Pickup Round Up

[bdam123]

Which pickups are you guys all playing and why are they your choice. Feel free to elaborate on other models you've played and why you've ended up where you did.

[Parma_TeleMon]

Dimarzio Area T neck and ToneZone T bridge. They replaced OVs. My Thinline was driving me crazy with the noise, and I didn't like the OV bridge pickup with high gain. The Area T neck is absolutely sweet and voiced like the OV. I lowered it a bit for the warmth and woodiness I like for blues tone. The ToneZone makes me happy about 80% of the time, and when coil-tapped has plenty of Tele Twangy goodness.

[originalmatthew]

Toneriders...as funds allow I am putting them in all my guitars. Great balance across the pickups, great tone, clean and precise...and half the cost of duncans.

[Telenator]

P90's of all varieties!

I just love the thick, rich tone from P90's and the way they easily cross over through several genre's of music.

[Jelle]

Tele #1: DiMarzio Pre-B1 + Twang King neck
Thinline: Fender CS Nocasters

Haven't tried many pickups, but wanted a classic sound for the Thinline and something more modern for the solid body; these pairings worked out nicely and are much better than the stock pups, but hey, the guitars are cheap(ish) Tele copies that I happened to bond with

[DMace]

Fred Stuart Blackguards: classic '52 Tele tone
Fred Stuart Lapwrap: for a bigger Tele tone, ala Keef
Don Mare Hayrides: great late-50s Tele tone
Duncan Seth Lover neck with Antiquity bridge: a great combination of classic PAF and classic Tele tone.
I went through a Duncan '54, Duncan Broadcaster, Twang King neck, OV52s and Texas Specials before sticking with these pickups.

[Televised]

Really didn't mind the "hotter" 06' fender pick ups that came with the MIM Tele but after reading some threads on the forum decided to upgrade. Went with the Bill Lawrence "Keystones" and glad I did. Greatly reduced the 60hz hum and the tone is much richer and better.

[surfoverb]

Fred Stuart Blackguards :52RI
Fralin stock bridge/Novak neck :Partscaster

[littlewing6283]

Lollar Special T's - RoadWorn
Bill Lawrence Keystone- 1 Logan, Squier CV Tele
Fender Tex Mex - Logan
GFS 60's - SX STL50

[RomanS]

Neck: VVG CC-Rider - I've tried lots of different neck pickups, even some very prestigious ones (Fred Stuart...), but nothing, and I mean NOTHING comes even remotely close to that HUGE, 3D-like, full, warm, yet transparent sound of a CharlieChristian-type pickup in the neck position.

Bridge: In my main Tele I have a Fender Nocaster bridge PU - twangy enough to do country stuff, but also great for dirty OD sounds; just make sure you set it very close to the strings!
Another favorite bridge pickup of mine is the LeoSounds Mudcat.

[RockStarNick]

Duncan Broadcaster and Dimarzio Twang King Neck in my Alder/Rosewood Tele.

Duncan Vintage 54 neck and bridge in my ash/maple Tele.

One is more country, one is more rock. Love em both!

[dalandan]

Fender SCN

Very articulate, can get harsh at higher volumes when playing alone. cuts like no other when in a band though. The tone is very "biting" when used with an overdriven amp meaning there's a lot of that upper mid frequency harmonics going on. a bit more on the modern side but still able to twang like the rest of them.

[JoeNeri]

Rio Grande Dirty Harry - neck and bridge

[Mike H.]

Seymour Duncan P-90 Stack. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable which allows for series / parallel / split wiring and tonal options. With two of these, a 3-way selector switch, and a 3-way mini-toggle, you can get nine different tones, all usable.

[bdam123]

I guess since I started this I should post.

My first real Strat was a Deluxe. I had Fender Vintage Noiseless' in them. I always felt they were lack luster but had a real problem with noise that I was getting from my standard. When Fender released the SCN's I hopped right on and was definitely happier with them than I was with the VN's. I finally came to the realization that you were paying for the noiseless feature with your tone and learned to accept that that was just the nature of the single coil. I finally landed on Fender Custom Fat 50's. I'm very happy with them especially the slightly overdriven tones. I know that they aren't the end all but they definitely are a decent set.

I'm really thinking about some Fred Stuarts. I talked to Jacob Peterson and he recommended them to me. And if you've heard Jacob, his tone is on point. Just waiting for the checks to come first haha.

[tonewoods]

Charlie Davis rewinds on both front and back on all my Tele/Esquire builds...

Love 'em!

