90s country tones

Compression

 

Well, you're kind of making no sense, but in an okay way.

You gotta remember that you're referring to old songs, hits probably, that were massaged to death in the recording studio. What you hear the guitarist doing on the final recording ain't gonna sound like what would have come straight out of an amp.

And even those 50s/60s songs were affected by the crude recording techniques of the day.

 

Agreed. Way heavy compression.
Many guys were very influenced by Brent Mason, and had Teles with middle pickups, some with middle pickup on a fader.
Accounts for pronounced Strat sounds from Teles.

 

The new sounds are a little richer or thicker. Pickups are wound a little hotter so mids are a little more out front in the sound. The hotter pickups drive an amp better so a little dirt doesn't sound as harsh. I guess there's a little more compression, but to me most of it comes from pushing the amp. Modern pickups clean up nicely with the volume rolled back. I have experience with CS Texas Specials and N4's. The N4's nail the more modern sound, at least to me, without the hum. In spite of, or maybe because of all this, the Telecaster bridge pickup sound is unmistakable. I heard a busker playing in Ghirardelli Square last February and the Telecaster bridge pickup sound drew me in.

 

+1 to the tele middle pup observations. That’s “the 90s sound” to me

 

That ‘90s Tele sound! I love it. Can be heard to perfection on most Alan Jackson hits of the era.

Session guitarist Brent Mason is best known for this technique/sound/style.

This is the ideal rig:
-Telecaster with a middle Strat pickup
-Compression pedal
-Delay pedal
-Clean amp

Now, you don’t “need” that middle pickup, but it does help emulate the sound. Brent had a middle pup.

You will need compression, delay, and chicken pickin’ technique though.