HWY Texas Tele owners: How are you liking the pickups?

I just got a HWY 1 texas tele and although I like everything about it (the neck and overall resonance is great!) I'm not quite sure about the pickups. It's spec'd as Hot Vintage so I would assume its almost similar to the pickups of the regular HWY1. The bridge pickup seems to have too much growl, too fat, sounds like a humbucker and not quite usable for me. I prefer the clarity of the regular "hot" HWY1 pickups. The neck pickup can sound sweet but then again still lacks the clarity that I expect from a neck pickup. Again its too hot and mid-rangy. The only usuable position for me is the middle...comes out nice and sweet. I'd probably rate pickups of the texas tele as a 6 and the regular HWY1's an 8.5.

Anyway I just want to find out if you guys feel the same way about the pickups. Are these supposed to be overwound 52ri OV's? It seems that Fender overwound these pickups by a whole lot. I'm still trying to like it though.

And have any of you guys tried swapping to OV's on your Texas teles? How was it? Thanks!

I cannot get over how nice my stock pup's in my new hwy1 sunburst sound. I just picked up a Bogner alchemist and I have some fender amps as well and this tele will do any sound.

I have never heard tele pickups scream like these alnico's do, put my t.s. in my strat to shame. I love em,not swapping a thing on this guitar.

edit: just realized you have the texas tele, mines's regular hwy 1, maybe that is the difference right there, maybe your pup's are a little hotter. I have to retweak my amps after I switch to strat because it sounds like crap, after playing the tele

Your ears are way different than mine, Caloyburger.

I kinda like the pickups in the Texas Tele.

Meanwhile as far as I know, the overwounds in the Upgrade Highway One (regular one) are the worst single coil pickup you can get in a USA Fender Telecaster.

Reliablefender (Stratosphere) is positively lousy with those Upgrade pups. I can't use a pickup that does not sound good clean. I can always add dirt later as needed.

Your ears are way different than mine, Caloyburger.

I kinda like the pickups in the Texas Tele.

Meanwhile as far as I know, the overwounds in the Upgrade Highway One (regular one) are the worst single coil pickup you can get in a USA Fender Telecaster.

That's funny. Really different strokes for different strokes. I think the overwound HWY1 upgrade pickups are quite versatile, good cleans and good distortion whereas the Texas pups come out as a one trick pony.

I hear a lot of good things about the the OV AV52ri pups. How do you think they'd fare compared to the HWY1 upgraded and texas? I'm looking for something that's got great cleans, sweet neck pickup, and something that can take crunch overdrive well, not a pickup that excels in metal/hardcore.

Thanks again!

I think they're pretty good, but I got a bit bored with them.

A local guy here in MSP wound me a couple new neck pickups (I'm still figuring out which I like better) but with either in it makes the original bridge pickup seem a bit hollow, not as defined or warm.

I'm going to keep swapping till my ears sort out all the differences, but the more I hear with other pickups the less I like the stock ones.

I just got a HWY 1 texas tele and although I like everything about it (the neck and overall resonance is great!) I'm not quite sure about the pickups. It's spec'd as Hot Vintage so I would assume its almost similar to the pickups of the regular HWY1. The bridge pickup seems to have too much growl, too fat, sounds like a humbucker and not quite usable for me. I prefer the clarity of the regular "hot" HWY1 pickups. The neck pickup can sound sweet but then again still lacks the clarity that I expect from a neck pickup. Again its too hot and mid-rangy. The only usuable position for me is the middle...comes out nice and sweet. I'd probably rate pickups of the texas tele as a 6 and the regular HWY1's an 8.5.

Anyway I just want to find out if you guys feel the same way about the pickups. Are these supposed to be overwound 52ri OV's? It seems that Fender overwound these pickups by a whole lot. I'm still trying to like it though.





And have any of you guys tried swapping to OV's on your Texas teles? How was it? Thanks!

I was just about to post asking if anyone else thinks the sound a little mid-rangy and the bridge pup does sound like a HB. Thery're not bad but they don't have the bell tones of the MIA Standards thought the bridge pup is a little to much on the treble side. I have a HWY 1 Strat and I love it but I think all HWY 1's have that same sound. Kinda woody.

I love the Bridge pickup on these guitars. I thought the neck pickup was weak and thin in comparison.

I changed the neck pickup on mine to a Seymour Duncan Hot tele Rhythm. It was a very useable full, but true single coil guitar.

caloyburger, did you try lowering the pickups? Single coil pickups usually gain some clarity from being lowered. Count the screwdriver turns and you can always put them back where they were.

caloyburger, did you try lowering the pickups? Single coil pickups usually gain some clarity from being lowered. Count the screwdriver turns and you can always put them back where they were.

+1. Almost without exception I've found that the lower the better....I set mine super low and then bump the amp volume up!

i found the bridge too hot and the neck was so weak it almost made no sound at all. i swapped for a set of nocasters which sound GREAT in this guitar. i recommend the nocaster set over any other fender, mare, lollar, etc. i've tried.

I'm fine with the stock pickups, the bridge pickup is a little hot, the neck pickup seems clear and not muddy. I do have a few other Tele's, no sense trying to make them all sound the same. The bridge pickup sounds very good in a high gain amp. Big time Led Zep tones.

Before I even tried the stock TT pups I ordered a set of OV's...all the bad reviews of the stock pups turned out to be spot on, good for certain heavier sounds yes, but not for much else IMHO