Pickups For Keith Richards Style Guitar

[pompeii0]

I am putting together a partscaster Tele in open G (with 5 strings) and am wondering what pickups to use (single in bridge and hum in neck). I was thinking of maybe the SD Broadcaster in the bridge and either a Seth Lover or Antiquity in the neck. Are there any other suggestions without spending a ton of money? Also what pot values would you suggest for best performance?

Thanks!

[Teleterr]

Get one of the forum winders to do you 5 pole p/ups so all the strings sound right.I've noticed that wide or narrow p/ups on a narrow or wide guitar cause tone and volume changes when the magnets don't alline.

[pompeii0]

There won't be any alignment issues as I will be using a regular 6 string neck with a standard 6 slot nut and a bridge with standard spacings, just removing the 6th string. I may end up using the guitar as a standard tuned 6 string in the future, but want to get my Keef on at the moment.

[sricabla]

I have a Micawaber replica and I have the Zhangbucker Super Paul Bunyon in the bridge position and a Pagey 2 in the neck. I've had many compliments on the pick up selection. Here's the link:
http://www.zhangbucker.com/index.html

[mrbdxmpl]

The Broadcaster and Seth Lover sound like a great combo - I don't think Keith ever worried about making sure all the magnets lined up, and Micawber sounds just fine...

[Sherpa]

Bare Knuckle Brown Sugars - they're exactly what you're looking for on the single coil side...:
http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/...up=brown_sugar

I've got them in an NSG25, and they're absolutely brilliant!

[pompeii0]

The Bare Knuckle pickup with shipping from the UK would cost as much as both Duncan pickups combined. It may be a great pickup but a little more money then I want to put into a partscaster at this time. Thank you for the suggestion and I may look at it in the future.

[uriah1]

Sounds like you got it now...
Find a gritty amp, put a few smoke burns on it..and yep..your there.

(never saw him with bucker neck tele), but, I am sure he has
one.

[pompeii0]

Keith actually has at least 5 Teles with buckers in the neck:
Micawber ('53 Tele)
Malcolm ('54 Tele)
Sonny ('66 Tele)
'74 Black Tele Custom
White Tele Custom

[WaylonFan76]

"Brown Sugars" Tele pups... Keith recorded that particular song with a Gibson SG...
As far as a Keith-y Tele, my Duncan Antiquity bridge pup in my AVRI 52 gets dangerously close to that ballpark with a good Fender tube amp and the right playing technique... and I don't think Keith uses his HB much. I think a lot of that is myth and fantasy. A good early 50s type bridge pickup, some good brass saddles and a good tube amp will get you there, if you know how to play those licks the right way. Just my two cents. YMMV

[D.Allen]

A lot of his tone was from his amps. I think he used a slide pickup wound very hot like 10 to 11K.
I am working on a couple now in that range and will have them out next month.

[sean001]

The question to ask would be, which period of Keith do you desire. I do believe it is correct that his guitar tech puts lap steel P/Us in his teles NOW but his Exile on Main Street recordings where probably done with whatever stock P/U was in his Tele at the time. He also used a lot of other guitars as a poster above intimated. So the tone you're chasing might not even be a Tele.

My best Keef tone to date has been with my Don Mare 0038 at 8.5K and very clean amps. I do not use the neck P/U at all. No pre-amp gain. All power tube distortion.

That said, get good at open G and playing rhythm like Keef and the tone sort of just happens. The gear is largely an afterthought.

[DMace]

For the bridge pickup, Fred Stuart the guy who actually rewound Keith's Tele pickups back in the day. Stuart's 'Lapwrap' is based on the pickup he wound for Keith.

[Sherpa]

Originally Posted by WaylonFan76

"Brown Sugars" Tele pups... Keith recorded that particular song with a Gibson SG...

I didn't know that, but you know how this marketing stuff works - come up with a good name that conjures up the association you mean to convey, specific yet generic enough to not draw a lawsuit....

My WCR Darkbursts are anything but dark-sounding, but they're modeled after the PAFs Duane had in his darkburst-finished Les Paul, so...

[uriah1]

Originally Posted by pompeii0

Keith actually has at least 5 Teles with buckers in the neck:
Micawber ('53 Tele)
Malcolm ('54 Tele)
Sonny ('66 Tele)
'74 Black Tele Custom
White Tele Custom

I guess so..!.. I just never seen them., but, I havent seen a lot...lol

[rokdog49]

I suggest a Rumpelstiltskin "Black Rope" Got one in my bridge and it does Keith very well.
It would be along the lines of most overwound pups with A3 mags. No magnet stagger etc.
Go here: http://www.rumpelstiltskinpickups.com/Tele_Pickups.html

In the sound clips section listen to the "stock" black rope. I absolutely love it.
Playing through a DRRI or a Vox Pathfinder.

[knuckles123]

I built a tele with a set up much like Don Mares guitar that he used to record his sound clip for his keefers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffDRSTs7mwg

I love this guitar; both the neck and bridge are full sounding.

[dog fart]

Originally Posted by sean001

The question to ask would be, which period of Keith do you desire. I do believe it is correct that his guitar tech puts lap steel P/Us in his teles NOW but his Exile on Main Street recordings where probably done with whatever stock P/U was in his Tele at the time. He also used a lot of other guitars as a poster above intimated. So the tone you're chasing might not even be a Tele.

My best Keef tone to date has been with my Don Mare 0038 at 8.5K and very clean amps. I do not use the neck P/U at all. No pre-amp gain. All power tube distortion.

That said, get good at open G and playing rhythm like Keef and the tone sort of just happens. The gear is largely an afterthought.

I have to agree with this. I don't have a Don Mare 0038, but playing in "G" with the tubes cooking gets me there. FWIW I have a SD '59 I never use and a SD Broadcaster in my Keef guitar. It's all about the groove

[pompeii0]

dog fart (love the name btw)

How do you like the SD Broadcaster for Keef stuff, and in general? Do you find the '59 a good match for it (even though you never use it)?

Thanks!

[gripweed]

I think you can see that there are a lot of good options for the bridge pickup. I would recommend a Duncan '59 in the neck as that will probably get you as close to Keith as you're going to get. The Pearly Gates is a little bit hotter, but also nice option. The '59 is also going to be less expensive than an Antiquity or a Seth Lover. I also agree that G tuning is going to get you a large amount of the way there. Keith also uses a tweed twin and I think that is a big part of his sound too.