SD Broadcaster vs new Nocaster vs. old Nocaster?

GilmourD · August 11th, 2003, 04:06 AM

Has anybody used these pickups enough to be able to tell me what the differences in tone between these are. These are what I've come down to choosing for when I build my new Tele.

Rob DiStefano · August 11th, 2003, 07:29 AM

Let's preface this by saying that "tone" is as subjective a subject as you'll find anywhere ... I A/B'd a Nocaster (new) against an SD Broadcaster (same Tele, too) and I prefered the Broadcaster. I dunno just what that proves but that's my story and I'm sticking to it - YMMV. 8)

Anonymous · August 11th, 2003, 08:05 AM

What are the differences in flavor? Which one should I have tonight for dessert?

Sorry, but as Rob says, this is so subjective, and the English language is so limited when it comes to describing things like sound, that it's almost impossible to answer your question. You really have to hear them. They're all "vintage" sounding, just like all three ice cream flavors are sweet -- just different. -- CS

Kevin · August 11th, 2003, 11:35 AM

I was thinking of swapping my B'caster pup for a Nocaster... I took my guitar ("52" homebrew, B'caster bridge and 52RI neck) to the shop and A/B'd it against one of the limited-run American Customs (butterscotch ash body, modern neck and bridge) that had the new Nocasters in it. Both were played through a 65 Super Reverb RI....

I found the Am. Custom to be much brighter than my guitar, too bright for my tastes. I'd always heard that the Nocasters had more mids than the B'caster, but not in this case. Of course, the big frets and American Series bridge were probably the reason for all the brightness, but I decided to stick with what I had, cos I knew what it sounded like.....

GilmourD · August 11th, 2003, 12:14 PM

Basically, I'm just wondering what each pickup would be like compared to the Broadcaster on a, say, Seymour Duncan type tone chart. Which has more highs, mids, and lows. What's the difference in output. I'm looking for something that has good mids, but isn't honkey. Something with shimmery highs, but isn't like an icepick. It's gonna go into an ash body with an oil finish with a maple neck. 3 saddle bridge, of course. I have a packaged 52RI pickup sitting on my desk, but I've been hearing that the pickups I've asked about are closer to the tone I hear in my head.

spyder · August 11th, 2003, 12:22 PM

Ho...SD broadcaster is fat and gritty....nocaster is similar ( the 10k version) but with a sweeter edge....both are great p-ups....later, spyder

GilmourD · August 11th, 2003, 12:36 PM

From everything I've been reading, I'm starting to think that the old Nocaster is the one I should go for. How should I go about getting one? There's none on Ebay right now...

GilmourD · August 12th, 2003, 04:42 AM

Nobody knows any places that have some NOS Nocaster PUs? I'd love to get the 10K version of the bridge pup.

Darrell · August 12th, 2003, 02:36 PM

You can't get the old version anymore.

The new one is designed to sound very much the same. (Fatter wire, less winds, similar sound)

IMO, the Nocaster significantly more mids than the Broadcaster. It also has a much smoother low end, and a slightly smoother high end.

GilmourD · August 12th, 2003, 03:50 PM

So, the 3K difference in impedance doesn't make a big difference?

Darrell · August 12th, 2003, 05:36 PM

from what I understand the winding on the old version is a thinner wire. They used a larger wire, and less windings, to "go after" the same sound.

How do I know they sound similar. I had talk to 2 guys a while back that owned both versions. They agreed that the sound was very similar.

GilmourD · August 12th, 2003, 05:44 PM

OK, cool. I'm going after a nice vintagey tele twang, but I want it to have cajones since I'm in a hard rock band. Most of the time I play a Strat with (bridge to neck) a Duncan APS-1, FLS Gold, and Fender Vintage Noiseless, a hardtail Warmoth bodied/Allparts necked Strat with a Duncan Custom Custom and two 70s Strat PUs, and my Van Halen (Fernandez Strat with Duncan '59 and a Floyd, complete with stripy paint job). I have a Tex Mex Tele Special ('bucker in neck with 5 way switch) that I installed a 52RI bridge and what I remember being a Van Zandt Vintage Plus (I think I bought that off a TDPer about 4-5 years ago), and I like that. But for my upcoming project Tele with an Ash body, I'm thinking about some big ol' 50's twang with some chunk to it in the low end. Something a bit more midrangey than the VZ V+, but still sounds like a bad arse Tele.

Part of the reason I've come down to Duncans and the Nocasters is because I work for a Fender and Duncan dealer and I get discount. :-D

johan · August 13th, 2003, 06:34 AM

The older Nocaster pick-up at 10k is more steel-guitar sounding IMHO. More mids and fatter. Check out Voodoo pick-ups. I think Peter Florance makes a copy of the older Nocaster pick-up.

The older at 10k is quite sought after. I've seen them go for 150-200 in some places.

johan · August 13th, 2003, 06:36 AM

http://www.peterflorance.com/replacefortele.html

Here it is...between 9-10k and wound "vintage correct" acc to Peter Florance. 85 bucks...sounds like a winner to me.

August 11th, 2003, 04:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
GilmourD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nutley, NJ Age: 29 Posts: 1,568	SD Broadcaster vs new Nocaster vs. old Nocaster? Has anybody used these pickups enough to be able to tell me what the differences in tone between these are. These are what I've come down to choosing for when I build my new Tele.

