Help with American Tele pups

simon_sayz · August 25th, 2004, 03:56 PM

Just got a 99 Tele with Dimarzio Fast track 2s in it. Yuck!!
I need repalcements but don't know what to go with. Looking for a "glassy" sound but also need punch and High output at bridge. My band plays a Radiohead, Foo Fighters type thing. Was thinking Duncans but not sure. Any help would be great, Thanx.

Gear List:
99 Tele w/2 single coil pup config
Mesa Maverick head (class A..oh yea)
Mesa 4x12 w/vintage 30's
Misc Pedals

Bruce Kiely · August 26th, 2004, 03:41 AM

For the type and style of music you play, and given your need for "punch and high output" at the bridge, I would suggest you consider .....

- Harmonic Design S-90 bridge. Great pickup, tons of snarl and definition when used for high gain, but not a humbucker so you'll get some hum (although you'll have less hum than a conventional single coil .... I don't know how Scott does it ..... ). Very much like what I imagine a P-90 would sound like in a Tele. A great pickup, IMHO!

- Kent Armstrong high output, dual blade humbucker (can't think of the model number at the moment). Unlike most of the humbuckers made for a Tele, this one actually sounds pretty good clean as well as high gain. And when used for high gain, it has great tone and balance.

Not sure what to suggest for the neck ....... HD matches the S-90 with a Vintage + neck and it sounds great. I've also heard good things about the Duncan Vintage Mini Humbucker, but it won't fit in the neck pickup cavity ....

Just my 2 cents ......

Good luck with the search.

Cheers,
BK

TG · September 10th, 2004, 08:20 PM

An awful lot has to do with the guitar they're in, the amp you use, and how you play. I read recently that they've taken SRV's number one strat apart to make really accurate copies and they found that the pickups weren't hot wound like 'Texas Specials' at all. They are fairly weak stock '63s. That sound came from big strings, cranked Fender amps, a tubescreamer....and SRV.
So you have to make the best guess you can but you won't really know until you get them and use them for awhile.
I find that I get the best tones from normal output pickups.
The tele bridge pups I like the best are Duncan AlnicoIIPro, Fender Original Vintage, and, believe it or not, stock modern Fender American Series pickups. Wonderful chiming clean sounds, and with the amp cranked or thru a tubescreamer they fatten up and roar like the best of 'em. If your tele is alder or even poplar (I'm not sure about '99s) then consider a regular American Series Fender bridge pickup. They can be over bright in ash guitars but they can add presence to alder. You'd get your 'glassy'. They are pretty cheap on ebay.
The Alnico2 does the opposite. Excellent pickup, but it smooths the highs...especially in an ash guitar.
The Original Vintage bridge pickup is similar to the AmSe tonally but with more midrange. It comes stock in the 52RI tele.

August 25th, 2004, 03:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
simon_sayz NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 1	Help with American Tele pups Just got a 99 Tele with Dimarzio Fast track 2s in it. Yuck!! I need repalcements but don't know what to go with. Looking for a "glassy" sound but also need punch and High output at bridge. My band plays a Radiohead, Foo Fighters type thing. Was thinking Duncans but not sure. Any help would be great, Thanx. Gear List: 99 Tele w/2 single coil pup config Mesa Maverick head (class A..oh yea) Mesa 4x12 w/vintage 30's Misc Pedals

August 26th, 2004, 03:41 AM	#2 (permalink)
Bruce Kiely Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 292	Kent Armstrong For the type and style of music you play, and given your need for "punch and high output" at the bridge, I would suggest you consider ..... - Harmonic Design S-90 bridge. Great pickup, tons of snarl and definition when used for high gain, but not a humbucker so you'll get some hum (although you'll have less hum than a conventional single coil .... I don't know how Scott does it ..... ). Very much like what I imagine a P-90 would sound like in a Tele. A great pickup, IMHO! - Kent Armstrong high output, dual blade humbucker (can't think of the model number at the moment). Unlike most of the humbuckers made for a Tele, this one actually sounds pretty good clean as well as high gain. And when used for high gain, it has great tone and balance. Not sure what to suggest for the neck ....... HD matches the S-90 with a Vintage + neck and it sounds great. I've also heard good things about the Duncan Vintage Mini Humbucker, but it won't fit in the neck pickup cavity .... Just my 2 cents ...... Good luck with the search. Cheers, BK

September 10th, 2004, 08:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
TG Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Beside a bog in the west of Ireland Age: 47 Posts: 4,464 7 Photos	An awful lot has to do with the guitar they're in, the amp you use, and how you play. I read recently that they've taken SRV's number one strat apart to make really accurate copies and they found that the pickups weren't hot wound like 'Texas Specials' at all. They are fairly weak stock '63s. That sound came from big strings, cranked Fender amps, a tubescreamer....and SRV. So you have to make the best guess you can but you won't really know until you get them and use them for awhile. I find that I get the best tones from normal output pickups. The tele bridge pups I like the best are Duncan AlnicoIIPro, Fender Original Vintage, and, believe it or not, stock modern Fender American Series pickups. Wonderful chiming clean sounds, and with the amp cranked or thru a tubescreamer they fatten up and roar like the best of 'em. If your tele is alder or even poplar (I'm not sure about '99s) then consider a regular American Series Fender bridge pickup. They can be over bright in ash guitars but they can add presence to alder. You'd get your 'glassy'. They are pretty cheap on ebay. The Alnico2 does the opposite. Excellent pickup, but it smooths the highs...especially in an ash guitar. The Original Vintage bridge pickup is similar to the AmSe tonally but with more midrange. It comes stock in the 52RI tele.