Humbucker in neck

[Pretty]

I have a Tele that sounds very...Tele-like. Typical 2 pickup single coil setup, but essentially, if I wanted to, could I put a humbucker in the neck position? Because I almost want some badder, humbuckier sounds, but I wanted to know if I could have 1 humbucker and keep my other single coil. What suggestions does everybody have? I want to hear more on this subject.

[PHawley]

You can get another pickguard and re-wire it with the humbucker and be fine, but the middle position won't sound normal. I'd recommend using a 4-way switch with the pickups you have now, with the 4th position being the pickups in series. I did that a few months ago and it gets really close to a humbucker sound while keeping the single coil options.

[alscort93]

Originally Posted by Pretty

I have a Tele that sounds very...Tele-like. Typical 2 pickup single coil setup, but essentially, if I wanted to, could I put a humbucker in the neck position? Because I almost want some badder, humbuckier sounds, but I wanted to know if I could have 1 humbucker and keep my other single coil. What suggestions does everybody have? I want to hear more on this subject.

Fender and Squier does it all the time. If all you'll use the humbucker for is neck position work, you'll be fine.

[Crazy John]

If you will be using a PAF-sized humbucker you will have to rout the body and you could also wire it like a "Fat Tele" with a 5-way switch. See Fender's website for wiring diagrams - and the 5-way switch is NOT your typical Strat switch - good luck.

[Tuxedo Poly]

Mebbe you bought the wrong Tele?

[Crafty Fox]

I agree with PHawley on using a 4-way switch. I've got one on my Vintage RI and I love it, and no irreversible damage done to the body. So it can easily be converted back to original. I seem to recall having to cut the ground wire from the neck p'up cover. However, I've just completed my new build "The Harlequaster" (see other thread) and I used a Gibson mini-humbucker on that. I was expecting to use the new Fender Super 55 at the bridge but the one I was sent doesn't work so I put in a Fender Hot Alnico for the time being. I'm actually very pleased with the sounds, in fact the 2 p'ups together have a slight out-of-phase tone to them which was quite unintentional but I like it. I've got 500K pots in the Harlequaster.