Best pick ups for an authentic early-50's Tele tone ?

[SirJackdeFuzz]

I want the best pick ups to replicate those early days of the solid body guitar.
You know, those Broadcaster/NoCaster Tele tones.

Guitar will be a new'ish Fender HighWay One Tele, like so :

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...er-?sku=512871

What would you give this Tele ?


Talk to me Tele Guru's

[Jellyroll]

Don Mare DonOcasters. An absolutely wonderful set of pickups. A little expensive, but worth every single penny and then some.

[Geoff738]

Don Mare.

Fred Stuart.

In the early Broadcaster kinda tone Don makes his 0038's and Stuart has the Lapwrap.

Stuart has his Blackguard set (which are freaking great) and Mare has a bunch of variations of post-Broadcaster Tele tone.

But, there's lots of great Tele pickup winders around today.

Good luck with your search.

Cheers,
Geoff

(PS - I'm gonna send you a pm on non-guitar related stuff)

[billreevs]

Lindy Fralin Blues got me right where I wanted and I had them within a week for $160. 100% thumbs up fro fralins.

[Ricky D.]

I have a set of Fender Original Vintage in one of my Tele's. At $100 for the set, a real nice deal, and excellent pickups. Straight into my 5E3, it absolutely nails the Steve Cropper sound from the early 60's. If that's what you want.

[KY-TwangBanger]

I'm very partial to the Seymour Duncan Vintage '54 Lead (SL-1) Bridge Pickup.

[castpolymer]

Curtis Novak makes a great, original sounding, Tele pickup.

[JohnK24]

Seems obvious, the Fender CS Nocaster set...why pay more for special "boutique" betters with their wiating list, magic dust, mojo enhanced pups when the Nocasters nail that early era sound...ymm and wallet may vary.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Originally Posted by JohnK24

Seems obvious, the Fender CS Nocaster set...why pay more for special "boutique" betters with their wiating list, magic dust, mojo enhanced pups when the Nocasters nail that early era sound...ymm and wallet may vary.

Thanx . . . i shall look into them again.

Various other forums through out the years did not speak highly of any 'custom shop'/'after market', Fender pu's like the CS-series.

[Milone]

Originally Posted by JohnK24

Seems obvious, the Fender CS Nocaster set...why pay more for special "boutique" betters with their wiating list, magic dust, mojo enhanced pups when the Nocasters nail that early era sound...ymm and wallet may vary.

Well put

[kenfolk]

nocasters they are as good as they come

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Originally Posted by kenfolk

nocasters they are as good as they come

Better than some of these hand made boteek stuff ?

Better look into them - thanks

[TG]

Early Fender pickups were hand wound and varied a lot from pickup to pickup. They even used different types of magnet from time to time, I believe.

So no one pickup captures the 'authentic early '50s tone' since there's no such thing in any specific way.
(The same thing goes for PAF humbuckers, BTW....they varied a lot.)

And although 'booteek' builders make nice pickups, it will only be their take on the issue...and I very much suspect that there's a bit of the Emperor's Clothes mentality going on with regards the buyers.
'I spent a lot of money...everyone says this is supposed to sound fantastic......of course I can hear it...'

I also suspect that the amplifier you use will have more to do with capturing a '1950s tone' than the pickups....so perhaps find yourself a Tweed type amp.



Fender Original Vintage
Fender Nocaster
Duncan Broadcaster
Duncan AlnicoIIpro
Duncan Jerry Donahue
etc
etc

All good. All very different. All authentic early '50s sound.

(And when each one came out everyone on internet forums raved about it...)

[porklash]

If you don't know exactly what you after, You'll be happy with, as an example, Seymour Duncans pickups. I know I was. But if you're after something special maybe one of the "booteeks" guys offer just that? In my case Don Mare did. His pickups had what I thought the Duncan was lacking. Dynamics and that pick attack sound I've heard from some vintage Teles .

And yes my bassplayer couldn't tell the difference while my guitar buddy in the band could.

You say you want authentic early 50s Tele tone. To me that's a lot of different tones.

pEr

[backalleyblues]

You can't go wrong with a Duncan Broadcaster, excellent pup, especially for the money.

But make sure the rest of the wiring is up to snuff as well-proper cap, pots, switch, wire and jack (doesn't have to be period-correct, just high quality).

And don't forget the 90% of tone-YOU!!!!

Franc Robert

[dhouse]

Another plug for the Nocasters -- excellent pickups.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

I keep hearing this "Don Mare" name alot - what is it all about ?

Even guys on the Duncan forum has mantioned him in the past.

How would his product differ, from say Dave, from Stephens Design pu's ?

http://www.sdpickups.com/icehouse.shtml - "Broadcaster dirty" clips sounds good !



Keep them comming guys !

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Originally Posted by backalleyblues

You can't go wrong with a Duncan Broadcaster, excellent pup, especially for the money.

But make sure the rest of the wiring is up to snuff as well-proper cap, pots, switch, wire and jack (doesn't have to be period-correct, just high quality).

And don't forget the 90% of tone-YOU!!!!

Franc Robert

I will most likely get some wirinf from RS Guitar Works - i like their products (wiring speaking)

[Ricky D.]

Originally Posted by SirJackdeFuzz

I keep hearing this "Don Mare" name alot - what is it all about ?

Even guys on the Duncan forum has mantioned him in the past.

How would his product differ, from say Dave, from Stephens Design pu's ?

http://www.sdpickups.com/icehouse.shtml - "Broadcaster dirty" clips sounds good !



Keep them comming guys !

Here's a link to his web site:

http://www.donmarepickups.com/home.html

Those are great pickups IMO. If you do a search on TDPRI for Don Mare, you will get a lot of hits. He is a member here.

[JamonHamon]

Don Mare is the best

[Flewis]

Originally Posted by SirJackdeFuzz

I want the best pick ups to replicate those early days of the solid body guitar.
You know, those Broadcaster/NoCaster Tele tones.

Guitar will be a new'ish Fender HighWay One Tele, like so :

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...er-?sku=512871

What would you give this Tele ?


Talk to me Tele Guru's

Don Mare - he's the king of tele pick ups

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Originally Posted by Ricky D.

Here's a link to his web site:

http://www.donmarepickups.com/home.html

Those are great pickups IMO. If you do a search on TDPRI for Don Mare, you will get a lot of hits. He is a member here.

Thanks for the link - going there now

[jimboturbo]

I just ordered some Fender Nocaster pups from Amazon, of all places. $119 for the set, much cheaper than a lot of other places - in some instances, by eighty dollars! Waiting to see what the catch is, but if you go looking for these pups, at least look at Amazon. Good luck!

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Originally Posted by jimboturbo

I just ordered some Fender Nocaster pups from Amazon, of all places. $119 for the set, much cheaper than a lot of other places - in some instances, by eighty dollars! Waiting to see what the catch is, but if you go looking for these pups, at least look at Amazon. Good luck!

Once you get them - do give us a review please !

[JayDee]

I've been very happy with the Seymour Duncan STL-1b Broadcaster pickup.

[telechucker]

No love for the SD "Antiquities" ? I've got a set in my Warmoth Tele (the 50's set) and I liked them so much I've got another set ordered. Regards.