Advice on pickup changes please

I have a Baja which is great in every way. I am however considering putting in a set of CS Nocaster p/ups. I'd like to hear from anyone who has done this and how satisfied you are. BTW , I'm looking for a vintage twangy bridge sound and James Burtonish neck tone.

I have a Baja which is great in every way

If one of those "everys" is the way it sounds, why are you considering changing the pickups.... there are many other ways to alter the sound without spending a few hundred bux, or going into the Operating Room... Just changing the brand of strings is one method that comes to mind, the type pick you use is another.... not "sexy" to be sure.... but it's something to consider...

Changing parts for the sake of change, can be a not so pleasant experience....

Ron Kirn

If one of those "everys" is the way it sounds, why are you considering changing the pickups.... there are many other ways to alter the sound without spending a few hundred bux, or going into the Operating Room... Just changing the brand of strings is one method that comes to mind, the type pick you use is another.... not "sexy" to be sure.... but it's something to consider...

Changing parts for the sake of change, can be a not so pleasant experience....

Ron Kirn

Thank you for a reply Ron. Wasn't expecting a reply from the "horese's mouth " so to speak!! I have heard some great stories about these pickups which can actually be acquired fairly cheaply in UK. But if you think that it won't affect tone then I will indeed bow to your superior knowledge on that one. Many thanks Ron.

I haven't changed pickups on a Baja, but I have one, along with a few other Telecasters (e.g., AV52RI, American Standard with Fralin pickups, etc.).

If you're looking for "vintage twangy bridge sound and James Burtonish neck tone," I don't know that you're going to do much better than a stock Baja, the way it comes from the factory.

. . . if you think that it won't affect tone . . .

Well.. it will alter the tone, to be sure... but... you mentioned that the guitar is great in every way.... thus why alter great.... there are guys that spend a lifetime chasing "great in every way"....

rk

I have a Baja which is great in every way. I am however considering putting in a set of CS Nocaster p/ups. I'd like to hear from anyone who has done this and how satisfied you are. BTW , I'm looking for a vintage twangy bridge sound and James Burtonish neck tone.

I think the pickups in the Burton signature Tele (not the one with Lace Sensors) were Texas Specials.

Well.. it will alter the tone, to be sure... but... you mentioned that the guitar is great in every way.... thus why alter great.... there are guys that spend a lifetime chasing "great in every way"....

rk

Point taken with appreciation. It was just that I feel like experimenting a bit with a different pickup configuration...just to see..!!

Cheers.

Gareth.

I haven't changed pickups on a Baja, but I have one, along with a few other Telecasters (e.g., AV52RI, American Standard with Fralin pickups, etc.).

If you're looking for "vintage twangy bridge sound and James Burtonish neck tone," I don't know that you're going to do much better than a stock Baja, the way it comes from the factory.

I would have thought that the guitars played by the legends are very often played through top end boutique amps too, which will obviously enhance their sound. So maybe pickups aren't everything.

Thanks for that.. beep.:smile:

I would have thought that the guitars played by the legends are very often played through top end boutique amps too, which will obviously enhance their sound. So maybe pickups aren't everything.

Thanks for that.. beep.:smile:

Amo and speaker quality is extremely important. I'm very fond of very clear pickups, but switching to a Twin Reverb from lower and mid-priced Fender amps can really change everything in a way that's potentially more dramatic.

As above.. it can depend heavily on the amp and cables you use when changing pickups.. anything less than a fender front man 212, you should consider upgrading to a better amp to chase the tone