how much 'bridge pickup' sound can you get with a middle pickup flush to the bridge?

[Alex W]

I'd like to have a Cabronita but don't really want to buy another guitar at the moment. I've hit upon the idea of installing a TV Jones filtertron style pickup in the middle position of a vintage style telecaster set up, and shifting the mid pickup as far toward the bridge as possible, basically flush with the bridge plate, in an effort to get as much of that bright bridge pickup sound as possible.

Has anyone ever tried this? I realize it won't sound exactly like a bridge pickup, but my hunch is that it will be bright enough to satisfy my needs.

[Roku]

Well with my experience with filtertrons it'll be quite strat-like in tone. That furthest coil will be very close to the center place of a strat middle pickup. Plus I had a tv jones classic in the bridge and they have a sort of a strat-like quality even in that position to my ears. Not saying it won't sound good, just not maybe the sound your after.

[Teleterr]

I'm lost.You say mid p/up. Not on a vintage Tele.Heres what I'm visualising. You have a 3 p/up Tele. Bridge stays normal. The middle is moved to the edge of the bridge plate. A TV jones is added where the middle p/up was. Is that right?

[Teleterr]

Now I'm even more lost. I Googled your Tele and its 2 HBs. What is your current p/up set up? I use a "swimming pool" route Strat to test p/ups, so I know what every kind of p/up sounds anywhere under the strings, so I maybe of help.

[Alex W]

Originally Posted by Teleterr

Now I'm even more lost. I Googled your Tele and its 2 HBs. What is your current p/up set up? I use a "swimming pool" route Strat to test p/ups, so I know what every kind of p/up sounds anywhere under the strings, so I maybe of help.

Not sure whose tele you googled but it isn't mine if it has two humbuckers.

I am talking about taking a tele that has a vintage style design, such as a 52AVRI, or a Baja tele, or a Nocaster, or anything else that has a classic bridge design with the bridge plate and the three brass saddles. Now imagine routing out a new cavity for a middle pickup, but instead of positioning it actually in the very middle, we're going to push as far back toward the bridge as possible and make it either flush with the bridge plate or else within a few millimeters of flush. The idea is to get as much of that bridge sound out of the new pickup without giving up the original tele bridge pickup.

Well with my experience with filtertrons it'll be quite strat-like in tone. That furthest coil will be very close to the center place of a strat middle pickup. Plus I had a tv jones classic in the bridge and they have a sort of a strat-like quality even in that position to my ears. Not saying it won't sound good, just not maybe the sound your after.

Well I like the sound of a strat but itsn't the sound I am after with a TV Jones or a Filtertron pickup. I wonder if the electrical components in the wiring set up can be modified to keep it as "Gretschy" sounding as possible. I don't understand enough about how resistors and capacitors work in the pickup wiring to envision what those changes would be, but I imagine some configuration to accentuate the treble in some way.

Come to think of it, even positioning the middle pickup back as far as possible probably doesn't amount to moving it very far. It may be that the wiring will be far more important than the relatively minor difference in position.

[Roku]

The scale length (generally 24.6) and being semi/full hollow bodys have much to do with the Gretsch sound. The wiring really not as much. For example there isn't necessarily a certain capacitor etc that will equal Gretsch sounds in a solid body 25.5 scale length fender. But yes that filtertron will get you much closer to Gretsch territory than a strat or tele single or Gibson type humbucker.

[Ricky D.]

Originally Posted by Alex W

I'd like to have a Cabronita but don't really want to buy another guitar at the moment. I've hit upon the idea of installing a TV Jones filtertron style pickup in the middle position of a vintage style telecaster set up, and shifting the mid pickup as far toward the bridge as possible, basically flush with the bridge plate, in an effort to get as much of that bright bridge pickup sound as possible.

Has anyone ever tried this? I realize it won't sound exactly like a bridge pickup, but my hunch is that it will be bright enough to satisfy my needs.

