Still trying to get that Tele Sound?

[Fender_Player90]

I have a Player Series Telecaster that I swapped to an Ashtray Bridge with Brass saddles plus Custom Shop Texas Special pickups. Also im running 11s for strings tuned a half step down carried over from what I normally do with Strat.

Couple Things-
The neck Texas Special Pickup is great and awesome sounding and is staying in the guitar. The problem is the bridge. And yes ive adjusted the pickup height. Ive lowered it and actually have the bass side higher than the treble side to get more low end out of the bridge. But the bridge is just kindve thin and not lively for a Tele bridge pickup. I bought a Tele to play the bridge pickup and to get that "Tele Sound". This is just kindve bland.

So im debating several things:
-Fine tuning the pickup height more

-Keeping the neck Texas Special and throwing the Stock Player Series Bridge pickup back into the guitar

-Either keep the 11s and go up a half step to Standard tuning or go down to 10s with Standard tuning to get similar string tension as the 11s a half step down.

I was watching a Youtube video about tuning a half step down and it seems that only has positive results in a Strat. But not a Tele or Les Paul or other guitars. So wondering if going up to standard tuning will liven up the guitar. A Les Paul has a shorter scale length so 11s with standard tuning on that is similar to the 11s a half step down on a Strat. But the Tele is the same scale length as a Strat.

How do people like the Player series bridge pickup? Its actually hotter in resistance than the Texas Special. I never tried it with the bridge change to the Ashtray bridge and brass saddles. Which the bridge change did make the guitar sound better in the right direction. I have heard people online with Texas Special Bridge pickups having a good twangy tone. Dont know what they have setup that I dont to get that sound.

Im trying to go for that Rock&Roll/Country Tele sound.

 

[old_picker]

Texas Specials are not the way to go to get the tones you are after. Fiddle with string gauge bridge saddles blah blah blah it won't get you where you want to be. Go and immediately buy a set of Fender Pure Vintage 64 pickups install them and you will have it all. Plenty of players want that hot non tele tone so you'll have no trouble moving them on. I've built a tele or two in my time and if I'm looking for a good ole twangin' bakersfield style of tone I'll use a set Fender Pure Vintage 64's. Hard to find a decent demo of these as most of the ones I've seen demo mostly overdriven rock tones so that part of the job you want is done.
Believe me a set of these will twang yer socks off given the right amp.

 

[adjason]

I like the 64 pickups too

 

[Wallaby]

Another "64" fan here.

 

[howardlo]

Yet another fan of the ‘64’s here. Have a set in one of my Thinlines (an ash one).

 

[Fender_Player90]

Texas Specials are not the way to go to get the tones you are after. Fiddle with string gauge bridge saddles blah blah blah it won't get you where you want to be. Go and immediately buy a set of Fender Pure Vintage 64 pickups install them and you will have it all. Plenty of players want that hot non tele tone so you'll have no trouble moving them on. I've built a tele or two in my time and if I'm looking for a good ole twangin' bakersfield style of tone I'll use a set Fender Pure Vintage 64's. Hard to find a decent demo of these as most of the ones I've seen demo mostly overdriven rock tones so that part of the job you want is done.
Believe me a set of these will twang yer socks off given the right amp.

I like the tone and sound of the bridge pickup of Keith Richards guitar in the Rolling Stones. Sounds good for rock and roll and would sound good for some country. I do like a little bit hotter wound pickups generally. And I think his bridge is a pretty hot wound pickup yet has twang that my guitar dosent.

 

[Fender_Player90]

So actually tried the easiest thing first. Tuned the guitar to full standard tuning. I can bend the 11s just fine not tuned down. And I do think simply doing this, the tone sounds better and more like a Tele. For some reason what is good for a Strat, isnt good for a Tele. It sounds more twangy and articulate in standard tuning not tuned down. But oddly a Strat even being the same scale length sounds BETTER tuned down a half step than standard tuning. I assumed the Tele would be the same way but not the case. I guess the Tele reacts better to higher tension strings whereas a Strat sounds better with looser more flabby strings.

Something I did notice is the neck pickup sounded better tuned down and more like a Strat neck. The neck sounds slightly not as good in standard tuning but again less Stratty and more like a Tele neck. Although my Tele neck is wound pretty hot.

 

[Lou Tencodpees]

I've played 11's for most of my gigging days and went down to 10's as I've aged and quit gigging. These days 9.5's seem to hit the sweet spot on my Teles, both in playability and sound.

Interesting all the love for Pure Vintage 64's. I bought a set for my primary Tele partscaster (solid alder body, 1 pc maple neck) and found them to be just "OK". Not long ago I put them into my ash thinline and think they sound really good in that guitar. I've also become a big fan of 50's wiring (whachamacallit, Fez Parka wiring?). No treble bleed too.

 

[Fender_Player90]

I've played 11's for most of my gigging days and went down to 10's as I've aged and quit gigging. These days 9.5's seem to hit the sweet spot on my Teles, both in playability and sound.

Interesting all the love for Pure Vintage 64's. I bought a set for my primary Tele partscaster (solid alder body, 1 pc maple neck) and found them to be just "OK". Not long ago I put them into my ash thinline and think they sound really good in that guitar. I've also become a big fan of 50's wiring (whachamacallit, Fez Parka wiring?). No treble bleed too.

Usually the pickup people tend to reccomend is the '52 Nocaster pickups. Ive tried 50s wiring but then the tone turns down the volume. I just settled for a slower tapering J Taper volume pot and standard wiring.

 

[Rhomco]

Seymore Duncan Antiquity 50s. Nuttin Butt Tele. .250k pots and a .047.050 ish Cap.
You will be grinning from ear to ear.
Good luck on your quest.
Rob

 

[jackal]

Usually the pickup people tend to reccomend is the '52 Nocaster pickups. Ive tried 50s wiring but then the tone turns down the volume. I just settled for a slower tapering J Taper volume pot and standard wiring.

With the 50s wiring using a smaller cap eliminates the problem with the tone control turning down the volume. I use either a .010 or a ,015, works much better.

 

[tigertail]

Yeah, another vote for the PV 64s. I'm simply not a fan of high output pickups in Fender guitars. The sweet spot is somewhere betwen 6 and 8k imo.