So... Strat pups are treblier than Tele pups?

[Asphalt Cowboy]

I was reading an article on pickups by Helmuth E. W. Lemme (link here: http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lemme/) and it gives an explanation of why pickups sound the way they do. I understood what he was saying and never got lost, but a table was provided and is linked here:

http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lemme/table.htm

It shows the resonant frequencies and max peak heights of well known pickup models given different amounts of cable capacitance. And it threw me when I read that out of the three types of Strat pickups listed, all 3 of them had higher resonance frequencies than a Tele bridge pickup (moreso at lower capacitance values) and two of them had higher max peaks than a Tele bridge pickup. I don't know what Tele bridge pickup they used, but in my playing experience the Tele bridge pickup has always sounded brighter than a Strat in bridge position.

Is this because the Tele pup is mounted in a metal bridge tray vs. a plastic pickguard? And does the trem system vs. fixed bridge add anything to it? Or have I just been predisposed to think that Tele=bright and I'm tricking myself into hearing things? (I'm not ruling this out, though I try to be unbiased and analytical when listening)

Thanks
-Jim

[donh]

That chart says that most of the strat pickups they measured have higher resonant peaks than the tele pickups they measured.

Treble is something entirely different.

I have yet to make the measurements they referenced, but tend to generally agree with them.

[Derek Kiernan]

Too many other variables, including the "keeper" (base plate), the bridge plate and the instrument. Also, Strat bridge pickups rarely have the load of a tone control on them (the bridge pickup historically wasn't used by many people!) while the Tele has a master, so the resonance is less accentuated. The examples chosen are pretty limited and not great overall representations, and everything changes as soon as you change your cable. Lose a foot or two and the Tele bridge could have a higher resonance than the Strat pickup with the other cable. The difference between ex 2.5H and 2.8H is absolutely negligible.

Notice the difference in their measurements for the Tele neck pick, covered vs uncovered, for the last category. That's a rather clear example of the effect of eddy currents on a pickup's performance!

[Teleterr]

I've used a lot Tele and Strat p/ups and from my experience I would say Tele p/ups in general seem a little less bright in my guitars and amps.I use Tele bridges in the neck if the guitar has a HB route and they seem less bright than Strats there.But there are lots of exeptions. I would really say that they are almost the same and the guitar they are in would be the main factor. I had a '57?RI Hardtail 2 piece center joined Strat and even w darker overwound Strat p/ups it was way brighter than any Tele I've had.