Recommend Your Favorite Tele Pickups

sultan59 · July 1st, 2006, 03:50 AM

I recently bought an American Series tele, not digging the neck pup all that much....

Hafner · July 1st, 2006, 04:03 AM

I like the Fender SCN neck pick-up and my Seymour Duncan Antiquity II. Kind regards.

markman · July 1st, 2006, 09:41 AM

Bill Lawrence Keystones.

hal · July 1st, 2006, 09:42 AM

This is a form of sacrilige, but I have Dimarzio Virtual Vintage in my 68 Tele. I still have the originals and can put it back correct at any time.

Here is why I did this--and I suspect some of ya'll have the same issues I do. This Tele is my favorite guitar, but I could not play it at my church gig( I run a band for a service in Memphis--www.thestirring.net). A get to play at a big church in a great room with a killer sound system. But it is the dirtiest room for power I have ever played. 60 cycle hum, video feeds, EMF, wireless lines--you name it we have it. Single coil guitars make so much noise the are almost unplayable.

The Virtual Vintage pickups take care of this problem--and my guitar still sounds like a Tele. These pickups really do the job. Hope this helps.

getbent · July 1st, 2006, 10:23 AM

Hail to the Sultan! Excellent purchase! What kind of music do you like to play, how do you want the teletwang to sound? Then we can tune your pickups to taste.... just a thought... I dig James Burton, Don Rich, Roy Nichols... I like nocasters and I've just ordered some Benny Trevillian pickups that I think will be loads o'twang! There are lots of great pickups out there!

TG · July 1st, 2006, 10:28 AM

Before you do anything else, try raising that neck pickup as high as it will go without it touching the strings fretting the 22nd fret. With the chrome cover on a tele neck pickup's pole pieces are often too low. That neck pickup is my favorite one, but it needs to be set high (IMO).

44deluxe · July 1st, 2006, 10:33 AM

I'm pretty happy with my Fender Original Vintage set

SteveY · July 1st, 2006, 12:22 PM

I like Fender original vintage, CS Nocaster, or Seymour Duncan Broadcaster w '54 Rhythm.
For the neck only, I like Fender Vintage Noiseless. SCN's are ok too.

I like Texas Specials sometimes, but not if it's my only Tele.

maestrovert · July 1st, 2006, 01:14 PM

EMG Ts

Rich Rice · July 1st, 2006, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by getbent

Hail to the Sultan! Excellent purchase! What kind of music do you like to play, how do you want the teletwang to sound? Then we can tune your pickups to taste.... just a thought... I dig James Burton, Don Rich, Roy Nichols... I like nocasters and I've just ordered some Benny Trevillian pickups that I think will be loads o'twang! There are lots of great pickups out there!

+1 for Benny's pickups. He'll get 'em where you want 'em. Great guy, too.http://www.truetonetechnologies.com/

sultan59 · July 1st, 2006, 03:08 PM

I guess I'm gonna give a PRS McCarty humbucker a try in the neck, I got one laying around collecting dust. Sacrilege, I know, but....

I like the bridge pup OK.

I been listening to as many Tele players as I can. I really like Bill Kirchen's tone a lot, as well as Junior Brown. I know Bill uses Bardens, may have to look into a set of those.

Junior Brown kills me!

SteveLussie · July 1st, 2006, 03:19 PM

1. Seymour Duncan's Nashville style lead with different magnets for the plain and the wound strings.
2. 80's Duncan quarter pounded rhythm without the cover. (this was the greatest pickup I've ever encountered)
3. Joe Bardens in a matched set wired with a 4-way toggle. (these are amazingly quiet)

sultan59 · July 1st, 2006, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TG

Before you do anything else, try raising that neck pickup as high as it will go without it touching the strings fretting the 22nd fret. With the chrome cover on a tele neck pickup's pole pieces are often too low. That neck pickup is my favorite one, but it needs to be set high (IMO).

I hadn't even considered that, gonna give it a try!

stephent2 · July 1st, 2006, 05:34 PM

Alan Hamel Tall neck, "A" standard bridge. Still my favorite. The Tall neck is clear, open and balanced, the bridge is very dynamic and fun to play, not harsh or pointy.

Falstaff · July 1st, 2006, 06:35 PM

The Voodoo 60s is my favorite bridge, and I'm really digging his 'tall' neck pickup as well.

The String King · July 1st, 2006, 07:15 PM

Texas Specials
Duncan Vintage Stack
Mexican Pickup *Neck Only*
Old Squier pick ups.

