New Pickups for Std Tele

Have an '03 Standard Tele, looking to get some new rails for it.

I play classic rock and some modern/alternative-edgier stuff, which of these would be best?

Fender Vintage Noiseless
Duncan Five-Two
Duncan TK2 Hot Lead Stack (Bridge)

..or something else?

Seymour Duncan STHR-1 Hot Rails are nice too, and they have a neck one now.


http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/telecaster/cutting-edge/hot_rails_for_t/

Seymour Duncan STHR-1 Hot Rails are nice too, and they have a neck one now.


http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/telecaster/cutting-edge/hot_rails_for_t/

+1 Hot Rails is the way to go.

Also look into the GFS Lil' Punchers. They have a few sets; I believe the Modern Lead should do it.

im planning to get hot rails. ive read some reviews that say that its only good for a very over driven sound, and sounds bad clean. any thoughts?

im planning to get hot rails. ive read some reviews that say that its only good for a very over driven sound, and sounds bad clean. any thoughts?

Typically the hotter a pickup is, the less chance of it sounding "good" clean. The best part of that clean shimmer is a lower output. I believe you can split these pickups so you may be able to salvage some clean tones.

I had a hot rail in my tele and it was excellent for an overdriven sound. No complaints there. As my playing style changed over the years however, (to a more indie sound) i found the cleans to be intolerable and put the stock pup back in. The hotrail is a one-trick pony.

I'd just add that another consideration is the bridge. The big honkin' modern bridge on the Standard Teles has a very different magnetic interaction with the pickup than does a vintage style bridge. I couldn't believe my ears when I made the switch back after a couple of years of falling out of love with my Tele when it had the modern bridge.

The vintage bridge really made everything much more articulate and tight. I can't recommend it enough. They are available with trimmed sides if you don't like the feel.

Oh, and my $.02 is that you shouldn't have to try to get a good clean tone out of any pickup. You should start with the clean tone, and see which one of those has the best dirty tones. For me, I won't touch a pickup that's marketed a "hot." They've never made me happy - and this is after about 14 years of playing in punk rock bands.

You should start with the clean tone, and see which one of those has the best dirty tones.

+1 on that. Somebody else on this site wrote "You can dirty up clean, but you can't clean up dirty", or something to that effect. I'm in total agreement and have developed a new found respect for lower output pickups, particularly on Teles and Strats. Overdrive and distortion? That's what amps are for.

I can tell you that my Dimarzio Area T on STD Tele is doing the job and they are quiet.