A killer combination!

[blackbelt308]

It's difficult to know how much of the tone equation each component truly contributes. But of my dozen Teles, there is one that right now is clearly head-and-shoulders above the rest with regard to killer tone. It's an ash Thinline with a Twisted Tele at the neck and a Fender O.V. at the bridge. She's got a Callaham bridge, threaded steel saddles, and a set of EB Power Slinkys (terrific strings!).

The pickup combination is amazing! I've played it through my DRRI, my '64 blackface PR, and a friend's vintage AC30. Incredibly chimey, and great twang at the bridge.

I'd love to set up another Tele with the same combination of pickups but TTs are hard to come by, and I'm not crazy about buying an O.V. set just for the bridge. Does anyone know of a set of pups that has roughly the same specs/tonal qualities of this combo?

Thanks a bunch,
Rick

[Sterling Indigo]

Nocaster pups. I was looking at the Baja for that TT neck myself.

[blackbelt308]

I have a set of Nocasters on another Tele. Nice but the Nocaster set doesn't have the "pizazz" that the TT/OV combo has. Of course, it could be that if I popped a Nocaster set in the Thinline, I'd find the same or at least similar magic. Could be worth a try...

[Sterling Indigo]

Not sure on how they compare with a scope. How did you find the first set? Is that an older stock Custom Shop Thinline?

[SimpleOne]

So many variables from guitar to guitar. May or may not work that well in another guitar. Wish I had that in at least one tele though...thanks for the report. :>)

[blackbelt308]

How did you find the first set?

The TT was an eBay score and the OV came from a TDPRI member.

Is that an older stock Custom Shop Thinline?

It's an old Fender body that was converted into a Thinline style sometime in the 70s or 80s. Three-piece ash body with a mahogany back. I stripped and re-finished it. It's currently set up with a Classic 60s neck.

Before I re-finished it, I set it up with some Classic 50s pickups and played it for a few days. It was clear then that the body had some good mojo in terms of tone.

Thanks,
Rick

[twangcaster1]

I'd bet a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken that Lindy Fralin could come up with something very similar but better, if you asked him.