Anyone else who likes Tele neck pickups?

Everyone wants a neck pickup that sounds like a Strat. I love a good Tele's neck pickup! Just curious why everyone hates them.

It's not so much that people want them to sound like a strat as it is that they don't want them to sound like mud. Once you get rid of the mud, it is often described as more 'strat like' instead of saying 'clarity, jangle, chime, articulate'. All these descriptive words are sumed up as Stratty, as that is how a good strat will sound as well.

I've heard some strat neck pups that sound like mud.

i love the neck pup on my tele...the scn fender is great!

I loved the neck pup on my 99 MIM standard. Much more than the bridge. This was the guitar I learned on so I guess the bridge pup was a little much to handle.

I've had some angst involving tele's with humbucker necks instead of the normal tele pup I loved so much. So I no longer have 1 of those teles, am planning to unload the other.

I would consider removing the metal shield... I would also consider a strat neck pup since I like those too!

Yep, the best Tele neck pickups I've heard are very transparent and have a lot of clarity. Chimey, jangly or Strat like are other descriptions I've heard attached to Nocaster or Keystone neck pickups.

I love my single coil Tele neck pickups. They sound terrific! No complaints.

I put a set of Nocasters into my American Standard Tele, and the neck pickup is by far my favorite pickup of any of my guitars, through any amp.

I have no problem with tele neck pickups...

I love my tele neck pickups. I think the key is to set them as high as possible.

I love my CS. Texas Specil in the neck position. Paired with my older alnico 5 Fender Vintage Reissue, is somthing special for me. With the neck pickup on alone, I like to strum or pick the strings over the area of the neck pickup for a full loud hollow sound. I have never played a humbucker in the neck for more than a few minutes, and it was a mexican tele that I tried out... so I really can't compare the sounds... I love a good tele neck pickup.

I don't think that people don't like the Tele neck pickup so much as they don't know how to incorporate that sound. What some people call dark I call warm and jazzy. With a good Tele set up you should have a nice fat jazzy tone in the neck, an open jangly sound in the middle, and twang in the bridge. I love the stock Tele layout.

I love my single coil Tele neck pickups. They sound terrific! No complaints.

+1

If humbuckers are going to join my 'Tele' arsenal, they might just have to sneak their way in...

I use mine all the time. I have a set of Keystones in my former work tele, and as always, Bill created a pickup that has the Jazz vibe w/o the muck.
Mine is really clean and very palatable to the ear.
I have been using a BSB CV on stage lately and the neck pickup is great. The only problem I have run across is that the guitar is a little microphonic.
And now, I am looking for the right pup to fit the middle position on my Nashville build.

I don't think that people don't like the Tele neck pickup so much as they don't know how to incorporate that sound. What some people call dark I call warm and jazzy. With a good Tele set up you should have a nice fat jazzy tone in the neck, an open jangly sound in the middle, and twang in the bridge. I love the stock Tele layout.

+1

Rob Distefano and I were discussing this in a thread a while back. He doesn't like normal tele necks, and prefers either removing the cover or using a strat pup. All I've used so far are the twisted tele and fezzter oildale that are both designed to be closer to strat specs (42 AWG wire). The other issue is brass cover vs nickel silver.
I'm hoping to try a more traditional one soon.

I almost went the Strat/neck pickup route when ordering new pickups but I'm glad I decided to stay with a Tele neck pup. At the time I was listening to alot of strat players and thought it was what I wanted. Nothing wrong with either of them but I dig the sound of tele as a whole even though it was the twang of the bridge that drew me in. Also, I prefer to take the road less traveled so in the end I feel the decision to stay with a stricly tele neck pup was the right choice. That being said, the neck pup I went with was Bill Lawrence' L280 TN which has been described at times as "stratty". I suppose when I finally get them installed, I will have had my cake and got to eat it too!

Sometimes you have to go there to come back too..!

I wanted 'strattier' neck sound, and , having tried some decent pups , puting nickel covers,on 'em, taking covers off, i ended up modding a pickguard, and putting a Srat pickup in.