[caliban335]

Esquire Partscaster - Fender Broadcaster

'69 Thinline RI - Lollar Special T @ bridge & CC @ neck

'62 Custom RI - Keystone set

MIM Standard - GFS 60s Hot Alnico @ bridge & Classic II nickel covered HB @ neck

Broadcaster RI - As issued from Custom Shop

[Brett Valentine]

Okay,
Tex Mex Strat: Duncan Classic Stack(neck), stock TexMex(middle), Duncan L'il 59(bridge). The stock bridge was too ice-picky for me. The L'il 59 gave me a workable single coil sound as well as a thicker lead tone in humbucker mode, and everything in between (middle tone pot rewired as a spin-a-split for the L'il 59). With a modified TBX master tone, and coil split for the Classic stack, the Strat became a guitar that could cover every base.

MIM Standard Tele: Kinman Broadcaster set.
Started out with a NoCaster set (bridge p/u never worked and it seems Fender CS never sent a replacement to the store). NoCaster neck was nice and clear. Stock bridge was more than workable and articulate but not enough mids.

MIJ RI Fender Bass VI: stock pickups very microphonic, still looking for a replacement set that will fit the B - B baritone sound (still clear but stronger).

It sounds like a cross between Strat's big brother, and a "piccolo" Jazz bass depending upon how I use it.

[SpaceyBen]

Lollar vintage T's are pretty much what I have been using for a long time... they replaced a Duncan Donahue Lead and Nashville Studio neck... the Duncans were good but seemed kind of generic and flat. The Lollars are like 3d in comparisson, very responsive and sensitive. I can coax all sorts of sounds from them by adjusting the volume and tone knobs. By far the best set of pups I have ever found. I use Lollars in all my guitars now. And before someone comes in saying oh but they cost alot, they don't cost any more than antiquities( actually less than the antiquities at my old guitar shops) and less than alot of other "boutique" winders lol

[Wild Rice Chris]

I've used pretty close to everything. Seriously.
My current electric stable runs:

Rice MR-T (from Lollar Vintage T)
Rice MR-T (from Lollar Vintage T)
Rice MR-S (from TV Jones Power-Tron Classic)
Rice MR-S (from TV Jones Power-Tron Classic)
Norma single coil
Norma single coil
Gibson minihumbucker
Voodoo (from Seymour Duncan Hot Tele and Fender Nocaster)
Epiphone (from Dimarzio Fred to Mighty Mite)
Epiphone (from Fender MIJ Jazzmaster)
G&L MFD
G&L MFD
Dimarzio Air Norton
Kay Kleenex Box
Kay Kleenex Box
DeArmond Model 1000
TV Jones Super-Tron Classic
TV Jones Plus HT
Teisco
Teisco
Gibson 1979 humbucker (soon to be changed to Rice humbucker)
Gibson 1980 humbucker (soon to be changed to Rice humbucker)
Gibson P-90
Gibson P-90
Rice MR-T (from Seymour Duncan quarter pounder, '54 rhythm, quarter pounder strat lead to Chubtone 5-3 to Fender OV 52RI to Don Mare 2324, '66, and custom wind to Fralin standard to probably some I've forgotten)
Rice MR-T (from Duncan Broadcaster, Hot Tapped, '54 Lead, Lil '59 to Chubtone 5-3 to Fred Stuart Blackguard to Fender MIM Standard and OV lead to Fralin Blues Special to Don Mare 2324, '66, and custom wind, and probably others)

My brother has been winding pickups to my specs for a few months, and they're slowly but surely replacing all of my old favorites. It's a great thing I tell you!

I've bought and used pickups from the following companies (that I can remember):
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?pg=pickups
http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/
http://www.lollarguitars.com/
http://www.fralinpickups.com
http://www.buckcannon.com/
http://www.agi-lace.com/
http://www.wolfetone.com/
http://www.tvjones.com/home/home.htm
http://www.billlawrenceusa.com
http://www.billlawrence.com/ (different company)
http://www.glguitars.com/
http://www.virtualvintageguitars.com...art/stuart.htm (scroll down)
http://www.harmonicdesign.net/
http://www.manliusguitar.com/
http://www.carvin.com
http://www.bartolini.net/
http://www.ocduffpickups.com/
http://www.suhrguitars.com/pickups.aspx
http://www.adderplus.com/prod01.htm
http://www.riograndepickups.com/
http://www.vanzandtpu.com/
http://www.seymourduncan.com/
http://www.dimarzio.com/
http://www.voodoopickups.com/
http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/
http://www.epiphone.com/
http://www.gibson.com
http://www.fender.com
http://www.allparts.com
http://www.yamaha.com/guitars/home/
http://www.washburn.com/
http://www.squierguitars.com/
http://www.peavey.com/
http://www.ibanez.com/
http://www.gretsch.com/guitars/index.html
http://www.bcrich.com/

[Roli]

That was a smart post.

