VMOD PICKUPS

[superjam144]

Anyone try the new VMOD pickups? I just purchased a beautiful 2018 American TELECASTER, but haven't been sold yet on the pickups.

The VMODs don't seem to have enough oomph for me as a player.

Any opinions on em? If I wanted a fatter tone, what would be my best option? I play blues rock through a blues jr amp and a touch of echo/reverb. It's a clean sound, but I try to get a nice tone. I only want to use Fender made products if I do replace the pickups... Was looking at the vintage ones on Sweetwater. My 90s American Standard Telecaster has excellent pickups, unfortunately it seems noone knows that kind of pickups were used in the 90s American Standard. Otherwise I would buy them.

Any advice is appreciated.
-SJ

 

[gridlock]

I just purchased a new 2019 American Professional Stratocaster, not a Telecaster, but I imagine that pickups are similar in design concept. I love my new guitar, but I’m not in love with the VMOD pickups. They seem a little too bright for my taste and I much preferred the stock pickups on my previous American Standard guitars.

 

[Stardog75]

Anyone try the new VMOD pickups? I just purchased a beautiful 2018 American Telecaster, but haven't been sold yet on the pickups.

The VMODs don't seem to have enough oomph for me as a player.
Dude I'm loving mine. They sound great with incredible all three really
Any opinions on em? If I wanted a fatter tone, what would be my best option? I play blues rock through a blues jr amp and a touch of echo/reverb. It's a clean sound, but I try to get a nice tone. I only want to use Fender made products if I do replace the pickups... Was looking at the vintage ones on Sweetwater. My 90s American has excellent pickups, unfortunately it seems noone knows that kind of pickups were used in the 90s American Standard. Otherwise I would buy them.

Any advice is appreciated.
-SJ

Anyone try the new VMOD pickups? I just purchased a beautiful 2018 American Telecaster, but haven't been sold yet on the pickups.

The VMODs don't seem to have enough oomph for me as a player.

Any opinions on em? If I wanted a fatter tone, what would be my best option? I play blues rock through a blues jr amp and a touch of echo/reverb. It's a clean sound, but I try to get a nice tone. I only want to use Fender made products if I do replace the pickups... Was looking at the vintage ones on Sweetwater. My 90s American has excellent pickups, unfortunately it seems noone knows that kind of pickups were used in the 90s American Standard. Otherwise I would buy them.

Any advice is appreciated.
-SJ

I love them just got my guitar back from a set up.the guy that did the set up sells all vintage teles and les Paul's for ridiculous money but he was telling me how great they were.got it home played clean and with reverb delay and univibe and I'm hooked.

 

[Stardog75]

Cause like you I thought I'd not be a fan but I'm into it.sounds better than my strat with sd antiquities.if I'm using more distortion I'll play my lp but with just a fulltone ocd and not my second overdrive that sounds pretty good too.

 

[Mister_Hand]

I had a couple of Professional Strats and loved them at first, but soured on them after a while. I prefer the old American Standard delta tone pickups to them as well.

 

[rigatele]

If I wanted a fatter tone, what would be my best option?

You could try using a bigger value tone cap and turning the tone knob down.

 

[Zepfan]

Anyone try the new VMOD pickups? I just purchased a beautiful 2018 American Telecaster, but haven't been sold yet on the pickups.

The VMODs don't seem to have enough oomph for me as a player.

Any opinions on em? If I wanted a fatter tone, what would be my best option? I play blues rock through a blues jr amp and a touch of echo/reverb. It's a clean sound, but I try to get a nice tone. I only want to use Fender made products if I do replace the pickups... Was looking at the vintage ones on Sweetwater. My 90s American has excellent pickups, unfortunately it seems noone knows that kind of pickups were used in the 90s American Standard. Otherwise I would buy them.

Any advice is appreciated.
-SJ

Strat singles have never been known for their "Fat" tones. They have always been on the thin side which gets worse if they are adjusted too close to the strings.
They have always sounded better to me adjusted low. I also tend to like the original pickups, haven't even heard VMod pickups. Guessing they are the latest take on the noiseless types so I don't know if the same things apply. Lower heights, second tone pot on bridge pickup instead of middle and series/parallel switch for middle pickup was always what helped for me short of putting in P90's of regular sized HB's.

 

[superjam144]

I'll be honest the neck pickup is dead and lifeless.... What was Tim Shaw thinking?

 

[superjam144]

Strat singles have never been known for their "Fat" tones. They have always been on the thin side which gets worse if they are adjusted too close to the strings.
They have always sounded better to me adjusted low. I also tend to like the original pickups, haven't even heard VMod pickups. Guessing they are the latest take on the noiseless types so I don't know if the same things apply. Lower heights, second tone pot on bridge pickup instead of middle and series/parallel switch for middle pickup was always what helped for me short of putting in P90's of regular sized HB's.