Revelation. 'Mission accomplished'. Loved it. Thrashed the daylights out of it.

Now, many, many months later I find myself hankering to drift back to a warmer, woodier 'proper' Tele neck pup.
And , I think that the Tele middle position also sounds beautiful on a Tele that has a traditional Tele neck pup in it. It's not the same sound in the middle pos. with a Strat pup in the neck. Nice enough. But different.

My favourite 'Tele' doesnt have a neck pup at all, but thats a different ball game.. ;)

I love my neck 83 PU..

.. if it didn't sound like it did... I probably wouldn't play a Tele....

Interesting how many of the people who responded that they liked their Tele neck pickups are actually using a pickup that is brighter than a normal Tele (like Keystones, for example).

In my Classic 50s, the neck pickup sounds great IF you set the amp's tone controls a certain way. The bridge pickup sounds great IF you set the tone controls a different way. The problem is there's no way to set the controls so they both sound great, IMO.

Interesting how many of the people who responded that they liked their Tele neck pickups are actually using a pickup that is brighter than a normal Tele (like Keystones, for example).

In my Classic 50s, the neck pickup sounds great IF you set the amp's tone controls a certain way. The bridge pickup sounds great IF you set the tone controls a different way. The problem is there's no way to set the controls so they both sound great, IMO.

Now who's fault is that, the neck pups or the bridge? :razz:

I've had a few teles. From what i can tell, the vintage/retro models have a dull/dark neck pickup. I had a '62 reissue and I hated the neck pickup. I guess it's a specific sound from the era or something. I also had a Baja, and it was nice-ish, better than the '62.

I now have an American Standard and the neck pickup is lovely. It's not the new one (with the Twisted Tele) - it's a 2011 with whatever no-name pup they used for the neck - I think the neck pickup sounds perfect.

The bridge pickup is nice, too. It's a lot more polite than the vintage tele I had, which some may object too, but I like it. But I stay mostly on the neck and middle unless I'm playing something filthy.

So, I guess if you have a tele and you don't like the neck pickup, and it happens to be one of the "vintage"/ retro models, maybe try a standard or something, see if you like it better.

Personally, I think the neck pickup is the better of the two on a Tele.

Most Tele necks I've heard so far have been uninspiring except the Twisted Tele, which I have in two of my teles and like a lot.

I haven't heard 'em all but I've heard a lot and the TT is my favourite so far.

You have to know how to play a tele neck pup.....just like a hoola-hoop or a skateboard.It's a bicycle without training wheels,and demands your respect---but once earned,it will sing to you according to your feel and touch.

To me it always sounded fine - I dime the treble a bit with the tone control for both pickups if I play through a bright amp. The neck PU of my AV 52 has a retro charme like no other. Muddy? Don't think so.

I don't think that people don't like the Tele neck pickup so much as they don't know how to incorporate that sound. What some people call dark I call warm and jazzy. With a good Tele set up you should have a nice fat jazzy tone in the neck, an open jangly sound in the middle, and twang in the bridge. I love the stock Tele layout.

That's right!! :grin:

And , I think that the Tele middle position also sounds beautiful on a Tele that has a traditional Tele neck pup in it. It's not the same sound in the middle pos. with a Strat pup in the neck. Nice enough. But different.
That's one of my favorite parts of a Tele. I've tried getting that sound from my Strat and it was very thin, even trying two different neck pickups, but that's probably mostly because of the thin bridge pickup.

I much prefer the tele neck p/u to the bridge ... do most of my playing on the neck p/u only. But not every neck p/u sounds equally good. Best I've heard so far:

-- Don Mare 2324. Not that loud, but one of the best sounding p/us of any kind I've ever heard.

-- ASAT Classic neck. Ceramic, plenty of volume. Warm and open, huge sound.

Getting to know a set of Wolfetone cubs right now. The neck is beautiful.
MD

Ive had all sorts of neck pickups in Teles but i allways come back to the stock unit. Start pickups are cool to... thats why I have a strat as well

Depends on what song I'm playing as to what pick up and tone setting I use.

