The Jim Root Telecaster takes the classic Tele shape into metal territory, built for the Slipknot and Stone Sour guitarist with a mahogany body, all-black hardware and a stripped-back look.
15 mods reviewed: 8 drop-in, 2 need verification, 2 need modification, 3 not compatible.
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Andertons
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The Jim Root Telecaster takes the classic Tele shape into metal territory, built for the Slipknot and Stone Sour guitarist with a mahogany body, all-black hardware and a stripped-back look. Its active EMG 60 and 81 pickups run on a 9-volt battery and use different wiring than passive pickups, so swapping to a passive pickup set means a full rewire, not just a pickup change. The control layout is also simplified to a single volume knob with no tone control. Nut width is 42mm, and the fretboard radius is a flat 12 inches.
Tailpiece
None (bridge-integrated, string-through)
String spacing
52mm (2.05")
Scale length
25.5" (648mm)
Tuner hole size
10mm (25/64")
Nut width
42mm (1.654")
Not published by Fender: bridge mounting spacing. Measure this before buying a bridge.
Despite being a Telecaster, this guitar's hardtail bridge uses the narrower 52mm string spacing shared with modern Strat-family hardtails, not the wider ~54mm spacing found on a standard Telecaster hardtail bridge. A bridge bought because it says "Telecaster" on the listing is not a safe assumption of fit here.
The same bridge this guitar already ships with, just in a different finish. As close to a guaranteed fit as it gets.
This guitar's stock bridge is confirmed as a black-finished version of Fender's narrow-spaced hardtail, sold separately in chrome under its own part number. Same bridge, different finish.
Swaps just the saddles on your existing bridge, so the spacing question does not apply. Lower risk than a full bridge change.
Saddle-only swap on the existing bridge frame, so it sidesteps the string-spacing question entirely, this guitar's block-saddle mounting is a standard pattern, but exact saddle fit on this specific model has not been independently confirmed.
Help confirm this fit
Uses the same solderless quick-connect wiring as this guitar's stock pickups, so it plugs straight in with no rewiring or new battery box needed.
EMG's active pickups share the same solderless quick-connect harness across the line, so this set plugs into the existing wiring and 9V battery setup already in this guitar with no rewiring.
See current price at Amazon
View at AmazonGenerally plugs into this guitar's existing wiring the same way its stock pickups do, but owners commonly add an extra ground wire to avoid a faint buzz, since this guitar's wiring was not built with that wire in mind. Worth knowing before you install.
Fishman Fluence pickups use the same style of quick-connect main connector as EMG's active line, so they generally plug into an existing EMG-wired guitar like this one without rewiring. Multiple independent owner reports agree the connection works, but also agree Fishman pickups want an added bridge ground wire that EMG wiring does not include by default, without it some owners report a faint buzz. Treat as plug-compatible with a real caveat, not a guaranteed clean swap.
Help confirm this fit
£349.00 at Andertons
View at AndertonsThis guitar's stock pickups are active and wired differently from passive ones. Switching to a passive set like this one means a full rewire, not just a pickup swap.
This guitar's stock EMG pickups are active and run on a 9V battery with dedicated active wiring. Swapping to a passive pickup set means removing the active wiring and battery setup and rewiring for passive pots and a standard output jack, not just swapping the pickups themselves.
Help confirm this fit
£226.25 at Northwest Guitars
Buy direct from Northwest Guitars
Should swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Standard curved Fender-style 6-in-line headstock at a 10mm hole.
See current price at Amazon
View at AmazonShould swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Standard curved Fender-style 6-in-line headstock at a 10mm hole.
See current price at Amazon
View at AmazonShould swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Standard curved Fender-style 6-in-line headstock at a 10mm hole.
See current price at Amazon
View at AmazonShould swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Standard curved Fender-style 6-in-line headstock at a 10mm hole. Active EMG pickups and 9-volt wiring do not affect the headstock or tuner fitment.
See current price at Amazon
View at AmazonShould swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Standard curved Fender-style 6-in-line headstock at a 10mm hole.
See current price at Reverb
View at ReverbShould swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Standard curved Fender-style 6-in-line headstock at a 10mm hole.
This tuner is sized for vintage tuner holes, not the modern holes on this guitar. You'll need Gotoh's conversion bushings, sold separately, to fit it.
This tuner is vintage-hole spec (8.73 to 8.8mm), not the modern 10mm hole this guitar actually has. Gotoh sells conversion bushings separately for exactly this situation. Not a direct swap, but not a drilling job either, it is a bushing change.
Help confirm this fit
If you have fitted any of these to this Fender Jim Root Telecaster, tell us what you found and we'll update the data.
