Pickups for a fat Tele build?

[TimmyPage]

As I mentioned previously, I'm getting together the parts for a project guitar with my dad. Here's the deal:

Swamp Ash Body (Binding)
Maple Neck
Ebony Fretboard (I've tried a bunch of guitars now.. and frankly any extra brightness is definitely worth it for the feel of the fretboard)

Also with the brightness, I rarely play with the tone knob above 3 or 4, so extra clarity in the body woods and pickups always adds a little upper brightness to that without getting a sharp attack. It's a fat tele, so a stock tele bridge pickup and a humbucker for the neck are required. It'll be strung up likely with 11's with a wound G string.

I play almost exclusively Jazz.. the bridge pickup will be pulled out for a Bill Frissel impression every once in a while, and I'd likely use it for a rock or pop gig that I get hired for once in a blue moon. One of my guitar heroes is Ed Bickert who used a fat tele with a PAF for most of his career, and one of my teachers who again uses a fat tele with a SD Jazz in the neck and gets a great jazz sound for it.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

-Timothy

 

[marcello252]

Re: Pickups for a fat Tele build?

SD vintage broadcaster in the bridge, some A2 pickup for the neck, sd alnico pro or a seth lover for example

 

[AlexR]

Re: Pickups for a fat Tele build?

JD for the bridge. Has a singing quality to it

Seth, A2P, PG, etc for neck. Lotsa choices here

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Pickups for a fat Tele build?

i'd be interested to see how the JD or 5/2 worked for that purpose, more than the broadcaster or twang king; they might be a bit much

consider a stag mag or demon for the neck, they're surprisingly good tele neck pickups IMO

have you considered a p-rails or phat cat?

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Pickups for a fat Tele build?

When I my Tele was fatter, I had the JazzN and a Lil59.
If I had to fatten it up again, I'd probably go with a A2P, and a JD.
The JazzN was cool, but a bit too clear and sterile for my tastes. The Lil59 is a great pickup, but I do prefer that pure Tele bridge tone.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Pickups for a fat Tele build?

Before I Esquire'd my Tele, I had an APHn/STL-2 tapped combo. I used a pair of push pulls to split the neck and to activate the tap on the bridge. I got a huge range of tones from this guitar. Everything from traditional tele tones to hard rock and even a decent jazz box impersonation from the neck. It probably won't be as big sounding or as throaty as your jazz box, but if you have to cover almost everything with one axe, this set would do it.