I never met a Tele neck pickup that I didn't like!

I much prefer the tele neck p/u to the bridge ... do most of my playing on the neck p/u only. But not every neck p/u sounds equally good. Best I've heard so far:

-- Don Mare 2324. Not that loud, but one of the best sounding p/us of any kind I've ever heard.

-- ASAT Classic neck. Ceramic, plenty of volume. Warm and open, huge sound.

Getting to know a set of Wolfetone cubs right now. The neck is beautiful.
MD

Agreed about the Don Mares, I have that same brass covered neck pickup on the Donocaster and Joel Foy sets, and it is beautiful. Dark without muffle, woody, hollow and complex. Sounds almost like 2 different pickups are on at the same time.

Over the years of a bunch of nice Teles, I never had a neck pup I really loved except the SD Antiquity II that I put in my CVC. Very mellow, almost sweet.

I even recently Esquire'd my RW50s because the Tex-Mex neck pup was less than impressive, at least to my ears.

That being said, recently got a Baja and have really enjoyed the Twisted pup! Can definitely see why it gets the positive reviews that it does.

*Sigh* I've been playing Telecasters on stage for over 30 years. I've never found a Tele-sized neck pup I love. Just hasn't happened, and that's a lot of pickups.

They might sound nice at home, or playing a low volumes with acoustic instruments, but as soon as I am on the bandstand with bass and drums, the fun largely goes away. Indistinct, muddy & blurry are how I would describe it most of the time.

I've usually adhered to the method of turning the treble up on the amp, then using the guitar tone control to tame the bridge. This gives the neck pup a fighting chance, but still it's always felt half-hearted.

Tele neck pups I've had include stock Fenders, noiseless Fenders, SD quarter pounders (ugh!), EMGs, Bill Lawrence, VanZandts and others I can't even recall.

Contrast this to my Strats - there, the neck pup "just works". Cuts over the mix, sounds great, balanced. Simple. No fancy brand names required.

So, count me among those who feel "done" with the Tele neck pup. Believe me, I've tried. I just routed my 52RI for a Strat neck pup, and the Lil 59 Strat pickup there sounds 10x better.

I am one of those people who don't prefer a tele neck pickup. I like a strat or p-90 in the neck posistion. I am not a big humbucker fan either.

Brad:

Talk to Don Mare. He really does have a magic touch will tele pickups. I like others too, but find something extra in Don's. The 2324 neck in my partscaster (which, with a spruce topped, chambered ash body definitely contributing to the sound) is so good I almost never use the bridge p/u by itself.

MD

That is the brass covered pickup mentioned earlier, pure magic! Don is a genius.

The twisted tele is great for a traditional size pup.

I like most tele PUs more than I do most strat neck PUs.

Brad:

Talk to Don Mare. He really does have a magic touch will tele pickups. I like others too, but find something extra in Don's. The 2324 neck in my partscaster (which, with a spruce topped, chambered ash body definitely contributing to the sound) is so good I almost never use the bridge p/u by itself.

MD

Thanks. While I am sure that Don's pickups are fabulous, I've already taken the step of routing my 52RI for a Strat-sized neck pup, and frankly it fills the bill. Really well.

Also, for now I must have hum-canceling. No ifs, ands or buts. So the rig du jour is my 52RI with Seymour Duncan Little 59s in both bridge and neck positions. Huge sounding instrument, lots of fun.

Here's one more data point, relevant only to myself: I've played dozens and dozens of Telecasters over the years, including many highly prized original Broadcasters and '50s Teles. In most all cases, I could fall in love with those old bridge pickups, which is why I got my first Telecaster to begin with. But in zero cases did I feel so positively about the neck pickup - they all sound like warm mush to me, given the way I hear things.

I think that the Tele neck pickup design is perfect for somebody else, just not me.

