To Humbucker or not to Humbucker, that is my question.

webb3201 · January 25th, 2008, 05:28 PM

So I am really happy with my current guitar(s), amp combo. The only thing i am missing is a humbucker in my current gear. I am thinking about adding swapping the neck pickup in my 96 AM std for a humbucker. Would that be crazy? My thinking is that I will have my traditional twang and a bit more bite all in one guitar. It would make much more sense than buying a third tele (tele customs been calling my name)!

hekawi · January 25th, 2008, 05:51 PM

i vote yes to the neck-bucker.

not just for the sound, but i think a chrome rectangular humbucker in the neck position looks really cool on a tele.

jazztele · January 25th, 2008, 06:05 PM

well, i'm a BIG fan of my custom...

I'd advise against modding a guitar you like as is, but pickups are also a pretty reverse-able mod...as long as you can live with routing under the pickguard...

i think a lot of tele fans like to have a tele with a sinle coil AND one with a bucker...i'd say if you have more then one tele, consider it...if the am. std's your one and only, save those pesos...

TG · January 25th, 2008, 07:52 PM

I bought an Epi Les Paul on impulse before christmas and I like having it around, but I am finding it difficult to actually enjoy the bridge humbucker. It's the neck 'bucker tone I like. (Listen to the Jeff Beck Group's Rock My Plimsole for the epitome of that sound, IMO.)
A tele with a neck 'bucker is probably a better idea for me, and perhaps I'll 'do' one someday (so long as the 2 pickups are balanced in output). But the Les Paul I bought has such a nice sunburst finish...

Bhodie · January 25th, 2008, 10:29 PM

I just finished putting a Seth Lover humbucker in the neck and the SD Vintage lead broadcaster in the bridge.. it is awesome.. 250K pots .022mfd cap. The Seth Lover is a two wire bucker, so no tapping or anything. It really captures the traditional sound in the bridge, and a great vintage, blues bucker sound in the neck.. the middle position is turning out to be my favorite.. with a great mix of both, with the bridge brightening up the humbucker just enough..

Also, the two pickups are pretty balanced so that when you switch to one or the other you are not fiddling with the volume...

I think this is going to stay in this configuration for a while!

bobkirkp · January 25th, 2008, 10:51 PM

I have a humbucker in the neck position of my am tele and it sounds great on jazz and soft blues. I also put a split switch in it that can get real close to a standard tele twang.

tele_jas · January 25th, 2008, 11:18 PM

I know a lot about bridge pickups, but do the make a single coil sized neck bucker? If so, what would it hurt? Give it a try and if you don't like it you can always go back.

bendecaster · January 26th, 2008, 01:56 AM

tele jas, GFS makes a Tele neck pickup bucker that is the size of a regular Tele neck pickup, and they have Vintage & Hot models available. Very inexpensive stuff too! They sell "sets" for $49, so you can buy the pair for less than the price of one SD pickup. I just put a GFS Hot Lil' Puncher Tele set, and they are real "punchy"! You can get them at guitarfetish.com
Oh yeah, Barden sells a Tele neck bucker for $165. I have Teles with both, and yes, the Bardens sound clearer, but the GFS ones I own ARE the hot ones, and they do have way more output than the Bardens. The GFS Vintage ones are supposed to be similar to Bardens though!

Hiflyer · January 26th, 2008, 02:57 AM

I personnaly love the mix of the bridge & neck pickups on a Tele, and I'm not fan of humbuckers, so I wouldn't do it, but that's just me. A P-90 maybe ...

Ira7 · January 26th, 2008, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bendecaster

tele jas, GFS makes a Tele neck pickup bucker that is the size of a regular Tele neck pickup, and they have Vintage & Hot models available. Very inexpensive stuff too! They sell "sets" for $49, so you can buy the pair for less than the price of one SD pickup. I just put a GFS Hot Lil' Puncher Tele set, and they are real "punchy"! You can get them at guitarfetish.com
Oh yeah, Barden sells a Tele neck bucker for $165. I have Teles with both, and yes, the Bardens sound clearer, but the GFS ones I own ARE the hot ones, and they do have way more output than the Bardens. The GFS Vintage ones are supposed to be similar to Bardens though!

SD makes one too--the Vintage Stack. I think it's around 80 bucks.

dibber124 · January 26th, 2008, 08:31 AM

I usually find a PAF style HB a bit overpowering relative to a stock Tele bridge pickup, but I used a SD Antiquity Mini-HB and am 100% happy with it. Perfect match with my Lindy Fralin lead pup.

Tedecaster · January 26th, 2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobkirkp

I have a humbucker in the neck position of my am tele and it sounds great on jazz and soft blues. I also put a split switch in it that can get real close to a standard tele twang.

I just did pretty much the same thing. It was a budget project so I used a GFS '60's Vintage bridge paired with a StewMac Golden Age PAF & they are a pretty good match.

The PAF has split coils & Deaf Eddie generously did up a 4-way diagram with B / B-HBsplit / B-HBfull / HBfull. You DO get 4 distinct sounds.

The split setting is pretty close to a regular Tele middle position & I'm pretty happy with the set-up.

Scatterbrain · January 26th, 2008, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bhodie

I just finished putting a Seth Lover humbucker in the neck and the SD Vintage lead broadcaster in the bridge..

