Texas Specials vs Twisted T/Broadcaster...

[MHtele]

...a quick question on comparing Texas Special pick ups (as comes in the American Special) to the Twisted T/Broadcaster set that comes on the Baja. For those that have experience with both. TIA.

 

[telemandave]

The twisted tele/Broadcaster pickups are totally awesome. The texas special pickups are overwound and hotter, but don't have the traditional tele twang that I love.

 

[Randypttt]

What telemandave said. Totally differnt Tele sounds.
The Baja is more vintage and the Tex Specs are thick and nasty (in a good way)

 

[LOSTVENTURE]

I totally agree with Randypttt. Just two of the irreplacable parts of the Baja.

 

[telemandave]

The American Standard Telecasters, have the same pickups as the Baja teles do, and they sound great in the American Standard as well.

 

[teletimetx]

Have experience with both and like them both.
Tex. specials - in a James Burton Std. MIM. Pretty versatile, yeah, maybe not classic Don Rich country, but you can still get to lots of country on the bridge p/u - depends on your amp, too. Does rock & blues and just about anything else.

Twisted tele & broadcaster - in a Baja Classic 50's, with the S1 switching - even more versatility. Again, depends in part on what amp you're plugged into. Want some Strat like sounds? This would be the set to try out, with S1 options. Just my 2cents, YMMV, etc

 

[Flaneur]

The Broadcaster/TT set is a little more versatile to my ears- clean up a little better and are sweeter sounding. The Specials are a bit hairier and would be great for certain styles of music- but a narrower range, in my opinion.

 

[Syrinx]

Texas special set a little lower can be very articulate. This is what I tend to do with any overwound or non vintage spec pickup.

 

[Antigua Tele]

I performed detailed tests on these pickups here http://www.tdpri.com/threads/measured-electrical-values-of-various-telecaster-pickups.665808/

In summary, the Twisted set has a much hotter bridge, and much cooler neck than the Texas Special set.

Of the two, I favor the Twisted Tele set.

Here are the goods:

Fender Texas Specials for Tele Set

Bridge
- DC Resistance: 10.26K ohms
- Measured L: 3.668H
- Calculated C: 149pF (159 - 10)
- Gauss: 1100G

Neck
- DC Resistance: 9.35K ohms
- Measured L: 2.917H
- Calculated C: 191pF (201 - 10)
- Gauss: 1100G

Bridge unloaded: V: 4.0dBV f: 6.58kHz (black)
Bridge loaded (200k & 470pF): V:-5.1dBV f: 3.24kHz (red)
Neck unloaded: V:-3.3dBV f: 6.66kHz (green)
Neck loaded (200k & 470pF): V:-7.3dBV f: 3.43kHz (gray)

It looks like the bridge pickup is wound with 43 AWG, with a high resistance for a modest inductance. The neck pickup appears to be very overwound for a Tele neck. This is a very dark set, I'm not a fan.



Fender Twisted Tele Set

Bridge
- DC Resistance: 10.71K ohms
- Measured L: 4.120H
- Calculated C: 106pF (116 - 10)
- Gauss: 1000G

Neck
- DC Resistance: 6.18K ohms
- Measured L: 2.078H
- Calculated C: 219pF (229 - 10)
- Gauss: 1100G

Bridge unloaded: V: 4.5dBV f: 7.29kHz (black)
Bridge loaded (200k & 470pF): V:-4.4dBV f: 3.03kHz(red)
Neck unloaded: V:-6.0dBV f: 7.29kHz(green)
Neck loaded (200k & 470pF): V:-9.0dBV f: 3.89kHz (gray)

This set appears to use 42 AWG for the neck pickup, which is also much taller than a typical Tele pickup, but despite the side, the inductance is low at 2 Henries. The bridge appears with be over wound with 43 AWG, is shorter in height than usual, and has a very high inductance at 4.1 Henries. The bridge is very dark, the neck is rather bright, comparable to a medium output Strat neck, such as a Fat 50 or Texas Special neck.

 

[homesick345]

I prefer the texas special neck pickup. I dunno about specs, but it sounds close to teh twisted (to my ears). Even better actually

(talking about neck only)

 

[YoGeorge]

The Texas Special pickups in the Am Special tele are NOT the regular Tx Specials. I know at least 2 people who have measured the Am Special bridge pickup at about 15k of resistance where the traditional Custom Shop Texas Special was always specced around 10.5k.

So do not assume that a Tx Special is a Tx Special...you have to know what the specs are. Wasn't the Fender Nocaster a 10k pickup in the old Custom Shop days and later became a 7.3k pickup?

George

 

[sammy axe]

I performed detailed tests on these pickups here http://www.tdpri.com/threads/measured-electrical-values-of-various-telecaster-pickups.665808/

In summary, the Twisted set has a much hotter bridge, and much cooler neck than the Texas Special set.

Of the two, I favor the Twisted Tele set.

What a great post. More information than an average guy could process. All good info!

 

[Suavocaster]

Texas special set a little lower can be very articulate. This is what I tend to do with any overwound or non vintage spec pickup.

Do you mean "set a little lower" in the sense "lower on the volume knob", or screwed "lower into the body / away from the strings"? I have tried the latter method with Humbuckers. I have two Gibsons where the neck Humbucker was a little too hot for my taste, but when I lowered them into the body, they became really sweet and clear sounding when played clean, which is what I do most of the time.

 

[KnopflerStyle]

i have a Esquire with Texas...

THe neck pickup is awesome, the best that i have heard (then i broke it and do the Esquire thing... **** happens).

The bridge is too big, the Classic Vibe Custom is too thin compare it.

I have never heared the mic like this vid... Bridge pick up is not twangy...

 

[KnopflerStyle]

Very tempted with Twisted config and also with Alnico II PRO set (SDuncan).