I like both pickups on my Tele but my love for the neck PU grows everyday. It gives me that kind of Edddie Hinton, Steve Cropper sounds that you can't have with a Strat PU.

For jazz, it's OK and pretty good for everything when combined with bridge pickup. The tele could scream when outfitted with strat neck pup, mini humbucker, humbucker, or P90. A whole utility of being able to do anything with just neck pickup is opened up with a more clear and powerful pickup in neck.

Neck is pretty much all I play. Although I've found myself throwing it on the middle switch on the dark channel of my Excelsior. Love the bluesy richness of the neck pup.

I love my neck pickup in my 2000 Nocaster. A Lollar Special T.

error

I don't think that people don't like the Tele neck pickup so much as they don't know how to incorporate that sound. What some people call dark I call warm and jazzy. With a good Tele set up you should have a nice fat jazzy tone in the neck, an open jangly sound in the middle, and twang in the bridge. I love the stock Tele layout.

Like he said

I really like them- I like the nocaster, stock and 52 reissue. I much prefer them over the strat neck pickup. The strat ones sound too bright and ear piercing while the tele ones sound just right to my ears.

I love my neck pickup on my Am Std. and it's the plain MIA one that came in the guitar in 95. Its the best clean sounding pickup I've ever heard and gets really warm with tubes and a little OD. I've changed my bridge a couple times, but I wouldn't touch that neck. Ever.

Neck PUs can be heard in many different colors. Some sound mushy to me and some others sound great. There is a wide spectrum to choose from and IMO it is almost impossible not to find your preferable PU. If you expect a Tele neck PU to sound like a GMoore kind of solo in a loud stage environment then you should simply choose a different guitar rather than blame it on a Telecaster. Like others already said, it's a question of how and WHEN to use the Tele,.... in particular the neck PU. If you swap guitars during a show a Tele might need a different amp setting. Not many have the time and nerves to switch between settings and between multiple amps on stage, but heck, that's part of deal if you want to have a good sound. I'm far away from expecting one single guitar and one single amp to do it all. Isn't it variety that makes us happy tweakin' and trieing?
In my experience there's almost no color in sound a Tele can't do if you work together this fine instrument.
I personally like to let her sound like Tele sounds made by Steve Cropper, Duke Levine, Marty Steward etc. But we also play all sorts of Rock, Blues and so on. I take my time to thoroughfully do a sound check w. a long cable and listening to my settings from the audience area. That's the least you can do for your own personal sound and for pleasing other people's ears.
I have 4 Telecaster guitars that have seen various brands PU over the years. The same PU can sound very differen on an other guitar. It's also a question of choosing the right PU for a particular guitar. ALnico 2, 3, 5,....etc. According to your personal taste it's about finding out what a particular guitar ends up happy with.
Althouigh I've used Twisted neck PUs and still use a Jim Weider neck PU in one of my guitars I currently love the more traditional set up w. Jason Lollar 52 (Alnico 2) Pus in my 67 Tele mn. I'm sure I wouldn't like them on my Tele that has a rosewood neck installed. With a Tele I don't like to get too much into the strat territory. I really love the Tele neck Tone and I have strats that do a better job when it comes to strat tone.
Although not my favorite allow me a last note about the cheapo MIM Classic 50ies neck PU. This one is a sleeper IMO. Nice Punch, definition and airy tone.

I use the neck pick up a lot, because I am going for the "warm jazzy" sound. If I want the bite or spank, that's what the bridge is for anyway.

I luv my Tele neck PuP! I have been wondering what adding another in the middle would do for more sounds?

I love my tele neck pup...it's a humbucker.:razz:

I rarely if ever use the neck pup alone, just not into that sound. But I do like the sound of both at once.

I like Cs Nocaster and CS Texas Special neck p/ups best.I have other teles with stock P90's
and OV's,but nothing touches the first two(Nocasters in a CV50BSB,T.S in an ash partscaster).
Oldteleguy

Yep. Tele neck pickup is unique, love it. Especially Keystones and Fender O.V. That's why I play a Tele in the first place, for that sound.