What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

[matt99camero]

I am looking into the SD Broadcaster or Hot Tele. Any others I should look in to?

[Benjy_26]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

Jeryy Donahue hasw always sounded good in my Tele. Another thing to keep in mind: Brent Mason uses the Duncan Vintage stack for tele.

[Twang Man]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

The STK-3B Vintage Tele Lead Stack. I believe that will give you that Brent Mason sound. Brent Mason is probably heard on more of the newer country albums than just about anyone. I think the neck version is the STK-3R Vintage Rythm Stack. My personal favorite is the Antiquity but I wouldn't call it a modern sound.

[Benjy_26]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

Actuallu Mr. Mason ses up his tele with the Vintage Tele stack lead, Strat Hot stack in the mid, and a Gibson LP Deluxe mini 'bucker at the neck, according to an old article in Guitar Player Magazine.

[matt99camero]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

Ok now I'm torn between a couple of them after listening to them. The Jerry Donahue and The Vintage Lead Stack. I know your sound depends on other factors too, but do you think I could pull off the Keith Urban tone with either of these. I am not going to play this clean very much I like a little something behide it like Keith uses. I'm still trying to pay off my two new guitars and have enough money left for one pickup so I want to make sure I am going to get one I am happy with. I'm sure either of these will be an improvement over the stock tele pickups.

[Jonny R]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

Wasn't Brent Mason using the 5-2 Nashville Studio ones?

May have changed I guess...

[dr.barlo]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

And I thought he used A2p's!

B

[Kelsey]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

According to threads at the TDPRI and info on his Valley Arts Signature model, he uses the vintage stack lead, some sort of strat stack (classic?) in the middle, and a Gibson LP style minihumbucker at the neck. I suspect that he had to cut down the SC hum for the studio and thus dropped the 5-2 in favor of the stack at the bridge. I'm not sure what Urban uses, but I have heard it is a noiseless pup (perhaps an EMG).

I would thing the JD lead would work well in any case, unless you need a noiseless pup.

[BS123]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

Evan can chime in here because he knows all the details. Brent mentions the 5-2 (Formerly Nashville Studio) in his Hot Licks video. I then found he had started using the Vintage Stack because he needed something quiet. I spent a few years trying to emulate his tone. The truth is you can only get so close. Without sounding esoteric, you need to be Brent Mason to get his tone. I like the tone I get using a JD, Alnico 2 Pro, Nocaster, or any other vintage type pickup. I did own a Vintage Stack at one time. It is a very nice pickup, but I love the JD and Nocaster pickups.

[matt99camero]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

So what is your opinion on the difference between the two?

[Twang Man]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

The fact probably is that Brent has some guitars with Vintage Lead stacks in the bridge and others with 5-2's since he no doubt has several guitars. From what I've heard his main guitar is the Tele with 3 pups, a SD Vintage Tele Stack in the bridge, a Strat Hot Stack in the middle and the Gibson Mini-humbucker in the neck. If my ear isn't lying to me it sounds like what I'm hearing on his playing the most is the Vintage Lead Stack. I don't know what Keith Urban uses in his Tele.

You may have to be more specific than just "Newer Country Music". What is the main tone you are after. Be specific about the artist and song. To me the Vintage Lead Stack sounds sort of Vintage in that its not real thick, but it sounds like it has more sizzle than vintage and it does still have plenty of highs. To me the extra sizzle seems to blanket some of the finger mojo and guitar wood characteristics that the Antiquity lets come through better.

When you say Newer Country Music, I've noticed there are a lot of Les Pauls being used these days in Country music, (Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Montgomery Gentry, etc), so I don't know if the Lil 59 for Tele lead would be something you would consider or not but its supposed to make a Tele sound more like a PAF Gibson tone but with better twang and better clean tones than a full size humbucker.

Keep on posting bro and listening to sound clips and maybe you can figure out which pups are best for your Tele. Even if you don't get it right the fisrt time, there's a 21 day exchange policy on SD pups, but I'm not sure if that goes for the Antiquitys but they probably aint what U want anyway.

[Twang Man]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

Someone posted the message below on another guitar forum, for what it's worth.

Quote:
"Brent Mason's well known '68 Tele has a SD Five-Two in the bridge, a SD Hot
Stack in the middle with one coil disconnected and a Gibson mini-humbucker
in the neck position. He has an extra volume pot for the middle pickup which
he usually bleeds in with the bridge pickup for his signature sound. This
guitar also has a Joe Glaser B-bender installed.

I'm not sure how much Brent uses his Valley Arts signature models, but those
got SD Classic Tele Stack bridge, SD Hot Strat Stack in the middle and a
Gibson mini-humbucker in the neck. They have master volume, middle pickup
volume and master tone with mid pickup push-pull coil tap pots.
It's a very personal set up that works for Brent, but I'm not sure I would
care for some of these extras myself because the coil taps and pickup blends
will give you drastic volume variations. Probably best suited for studio
work altogether, not for live cats like me."

[matt99camero]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

Twang Man are you familiar with Keith. To me on his In The Ranch cd he had a more clean twangy tone and did more chicken picken stuff on it. Then like on Golden Road he is using more country mixed with rock licks with more effects and a little less twang to it. I know he used the same guitar on all his cd's. So I guess I'm looking for something that can go from clean and twangy to something more rockish but you still know it's country(if that makes any sense).

[matt99camero]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

Twang I think you were posting at the same time I was so I wanted you to see my post above.

[Twang Man]

Re: What's the best tele pickup for newer country music

Yes I read your post above.
My daughter has the Golden Road CD and I am listening to it now and considering what you said about wanting to get a clean twangy tone and a good Country Rock tone too. Sounds like you are after the same tone I am. I think you might actually want a vintage style pup. Just because a pup is vintage doesn't mean it can't rock, although it may not be good for Metal, but that's not what you want to play so then that's not a consideration.
In Vintage pups it depends on how much brightness you want. I don't think the JD is the sound you are after. Keith's tone doesn't sound like the JD to me. I'm hearing a thinner, barkier, glassier, less quacky and more brighter tone with tight bass in his sound. It sounds like Alnico V magnets to me. I think the Tele Antiquity II or Vintage 54 might be the tone for you since they have Alnico V magnets and have a good tight bass. The JD sounds like it has more fatness, a spongier bass and more airy highs than the tone I hear on Keith's music.

This is just my own personal opinion. Sometimes its difficult to tell between a vintage pup that is played with a lot of overdrive and a slightly hotter than vintage pup played with a little less overdrive. Also a dark pickup played through an amp that is bright or with the treble turned up, may sound similar to a bright pickup played through a dark amp or with the treble rolled off. Also a Compressor may make an Alnico V magnet pup sound a little more like an Alnico II magnet pup in some cases. Not knowing what amp Keith is playing through or his amp settings, you can't base your decision just off of what I say. Sometimes its just a matter of matching the pup with the guitar or amp your using.

I hope I haven't confused you, but I'm one of these guys that tries to consider every possible angle.


SD Pups I've tried:
I have tried the Antiquity 1's, Vintage 54's, 5-2's, Vintage Lead Stack in Tele's
and Alnico Pro's, SSL-1's and 5-2's in Strats, so I am basing my comments off of the pups I've tried plus the sound files I have listended to on the web.