New Keystones Installed, and a Question

So I just finished installing my new Keystone set into two guitars: the bridge pickup went into a 50's Esquire, and the neck into an FSR natural ash Tele.

In the Esquire, the Keystone bridge pickup is everything I expected...sweet, balanced and clear, with a nice growl when pushed. As others have mentioned, experimenting with the height adjustment screws made all the difference.

In the FSR Tele, the neck pickup (uncovered version) is simply amazing. I really like the stock bridge pickup in this guitar, and the Keystone neck complements it perfectly. It has a ringing, almost acoustic tone, and breaks up nicely while maintaining clarity when pushed...not the least bit muddy.

I was surprised, though, to notice that in the middle position, the pickups are hum canceling...seems like with the previous setup, I still had hum in the middle...I assume this means that the Keystone is RW/RP relative to the stock bridge pickup, while the stock neck pickup was not? Are Tele pickups typically RW/RP to each other, and I just never noticed the hum canceling before?

It may be that I was never all that fond of the middle position before, so I didn't use it enough to notice. I think I'll use it more with the Keystone in there now, as it sounds great in the middle, with a nice, Strat-like quack that I wasn't getting before, either.

Are Tele pickups typically RW/RP to each other
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Some are, some are not, depending on the model.


Take a compass by them, and you can see which is which, north or south.

I have a keystone in the bridge of my Classic 50's and in the middle position I still have hum...

Some are, some are not, depending on the model.


Take a compass by them, and you can see which is which, north or south.

cool and simple tip! Love this place, Thanks!

I forgot to add F.W.I.W.

When the compass arrow points North TO the pickup, said pickups magnet is SOUTH in polarization and vise versa.


My Keystones are Bridge South and Neck North (as are my Tele Nocasters, Texas Specials and the Classic Players Jazzmasters).

sjtalon, that is the coolest info I've learned in a long time...so simple, but I still had to pull out all my guitars and check polarity with a compass...

Hey, I don't take any credit though, I learned it right here myself as well.

It would be great to have a table, but manufacturers have been known to switch - and certainly you can order a pickup set with whichever polarity and winding direction you want from Seymour Duncan, etc.

One example is the AV 57/62 Strat pup sets; some have a RWRP middle pup and some do not, depending on the guitar model.

Two pup sets that are not RWRP towards each other are Fender Original Vintage Tele pups, and the pickups in the American Series/Standard Teles. Strange, I think, but they started this way and so they remain. Too bad, as the 60 cycle can be strong and these pickups when wired in parallel are so soft.

Appears to me, most any Fender Tele bridge pup is the same polarity/winding direction as any other. It is the neck pickups that vary, model to model. The RWRP Function is just one more reason why I prefer a No-Caster pup set to the Original Vintage.

I've done another stunt, also. I buy a lefty bridge plate/OV pup package from Darren Riley, and a No-Caster set. I put the No-Caster bridge pup in an Esquire, and mate the No-Caster neck pickup to an OV bridge pickup, with a 4 way switch. This way I get to hear the OV bridge pup, with 60 cycle cancellation, in both parallel and series with a No-Caster neck pup. Two great net results for 2 guitars and no left over parts.