American Standard Telecaster pickups

[belzeblues]

Hello everyone!
I would like to ask, what are the stock pickups in 2009-2010 Am Std Tele?
Are they good in your opinion or is it better to change them?
What are your opinions?
Thanks in advance for your help & sorry for my poor English.

[Rob DiStefano]

my opinion is first for you to decide if those current pups sound good to YOU (not me, or anyone else).

enjoy.

....

[Webfoot]

A lot of this stuff is equally good but just different flavors. Plus other things like amp, speakers and pedals can have a huge impact on sound. If you really don't like it, then pursue a change. Otherwise just play.

Typically these questions get 20 posts with 20 different suggestions.

I say this because I have tried different pickups and many are different and do their own things well. Some that are higher resistance (8K to 10K) will do hard rock better. Some that are lower resistance will do clean and twang better (5K to 7K). Some in the middle are little bit of everything.

For an american standard, a lot of people love the neck pickup. And it seems half like the bridge and the other half wants a bridge pickup with a little more beef. Spend more time reading the posts here, researching on youtube and more time at stores just trying different telecasters with different pickups. Then there are a lot of pickup manufacturers. Take your time to figure out with your ears how things sound and use what you got.

Besides that.... your English is great and welcome to TDPRI. Lots of good people with lots of good information.

[belzeblues]

I guess I didn't express myself precisely.
I mean, what is the exact name of the pickups models originally installed in 2010 Standard Tele? Is it a specific model or just "stock pickups, alnico V" ?
For the new 2012 Am Std it says on the website: Custom Shop Broadcaster (bridge) and Twisted Tele (neck), but what about the ones from 2009 - 2010?
How they sound like in comparison to other Fender models like Vintage Reissue or Texas Special?

Sorry Webfoot, haven't seen your reply, thanks for your help!

[YoGeorge]

Prior to 2012, I believe the Am Standard had pickups that would be called "American Standard pickups" which were made for that guitar. Nothing special or exotic. For 2012, I believe Fender wanted to add some "mojo" containing pickups with special names on them so they could raise the price of the guitar. It probably doesn't cost them more than a few cents extra to make a Vintage Reissue or Texas Special pickup if they make it in the same place...

That said, my impression of Am Standard pickups prior to 2012 is that I find the bridge pickup a bit thinner than I like, but find the neck pickup to be very nice. I'm sure I could live with the stock pickups just fine, though.

George

[sagaci]

I have a '11 AmStd Tele and I'm quite happy with neck and neck+bridge. I've used the bridge pickup but not really heavy user of it so can't really comment. I'm running through a TRRI which sounds fantastic so I'll possibly get aftermarket pickups down the track but there's other things to be bought - OCD, pedalboard, mogami patch cable.

[Freya]

I've got a 2009 American Standard and a 2010. Anyways, there is a very noticeable difference between the two of them, despite them both being stock.

I like them both. My 2009 model can get a little ice-picky on the bridge with overdrive though. I use it mostly for cleaner songs - that's where it shines. The 2010 is hotter and doesn't have any huge faults noticeable to my ears. I wouldn't change them.

[belzeblues]

Thanks for your help!

I play some hard rock music through an Orange half stack and I think I would like the bridge pickup to by slightly hotter. I tried adjusting height and now it is really close to the strings, it has more bite, but very trebly, I think maybe it should be just a little bit fatter and deeper?

I am not an experienced single coil player and I thougt to myself - why not trying some different pickups? I don't want the guitar to stop sounding like a telecaster, which I love in some songs, so I guess I am not interested in very high output humbucking-like pickups. I have another guitar for that type of rock sound and it is an SG.

I rely on your opinions. Again - just a little bit more power and depth from the bridge pickup. Would a Seymour Duncan STL-2 (Hot for Tele) and the Fender Texas Special be a good choices to try?

And I just checked the serial number - it's 2009, I wasn't sure before :)

[YoGeorge]

I have a Duncan Hot Tele in one of my teles--a MIM that I call my "flamethrower" tele--it has a Duncan '59 bucker in the neck. It has 16k of wire on it and is very hot and middy, waaay fun for rock and roll, sounds sort of like a tele in an ashtray bridge, but if this is your only tele (I have, um, seven teles--cough), I would recommend something less hot like a Texas Special, a Rio Muy Grande, etc. The Texas Special would probably have the correct polarity to match your neck pickup. I might also consider replacing the pair of pickups with a pair of Texas Specials unless you like a more laid back neck pickup.

Good luck,
George

[jefcon1]

I don't know if this is relevant or even helpful. I have a 95 American Standard. Neck pickup is very good to my ears. I didn't like the bridge very much. But i put a Mojotone plate on it and I'm very happy with it. It's not boutique or reissue but neither is an American Standard. I think the baseplate was about 5 dollars.

If this makes no sense, its because it was Sent from my iPhone using TDPRI

[belzeblues]

Thanx George! I think I'll try the Texas Specials.

I've heard that the bottom plate has important impact on the tele bridge pickup sound. I have removed the bridge too look under it and I don't really see one. Do the Am Stds not have a baseplate?

Anyway, the Texas Special pickup set does feature the copper plated steel baseplate.

[DonMI6]

From memory, I don't think the 2011 Am Std bridge pickup did have a base plate. I agree that the neck pickup was great, the bridge a little sterile to me. I put some Texas Specials in & they worked great.
You might consider a 4 way switch as well, if you haven't already. The Texas Special neck pup has a third wire ready to use and the fourth position gives a gutsier bridge/neck tone that adds something to any Tele I think!