I also have an original Wide Range, but it is combined with a Keeso pickup wound 60s specs. All three positions sound fantastic, but like you, I love the middle position best. What a funky tone!

pgordo · January 26th, 2008, 08:27 PM

TV Jones now makes a tele bridge with your choice of a TV Classic,PowerTron or Filtrteron in it

dibber124 · January 27th, 2008, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinchegordo

TV Jones now makes a tele bridge with your choice of a TV Classic,PowerTron or Filtrteron in it

Interesting, is it a 3-saddle?

January 25th, 2008, 05:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
webb3201 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Dallas Posts: 92	To Humbucker or not to Humbucker, that is my question. So I am really happy with my current guitar(s), amp combo. The only thing i am missing is a humbucker in my current gear. I am thinking about adding swapping the neck pickup in my 96 AM std for a humbucker. Would that be crazy? My thinking is that I will have my traditional twang and a bit more bite all in one guitar. It would make much more sense than buying a third tele (tele customs been calling my name)!

January 25th, 2008, 05:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
hekawi Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: greenville, sc Posts: 1,965	i vote yes to the neck-bucker. not just for the sound, but i think a chrome rectangular humbucker in the neck position looks really cool on a tele. __________________ ____________________________________________ "Rule Number One: Obey All Rules" - Barney Fife

January 25th, 2008, 06:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
jazztele Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: chicago Age: 29 Posts: 1,876	well, i'm a BIG fan of my custom... I'd advise against modding a guitar you like as is, but pickups are also a pretty reverse-able mod...as long as you can live with routing under the pickguard... i think a lot of tele fans like to have a tele with a sinle coil AND one with a bucker...i'd say if you have more then one tele, consider it...if the am. std's your one and only, save those pesos... __________________ “For the guitar is the most unpredictable and least reliable musical instrument in existence...and also the sweetest, the warmest, the most delicate, whose melancholic voice awakes in our soul exquisite reveries.” Andres Segovia

January 25th, 2008, 11:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
tele_jas Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Springfield/Mt.Vernon, MO Age: 36 Posts: 420 12 Photos	I know a lot about bridge pickups, but do the make a single coil sized neck bucker? If so, what would it hurt? Give it a try and if you don't like it you can always go back. __________________ *Dr. Z Stangray & Z 2x12 cab Genz Benz Black Pearl * 2 tele's * pedals * ect...** Good deals with: tweeddeluxe, Lwilliams, Sunkidd www.markchapmanband.com www.myspace.com/themcb www.guitartest.moonfruit.com

January 26th, 2008, 01:56 AM	#8 (permalink)
bendecaster Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: maine Posts: 915	tele jas, GFS makes a Tele neck pickup bucker that is the size of a regular Tele neck pickup, and they have Vintage & Hot models available. Very inexpensive stuff too! They sell "sets" for $49, so you can buy the pair for less than the price of one SD pickup. I just put a GFS Hot Lil' Puncher Tele set, and they are real "punchy"! You can get them at guitarfetish.com Oh yeah, Barden sells a Tele neck bucker for $165. I have Teles with both, and yes, the Bardens sound clearer, but the GFS ones I own ARE the hot ones, and they do have way more output than the Bardens. The GFS Vintage ones are supposed to be similar to Bardens though! __________________ The Demented 7th

January 25th, 2008, 07:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
TG Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Beside a bog in the west of Ireland Age: 46 Posts: 4,427 7 Photos	I bought an Epi Les Paul on impulse before christmas and I like having it around, but I am finding it difficult to actually enjoy the bridge humbucker. It's the neck 'bucker tone I like. (Listen to the Jeff Beck Group's Rock My Plimsole for the epitome of that sound, IMO.) A tele with a neck 'bucker is probably a better idea for me, and perhaps I'll 'do' one someday (so long as the 2 pickups are balanced in output). But the Les Paul I bought has such a nice sunburst finish...

January 25th, 2008, 10:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bhodie Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Minneapolis Age: 56 Posts: 121	I just finished putting a Seth Lover humbucker in the neck and the SD Vintage lead broadcaster in the bridge.. it is awesome.. 250K pots .022mfd cap. The Seth Lover is a two wire bucker, so no tapping or anything. It really captures the traditional sound in the bridge, and a great vintage, blues bucker sound in the neck.. the middle position is turning out to be my favorite.. with a great mix of both, with the bridge brightening up the humbucker just enough.. Also, the two pickups are pretty balanced so that when you switch to one or the other you are not fiddling with the volume... I think this is going to stay in this configuration for a while!

January 25th, 2008, 10:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
bobkirkp TDPRI Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: McKinney Texas Posts: 20	I have a humbucker in the neck position of my am tele and it sounds great on jazz and soft blues. I also put a split switch in it that can get real close to a standard tele twang.

January 26th, 2008, 02:57 AM	#9 (permalink)
Hiflyer Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: France Posts: 222 5 Photos	I personnaly love the mix of the bridge & neck pickups on a Tele, and I'm not fan of humbuckers, so I wouldn't do it, but that's just me. A P-90 maybe ...

January 26th, 2008, 08:31 AM	#11 (permalink)
dibber124 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Long Island, New York Age: 54 Posts: 1,192	I usually find a PAF style HB a bit overpowering relative to a stock Tele bridge pickup, but I used a SD Antiquity Mini-HB and am 100% happy with it. Perfect match with my Lindy Fralin lead pup. __________________ "I feel that it is healthier to look out at the world through a window than through a mirror. Otherwise, all you see is yourself and whatever is behind you." - Bill Withers

January 26th, 2008, 08:27 PM	#14 (permalink)
pgordo NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Kingman AZ Age: 30 Posts: 6	TV Jones now makes a tele bridge with your choice of a TV Classic,PowerTron or Filtrteron in it