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Apples and oranges. See if someone near you has a Tele with Bardens in it, play it with your rig and your style and see what they do for you. No offense intended regarding cost and family (I have those factors, too), but if you're serious about your tone, if you make part or all of your living from your playing, if playing the guitar is more than a hobby around the house, then you have to spend the money to find out. I think of it as a "rental fee" or "tuition" Don't like the gear you bought? Re-sell it at a bit of a loss in money, but for the gain in knowledge. I decided on the Bardens having been through numerous p/ups, guitars, amps, and pedals.
I agree. Trust your ears. But trying to talk about the sound of pickups, isolated from all the other factors in your rig and playing style, is a fun time-filler, but doesn't substitute for physically playing and listening.
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