Fender Widerange or firebird in neck position

[halfmassive]

Hi,
I'm planning my next tele build and I want to do a tele with a slightly beefed up tele bridge pickup and some type of humbucker in the neck position, just to give me something different from my other tele guitars.

Right now I'm debating using a Fender Widerange style pickup (not the reissues) or a Firebird mini hum bucker in the neck position. I'll be ordering these from either Lollar or Novak. I'd like to get a nice and clear neck sound with a little more grind and punch than the standard tele neck pup. Any ideas on which of these will get me closer to what I'm looking for? I'm waiting on a reply from Curt Novak but would like to see what your opinions are as well.

I've also heard a lot about gold foil pickups but have never played one and really don't know what's up with these but they are intriguing.

Any ideas? Thanks very much!

 

[Derek Kiernan]

I'd go with Bill Lawrence's dual blade L90, which is Bill's reinvention of the PAF without flaws, with astounding clarity and crystalline highs but with a smooth attack like a great PAF. The 2H option would go well in a Tele neck position.

 

[TheFullMonty]

Try to find an original WRHB. For my money, it doesn't get much better than that.

 

[Ringo]

Mini humbucker in the neck is a cool sound, but a Firebird can be too hot unless you use the neck version, a hot humbucker in the neck position sounds muddy.

 

[hongaku]

Just make sure the rout in the body will accommodate both a full size WRHB and regular sized humbuckers - that way you leave all options open. Check out the standard humbucker sized WRHB's too. These are all going to significantly overpower the bridge though. Consider TV Jones type pickups as well (like the Lollartron for example). Keep in mind also about pot values...500k will probably be your best bet in most cases, but if you DO manage to get hold of a vintage WRHB, then just go 1meg and turn down the tone knob on the bridge if you feel it necessary - but vintage WRHB's just don't sound right without 1meg, at least they don't sound right to me.

 

[halfmassive]

Thanks very much for the input. I'm really leaning towards the humbucker sized wirerange pickups that Novak sells - I want to go with the 69 thinline pickguard look and I think the original wide ranges are too large. I'm still debating a bunch of different options as well so I may go a slightly different route but I really like the idea of a wide range in the neck and a good beefy tele in the bridge.

Do you think I would run into issues only using one volume and one tone? I'm not opposed to riding the tone knob if needed for either pickup.

Thanks I'm kinda new to this kind of non-traditional mismatch.

 

[joeford]

Hi,
I'm planning my next tele build and I want to do a tele with a slightly beefed up tele bridge pickup and some type of humbucker in the neck position, just to give me something different from my other tele guitars.

Right now I'm debating using a Fender Widerange style pickup (not the reissues) or a Firebird mini hum bucker in the neck position. I'll be ordering these from either Lollar or Novak. I'd like to get a nice and clear neck sound with a little more grind and punch than the standard tele neck pup. Any ideas on which of these will get me closer to what I'm looking for? I'm waiting on a reply from Curt Novak but would like to see what your opinions are as well.

I've also heard a lot about gold foil pickups but have never played one and really don't know what's up with these but they are intriguing.

Any ideas? Thanks very much!

the part i underlined pretty much rules out both of those options as far as i'm concerned. a lot of people love them... but nothing sounds right to me except a single coil in the neck

edit: if you have to have a humbucker up there, the filtertrons are a pretty good option. cleanest tones i've heard outside of the single coil side of life

 

[halfmassive]

the part i underlined pretty much rules out both of those options as far as i'm concerned. a lot of people love them... but nothing sounds right to me except a single coil in the neck

edit: if you have to have a humbucker up there, the filtertrons are a pretty good option. cleanest tones i've heard outside of the single coil side of life

Thanks. I'll have to check those out some more since I don't have too much experience with those either. I've been a single coil and lp style humbucker player for ever. I guess I'm just getting the itch for something new.

 

[Derek Kiernan]

No problems with the 2H L90. It will work beautifully with 250k pots and the same capacitor on the tone pot.

 

[Rob DiStefano]

to me, the wrhb can't hold a candle next to a good vintage build firebird. however, opinionated words can't help you obe bit, you'll need to hear these pups to make yer own sonic evaluation.

 

[fender4life]

Personally, i love the WRHB's but for me at least if i have something else in the bridge i would not put a WRHB in the neck simply because it sounds so fat it will make the bridge pickup sound like a tin can. WRHB's just sound so fat in the neck that you're going to want to EQ your amp differently and that will leave the bridge pickup too bright. Set it for the bridge and the neck will be mud. People often talk about volume balance between bridge and neck, but this is a case of bad tonal balance. But it IS just my opinion and some teles come with a WRHB neck and single coil in the bridge and people like them so i'm just giving you MY perspective. My reasoning for this opinion is i have a 2xWRHB tele and theres even a slight tonal imbalance there, yet the bridge pickup is much fatter than any tele i've had with a SC in the bridge. So i have to think at least to my ear a single in the bridge and WRHB in the neck would be tonally imbalanced for me. On the other hand, the cleaner you play the less of an issue i would thing it would be. Again, this is just 1 man's opinion. But i'd go with the FB.

 

[telex76]

Of those two, I'd go with the Firebird.
I went with a different one on my Nocaster.

 

[Telenator]

A Firebird pickup will have decent clarity and brightness in the neck spot.

Lollar and Novak both have good offerings as well, and of course Novak can custom wind something for you to get you even closer to your expected goal.

I would also seriously consider something like a Stag Mag pickup. http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/humbucker/high-output/sh3_stag_mag/

Great clarity and versatility from a readily available standard size humbucker.

 

[dog fart]

I had a SD'59 in my Tele. I got tired of it after a couple of years and put SD Firebird in there and haven't looked back. It's only been a month, but I don't see anything changing.

 

[steve v]

I just swapped out a Lollar minihumbucker for a Lollar Firebird last night and I couldn't be happier. The FB is more clear, with less midrange and bite than the miniHB. I'd describe the FB as having more of a punch but less top end air as compared to a single coil. I'm running a Special T in the bridge, FYI

 

[John Owen]

I'm thinking of doing a firebird in the neck position on my next partscaster. If you decide to go that route, Klein is another pickup builder you might want to consider. Here's a link to their tele pickups page (firebird is a ways down the page): http://www.kleinpickups.com/c-3-telecaster-pickups.aspx

Here's a couple of links from that page in case you want to go straight to a couple of sound clips of Klein FB in a tele neck:
(link removed)

(link removed)

I'll be staying tuned to see which way you go with this. Good luck and have fun.

 

[caliban335]

I'd go with a Firebird, a mini humbucker or a TV Classic.

 

[cocoboudin]

I guest you will have to test both of them and choose the 1 you preffer best. To my personal opinion i'll go whit the Firebird version, but it's your call. Cocoboudin.

 

[tele salivas]

I use a bridge intended Fire-bird in the neck position of a tele and it sounds very clear and chimy. I have it set just about level with the pick guard.

 

[BoogerRooger]

Always loved the Firebird in Jim Weider's Tele