Just went back to regular old tele pickups

[maxvintage]

I have a very nice partscaster I got many years a go. Great sounding guitar. Over the years I've had all sorts of pickups in it--bardens, microcoils, minibuckers and p90s in the neck position. It always sounded pretty good, but I starting building my own, hollow bodied teles of my own design, and mostly play those now.

I thought "huh I ought to have a regular old tele." So I ordered a Lollar vintage 52 set and put them in.

Sounds great, versatile. good for anything I might play. Perfect? No--perfect is a journey, not a destination. But it sounds great. Between the shielding in the body, the bridge plate, and the neck pickup cover it's surprisingly quiet too. Leo got it right the first time

 

[Fretting out]

You’ve done the right thing

 

[adjason]

sweet- even though it seems a bit funny to hear you call Lollar 52's "regular old tele pickups" to me these are boutique- congrats on liking your tone

 

[Sconnie]

I have a 62 AVRI that came with Fralin stock replacement pickups in it, with the original Fender pickups in a box off to the side. I put those pickups in a partscaster build, and was happily annoyed it sounded much better than the first tele.

I have since put a 62 AVRI bridge pickup in the first one, with the neck not far behind now. Best part, they're really affordable. It makes me wonder if even fancy Fender pickups are worthwhile much less anything from the boutique brands... To each their own but I think I'll stick with the regular Fender stuff for Tele pickups from now on.

 

[thatkeithmorris]

My ash black guard started life with Tonerider Hot Classics, moved onto a Twisted Tele set, then Duncan Hot Rails. Never made itself heard in a mix. Finally put in a set of standard ceramics from a 2016 MIM Tele and it’s just so right. I was about to get rid of this guitar but now it’s my Number 1. Maybe not the “best” pickups you can get, but they’re the right ones for this body and neck.

 

[el cheapo]

My ash black guard started life with Tonerider Hot Classics, moved onto a Twisted Tele set, then Duncan Hot Rails. Never made itself heard in a mix. Finally put in a set of standard ceramics from a 2016 MIM Tele and it’s just so right. I was about to get rid of this guitar but now it’s my Number 1. Maybe not the “best” pickups you can get, but they’re the right ones for this body and neck.

This ^^^
Every guitar is different. You have to experiment and find what sounds best in your guitar. My old Squier Standard sounds best with a set of Rose "Westerlands" pickups in it. My recently acquired FSR Bullet tele sounds great with a Dimarzio Area T neck and Area T 615 bridge. Plenty of good choices in tele pickups out there today. Good luck in your quest!

 

[KT89]

My Standard Tele has all upgraded electronics, a CS '51 Nocaster in the bridge, and an all-brass bridge/saddles.

I miss the steel bridge/saddles and bright-as-the-sun stock pickups more often than I'd like to admit.

 

[El Tele Lobo]

I think you mean to say "Jason got it right the first time."

Those regular old tele pickups you mention in your headline are exceptional new Lollars. Big difference from what I've heard (though I've never owned Lollars...heard some killer demos though).