Help me find a pickup for my Squier with HB's - Need a country sound.

[Saddle]

I've spent two days searching, and although I've learned a lot, I don't have an answer as of yet...

I'll try to be succinct. I accuired a Squier Vintage Tele Custom a few weeks ago. (See Pic) Bottom line, I do not like the sound of the pickups. I've always wanted a Tele, and I'm in this one inexpensively, so I'd like to see what I can do to it without any real mods.

My Goals:
1. Get a solid, punchy, modern Tele sound from the guitar.
2. Not have to buy a new pickguard, or have one custom made.
3. Be able to put it back to stock and get rid of it as a last resort.

I recently figured out that the p90 style pickups fit in the humbucker pickguard opening. Mine are not the Wide Range variety. So in looking, it seems that the cleanest change is to just put a set like this in my Tele.

My choices have been narrowed down to something like the Tonerider Rebel 90. Here is a big question for any of you that have used this pickup. Does it really sound that much like a Tele? I don't want something that leans to the HB sound, I want the clarity of a Single coil.

This will be a Country Guitar. Not a Rock/Blues/Slide.. So hopefully you can see the direction Tone wise I want. I don't want Ice Pick highs either :). A Brent Mason, Vince Gill, Red Volkeart type sound.

Now, if there is no way a P90 variation is going to get me there, then I guess the next thing is just get Tele pickups and use a pickup ring converter to allow the SC to mount in the HB pickguard hole.

Since you know where I'm trying to go, I'd take any other suggestions.

So, why not just sell it and get what I want? I like to mod things and make them my own. This guitar has a good neck, and just paying shipping charges and packaging when you are trading guitars around eat up all the differences...

Thank you in advance,
Saddle

[fezz parka]

GFS Surf 90.

[Saddle]

Originally Posted by fezz parka

GFS Surf 90.

It's hard hearing through all the reverb on their sound clip, but that pup has got some twang! Thanks!

[audiohatemchine]

What about SD phat cats? If that defeats the purpose of inexpensive, try toneriders - They're bound to make a HB sized p90 at a fantastic price and impress your ears once they're actually in your guitar.

[fezz parka]

Originally Posted by Saddle

It's hard hearing through all the reverb on their sound clip, but that pup has got some twang! Thanks!

They have a great Dearmond Dynasonic quality to them. I'd use two neck ones. 7.8k is too much.

[cowboy rob61]

There's always one of these:

http://www.allparts.com/SearchResult...n+ring&x=0&y=0

[metalicaster]

You could try a coil split or parallel wiring - which give a more single coil type sound inexpensively.

Just done this my self and it brings the tele sound back even using rawk pickups

[1962guitargeek]

YouTube has a mess of Surf 90 demos....

not a fender, but..



not a tele...solid body




jazzbox

[Chrismo]

My choices have been narrowed down to something like the Tonerider Rebel 90. Here is a big question for any of you that have used this pickup. Does it really sound that much like a Tele? I don't want something that leans to the HB sound, I want the clarity of a Single coil.

It does not sound like a Tele, but it sounds like a P90 with a smoother edge and chime.

I think you'd like a DiMarzio EJ Custom...

[vincent]

In this video I used a guitar loaded with the Tonerider Rebel 90 pickups. In the video you will only get to hear the bridge pickup but it should give you an idea of achieving a country tone with these pickups. I really like them and they are priced just right. Hope this helps in your pickup search. Good Luck!

[soulman969]

I'd put in a set of Nocasters and use the pickups ring or if you don't want pop for the cost of Nocasters then maybe a set of Keystones for about half the cost. Either of them will get you a lot of twang and chime.

[Saddle]

Originally Posted by vincent

In this video I used a guitar loaded with the Tonerider Rebel 90 pickups. In the video you will only get to hear the bridge pickup but it should give you an idea of achieving a country tone with these pickups. I really like them and they are priced just right. Hope this helps in your pickup search. Good Luck!

Wow, nothing wrong with that tone! That gives me an idea of the clean tone quality of that pickup. It's cleaner than I expected, and plenty of crisp highs, and twang. Nice lesson and video. Thank you!

[Saddle]

Originally Posted by cowboy rob61

There's always one of these:

http://www.allparts.com/SearchResult...n+ring&x=0&y=0

I just got two of those in the mail yesterday! That is an avenue that I'm looking down as well. Thanks!

[vincent]

Originally Posted by Saddle

Wow, nothing wrong with that tone! That gives me an idea of the clean tone quality of that pickup. It's cleaner than I expected, and plenty of crisp highs, and twang. Nice lesson and video. Thank you!

My pleasure. Yeah and that is just the clean tone. They also have that nice P-90 grind when you add a little overdrive. Just for reference I was going into a Line 6 POD HD500 with either the DR Z or AC30 amp model. No real amp used in the video but I can say the Rebel 90s sound as good or better through an amplifier.