Tele pickup question...suggestions?

[Push to Shuv]

Yesterday i was in guitar center and i played a Fender 50's Tele. I loved the sounds i got out of it through a JCM 800 (i have a JCM 800 at home here, i played that amp to see what that tele would sound like through mine.). I was wondering what pickup you would recommend to get that same tone from my fender tele, which currently has no lead pickup at all. I was thinking maybe the Vintage '54? HELP PLEASE I am ordering today!

[mrfjones]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

well i have two of those teles and i think the vintage 54 would be a nice upgrade but i think a broadcaster pickup would sound better, I would get one of three sets to get that sound. the broadcaster with a 54 neck, a 54 set, or the antiquity set. I have the antiquities in mine and i won't be changing them.

[Push to Shuv]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

thank you for the help. I ordered a Vintage '54 lead tonight from Blackrose Customs. I am very anxious to get it! This is my first Telecaster and i got it for free because i rebuilt my friends Strat and he doesnt like Teles. It needed all new tuning pegs and electronics minus the neck pickup, I have fixed it up and the only thing i am waiting on is the new lead pickup.

[mrfjones]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

fair warning: you may have a phase issue with the duncan and the stock neck pickup. just reverse the wires on the neck pickup, do not reverse the wires on the duncan because then you would be running the hot through the baseplate and it will sound very bad if it makes any sound at all.

hope you like the 54

[Push to Shuv]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

thanks for the heads up. Actually i dont like tele neck pickups and i rewired it so that the neck pickup and the switch are not functional. I really do appreciate the warning though.

[mrfjones]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

just get a new guard and take the neck pickup out, it will sound different in a very good way. From what i hear the bridge will be a bit more responsive without the added string pull from the neck pickups magnets.

an esquire is something i would love to have, or make one of my teles into.

[StrykeBack]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

is the bridge pickup where the tele gets all that gorgeous chime...like coldplay?

After seeing their band live i want to get a G&L tele, er um, ASAT. Not sure though which are better, the larger G&L pickups, or the older standard smaller pickups or the humbucker in the neck and normal one in the bridge (i think its called a bluesboy)

[mrfjones]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

is the bridge pickup where the tele gets all that gorgeous chime...like coldplay?

After seeing their band live i want to get a G&L tele, er um, ASAT. Not sure though which are better, the larger G&L pickups, or the older standard smaller pickups or the humbucker in the neck and normal one in the bridge (i think its called a bluesboy)

if you want a g&l then the bluesboy would do a wonderfully with coldplay. A lot of their teles have a humbucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge. an added bonus with the bluesboy is that it comes stock with an sh55 (seth lover) humbucker. If it came with the old style 3 barrel bridge i would have gotten one insted of my last tele.

[Benjy_26]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

Take the cover off the stock pickup. It'll sound a bit more like a strat pickup and let you run your current pickguard until you get another one.

[BS123]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

Take the cover off the stock pickup. It'll sound a bit more like a strat pickup and let you run your current pickguard until you get another one.

That can be a good idea but you have to be very very careful. Many a player has ruined an otherwise perfectly good Tele neck pickup by trying to remove the cover.

[Push to Shuv]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

thanks for the advice guys! i am very excited to try this! Where could i get a pickguard like this?

[mrfjones]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

well your stock pickguard will work if you just want to take the cover off but since you have disconnected it you could take t out and get a pickguard from musicians friend or anywhere else they sell replacement guards, most fender dealers have them or you could also get one from www.callahamguitars.com

[Kelsey]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

Just pull out the neck pickup and leave the current pickguard, hole and all, to try the "Esquire" mod. You'll find out very quickly and cheaply whether it's to your liking. If you like it, then you can find a suitable Esquire pickguard. If you don't, then you can look for a good neck pickup (traditional Tele or otherwise with appropriate pickguard). It's a fun experiment, and I found that it made a subtle difference in bridge pickup tone, but I missed the neck pickup too much.

[Bludave]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

thanks for the heads up. Actually i dont like tele neck pickups and i rewired it so that the neck pickup and the switch are not functional. I really do appreciate the warning though.

You should really reconsider hooking up the neck pup. The neck and middle position combined on a Tele is one of the best rythum sounds I believe exists today. If you decide not to use the neck pup thats fine, but using the middle position is almost a must.
Consider Keith Richards without the middle position??
Albert Collins??
Roy Bucannen??
Steve Cropper??
These are some of the greatest TELE players of all time, and middle is where most of them did their rythum work!!

[Kelsey]

Re: Tele pickup question...suggestions?

Actually, for Roy Buchanan's early stuff the middle position was the neck pickup with tone control activated, not the combined position of modern Teles. I'm not sure about Cropper (although it sounds like the combined tone), but you are sure right about Richards and Collins -- although that's a humbucker neck pickup with a Tele bridge pickup in both cases. Like I said, I found that I lost more than I gained for the week I went "Esquire", but it's a cheap and easy experiment. You have to pull the neck pickup completely out of the guitar for the true test, but then you'll find out pretty quickly where your true Tele needs lie.