August 11th, 2003, 08:05 AM	#3 (permalink)
Anonymous Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 0	Chocolate vs. strawberry vs. vanilla What are the differences in flavor? Which one should I have tonight for dessert? Sorry, but as Rob says, this is so subjective, and the English language is so limited when it comes to describing things like sound, that it's almost impossible to answer your question. You really have to hear them. They're all "vintage" sounding, just like all three ice cream flavors are sweet -- just different. -- CS

August 11th, 2003, 12:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
spyder Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: chillicothe, ohio Posts: 530	Ho...SD broadcaster is fat and gritty....nocaster is similar ( the 10k version) but with a sweeter edge....both are great p-ups....later, spyder __________________ I'm not a luthier, but I used to play trombone with my jr. high band

August 12th, 2003, 02:36 PM	#9 (permalink)
Darrell Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 48 Posts: 2,485	to my knowledge You can't get the old version anymore. The new one is designed to sound very much the same. (Fatter wire, less winds, similar sound) IMO, the Nocaster significantly more mids than the Broadcaster. It also has a much smoother low end, and a slightly smoother high end. __________________ "Yeap, I like the American Standard Telecaster, I can even live with one a them PCB amps, and I even use one a them mul-tie-effects things too."

August 12th, 2003, 05:36 PM	#11 (permalink)
Darrell Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 48 Posts: 2,485	See from what I understand the winding on the old version is a thinner wire. They used a larger wire, and less windings, to "go after" the same sound. How do I know they sound similar. I had talk to 2 guys a while back that owned both versions. They agreed that the sound was very similar. __________________ "Yeap, I like the American Standard Telecaster, I can even live with one a them PCB amps, and I even use one a them mul-tie-effects things too."

August 11th, 2003, 07:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
Rob DiStefano Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Park Ridge, NJ Age: 62 Posts: 4,755	Let's preface this by saying that "tone" is as subjective a subject as you'll find anywhere ... I A/B'd a Nocaster (new) against an SD Broadcaster (same Tele, too) and I prefered the Broadcaster. I dunno just what that proves but that's my story and I'm sticking to it - YMMV. 8)

August 11th, 2003, 11:35 AM	#4 (permalink)
Kevin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 2,967	I was thinking of swapping my B'caster pup for a Nocaster... I took my guitar ("52" homebrew, B'caster bridge and 52RI neck) to the shop and A/B'd it against one of the limited-run American Customs (butterscotch ash body, modern neck and bridge) that had the new Nocasters in it. Both were played through a 65 Super Reverb RI.... I found the Am. Custom to be much brighter than my guitar, too bright for my tastes. I'd always heard that the Nocasters had more mids than the B'caster, but not in this case. Of course, the big frets and American Series bridge were probably the reason for all the brightness, but I decided to stick with what I had, cos I knew what it sounded like.....

August 11th, 2003, 12:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
GilmourD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nutley, NJ Age: 29 Posts: 1,568	Basically, I'm just wondering what each pickup would be like compared to the Broadcaster on a, say, Seymour Duncan type tone chart. Which has more highs, mids, and lows. What's the difference in output. I'm looking for something that has good mids, but isn't honkey. Something with shimmery highs, but isn't like an icepick. It's gonna go into an ash body with an oil finish with a maple neck. 3 saddle bridge, of course. I have a packaged 52RI pickup sitting on my desk, but I've been hearing that the pickups I've asked about are closer to the tone I hear in my head.

August 11th, 2003, 12:36 PM	#7 (permalink)
GilmourD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nutley, NJ Age: 29 Posts: 1,568	From everything I've been reading, I'm starting to think that the old Nocaster is the one I should go for. How should I go about getting one? There's none on Ebay right now...

August 12th, 2003, 04:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
GilmourD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nutley, NJ Age: 29 Posts: 1,568	Nobody knows any places that have some NOS Nocaster PUs? I'd love to get the 10K version of the bridge pup.

August 12th, 2003, 03:50 PM	#10 (permalink)
GilmourD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nutley, NJ Age: 29 Posts: 1,568	So, the 3K difference in impedance doesn't make a big difference?

August 12th, 2003, 05:44 PM	#12 (permalink)
GilmourD Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nutley, NJ Age: 29 Posts: 1,568	OK, cool. I'm going after a nice vintagey tele twang, but I want it to have cajones since I'm in a hard rock band. Most of the time I play a Strat with (bridge to neck) a Duncan APS-1, FLS Gold, and Fender Vintage Noiseless, a hardtail Warmoth bodied/Allparts necked Strat with a Duncan Custom Custom and two 70s Strat PUs, and my Van Halen (Fernandez Strat with Duncan '59 and a Floyd, complete with stripy paint job). I have a Tex Mex Tele Special ('bucker in neck with 5 way switch) that I installed a 52RI bridge and what I remember being a Van Zandt Vintage Plus (I think I bought that off a TDPer about 4-5 years ago), and I like that. But for my upcoming project Tele with an Ash body, I'm thinking about some big ol' 50's twang with some chunk to it in the low end. Something a bit more midrangey than the VZ V+, but still sounds like a bad arse Tele. Part of the reason I've come down to Duncans and the Nocasters is because I work for a Fender and Duncan dealer and I get discount. :-D

August 13th, 2003, 06:34 AM	#13 (permalink)
johan Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 207	The older Nocaster pick-up at 10k is more steel-guitar sounding IMHO. More mids and fatter. Check out Voodoo pick-ups. I think Peter Florance makes a copy of the older Nocaster pick-up. The older at 10k is quite sought after. I've seen them go for 150-200 in some places. __________________ // johan

August 13th, 2003, 06:36 AM	#14 (permalink)
johan Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 207	http://www.peterflorance.com/replacefortele.html Here it is...between 9-10k and wound "vintage correct" acc to Peter Florance. 85 bucks...sounds like a winner to me. __________________ // johan