CIJ Telecaster pickups

[teleman55]

Anyone know about CIJ Tele pickups? If they're not one of the models that specifies "american original vintage" or such, are they the same a the MIMs or different? I've got a LH '72 Custom Reissue. The neck Humbucker is what it is. I'm wondering about the bridge pickup.

[telbert twang]

i can tell you about CIJ 62 reissue, which has cloth wired alnico V pickups neck 7.42k , bridge 7.36k bottom plated

rgds,

[GuitarJonz]

IMO, both MIJ and CIJ tele pickups were just mediocre, not terrible, but not anything that couldn't be significantly improved with any set of Duncans, or other aftermarket pickups. The bridge pickups were often thin, although the neck pups were uaually more acceptable, at least to my ears. The strat neck pups in the JD Teles were often very nice, with no need for replacement.

[Darrell]

I have a CIJ bridge up i got off ebay for 15 bucks, it is great. i have had few better. Mine measure 6.36

[telbert twang]

my cij 62 original bridge pickup was everything but thin ( a good ballsy tone for drive, but a bit lack of sparkle for cleans) , changed it to that Lundgren´s 6,8k version . The cij´s original neck pup is the clearest one i have ever heared - like glass, that one is a keeper

[Darrell]

The best way to described mine was that it is balanced like the OV, but compressed some like the SD Alnico II pro. Excellent combination.

[Derek Kiernan]

I have experience with a Japanese Mustang and Tele. The neck pickups on both sounded very nice, but the bridge pickups were borderline useless as the guitars came stock, in my opinion.

[JimiBryant]

I take 'em on an individual guitar-by-guitar basis.

some are quite agreeable as-is.
some can be played for a while before an upgrade is necessary.
some have nasty tinny things that have got to go!

[teleman55]

Yeah, mine sound good. I really like the middle setting with the Fender HB and the Tele bridge PU. Bridge pickup sounds kinda like a MIM I had but maybe a little different. I put OVs in the MIM. Stock ones were good but OVs are better, more like some old Teles I've had. I guess I was wondering if these CIJ and MIM ones are the same or different. They seem similar but a little different, but maybe that's the guitar. I'm thinking of maybe getting an OV bridge, when find one that's not part of a set. I'll leave the neck wide-range stock (unless I find a original 70's wide range that will work in a lefty guitar that I can afford. hahaha).

[tele0053]

In my opinion from the experience I've had from the CIJ's Tele's I've owned from the late 90's, the pickups weren't bad but just seemed sort of thin, lacking in the mids, (like they were weaker & somewhat wimpier than the old stuff was). The Seymour Duncan Alnico 2's or the Alnico 2-5's, are perfect complements for the cij guitars from that era.
I would recommend the S.D. p/ups over the current Fender replacement products. But almost all of the CIJs & the MIM Classic reissue series tele & strats are tops in my opinion. The stock mim classic p/ups are damn good as well, IMHO on both teles & strats, give those a good try before you switch 'em they really are very good these days....just depends on what you like.
To each his own but that's my nickels worth.
Good Luck!

[hollowman]

Agreed, my 93 MIJ stock pups were a little on the thin side, that is the only way I can describe them. I could compensate some what with amp and pedal settings, but finally just slapped in some Fralins, made a huge difference. YMMV