Next Best Thing to Tele Neck Humbucker?

Hoodster · February 25th, 2008, 05:10 PM

I have a MIM ’69 Thinline with the stock neck pickup and a Duncan Broadcaster in the bridge. Every time I pick up that guitar after playing my Fat Tele (which has a full size Duncan 59 in the neck), I really wish I had something more potent in the Thinline neck position.

I definitely do NOT want to rout the Thinline for even a mini humbucker, so please keep suggestions to pickups that will fit in a traditional Tele neck slot. Basically I’m looking for something loud, punchy, and clear – which in my experience rules out overwound single coils like the Duncan Quarter Pounder, which tend to get muddy. I’m looking for something in a stacked humbucker, rail, or side-by-side like the Lil’ 59.

Any suggestions much appreciated.

teerjerker · February 25th, 2008, 05:31 PM

How about something a little different than your standard neck pu or a humbucker? I just installed a GFS Fatbody in my '69 RI Thinline and I really like it. It has a lot of punch and is kinda like a strat/tele hybrid. No mud at all.

GilmourD · February 25th, 2008, 08:46 PM

Maybe a Fralin Steel Pole.

http://www.fralinpickups.com/telestyle_sp.asp#spN

Or a BG-Pup. Bryan will wind you anything you want.

http://www.bg-pups.com/sc.html

Gibson · February 25th, 2008, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoodster

I have a MIM ’69 Thinline with the stock neck pickup and a Duncan Broadcaster in the bridge. Every time I pick up that guitar after playing my Fat Tele (which has a full size Duncan 59 in the neck), I really wish I had something more potent in the Thinline neck position.

How about a Lil Puncher XL from GFS? "Vintage" or "modern" winding available.

GuitarJonz · February 25th, 2008, 10:24 PM

Get a Joe Barden neck pickup, no routing required, the tone is heavenly, with output to rival a full size HB.

BB · February 25th, 2008, 11:24 PM

The Dimarzio Virtual T neck pickup is great. Have not tried the Area yet, so can't say how that matches up, but the old VV is great. The Twang King is nice too. A great mix of classic tele, mini hum and strat tones. The Tonerider Hot CLassic is another great sounding neck pickups....nice bit of beef and great tone.

f69tele · February 25th, 2008, 11:40 PM

you could always try ol' 4-way switch. Got it on mine. Deeper neck p/u tone with the added midrange of the bridge p/u. I use it all the time when I need HB type tones. Just roll the tone back a little.

lclyman · February 26th, 2008, 12:04 PM

I've got a thinline with a pretty big sounding 7.2k Don Mare pup in the bridge..

I put a Twang King in the neck and it matches up beautifully...

Big and clear sounding...not muddy at all..!

Highly recommended neck pickup that sounds particularly good in a thinline..

Hoodster · February 26th, 2008, 12:37 PM

Thanks for all the good responses. The four-way switch is definitely a possibility. I had one before in another Tele with Bill Lawrence 280/290 pickups, and the tone was pretty much woolly and unusable, so I'm thinking it really just depends on the pickups.

A related question is whether the S1 switch used on the current American Deluxe and Baja models is basically the same thing as the four-way.

The ideal for me would be having a switch or button that would beef up the tone while maintaining some clarity, again like I have with shifting to the humbucker on the Fat Tele.

jefrs · March 3rd, 2008, 08:54 PM

The Baja has S1 /and/ 4-way. The S1 does the out of phase flip to the neck pup. See pdf schematics on Fender site. The S1 is rocking horse poo (rare) -use a push-pull to coil-tap neck hb?

OaklandA · March 4th, 2008, 06:42 PM

Asstated, a 4-way switch may get you there with no change in pickups.

But for "loud, punchy, and clear" I'd opt for a Harmonic Design Vintage +. Though you'll want the set....I believe the V+ in the neck might overpower the Broadcaster.

chupao · April 22nd, 2008, 04:05 PM

im planning to replace my tele with a gfs lil pncher modern lead

markinlondon · April 22nd, 2008, 04:17 PM

A 4-way works for me but then I like my neck pickup as it is.

Hoodster · April 28th, 2008, 02:09 PM

Just an update -- after much research I decided to give the 4-way switch another try, this time with a set of pickups better suited to the application. I put in a set of CS Nocasters with the Fender 4-way, and I've got to say that the tone in the new series position is FAR superior to what I got with the Bill Lawrence pickups. The Nocasters are an incredibly well-balanced set of pickups, and as other reviews indicated they are ideal for the 4-way switch. The series position gives you just enough of a volume boost to really punch up a solo, and the tone is meaty and gutsy without any trace of mud. I haven't compared them directly yet, but I think this might be an even more usable set up than the full neck humbucker with the 5-way switch I have on my Fat Telecaster.

jefrs · April 28th, 2008, 07:33 PM

It is possible to wire a standard 3 way for series connection in the middle.

A 4 way could be configured to do strange things to humbucker coils without a push/pull or S1. But as you have a Fat one, do you really want another that sounds the same... My AmSer got supersized because it didn't sound sufficiently different to the Baja.

Getting the pickups choice right for you does make a difference, doesn't it. :-)

February 25th, 2008, 05:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
Hoodster Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 331	Next Best Thing to Tele Neck Humbucker? I have a MIM ’69 Thinline with the stock neck pickup and a Duncan Broadcaster in the bridge. Every time I pick up that guitar after playing my Fat Tele (which has a full size Duncan 59 in the neck), I really wish I had something more potent in the Thinline neck position. I definitely do NOT want to rout the Thinline for even a mini humbucker, so please keep suggestions to pickups that will fit in a traditional Tele neck slot. Basically I’m looking for something loud, punchy, and clear – which in my experience rules out overwound single coils like the Duncan Quarter Pounder, which tend to get muddy. I’m looking for something in a stacked humbucker, rail, or side-by-side like the Lil’ 59. Any suggestions much appreciated.