[telerious]

I have the Fender Twisted Tele in the neck and the Flatpole bridge pickup and am very happy with these. The Twisted Tele is particularly responsive so it can be dialed in for a variety of sounds. And the bridge pickup flat out spanks!

I have played many Teles over many years including G&L, and Joe Barden Pickups and I find these sound great.

[TG]

Wild Rice Chris, you are even worse than me.

Over the past 10 years I've bought and sold pickups to try them out in various guitars and projects (the wonder of eBay...) and here's a list of what I've tried. What I can remember offhand, anyway.

Telecaster:

Standard Fender Delta Tone
Fender Original Vintage
Fender Nocaster
Dimarzio Twangking
Mighty Mite tele
Some GFS bit of rubbish
Fender Vintage Noiseless
Fender Texas Special Tele
Duncan AlnicoIIPro
Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Tele DP412 (regular output)
Dimarzio AreaT (which is their replacement for the DP412)

My final choice (and I mean that...I won't be changing unless I have to for some reason) is the Dimarzio DP412 bridge pickup paired with a Fender Vintage Noiseless neck pickup. The DP412 is noiseless and is alnico2 with a smooth top end but it also has a well defined and spanky low end (unlike the Duncan alnicoIIpro). Fabulous clean chiming telecaster cleans and a tight P90-ish overdrive. I prefer it, slightly, to the AreaT which replaced it, BTW.
The Fender VN neck pup is clear, woody and balanced and the 2 mix perfectly.

Stratocaster:

Standard US Fender
Fat50s
CS54s
TexMex
57/62
Standard MIM ceramic
Classic 60s
Lace Holy Grail
Lace Hot Gold
Mighty Mite alnico
Mighty Might Hot Rail
Fender Vintage Noiseless
Fender SCN
Kinman Blues
Dimarzio Area61

Many bridge pickups including
Duncan Lil 59 bridge
Dimarzio FS1 bridge
Some custom P90 style bridge pup
Van Zandt Blues
Duncan Twangbanger

Final choice?
Mighty Mite Hot Rail set...about 50 bucks. Believe it or not.

Humbuckers:

Used to hate 'em all but after experiencing love at first sight with a tobacco sunburst Epiphone Les Paul Plus I tried a few different types and was about to give up (mud, mud, mud...) when I discovered the Dimarzio Virtual Vintage PAF set (which the idiots have since discontinued). I can unplug my telecaster from an amp and plug the LP in and with out any adjustments it sounds great. Clear and chiming yet beefy clean tones and a killer overdrive. It gets all the classic LP tones from the old recordings without any hunt of muddiness.

I then bought a Tokai 335 and tried a pair of Duncan '59s (cheap eBay opportunity) and they work great as well.

[Wild Rice Chris]

Originally Posted by TG

Wild Rice Chris, you are even worse than me.

Off the hook!

Here's where I've ended up for my '78 Telecaster:
http://ricecustomguitars.com/pickup/78tele1.mp3
http://ricecustomguitars.com/pickup/78tele2.mp3
Played through a '64 Princeton.

My second and third favorites in this guitar were a Seymour Duncan '54 lead and Fender OV rhythm and a custom spec Don Mare set.

[urbancowboy1919]

my stable is very small compared to most of you guys. haha.

my custom esquire build has a fralin hot, and it is amazing.

for my custom tele i have a sd broadcaster in the bridge and a kent lawrence in the neck. the kl is way underpowered but it works as i rarely use my neck pup at all.

[Jellyroll]

Don Mare DonOcasters and Hot Bakelite. For what I do, I could not possibly be happier!

[Kingpin]

I've owned these through the years:

Van Zandt bridge
O.C. Duff bridge
Adder plus neck
Lollar Charlie Christian
Lollar Vintage Alnico 3 neck
Don Mare S-Telly
Twang King set
Hamel Standard bridge
Fender O.V.
Fender stock from a '98 Tele
Fender Texas Specials


Two stand out above the others, and reside in my #1 Tele - the Hamel bridge and the Lollar Alnico 3 neck. They capture the classic Tele tone I've been after.