Fishin'Musician · July 2nd, 2006, 12:11 AM

Harmonic Design: Super 90 or Vintage 54 bridge, Vintage plus or mini strat for tele neck.
Oh yeah my Bardens too.

teleclarkster · July 2nd, 2006, 04:57 AM

I can't say enough good things about my OC Duff pickups. Great guy to deal with too.

Nub · July 2nd, 2006, 02:04 PM

Vintage Vibe (Pete Biltoft) Tele-sized P90's!!!

hal · July 2nd, 2006, 02:55 PM

What? P-90's that fit in a tele pickup slot? Does he have a website?

Scotland · July 2nd, 2006, 03:28 PM

I don't know which is my favourite...today but, here are the ones I like.
AV RI. S.D. Broadcaster and Alnico Pro II, Hamel standard vintage and O.C. Duff vintage set.

Fourth Feline · July 2nd, 2006, 05:08 PM

I also have had excellent results with an 80's Seymour Duncan 'Quarter pounder' in the neck.

I have a Bill Lawrence T3 in the Bridge. I did not get a matching or calibrated set at the time because I was new to pickup upgrades and just went with what seemed to be the best in the shop. Thankfully It worked out well.

If Starting again, I would look at 'Bare Knuckle Pickups' here in the U.K. made by hand with personal advice given before pickups are built/sold.

bwanasonic · July 2nd, 2006, 05:52 PM

For aftermarket pickups, the CS Nocasters are a really good value. I was able to find a set for just under $90. I would like to try Peter Florance's Voodoo 60s, Dave Stephen's SD Possumcasters, as well as Harmonic Designs Vintage Plus. I really like the Bill Lawrence 280s in my Strat, and might give the tele version a try at some point. What's holding me back from wanton pickup replacement is the fact that the OEM pickups in two of my three Fernandes teles are really good.

Kerry M

The Amazing Phil · July 2nd, 2006, 07:40 PM

I got Bare Knuckles in my tele, I got a Boss set and they're hands down the best tele pickups I've heard, gonna be trying a Pile Driver/P-90 combo soon too. I can't wait to get the order in from Warmoth so I can throw it together.

Nub · July 2nd, 2006, 09:17 PM

Hal,

Here's Pete's website. He doesn't list the Tele-sized P90's, but since his Strat-sized P90's so are popular, I asked him if he could do some for a Tele and he said "no problem." They are much like the Fralin Steel Pole pickups (SP42, SP43). http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/

I called Pete on the phone, discussed the sound I was looking, and how to get it. He wound mine with 42g wire, and not quite as hot as we had originally talked about (I can hunt down the specs if you want). His recommendations were spot on, as the pickups sound just like I wanted; warm, fat, but still with a clear high end. The neck pup approaches jazzy 335territory, the middle position is full and acoustic-y, and the bridge is nice and ballsy, with a cool mix of twang & warmth. Not only am I thrilled with the pickups, but Pete's service was great, too. I had the pickups a week after I ordered them; no mystery, no drama, no frustration, like with some of the other booteek winders you read so much about here...

johnny guitar · July 3rd, 2006, 11:52 AM

Don Mare's 2324 "Roy Wraps" are the best tele pups I have ever heard. They have all the twang, the grit, the snap in the bridge, and the warmth and ringing clarity in the middle and neck. They are everything I need in a vintage-style tele pup, and I never quite felt that way about '52 pups, Nocasters, Delta tones, Fralins, and others (good as they all were too).

July 1st, 2006, 03:50 AM	#1 (permalink)
sultan59 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Whidbey Island Age: 49 Posts: 409	Recommend Your Favorite Tele Pickups I recently bought an American Series tele, not digging the neck pup all that much....

July 1st, 2006, 04:03 AM	#2 (permalink)
Hafner Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Switzerland Age: 60 Posts: 1,551 18 Photos	I like the Fender SCN neck pick-up and my Seymour Duncan Antiquity II. Kind regards. __________________ Manfred

July 1st, 2006, 09:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
hal Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 825	This is a form of sacrilige, but I have Dimarzio Virtual Vintage in my 68 Tele. I still have the originals and can put it back correct at any time. Here is why I did this--and I suspect some of ya'll have the same issues I do. This Tele is my favorite guitar, but I could not play it at my church gig( I run a band for a service in Memphis--www.thestirring.net). A get to play at a big church in a great room with a killer sound system. But it is the dirtiest room for power I have ever played. 60 cycle hum, video feeds, EMF, wireless lines--you name it we have it. Single coil guitars make so much noise the are almost unplayable. The Virtual Vintage pickups take care of this problem--and my guitar still sounds like a Tele. These pickups really do the job. Hope this helps. __________________ Wherever you go, there you are.

July 1st, 2006, 10:23 AM	#5 (permalink)
getbent Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Benito County, California Posts: 10,021 37 Photos	Hail to the Sultan! Excellent purchase! What kind of music do you like to play, how do you want the teletwang to sound? Then we can tune your pickups to taste.... just a thought... I dig James Burton, Don Rich, Roy Nichols... I like nocasters and I've just ordered some Benny Trevillian pickups that I think will be loads o'twang! There are lots of great pickups out there! __________________ 'never pet a burning dog'

July 1st, 2006, 12:22 PM	#8 (permalink)
SteveY Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Age: 58 Posts: 1,422	I like Fender original vintage, CS Nocaster, or Seymour Duncan Broadcaster w '54 Rhythm. For the neck only, I like Fender Vintage Noiseless. SCN's are ok too. I like Texas Specials sometimes, but not if it's my only Tele. Last edited by SteveY; July 1st, 2006 at 12:25 PM. Reason: forgot to add Texas Specials

July 1st, 2006, 09:41 AM	#3 (permalink)
markman NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: ILL. Posts: 4	Bill Lawrence Keystones.

July 1st, 2006, 10:28 AM	#6 (permalink)
TG Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Beside a bog in the west of Ireland Age: 47 Posts: 4,464 7 Photos	Before you do anything else, try raising that neck pickup as high as it will go without it touching the strings fretting the 22nd fret. With the chrome cover on a tele neck pickup's pole pieces are often too low. That neck pickup is my favorite one, but it needs to be set high (IMO).

July 1st, 2006, 10:33 AM	#7 (permalink)
44deluxe TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Northumberland UK Age: 37 Posts: 98	I'm pretty happy with my Fender Original Vintage set

July 1st, 2006, 01:14 PM	#9 (permalink)
maestrovert Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Branch Mi. Posts: 6,493	EMG Ts __________________ Sing the Song Bro' Play on Drummer www.godonthe.net

July 1st, 2006, 03:08 PM	#11 (permalink)
sultan59 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Whidbey Island Age: 49 Posts: 409	I guess I'm gonna give a PRS McCarty humbucker a try in the neck, I got one laying around collecting dust. Sacrilege, I know, but.... I like the bridge pup OK. I been listening to as many Tele players as I can. I really like Bill Kirchen's tone a lot, as well as Junior Brown. I know Bill uses Bardens, may have to look into a set of those. Junior Brown kills me!

July 1st, 2006, 03:19 PM	#12 (permalink)
SteveLussie TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hollywood, CA Posts: 11	1. Seymour Duncan's Nashville style lead with different magnets for the plain and the wound strings. 2. 80's Duncan quarter pounded rhythm without the cover. (this was the greatest pickup I've ever encountered) 3. Joe Bardens in a matched set wired with a 4-way toggle. (these are amazingly quiet)

July 1st, 2006, 05:34 PM	#14 (permalink)
stephent2 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA. Age: 57 Posts: 2,459 20 Photos	Alan Hamel Tall neck, "A" standard bridge. Still my favorite. The Tall neck is clear, open and balanced, the bridge is very dynamic and fun to play, not harsh or pointy. __________________ ".. Pine cones go in here (points to still), party liquors comes out here and proceed to here (mouth). Fights begin, finger prints are took, days is lost, bail is made, court dates are ignored, cycle is repeated". -- Earlie Cuyler, Squidbillies

July 1st, 2006, 06:35 PM	#15 (permalink)
Falstaff Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Massachusetts, USA Age: 41 Posts: 299	The Voodoo 60s is my favorite bridge, and I'm really digging his 'tall' neck pickup as well.

July 1st, 2006, 07:15 PM	#16 (permalink)
The String King Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: East Sussex, U.K. Age: 16 Posts: 1,064 22 Photos	Texas Specials Duncan Vintage Stack Mexican Pickup Neck Only Old Squier pick ups. __________________ I twang therefore I am

July 2nd, 2006, 12:11 AM	#17 (permalink)
Fishin'Musician TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Boise Posts: 30	Harmonic Design: Super 90 or Vintage 54 bridge, Vintage plus or mini strat for tele neck. Oh yeah my Bardens too.

July 2nd, 2006, 04:57 AM	#18 (permalink)
teleclarkster Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: East Bay, CA Age: 54 Posts: 635 9 Photos	I can't say enough good things about my OC Duff pickups. Great guy to deal with too.

July 2nd, 2006, 02:04 PM	#19 (permalink)
Nub Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2003 Location: SoCal Posts: 895	Vintage Vibe (Pete Biltoft) Tele-sized P90's!!!

July 2nd, 2006, 02:55 PM	#20 (permalink)
hal Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 825	What? P-90's that fit in a tele pickup slot? Does he have a website? __________________ Wherever you go, there you are.

July 2nd, 2006, 03:28 PM	#21 (permalink)
Scotland Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, Yewrup Age: 54 Posts: 6,468 3 Photos	I don't know which is my favourite...today but, here are the ones I like. AV RI. S.D. Broadcaster and Alnico Pro II, Hamel standard vintage and O.C. Duff vintage set. __________________ All those who believe in psycho-kinesis, raise my hand !

July 2nd, 2006, 05:08 PM	#22 (permalink)
Fourth Feline Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Yorkshire, England. Age: 50 Posts: 669	I also have had excellent results with an 80's Seymour Duncan 'Quarter pounder' in the neck. I have a Bill Lawrence T3 in the Bridge. I did not get a matching or calibrated set at the time because I was new to pickup upgrades and just went with what seemed to be the best in the shop. Thankfully It worked out well. If Starting again, I would look at 'Bare Knuckle Pickups' here in the U.K. made by hand with personal advice given before pickups are built/sold. __________________ " The blues is the truth : happy or sad - just the truth "

July 2nd, 2006, 05:52 PM	#23 (permalink)
bwanasonic Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arlington, MA Age: 50 Posts: 269 9 Photos	For aftermarket pickups, the CS Nocasters are a really good value. I was able to find a set for just under $90. I would like to try Peter Florance's Voodoo 60s, Dave Stephen's SD Possumcasters, as well as Harmonic Designs Vintage Plus. I really like the Bill Lawrence 280s in my Strat, and might give the tele version a try at some point. What's holding me back from wanton pickup replacement is the fact that the OEM pickups in two of my three Fernandes teles are really good. Kerry M __________________ http://www.bwanasonic.com/html/sounds.html http://www.lowbudgetrecords.com/pages/chillgroovecd.htm

July 2nd, 2006, 07:40 PM	#24 (permalink)
The Amazing Phil Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Luton, England Age: 23 Posts: 558	I got Bare Knuckles in my tele, I got a Boss set and they're hands down the best tele pickups I've heard, gonna be trying a Pile Driver/P-90 combo soon too. I can't wait to get the order in from Warmoth so I can throw it together.

July 2nd, 2006, 09:17 PM	#25 (permalink)
Nub Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2003 Location: SoCal Posts: 895	Hal, Here's Pete's website. He doesn't list the Tele-sized P90's, but since his Strat-sized P90's so are popular, I asked him if he could do some for a Tele and he said "no problem." They are much like the Fralin Steel Pole pickups (SP42, SP43). http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/ I called Pete on the phone, discussed the sound I was looking, and how to get it. He wound mine with 42g wire, and not quite as hot as we had originally talked about (I can hunt down the specs if you want). His recommendations were spot on, as the pickups sound just like I wanted; warm, fat, but still with a clear high end. The neck pup approaches jazzy 335territory, the middle position is full and acoustic-y, and the bridge is nice and ballsy, with a cool mix of twang & warmth. Not only am I thrilled with the pickups, but Pete's service was great, too. I had the pickups a week after I ordered them; no mystery, no drama, no frustration, like with some of the other booteek winders you read so much about here...

July 3rd, 2006, 11:52 AM	#26 (permalink)
johnny guitar Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago NW burb Age: 45 Posts: 203	Don Mare's 2324 "Roy Wraps" are the best tele pups I have ever heard. They have all the twang, the grit, the snap in the bridge, and the warmth and ringing clarity in the middle and neck. They are everything I need in a vintage-style tele pup, and I never quite felt that way about '52 pups, Nocasters, Delta tones, Fralins, and others (good as they all were too).

July 3rd, 2006, 12:40 PM	#27 (permalink)
jumpnblues Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Midwest Age: 58 Posts: 1,662