Telecaster Guitar Forum - View Single Post - Upgrading Pickups

bradpdx · May 18th, 2008, 12:23 PM

Actually, when I play recent US Fender Teles (52RI) I find the pickups to be "just fine" - I could work with those.

I use VanZandts in my 52RI simply because the original PUPs were not done correctly in 1982 - the bridge was only about 6K and weak. The VanZandts just sound like early '50s PUPs - no magic, IMHO, just the right amount of windings (about 7.4K on the bridge) on decent Alnico magnets.

Can I make it sound awful? Sure. I could leave the tone control wide open, crank the treble on the amp and pick hard near the bridge and hurt people. But with any PUPs you just use common sense and the controls you have.

May 18th, 2008, 12:23 PM	#41 (permalink)
bradpdx Tele-Holic Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portland, OR Age: 50 Posts: 767	Actually, when I play recent US Fender Teles (52RI) I find the pickups to be "just fine" - I could work with those. I use VanZandts in my 52RI simply because the original PUPs were not done correctly in 1982 - the bridge was only about 6K and weak. The VanZandts just sound like early '50s PUPs - no magic, IMHO, just the right amount of windings (about 7.4K on the bridge) on decent Alnico magnets. Can I make it sound awful? Sure. I could leave the tone control wide open, crank the treble on the amp and pick hard near the bridge and hurt people. But with any PUPs you just use common sense and the controls you have. __________________ ---------- Tech Geek and Sensitive Artiste String bender ordinare!