[Bluesjam]

Nashville Tele: Broadcaster,SD Vintage SSL-2, SD Vintage STR-1

Also -

Les Paul: Will Boggs Habaneros
Les Paul: Will Boggs Vintage Hot VTHP
Strat: Will Boggs Hot Rod single coils with 6707 wire (set # 7)

[marc sosnoff]

stephens design pickups...in my tele

i just replaced the bridge with a klein P-90 its very nice, i likey

i have a set on its way from raw vintage, theyre 50's wind for a strat. cant wait

[mickg]

Tele Strat (Nashville Styyle) 3 x SCN Strat. Love them, but don't like the SCN Tele's
Tele #1 EMG T Set. Everyone who has played it wants them. Such tonal variety.
Tele # 2 New AM tele Pickups. Great all rounders. Nice twang but not as warm for blues etc
Tele# 3. just having a aet of Std ASrea T fitted, so cant comment yet
Stat # 2 Profile vintage strat in Neck and Middle. Seymour duncan Twang banger (tele bridge to fit in strat) at bridge. Get some tone control fitted for the bridge pup if you have one of these installed. You often need to cut the highs on it. But great combo all the same.

[jrfrond]

My favorite Tele (I built it, like everything else I own) has a set of the GFS Lil Puncher Cool Vintage pickups in it that I tried just for the heck of it and they do absolutely everything I want them to and more. I didn't want to spring for Bardens at the time, and now I won't take these out and ruin the vibe.

[BigDaddyLH]

I'm jones-ing for

1. A Charlie Christian-type pup (VV or Lallor) as a Tele neck pickup.

2. A DeArmond 1100 Rhythm Chief (Monkey on a Stick):



They're going for $1,000 and up so I don't think it's going to happen.

[fjfinamore]

Like many guitarists, I enjoy going through pickups like a child encountering a new toy, which is why we hang out like forums like this searching for the next pickup guru. The list of pickups I’ve gone through in search of the perfect tone is almost disturbing and seemingly never-ending. But there are several pickups that I’ve matched with guitars that I will most likely never remove. When I play these guitars, I don’t have to worry about the “sound” and can concentrate on the music.

1. Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots which I put in my ’83 Fender “Strat” in the mid-90s. When I occasionally see people write that pickups don’t make a drastic difference in a guitar’s tone, I really have to laugh. If you had heard this guitar with the original stock pickups compared with the Fralins, you would swear it was not the same guitar. I’ve had the guitar for 25 years now, and will never change the pickups again. When I want the classic bell-like Strat tone, I pick this guitar.

2. Duncan Antiquities in an ’83 Les Paul Standard. When I bought the guitar in the mid 90’s it had the stock neck pickup and a Duncan JB in the bridge. I soon replaced them with Gibson ’57 Classic in the neck and a Classic Plus in the bridge. It sounded fine but uninspiring--I just thought maybe I didn’t like humbuckers that much. Then one day in 1998, I thought I would put in a Duncan Antiquity I had lying around in the bridge position . . . and quickly thereafter I bought one for the neck position. Whereas the Gibsons sounded one-dimensional, the Antiquities imparted a musical complexity that is hard to describe in words.

3. Voodoo TE-60 bridge pickup in my ’85 MIJ Fender Custom Telecaster Reissue. The original pickups were a bit strident. In a 14-year odyssey I went through among others Duncan Quarter Pounder, EMG Tele Bridge, Fender OV bridge (Alnico V version), Duncan Jerry Donahue bridge, and the Duncan Antiquity flatpole bridge. Nothing really clicked. One day in 1999, I bought a set of Voodoo Tele pickups. The selling point from the shop owner was they were unpotted. They gave the guitar a tone I’ve never heard from the Tele before. I could literally hear nuances that were not audible with the previous pickups. The only problem was the squealing feedback I was getting, even going through a Fender Vibro-Champ on 3. I brought the guitar back to the shop when Peter Florance was there. He took the guitar and told me to come back in a couple of days. Whatever he did, he stopped the squealing. (And to say something about his customer service, he didn’t charge me.) To this day, I haven’t removed the bridge plate from the guitar, afraid that I might accidently do something.

4. VanZandt True Vintage and Duncan Antiquity Custom Bridge for Strat in an ‘80s Tokai Stat copy. For the longest time, this was sort of my “test” guitar. I put a boatload of pickups through the guitar—Duncan Vintage Staggered SSL-1, Duncan Alnico 2, Duncan Five-Twos. But once I put the Antiquity Bridge in, that was it. For me, it is the best bridge Strat pickup I’ve ever tried. Mine is wound to over 10 ohms. It is simply a devastating pickup. I finally ended up putting Van Zandt True Vintage in the neck and middle positions. In my opinion Van Zandts are the most criminally underrated “boutique” pickups out there. If I want a ‘60s Strat tone, this is the guitar I usually pick, even though I have a Fender Custom Shop ‘60 Reissue.

[redstringuitar]

Originally Posted by originalmatthew

Toneriders...as funds allow I am putting them in all my guitars. Great balance across the pickups, great tone, clean and precise...and half the cost of duncans.

+1, they've gone up in price a bit over here and it's hardly surprising, they wipe the floor with many pickups costing 2 and 3 times more!