Is that what it is? The American Telecasters are using noiseless pickups? Are VMODs noiseless? Maybe that is why they seem to lack any color and character... I have a 90s American standard Telecaster, and it really pulls deep blues out of the neck pickups... I mean, the guitar can cry and get muddy and deep... It changed the way I played guitar... I often change from neck to bridge to alter voicings, I play deep, then switch to the bridge pickup for emphasis/twang, and so on.

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

oh.............. fiddle sticks, yes I am a Dimario fan-boy.
Between teles and strats I have a variety of hum cancelling pickups.
On offer are lots of options sonicaly. I use a Digitech GSP 1101 preamp/processor not a tube amp. Would it hurt to take a look see?
https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/strat/hum-canceling-strat

https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/tele/hum-canceling

 

[telemnemonics]

I bought a pair of V mod Jazzmaster pickups and installed on in the bridge position.
In this case the pickup design was changed to make the coil taller and narrower with longer magnets, more like a Strat or Tele than JM.
As expected it sounds brighter compared to a US 62 RI JM pickup.

 

[superjam144]

oh.............. fiddle sticks, yes I am a Dimario fan-boy.
Between teles and strats I have a variety of hum cancelling pickups.
On offer are lots of options sonicaly. I use a Digitech GSP 1101 preamp/processor not a tube amp. Would it hurt to take a look see?
https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/strat/hum-canceling-strat

https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/tele/hum-canceling

Thanks but I am not interested in any noise cancelling features. I am looking for the sustain of standard Telecaster pickups that were made in the 90s by fender. I guess I will purchase a vintage set from Sweetwater, and try my luck. Can't find any info on those pickups online.

My other option would be a switch out, but then I'd have to sell old red, and that isn't happening.

 

[superjam144]

Thanks for the advice and information. I'm just going to have guitar center replace the pickups to the original vintages... These VMODs sound too thin and don't seem to have the sustain that the old ones had. Obviously this is a matter of taste. The neck pickup was the kicker for me. I tend to dwell in it's deeper blues and venture out to the bridge pickup for solos and emphasis. I need a good muddy, deep neck pickup, and this VMOD is out to lunch.

 

[Zepfan]

I get rid of the noise by using a lot of aluminum HVAC tape in the cavity's and backside of the pickguard. It cost about 3 and a half bucks for a roll at the hardware store and will be enough for 2 or 3 guitars. Lots cheaper than getting noiseless pickups and the regular single still sound good tonally.

As far as the VMod pickups go, I don't really know much about them. The original Strat neck pickups from the 50's were always great IMO.

 

[65 Champ Amp]

I don’t know what came in ‘90s Teles, maybe TexMex?

But I swear by the ‘62 Tele reissue pickups. I always lean toward vintage pickups vs hotter ones ~ I can always add gain and grit, but you can’t add back in sweet, pure tone.
The 62s do both, though. Crank the BJr and roll back on guitar vol. Sweet, fat chime. Roll up on your vol, and they respond real nicely.

 

[RobbieAG]

The VMOD pickups on the American Professional model are not noiseless. The Deluxes, Elites and Ultras have noiseless pickups of one generation or another.

 

[superjam144]

The VMOD pickups on the American Professional model are not noiseless. The Deluxes, Elites and Ultras have noiseless pickups of one generation or another.

Didn't think they were... Even so, they have definitely been neutered in some way or another...

 

[superjam144]

I don’t know what came in ‘90s Teles, maybe TexMex?

But I swear by the ‘62 Tele reissue pickups. I always lean toward vintage pickups vs hotter ones ~ I can always add gain and grit, but you can’t add back in sweet, pure tone.
The 62s do both, though. Crank the BJr and roll back on guitar vol. Sweet, fat chime. Roll up on your vol, and they respond real nicely.

Yeah, I think this is the way to go. It is rather strange how little is out there as far as information goes about pickups in various Fender models and years. I will have to contact Fender directly if these vintage pickups don't do the trick for me, but I bet they will be a lot better than these VMODs... Not to bash em', obviously many players enjoy them. It's funny I still make good music with them, but I have to fight them along the way... Takes much more effort to get the sustain and tone out of them... I feel like they would be better for a jazz player... The bridge pickup is livable, but the neck pickup I feel like was a an afterthought entirely... Fender has to realize that there are many players who live in the neck pickup zone... Not every player is going to sit on the bridge pickup playing Chet Atkins... I need the rhythm pickup to be loud and deep. Then when the solo hits, kick it into the bridge and light the roof up.

 

[superjam144]

I just got the guitar back from Guitar center, and the mystery is solved. These are the right pickups. The original vintage pickups. The sound is fantastic, the notes sustain, and have deep beautiful tone.

The 90s Tele that I have most likely has OV's in it.

 

[bluzkat]

Glad you found some pickups you like. I didn't care for the V-Mods either. I have two Am Pro Telecasters... one recieved a set of AV 64s, the other a set of Fralin Split Blades. Never liked the Fat 50s they put in Strats, but that's another story.