Vintage USA 52 RI Fender Telecaster Tele

kensmith · May 1st, 2008, 08:59 AM

I am looking for a bridge pickup for my 50s Classic Tele. The stock pickup is a bit "ice-picky without girth" and the humbucker rail is quiet but I lose some of the tele twang tone.

For reference, I am pretty happy with the Texas Special I currently have in the neck position.

I have read good things about the bridge pickup that is stock in the USA 52 Hot Rod Tele, and may want to try this out.

Does anyone have experience with this one:
Vintage USA 52 RI Fender Telecaster Tele pickup:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:B:DBS:US:1123

Is this identical to the stock pickup in the USA 52 HR Tele?

Any other suggestions?

jivetrain · May 1st, 2008, 01:31 PM

i'm not sure if it's in the hot rod, but i put the 52 ri pickups into my american standard and that bridge pickup was a huge improvement over the stock pup i had. i can only tell you how it sounds in relation to the few bridge pickups i've used, but i find it's very full sounding with great bass. even though the bass is abundant it's extremely taught and i have yet to hear it sound muddy. i love using it for rhythm guitar, even though the bridge usually isn't suited to it, because it gives chords a really powerful sound. the bottom end is the strength of the pickup to me.

the mids are also great, they give the pickup it's fullness and most of it's character. i'm not sure how to describe them really other than saying they're there; the pickup isn't lacking in that department.

the treble is what you'd expect from a tele bridge; bright, cutting, bordering on shrill. i thought my stock bridge pickup was an ice pick and this one was an improvement to me in that the treble is balanced a little bit better by the fuller mids and bass. i still think it's a little too trebly but it's good treble so i can't complain much. i hope that helps you

fattybrisket · May 1st, 2008, 02:55 PM

I put a set of Keystones in my 52 RI partly because I wanted to dull the ice pick a bit without losing clarity or twang. Sounds amazing with a 4-way switch too . . . nice and fat.

May 1st, 2008, 08:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
kensmith TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Chicago burbs Posts: 24	Vintage USA 52 RI Fender Telecaster Tele I am looking for a bridge pickup for my 50s Classic Tele. The stock pickup is a bit "ice-picky without girth" and the humbucker rail is quiet but I lose some of the tele twang tone. For reference, I am pretty happy with the Texas Special I currently have in the neck position. I have read good things about the bridge pickup that is stock in the USA 52 Hot Rod Tele, and may want to try this out. Does anyone have experience with this one: Vintage USA 52 RI Fender Telecaster Tele pickup: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:B:DBS:US:1123 Is this identical to the stock pickup in the USA 52 HR Tele? Any other suggestions?

May 1st, 2008, 01:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
jivetrain Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: iowa Posts: 434 4 Photos	i'm not sure if it's in the hot rod, but i put the 52 ri pickups into my american standard and that bridge pickup was a huge improvement over the stock pup i had. i can only tell you how it sounds in relation to the few bridge pickups i've used, but i find it's very full sounding with great bass. even though the bass is abundant it's extremely taught and i have yet to hear it sound muddy. i love using it for rhythm guitar, even though the bridge usually isn't suited to it, because it gives chords a really powerful sound. the bottom end is the strength of the pickup to me. the mids are also great, they give the pickup it's fullness and most of it's character. i'm not sure how to describe them really other than saying they're there; the pickup isn't lacking in that department. the treble is what you'd expect from a tele bridge; bright, cutting, bordering on shrill. i thought my stock bridge pickup was an ice pick and this one was an improvement to me in that the treble is balanced a little bit better by the fuller mids and bass. i still think it's a little too trebly but it's good treble so i can't complain much. i hope that helps you

May 1st, 2008, 02:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
fattybrisket TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA Age: 44 Posts: 75	I put a set of Keystones in my 52 RI partly because I wanted to dull the ice pick a bit without losing clarity or twang. Sounds amazing with a 4-way switch too . . . nice and fat.