Pickup selection for baritone tele.

[skinslapper]

Hey guys,

I'm planning to build a baritone, thinline telecaster with a scale of approximately 28.6 inches, with a mahogany body and an all maple neck, tuning down to around low f#.

I play alt hard rock, metal and blues and I'd like this guitar to be pretty versatile.

I'm thinking sh-6 in the bridge for the metal, gent-ish tones and high end clarity and a gold, quarter pounder lipstick in the neck for some jazzy, bluesy, muddy kinda sounds.

I'd also like to mod the control panel to allow for more volume blending. I'm thinking maybe 2 volume knobs with push pull tone adjustment?

What do y'all think of this setup? Any other ideas would be appreciated.

[Phil Gerke]

Re: Pickup selection for baritone tele.

So I built up a tele baritone for my buddy about a year ago. Originally I had an SH5 Custom in the bridge and a 59 in the neck. Loved the 59 in the neck, hated the custom. So I got my hands on a Trembucker 59 and whipped up a Hybrid for the bridge. I am happy to report that sound was what the doctor ordered. My friend plays fairly heavy music, though not metal by any means. The Custom was just too thin and nasally I thought. The Hybrid with the A5's was perfect, enough output and a more musical tone in my (and more importantly my buddies) opinion. I have since read that higher output pickups are not great for baritones and I would be inclined to agree now. Baritones have a complex tone and I think approaching it trying to reproduce it somewhat naturally or at the very least as dynamically as possible yields the best results. To me it should sound big and full, but again, that's me. Also, F# is down there I really think a ceramic pickup with a thin gauge wire is just going to disappoint.

As far as the tone curcuit why not just do two concentric pots with volume and tone on each with a simple 3 way switch? Basically the same control a Les Paul affords and it would all fit in the tele cavity on a stock plate.

Let us know how it comes together.

Phil

[skinslapper]

Re: Pickup selection for baritone tele.

Thanks a heap for your input Phil. I've heard a few people say that low outputs are the way to go and I'm thinking this might a goer. It's a shame I can't find any recordings to of metal baritone with vintage humbuckers to gauge the tone.

About the neck, I'm pretty firm on using a lipstick single, which do you think would be a good replacement for the 59? Alnico pro ii, rhythm, lead, five two perhaps?

Also with 4 pots and a switch won't the control plate get a little crowded?

Thanks again.

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Pickup selection for baritone tele.

i would look at the Custom/59 hybrid......I've always felt the quarter pounder is a can't miss in any tele......

[Phil Gerke]

Re: Pickup selection for baritone tele.

You know I'm really not very experienced with Tele neck pickups, though if I were in your shoes I'd probably go with one of those 52's or that Alinico II sounds good as well.

I think you can fit two stacked pots in a tele cavity, I'm thinking its deep enough. I'll measure when I get a second. You wouldn't actually have 4 pots, just two stacked ones. Know what I'm sayin?

Yeah, its kinda hard to find good examples of baritones. There are plenty of guys using baritone 7 and 8 strings which makes sense, but 6's a little less common. There is some baritone stuff on Metallica's St. Anger, also Pete from Chevelle is known to use one though I can't pin point exactly where.

If you are feeling experimental and have the time and inclination, get your hands on a used 59 bridge and a used Custom Bride, try them both independently, then do some surgery and make your own 59/Custom and slap that in there.

Good luck man!

[skinslapper]

Re: Pickup selection for baritone tele.

Yes, sorry I figured out the concentric pot business and yeah that does sound like a good idea. Thanks

Also I found this video http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=ryzie8mham8 and yeah I'm thinking the hybrid is the way to go and perhaps the Alnico ii for the smooth lipstick.

[daniels dad]

Re: Pickup selection for baritone tele.

Hi Guys;
the concentric pots sound good but you may have to rout the cavity a little deeper.
Try looking at mini pots. I am working on a Mansefield Tele copy.
Went to swap the 3 way toggle for a 4 way lever(Neck, Parallel, series, bridge).
Got the new plate only to find out that it did not have a hole for the input jack. Mine was not through the body.
AS I was planning on using mini pots that I had, I just drilled another hole between the 2 on the plate.
It worked nicely and the mini pots are not as deep.
Just a thought to pass on.
Good hunting