A pickup placed as you described is not going to sound like a bridge pickup. It's much too far from the saddles. It will sound like a middle position pickup. How closely does a Strat middle resemble a Strat bridge? Close enough that the Filtertron version will be satisfactory? That's your choice. If you don't like the way it turns out, your old pickguard can cover the hole.

If it was my project, I'd put the Filtertron halfway between the existing neck and bridge pu's (for appearance sake), or simply replace the Tele bridge pu.


Sounds like a fun project regardless. Let us know how it turns out.

[Roku]

I agree if it were me I'd just get a filterton bridge from TVJones and slap a classic or classic plus in there and be done with it. That's the only way to get the sound you're after. Do it! You'll like a tv in the bridge, believe me.

[Alex W]

OK some good food for thought here. Thanks to all.

[Teleterr]

Originally Posted by Roku

The scale length (generally 24.6) and being semi/full hollow bodys have much to do with the Gretsch sound. The wiring really not as much. For example there isn't necessarily a certain capacitor etc that will equal Gretsch sounds in a solid body 25.5 scale length fender. But yes that filtertron will get you much closer to Gretsch territory than a strat or tele single or Gibson type humbucker.

My Gibson scale Tele sounds just like a normal Tele.I have built a 640mm scale guitar where it sounded different ,but it wasn't a Tele.

[Teleterr]

Originally Posted by Alex W

Not sure whose tele you googled but it isn't mine if it has two humbuckers.

I am talking about taking a tele that has a vintage style design, such as a 52AVRI, or a Baja tele, or a Nocaster, or anything else that has a classic bridge design with the bridge plate and the three brass saddles. Now imagine routing out a new cavity for a middle pickup, but instead of positioning it actually in the very middle, we're going to push as far back toward the bridge as possible and make it either flush with the bridge plate or else within a few millimeters of flush. The idea is to get as much of that bridge sound out of the new pickup without giving up the original tele bridge pickup.

Well I like the sound of a strat but itsn't the sound I am after with a TV Jones or a Filtertron pickup. I wonder if the electrical components in the wiring set up can be modified to keep it as "Gretschy" sounding as possible. I don't understand enough about how resistors and capacitors work in the pickup wiring to envision what those changes would be, but I imagine some configuration to accentuate the treble in some way.

Come to think of it, even positioning the middle pickup back as far as possible probably doesn't amount to moving it very far. It may be that the wiring will be far more important than the relatively minor difference in position.

Put it on the 8th harmonic. When I'm building scratch guitars its my M w 3 P/ups, Front w 2 P/ups, and my only w 1 p/up, The best of the N and B. Strong no mud fundamental, great harmonics. http://www.tdpri.com/forum/just-pick...ckup-tele.html

[Teleterr]

Oh, and again from my "swimming pool" Strat experiments... Very Strangely theres a "dead spot" about an inch in front of a Tele or Strat bridge p/up placement that is almost all fundamental,little harmonics (harmonics too high to hear?). Almost a sine wave.

[Alex W]

Originally Posted by Teleterr

Put it on the 8th harmonic. When I'm building scratch guitars its my M w 3 P/ups, Front w 2 P/ups, and my only w 1 p/up, The best of the N and B. Strong no mud fundamental, great harmonics. http://www.tdpri.com/forum/just-pick...ckup-tele.html

Thanks. Am I correct in guessing that the 8th harmonic is located at a distance from the saddle that is 1/8th the scale length?

[Teleterr]

Originally Posted by Alex W

Thanks. Am I correct in guessing that the 8th harmonic is located at a distance from the saddle that is 1/8th the scale length?

Yes you can do it by finger -on-it-then- picking.Ping. Its an octave above the 24th fret note, so 1/2 way between the 24th and the saddle. If you can, hook up your p/up before mounting it and move it along above the string from the neck to the bridge while strumming.All off a sudden the sound will seem to get bigger . Thats the spot.