 1 is absolutely killer. It sounds incredibly rich, combining the fullness and power of a humbucker, but with the nuances of single coils.

Cosmetically I also made a few changes to improve the guitar’s appearance. I ordered a custom cut pearl white pickguard from Chandler guitars (unfortunately the more cost effective standard Telecaster pickguards do not fit the Peavey Reactors). I also added two new black knobs with pearl tops ordered from Stewart MacDonald. This guitar now looks as good as it sounds.

So for about $350 I have a great Telecaster that I would put up against all imports without hesitation and even some of the U.S. made Fender Telecasters that start around $799.