OC Duff's in Blue Flower Tele

twangquack · May 9th, 2006, 06:44 AM

I just got my OC Duff Tele pickups in the mail today and dropped everything to rush and put 'em in. Wow, wow, wow. I had decided on the A5 magnets (aged), beveled, raised D & G ... the staggered version.

I did a quick measurement, I think the neck was 6.9K or 6.93K and the bridge was 6.73K, I didn't write it down. Obviously just the resistance numbers aren't the be-all and end-all, since Owen's attention to detail and the marvelous scatter-winding tell more of the tale.

Oh, and what a tale. I put the pickups in a Fender Japan Blue Flower Tele and the tone is just amazing. The neck pickup is quite a revelation as far as Tele neck pickups go. It is warm, with not the least bit of mud. It has a crispness to the warmth and had me practically laughing in joy as I played some chop-rhythm swing on just the neck pickup. Soloing on just the neck alone is a joy, and low bends (the "oink factor") is tremendous.

The bridge pickup is as twangy as any you'd want (with A5 magnets) but doesn't sound ice-picky to me ... nice bright treble, crisp, but not "ouchy." How can this be any better???

OK, the middle position kicks complete butt. It gets even better. Now I'm simply playing with mouth open, catching flies (manner of speech, luckily) because the tone is so tremendously good. It has a twang/quack combination that somehow manages to be entirely "Tele" but with that hint of Strato "quackiness" that makes playing funky rhythm guitar entirely irresistable. A line from Van Morrison's song "Moonshine Whiskey" comes to mind: "Take me down to funky Broadway, 'til the cows come home." Indeed. So after some soul/R&B riffs, then Morrison's "Wild Night" I'm just shaking my head in awe.

How does Owen do it??? Amazing ... simply amazing.

{Added postscript - right after I bought the Blue Flower, I ordered from what was probably the last of the stock of the old Glendale saddles -- the heat-treated ones, got 'em on sale for $40.00! That was sweet. With the addition of the OC Duff pickups, this tone is like 60's Tele Heaven. For all you oldsters out there, you may remember a cool and funky album (album? that's an ancient term) by Taj Mahal -- "Natch'l Blues" -- with Jesse Edwin Davis on Tele. The tone on "Cuckoo" -- Oooh yeah, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

May 9th, 2006, 06:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
twangquack TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 15	OC Duff's in Blue Flower Tele I just got my OC Duff Tele pickups in the mail today and dropped everything to rush and put 'em in. Wow, wow, wow. I had decided on the A5 magnets (aged), beveled, raised D & G ... the staggered version. I did a quick measurement, I think the neck was 6.9K or 6.93K and the bridge was 6.73K, I didn't write it down. Obviously just the resistance numbers aren't the be-all and end-all, since Owen's attention to detail and the marvelous scatter-winding tell more of the tale. Oh, and what a tale. I put the pickups in a Fender Japan Blue Flower Tele and the tone is just amazing. The neck pickup is quite a revelation as far as Tele neck pickups go. It is warm, with not the least bit of mud. It has a crispness to the warmth and had me practically laughing in joy as I played some chop-rhythm swing on just the neck pickup. Soloing on just the neck alone is a joy, and low bends (the "oink factor") is tremendous. The bridge pickup is as twangy as any you'd want (with A5 magnets) but doesn't sound ice-picky to me ... nice bright treble, crisp, but not "ouchy." How can this be any better??? OK, the middle position kicks complete butt. It gets even better. Now I'm simply playing with mouth open, catching flies (manner of speech, luckily) because the tone is so tremendously good. It has a twang/quack combination that somehow manages to be entirely "Tele" but with that hint of Strato "quackiness" that makes playing funky rhythm guitar entirely irresistable. A line from Van Morrison's song "Moonshine Whiskey" comes to mind: "Take me down to funky Broadway, 'til the cows come home." Indeed. So after some soul/R&B riffs, then Morrison's "Wild Night" I'm just shaking my head in awe. How does Owen do it??? Amazing ... simply amazing. {Added postscript - right after I bought the Blue Flower, I ordered from what was probably the last of the stock of the old Glendale saddles -- the heat-treated ones, got 'em on sale for $40.00! That was sweet. With the addition of the OC Duff pickups, this tone is like 60's Tele Heaven. For all you oldsters out there, you may remember a cool and funky album (album? that's an ancient term) by Taj Mahal -- "Natch'l Blues" -- with Jesse Edwin Davis on Tele. The tone on "Cuckoo" -- Oooh yeah, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout.