helllo... and help with SD pups

[kandti]

hi all, great forum, pleased to be a part of the action ;-)

i'm a real newbie to all this so grateful for any help

i'm working on my first project guitar - nothing too radical - refinishing a 2005 MIM tele and fitting new pups and bridge saddle. it's an alder body. trying to give it a more classic look and sound

problem is, i'm overwhelmed by the choice of pups available. what;s in there seems ok but everything i read says you should upgrade these to make a big difference in the sound

i play a lot of powerpop, indie and garage rock and want a versatile, punchy and chiming rhythm sound - i tend to play with a little bit of distortion. think... graham coxon (blur), velvet underground, teenage fanclub, byrds, big star etc

so not after a specialist sound, more something versatile. i don't do a lot of soloing - more chords

the SD str-1 and stl-1 look good value as do the alnico II pro although not really clear on the difference between the two? i don;t want anything too bright and from what i've read the alnico II pro are a little rounder in sound

any others i should consider?

also with the bridge - does a brass or steel saddle make much difference to the above. brass obviously has the 52 look

thanks for any help!

kandti

[Darrell]

SD Broadcaster

[GUITARmole]

I really like the Vintage Vibe Tele neck pickup since it's nice and chimey and doesn't sound muddy or have too low of an output level. I have the V V combined with a SD Broadcaster in the bridge and love it. I'm not sure I'd reccomend the Broadcaster for the style of music you're playing though; it's plenty bright and can sound gritty too.

[kandti]

thanks for replies folks

broadcaster sounds like it could be good - why do you say it wouldn't be right for the sound i want - too biting perhaps? i suppose i want the ringing of a tele but not that super trebly sound...

decisions decisions... think i just have to find somewhere that has these things fitted and give them a play

[ramseybella]

alnico II pro.

[Robin Nahum]

Originally Posted by kandti

thanks for replies folks

broadcaster sounds like it could be good - why do you say it wouldn't be right for the sound i want - too biting perhaps? i suppose i want the ringing of a tele but not that super trebly sound...

decisions decisions... think i just have to find somewhere that has these things fitted and give them a play

Welcome kandti.

Finding the right pickup is a matter of trial and error.

You should certainly ask questions on this board and at similar sites to get an idea of what might work. Sometimes pickup makers will answer your questions too. But you will never know until you fit the pickup in your guitar with your strings and listen to it with your ears through your amp playing your songs.

If money is a bit tight, think about buying pickups second hand from the TDPRI Garage Sale or Ebay, installing them and seeing how they work out. If you don't like them, sell them for what you paid and move on. All you'll have lost is the install cost.