The excitement begins ... and a question

A while back I ordered a "package" from MJT that includes a reliced body and neck and all the hardware, minus the pickups and electronics, and I just got word that it is done and ready to be shipped! :grin:

I have all the pots and stuff I need to wire it up, but I need to decide on the pickups. So the question is, since this guitar is hopefully going to be a substitute for the blackguard Tele that I'll never be able to afford, what pickups should I put in the thing? I have written to Virtual Vintage but they're on holiday until the 17th. I thought about Keystones, but their website won't let me order from Japan and they don't answer their email, so those are out. At this point, I'm thinking Don Mare pickups may be the way to go. What I'm looking for is no ice-pick but lots of fat and grease. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

Bill

Check out the pickup forum.

Man, you lucky dog, you!

The only problem you're going to have is trying to decide on what great pickup you want. There's so many great manufacturers out there, it's hard to go wrong if you know what you want!

Check out the pickup forum.

Man, you lucky dog, you!

The only problem you're going to have is trying to decide on what great pickup you want. There's so many great manufacturers out there, it's hard to go wrong if you know what you want!

Thanks. I pretty much know what I want, but it's hard to make a decision based on verbal descriptions on the Internet. I have spent a lot of time in the pickup forum, and will probably spend a few more hours there today. I guess what I need is not only somebody who can make me some fat, greasy sounding pickups, but who is also willing to ship them to Japan. Sometimes it's a PITA being here.

Bill

Don Mare's would be good to match some of those vintage tones...or you could go with the set that many of the best players switched to from their stock vintage pups and go with Joe Bardens.

Don Mare's would be good to match some of those vintage tones...or you could go with the set that many of the best players switched to from their stock vintage pups and go with Joe Bardens.

I definitely want to go vintage with this guitar. Also, I'm not a big fan of the Bardens. So it's looking like it's gonna be Don Mare's.

Bill

I got a nice message from Jason Allen at VVG and even though they normally have a 4-week waiting period for the Black Guard pickups, they have one set ready to go and I just sent the payment for them. So it looks like the "new" Mark Jenny Tele will have a set of Fred Stuart pickups, at least initially. FWIW, after spending some time on Don Mare's site, I'm afraid I'm going to need at least one set of his pickups as well. Does it ever end?

Bill