ToneFiddler
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Bowtomecha
Active member
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
The Chopper doesn’t exactly retain a traditional tele bridge sound. It is pretty sweet though, especially with distortion. Relatively full and warm. I think the little 59 is a clearer pickup although I’ve only used it in a Strat style guitar. If you like Richie Kotzen’s sound then you’ll like the Chopper Tele. I think you should use 500k pots with it though.
The Chopper doesn’t exactly retain a traditional tele bridge sound. It is pretty sweet though, especially with distortion. Relatively full and warm. I think the little 59 is a clearer pickup although I’ve only used it in a Strat style guitar. If you like Richie Kotzen’s sound then you’ll like the Chopper Tele. I think you should use 500k pots with it though.
Bowtomecha
Active member
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
Never mind I see that you already are using the chopper lol. The little 59 sounds brighter and clearer it’s probably more what you need. Although I don’t know how it is with the tele bridge itself I can guess that it is a shade brighter than usual.
Never mind I see that you already are using the chopper lol. The little 59 sounds brighter and clearer it’s probably more what you need. Although I don’t know how it is with the tele bridge itself I can guess that it is a shade brighter than usual.
Teleplayer
Active member
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
I used both Chopper and Fast Track 1 in the bridge of the Strat, not in Tele. I found the Fast track 1 has a very balanced tone with less mid emphasis in the Strat application. Depending how you set the height you can still get some mids out of it, and it still has a hint of Dimarzio grind to the mids. From what you wrote the Fast track 1 is probably a step in the right direction. I have not tried the little 59 bridge pickup, but I have a feeling its going to be brighter than the Fast track 1.
I used both Chopper and Fast Track 1 in the bridge of the Strat, not in Tele. I found the Fast track 1 has a very balanced tone with less mid emphasis in the Strat application. Depending how you set the height you can still get some mids out of it, and it still has a hint of Dimarzio grind to the mids. From what you wrote the Fast track 1 is probably a step in the right direction. I have not tried the little 59 bridge pickup, but I have a feeling its going to be brighter than the Fast track 1.
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
I wish I would have seen this thread a month ago, I could have saved you some trouble and expense. All of those who recommended the Lil 59 as being bright and clear and just what you were looking for were wrong. What you are experiencing with your Lil 59 is exactly what I would have told you...warm, middy, smooth, and round. Not at all similar to it's scooped and bright big brother the full-sized 59.
But now that you've got it, there are a couple thing you can try which may save it. First, definitely use a 500k or 1 meg vol pot with a Lil 59. That will brighten it up somewhat. Another thing you can try is to wire the pup in parallel instead of series (instead of soldering the red and white wires together and taping them off, solder the red and black wires together and use as the lead, and solder the white and green wires together and use as your ground wire). Parallel wiring brightens up a pup considerably, reduces the mids a lot and slightly reduces the bass, and it reduces the output to give you a much clearer sound and when boosted will give you a more raw and cutting crunch).
If these mods don't give you what you want, then you could consider changing pups or doing the other mods you mentioned.
Oh, one question...is your bridge pup mounted in the Tele bridge plate or do you have a more conventional bridge and pup direct mounted to body?
I wish I would have seen this thread a month ago, I could have saved you some trouble and expense. All of those who recommended the Lil 59 as being bright and clear and just what you were looking for were wrong. What you are experiencing with your Lil 59 is exactly what I would have told you...warm, middy, smooth, and round. Not at all similar to it's scooped and bright big brother the full-sized 59.
But now that you've got it, there are a couple thing you can try which may save it. First, definitely use a 500k or 1 meg vol pot with a Lil 59. That will brighten it up somewhat. Another thing you can try is to wire the pup in parallel instead of series (instead of soldering the red and white wires together and taping them off, solder the red and black wires together and use as the lead, and solder the white and green wires together and use as your ground wire). Parallel wiring brightens up a pup considerably, reduces the mids a lot and slightly reduces the bass, and it reduces the output to give you a much clearer sound and when boosted will give you a more raw and cutting crunch).
