Bridge Pickups for Tele?

Lots of good info here from guys more knowledgeable than me.

I just want to add that once I got my first tele, I didn't really bond with it until I learned that rolling the tone back is standard practice.

With other guitars, this was never something I did. My tele, the default tone setting is around 60%. It's got nocasters, and it's awesome!

I could not imagine putting a humbucker in the bridge. Not because it wouldn't sound good, but because of what I'd be giving up.

 

I went through a phase like this of wanting something different from my Telecaster and out the Richie Kotzen DiMarzio set in (Chopper T and a Twang King neck PUP).

I like it kind of, but it doesn't sound like a Tele anymore on the bridge and I think I'll go back to a more traditional PUP. The Twang King neck sounds great though!

 

Myaybe one of the buffs on tdpri can point you in the right direction to which pu is used exactly, but in 1992 I bought a 1952 reissue and that pu sounds amazing.
Haven,t found the same sound in any type of pu I bought. It's almost louder than a humbucker. I play it plugged into a 1976 twin reverb and it sounds exactly like
the live Keith Richards and the Winos -sound. Have tried Fender standard, nocaster and vintage bridge pickups and noth ing comes close.

 

You might try Dimarzio True Velvet, powerful but not shrill but keeps classic Telle tone.

 

I built an Esquire Parts caster and I put the bare knuckles 50s pickup in the bridge and it's great there's a guy on YouTube named PAUL STAFFORD COOK great player great tone. he has kind of a Keith Richards Telecaster with a humbucker bare knuckles Stormy Monday in the neck position and a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder of the bridge I am going to build a guitar exactly like it is god-like sounds freaking amazing admittedly I don't play as well as he does but guitar so Stellar it's terrific doesn't sound harsh doesn't sound shrill it sounds god-like might have something to do with his playing.. but if they're really nice pickup combination I'm a Gibson guy and I could take that guitar and play a show all night long and not miss a Les Paul

 

I use a Seymour Duncan 1/4 pound set in one of my Teles and Wilkinson compensated brass saddles. If you have a spare set of brass saddles try that first. Steel saddles are brighter and saddles are cheaper than pickups.

 

Get a set of Klein's! He makes them with the original formula magnets. Current Fender pickups use Chinese made magnets that will sound shrill. I can only think of two pickup manufactures that use American made pickups; Klein & ThroBak. These magnets are made to original Alnico formulas as the Chinese made magnets are a different mix.

 

I have a Cavalier Holy Grail in my Esquire build and love it. I put the ‘62 AVRI bridge in a telecaster build for my brother and we both like it. Good luck.

 

I put one of these in my Squier a while back because the stock pickup was too ice picky. Solved the problem.

https://www.guitarfetish.com/63-Hot...es-Bridge-Pickup-7K--Fits-Telereg_p_2089.html

 

I really like my Fralin Blues Special.

 

The little Seymour is great. I was real happy with a boutique Broadcaster pup I bought.

 

On a lower budget , Dimarzio Pre B-1 , Wound hot , not shrill . If you want to spend more there are a number of people making Broadcaster pickups , they are generally wound hotter and have similar characteristics as the Pre B-1 . One of my favorites is made by the Pickup Wizard in Canada , last I saw they ran around $100 .

 

You seem to be in the UK, so I'd say definitely also take a look at the offering from Manchester-based Creamery Pickups. They have a range of pickups and customisation options like magnet type at what I think are great prices. I recently approached them with a similar conundrum and, after a few e-mails, ended up ordering a set.

Also, that's a great-looking Custom Shop Telecaster!

 

I personally love the Seymour Duncan STL-1B Vintage Broadcaster Tele Bridge Pickup

• Magnet Material: Alnico V
• DC Resistance: 8K

 

I'm trying to understand this thread. A Telecaster is suppose to sound like a Telecaster. Not to be negative, but
if the bridge PU is to shrill, why did you purchase the Telecaster in the first place. Each guitar has its own mojo,
as well as each song. Amp knobs, guitar knobs, pedals, they all change tone. For a couple of pickups and a bunch
of pedals, one could purchase a great new or used guitar. Tinkering is great, playing is better.

 

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Use the tone knob, that's what it's there for.

Where are you picking the strings? Near the saddles is bright Country Twang on the bridge pickup. Pick near the neck pickup and you'll smooth it out. At least pick on the 'inside' of the bridge pickup just like a LP ergonomics cause players to do.

Lower and tip the bridge pickup so you get more bass and less treble, then balance volume of your neck pickup by raising/lowering it.

Swap the volume pot for one that measures at the low end of the spec. Use a fixed resistor across the outer lugs, try a few different values. Look up 'resistors in parallel' calculators on a google search.

Get a 4-way switch ($12) so you can put both neck and bridge pickups in series humbucking mode -- it will be more like a LP.

Remember: the pickups and the pots 'n caps are a tone system. you can push around guitar tones with different pots 'n caps (even when 'dimed') just as much as new pickups ... for 1/10th the cost. Otherwise you will swap several rounds of $200/guess pickup sets.

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I've had success with the Vintage for Broadcaster pickup by Seymour Duncan in my Tele. Check out some videos of it.