Best Firebird/Mini Humbucker for neck pickup

[Rob TeleMan]

I have a Highway One Tele with Bardens in it. Have decided to replace the bridge pickup with an Area T, in hopes of getting a more vintage, chimey sound out of my 1st and 2nd switch positions. If the Area T doesn't pair up well with the Barden neck pup, I've decided to try a mini humbucker in the neck position. I like the sound of the Fender Hot Rod '52, with the Duncan SM-1, but have also heard good things about the Lollar Firebird pickup, as well as the DiMarzio MiniBucker. I play mostly on the clean side of things. Recommendations? Thanks!

 

[UncleJarmo]

I put the Duncan SM-1 in the neck of my Muddy Waters Tele. I'm obsessed with how good it sounds. I don't usually plug in my amp at home but it sounds so good I'll plug it in and play for hours. I had a rehearsal Saturday and I didn't want to quit because I was enjoying the sound of that guitar.
The minihum in the neck is clearer than a full size humbucker but a bigger sounding than the standard single coil (just right, in other words). The middle position is similar to the standard tele middle switch position but richer sounding. I'm using that sound much more than I did before putting in the minihum.
I use neck alone for clean pseudo-jazz tone, middle position for clean rhythm and some soloing, and use the middle switch position or bridge pickup alone when using distortion.

image removed

 

[boneyguy]

I made a highly modded Squier thinline Tele that I put a pair of GFS Alnico mini's in and I thought they sounded very good.

 

[caliban335]

I had the Duncan SM-1 in the neck position of a Nashville Tele I used to own and was pleased with the tone. I've never had the chance to play a guitar with the Lollar Firebird, but I've had very good luck with all the pickups I've bought from him.

 

[akukulich]

I just went through the process of picking a mini HB for the neck position of a Tele I'm putting together. After talking with the guys at Lollar, I ended up going with their mini HB over the Firebird. From their description, the mini sounded closer to what I was after. It'd be hard to go wrong with either.

 

[Vibrolux]

I had an original Gibson Firebird in the neck slot of my favorite Tele for a while. It was very good. I replaced it five or six years ago with a Duncan Antiquity minihumbucker (the version with adjustable polepieces). It's insanely great--beautiful clean tones and great leads with the tone knob rolled back a bit. Everyone who picks up my guitar seems to go on and on about it.

 

[Alex M]

Anyone tried the Dimarzio minibucker?

 

[jrfrond]

I built a Strat with a Duncan Antiquity Firebird mini-HB in the bridge position, and it is killer. Think of a humbucker with all of the chime and bite of a Strat pickup, with more girth and a tad more gain. BEAUTIFUL!

 

[BillyGutPuncher]

I have a Squier with a Duncan Firebird neck pup and ooooh baby it sounds sweet. Nice rounded bass tone with a good amount of treble presence- never muddy but can shake the cab of my Deluxe Reverb. Very well balanced pickup IMO. Sounds great with a Suhr Classic T in the bridge position.

 

[tele salivas]

Artec has a mini-humbucker that is really fantastic. I bought one set for a bridge pup , but put it in the neck,after hearing Tim Armstrong did it with good results,very nice!

 

[BillyGutPuncher]

I think one thing seems evident from this thread and ones like it: mini humbuckers are a really good option for a tele. They seem to suit the character of the guitar much better than full sized HB's or even P90's in my experience.