highway one pickups

Howdy,
I just bought a new hwy 1 2010 model and while I like it I don't particularly love it if you know what I mean.
It plays great and feels good and all that sort of stuff but while it does sound like a tele it does not sound as much like a tele as I would like it too.
Does that make sense?
I mean the the hotter pickups are ok but not super for what I want to hear.
I notice there are a couple of caps in the circuitry and I was wondering if one of them could be snipped out to get that brighter tele sound or if something else could be done without laying out big bucks for pickups.
I play really clean and I love that classic tele sparkle that just is not quite there.
I would love to hear your thought on this.
Thanks a lot.

Howdy,
I just bought a new hwy 1 2010 model and while I like it I don't particularly love it if you know what I mean.
It plays great and feels good and all that sort of stuff but while it does sound like a tele it does not sound as much like a tele as I would like it too.
Does that make sense?
I mean the the hotter pickups are ok but not super for what I want to hear.
I notice there are a couple of caps in the circuitry and I was wondering if one of them could be snipped out to get that brighter tele sound or if something else could be done without laying out big bucks for pickups.
I play really clean and I love that classic tele sparkle that just is not quite there.
I would love to hear your thought on this.
Thanks a lot.

The Highway One's pickups are generally mentioned around here as being overwound, too hot etc...by some of the purists. I see/hear their point but when it's time to play I still like mine. Without changing pickups I think you could try what I did-lower the bridge pickup with the two screws at each end until it sounds right. Then turn the tilt adjustment screw to point the pickup away from the bridge-toward the neck. This will thin the neck pickup sound and give you more brightness.

thanks elihu,
I will try your recommendation

Well I played a lot yesterday estodd and gotta say that I sure like to try some Customshop Nocasters. :lol:

So much for my help.

+1 with elihu on adjusting the pickups. I'll add some other things that I've learned from this forum which you can do too: After playing around with the pickup heights you can also try changing the cap to a lower value (like a .022 or maybe even a .010 cap) and experiment which one you like best. If you still want more, try replacing your tone pot with a no-load pot and also try wiring it with the 50's wiring mod. If all still fails try a 500K or 1meg pot on the volume pot. =)

I changed out mine with the nocasters and get compliments all the time on the sound.

I changed out mine with the nocasters and get compliments all the time on the sound.

On my HW1 Texas Tele I changed out the hot stock pickups as well, and I've never been happier. Btw I put in a Twang King neck and a SD Broadcaster on the bridge on mine but I do have the nocaster (just the bridge though) on a different tele and it's a mighty fine pickup. You can't go wrong with it that's for sure. =)

+1 on Nocasters. I couldn't tolerate the stock HWY 1 pups at all...way too hot, and overowound. Keep the bridge stock an put Nocasters in, thats what i did. Of course I play strictly country/chicken pickin. The Stock pups would be good for Rock, maybe Texas Blues...etc. My .02