never been a pickup swapper (tele bridge help needed!)

ok, so I finally decided to give up on the bridge pickup in my '86 MIJ '62 Custom Tele. It was actually pretty nice for lower volume clean tones, but totally lost its composure as I turned up an amp or added an OD pedal.

After doing some TDPRI reading and other research, I went to a local shop and picked up an SD STL-1, or aka '54 RI. HUGE difference, but I don't think it'll work for me. Good at what it does, but not right for me. Grrr... Twangy in a way that never would have happened with the stock pickup, but string-to-string balance is a mess and OD tones aren't good for my needs. Makes me want to only play 'king of the hill' type runs over and over again.

SO, I'll have to keep shopping, looks like :-(

closest tele pickup I've found for my needs (this was awhile ago now) was a stock MIM 50's Classic model... the OV in a 52RI were pretty nice too, though a little brittle. can someone tell me what's a good aftermarket option in that general tradition? I'm willing to spend some $, but I'm not that patient. needs to be dirty roots rock/country rock capable. any thoughts?

Don Mare 4709's are the best I've had for classic country, or even classic Zep tones.

IMHO - lower wind/output, classic-style tele pickups offer more versatility in tone, but if you like to drive your amp hard on the front end - you may need a good booster pedal.

I think you can rock with a twangy pickup - but I think it's harder to get good twang from a higher output, rock pickup.

Fender Nocaster?
Slightly warmer, fuller sounding (some say it's "steely", though I don't know what that would be), but with a bit of twang left. Works great with low to mid gain OD sounds (like Tubescreamer type pedals - I use a Barber LTD - or amps on the edge of break-up) without sounding to harsh/fizzy/tinny (like vintage-style Tele bridge pickups sometimes do in that application), but also sounds very traditional (from Luther Perkins to Bakersfield are esaily doable) when used with clean, twangy sounds.

"Dirty roots rock/country rock" is what I play with my cover band, and the Nocaster bridge pickup (NOT the neck pickup, which is waaay too bright for my taste) is one of the two pickups that work perfectly for that (the other one is a LeoSounds MudCat - but it being German-made might not be a good option for you, considering the $-€ exchange rate).

The Seymour Duncan Alnico II model Tele pickup is another similar type.

alright, thanks for the info. I used my guitar with the SD '54 at practice today, and the pickup's got to go. Not that there's anything wrong with it -- in the right hands I can imagine good results. just not mine :-) I'll do some shopping when I'm back from a camping trip next week. think I'll try to chase down a guitar with the Nocasters and give it a little workout. Will read up on the Don Mare models, too. the SD experience sure has me thinking I'll want to hear a pickup before I get out the credit card....