If these mods don't give you what you want, then you could consider changing pups or doing the other mods you mentioned.
Oh, one question...is your bridge pup mounted in the Tele bridge plate or do you have a more conventional bridge and pup direct mounted to body?
Synapsys
Well-known member
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
My suggestion would by a Hot Stack Tele. If you don't mind the modern single large rail look, it's ane incredibly vesatile pickup. On my ESP LTD Tele clone I have it wired for series/parallel/split, paired with an A2Pro humbucker on the neck, wired the same. This Tele goes from classic Tele sounds (not 100% accurate, of course, but it gets me in the ballpark easily) to Death Metal with zero noise.
My suggestion would by a Hot Stack Tele. If you don't mind the modern single large rail look, it's ane incredibly vesatile pickup. On my ESP LTD Tele clone I have it wired for series/parallel/split, paired with an A2Pro humbucker on the neck, wired the same. This Tele goes from classic Tele sounds (not 100% accurate, of course, but it gets me in the ballpark easily) to Death Metal with zero noise.
elelpe
Well-known member
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
You won't get it from Fast Track. It's a loud noiseless single coil. And brighter than lil '59. Has it to be a humbucker? When people say teles being able to sound close to Lesters, they're talking about Broadcaster/Nocaster type pickup with output level on a par with PAF. Duncan doesn't have it, but they have much louder Quarter Pond which excel in distortion and punchy instead of crunchy.
You won't get it from Fast Track. It's a loud noiseless single coil. And brighter than lil '59. Has it to be a humbucker? When people say teles being able to sound close to Lesters, they're talking about Broadcaster/Nocaster type pickup with output level on a par with PAF. Duncan doesn't have it, but they have much louder Quarter Pond which excel in distortion and punchy instead of crunchy.
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
Chopper T with 500K pots and wired for series/split/parallel. I love it wired up that way when I had it in a Tele (sold the Tele body loaded, that's another story) and I have to say that configuration (it was the only pickup) was ridiculously versatile. Clean, light distortion, heavy distortion. You can't go wrong with it, IMO.
Chopper T with 500K pots and wired for series/split/parallel. I love it wired up that way when I had it in a Tele (sold the Tele body loaded, that's another story) and I have to say that configuration (it was the only pickup) was ridiculously versatile. Clean, light distortion, heavy distortion. You can't go wrong with it, IMO.
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
Well, no, not exactly. A 250k vol pot even with no tone pot is going to sound darker than a 500k vol pot with a 500k tone pot.
Well, no, not exactly. A 250k vol pot even with no tone pot is going to sound darker than a 500k vol pot with a 500k tone pot.
Techy Beccy
Member
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
Hey, have you popped the hood on your guitar - (meaning the scratch plate), to see what routing options you have under there!! Id stick a quarter pounder for strat in the neck! But yeah pop the pick gaurd off and see what your routing options are - you might be able to put anything from a full.sized HB to pretty much anything you want in there - and just get a new pickgaurd cut!
Hey, have you popped the hood on your guitar - (meaning the scratch plate), to see what routing options you have under there!! Id stick a quarter pounder for strat in the neck! But yeah pop the pick gaurd off and see what your routing options are - you might be able to put anything from a full.sized HB to pretty much anything you want in there - and just get a new pickgaurd cut!
KNUCKLHEAD
New member
Re: Chopper T vs lil 59 vs. Fast Track for Tele Bridge
ToneFiddler ~ This is how My main Tele IS and will STAY , Period. 500k with Chopper-T in Bridge ( but I do use a Twisted in Neck ) I Love the combination - my Gear Responds well to stuff . it's just wired standard 3-way
ToneFiddler ~ This is how My main Tele IS and will STAY , Period. 500k with Chopper-T in Bridge ( but I do use a Twisted in Neck ) I Love the combination - my Gear Responds well to stuff . it's just wired standard 3-way
KNUCKLHEAD
New member
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