February 25th, 2008, 05:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
teerjerker Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: jersey Posts: 225	How about something a little different than your standard neck pu or a humbucker? I just installed a GFS Fatbody in my '69 RI Thinline and I really like it. It has a lot of punch and is kinda like a strat/tele hybrid. No mud at all. __________________ Back to the forest, to the wheat fields, to the river, to the ocean. I go where the wind is. That's my church. -Neil Young Takes a bangin' and keeps on twangin' -bglaze Last edited by teerjerker; February 25th, 2008 at 08:21 PM.

February 25th, 2008, 08:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
GilmourD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nutley, NJ Age: 28 Posts: 1,539	Maybe a Fralin Steel Pole. http://www.fralinpickups.com/telestyle_sp.asp#spN Or a BG-Pup. Bryan will wind you anything you want. http://www.bg-pups.com/sc.html __________________ Good deals: Joel Terry Layla Skye Sunny Wally Franky Honey Wolfy

February 25th, 2008, 11:40 PM	#7 (permalink)
f69tele Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Ulm, TX Age: 40 Posts: 290	you could always try ol' 4-way switch. Got it on mine. Deeper neck p/u tone with the added midrange of the bridge p/u. I use it all the time when I need HB type tones. Just roll the tone back a little. __________________ I usually don't do requests, unless somebody asks for them...

March 4th, 2008, 06:42 PM	#11 (permalink)
OaklandA Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,569 28 Photos	Asstated, a 4-way switch may get you there with no change in pickups. But for "loud, punchy, and clear" I'd opt for a Harmonic Design Vintage +. Though you'll want the set....I believe the V+ in the neck might overpower the Broadcaster. __________________ ________________________ _________________ ___________ That's what she said.

February 25th, 2008, 10:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
GuitarJonz Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central Mass. Posts: 2,717 7 Photos	Get a Joe Barden neck pickup, no routing required, the tone is heavenly, with output to rival a full size HB.

February 25th, 2008, 11:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
BB Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Pacific NW Age: 53 Posts: 3,115	The Dimarzio Virtual T neck pickup is great. Have not tried the Area yet, so can't say how that matches up, but the old VV is great. The Twang King is nice too. A great mix of classic tele, mini hum and strat tones. The Tonerider Hot CLassic is another great sounding neck pickups....nice bit of beef and great tone.

February 26th, 2008, 12:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
lclyman TDPRI Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: upstate ny Posts: 82	I've got a thinline with a pretty big sounding 7.2k Don Mare pup in the bridge.. I put a Twang King in the neck and it matches up beautifully... Big and clear sounding...not muddy at all..! Highly recommended neck pickup that sounds particularly good in a thinline..

February 26th, 2008, 12:37 PM	#9 (permalink)
Hoodster Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 331	Thanks for all the good responses. The four-way switch is definitely a possibility. I had one before in another Tele with Bill Lawrence 280/290 pickups, and the tone was pretty much woolly and unusable, so I'm thinking it really just depends on the pickups. A related question is whether the S1 switch used on the current American Deluxe and Baja models is basically the same thing as the four-way. The ideal for me would be having a switch or button that would beef up the tone while maintaining some clarity, again like I have with shifting to the humbucker on the Fat Tele.

March 3rd, 2008, 08:54 PM	#10 (permalink)
jefrs Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Newbury, England Age: 53 Posts: 485	The Baja has S1 /and/ 4-way. The S1 does the out of phase flip to the neck pup. See pdf schematics on Fender site. The S1 is rocking horse poo (rare) -use a push-pull to coil-tap neck hb?

April 22nd, 2008, 04:05 PM	#12 (permalink)
chupao NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Moonwalk Paranaque Age: 22 Posts: 4	im planning to replace my tele with a gfs lil pncher modern lead __________________ "A Guitar Is Like A Human Soul, Speaking With Just Six Strings" http://www.multiply.com/rschupao http://www.friendster.com/dirtslub

April 22nd, 2008, 04:17 PM	#13 (permalink)
markinlondon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Wellington, NZ Age: 48 Posts: 426	A 4-way works for me but then I like my neck pickup as it is. __________________ Helping to invent english country dance guitar since 1981.

April 28th, 2008, 02:09 PM	#14 (permalink)
Hoodster Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 331	Just an update -- after much research I decided to give the 4-way switch another try, this time with a set of pickups better suited to the application. I put in a set of CS Nocasters with the Fender 4-way, and I've got to say that the tone in the new series position is FAR superior to what I got with the Bill Lawrence pickups. The Nocasters are an incredibly well-balanced set of pickups, and as other reviews indicated they are ideal for the 4-way switch. The series position gives you just enough of a volume boost to really punch up a solo, and the tone is meaty and gutsy without any trace of mud. I haven't compared them directly yet, but I think this might be an even more usable set up than the full neck humbucker with the 5-way switch I have on my Fat Telecaster.

April 28th, 2008, 07:33 PM	#15 (permalink)
jefrs Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Newbury, England Age: 53 Posts: 485	It is possible to wire a standard 3 way for series connection in the middle. A 4 way could be configured to do strange things to humbucker coils without a push/pull or S1. But as you have a Fat one, do you really want another that sounds the same... My AmSer got supersized because it didn't sound sufficiently different to the Baja. Getting the pickups choice right for you does make a difference, doesn't it. :-)