Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Johnny Nightslayer

Johnny Nightslayer

New member
Hi all,

Well, my names John and I'm new around here. I have a Fender Standard Telecaster with stock pickups. I'm not sure what year the guitar is. I've just recently become interested in putting new pickups in it. I've been on this site pretty much all day. :)

I like all styles of music, though I tend to shy away from country and I favor classic rock and Guns N' Roses style hard rock.

I don't know if its possible, but I'd love to get a tone similar to Slash's from my Telecaster. I'm not saying I want to sound like Slash, I just mean in the ball park of that kind of tone. I'm not sure if this is what you would call it, but to me its a warm tone with screaming highs. I know Slash uses APH-1s? I don't think those would work in a telecaster though, I would have to cut the body to make them fit?

I was looking at the 59er humbucker for the bridge, and I'm not sure about the neck, maybe the Alnico II Pro rhythm. I have no idea if this would get me the right tone though. I did listen to the audio samples and liked those two as opposed to others.

Anyway, many thanks to any help or advice.

-John
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Welcome to the forum John! If you want to just drop something in w/o routing or modifying, I would think that the lil 59 in the bridge would work very well for the music you describe. While not an APH-1, it would be in the ballpark for covering your styles. I don't have a suggestion in the SD line for the neck; my favorite neck pup in a Tele is A Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Neck. It drops right in, and, to me, it has a sound similar to a mini humbucker. It is a hum free pup, also. One of the few times I'd pick a DM over an SD...
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Thanks for the reply!

I was looking at the DM website too. I liked the tone from the Virtual Hot T DP413, but I'm not sure about the quality of DM pickups.
I think that at this point I'm debating between the DM Hot T and the SD 59.
For the neck I was looking at the DM Area T DP 417, but I have no idea how that and the SD 59 would interact. Any advice?
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

I've used DM pups, and they worked fine. I think that the SD lil 59 would get you way closer to the sound that you indicate that you are looking for. I've used the DM VVT bridge, which is less output than the Hot model, and, according to a guy at DM, the Hot model is just a bit louder and thicker than the regular DM VVT bridge. Going by that, I can't see it being a better choice than the lil 59 for classic/hard rock. Not that you couldn't do it.

I have no experience w/the DM Area pup you mention. I know the DM VVT Neck would balance well w/the SD lil 59.
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Hi John and welcome.

My only guitar without SD's is my Tele. I have Harmonic Design pups in mine. The bridge is a Super 90 supposedly wound to sound like a P-90 and the bridge is an 'Esquire' pickup in black so on a 'blackguard Tele' it'll look like an Esquire from a distance. Anyhow, nothing I've heard compares to them and they'll give my Les Paul with a Duncan Distortion and Duncan Jazz a sweat!

Check em out.

http:www.myspace.com/micpesaturo
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

I may go with the 59 then, although the Harmonic Design Super 90 sounds promising. I wonder what that with a DM neck pickup would sound like.

Theres a HD Super 90 on ebay right now...I probably won't bid on it though. It ends in a day and I don't think I can decide by then. :)

Wow, there are so many possibilties! :bigeyes:
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

If the Super 90 is a P90 type pup, I'd guess that it would balance well w/the DM. I've heard the DM VVT neck work well w/vintage style bridge pups (SD Broadcaster), and a somewhat hotter Tele bridge pup (DM Chopper T).

Right about possibilities! I know I'm really pushing this particular neck pup, but, while I've heard a few, there are quite a few more that I'm not familiar with.

Ever think about routing the neck position for a full size HBer? You'd have quite a few more choices!:jester:
 
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Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

I have no idea how to route it for a full size Humbucker...I did debate it though. I would love to put a APH-1 in there. :) Knowing me I would destroy the guitar trying. :18:
Can you give me a song example of what P-90 sounds like? Just a normal Les Paul?
I am leaning twoards the Super 90 with a DM neck. Although I'll just start with the bridge pickup. I don't have enough money for both :P I'm gonna have to sell some stuff...
Basically I want to be able to get GnR style distortion while still being able to do warm toned solos with screaming highs. I think the above combo would work well?
Although its not going to affect the tone, I'm going to replace the white pickguard with a pearl one. I think it will look sweet with the brown sunburst body.

Hehe, sorry for so many questions.
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Leslie West of Mountain was famous for P90 use back in the day. Mississippi Queen is a song that should be found easily. Because P90s, and the Super 90 also, are single coils you'll have some buzz through your amp, especially at higher gain settings; some people find that annoying. Would it be better as a bridge pup than the lil 59? I don't know. They would both do the job. Of the two, the lil 59 is a bit closer to the Slash set up. But you can rock w/a P90 style too!

As far as routing goes, a reputable tech should be able to do it for a reasonable price.
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Hmmmm, I'll look around for someone who could route two APH-1s into the Telecaster. I bet that would get the tone I'm after.

Does Slash use APH-1s, or a custom version of the APH-1s? I thought I read that his were different from the normal ones that you can buy.
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

According to the SD website (Artists, on the homepage), he uses APH-1 pups. You might want to ask someone at SD if they're custom or stock..

You can buy a Tele bridge that fits a full size HB pup. I've seen them sold by Stew Mac, although they don't have any listed on their website at the moment. I left the add for them if you want to ask them about it. I imagine they must be available somewhere.

http://www.stewmac.com/

One good thing about a Tele, or a Strat, for that matter: Your routing mod is reversable, if you decide you want to go back to the Tele sound. A new pickguard and a new bridge, and all you've lost is a small amount of wood. Just make sure you're not doing this to some sort of vintage model Tele that is worth serious money; you would lose significant value even if you 'reversed' the mod.
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Thanks again for all your help, thucydides. :)

I'm about to e-mail SD with the APH-1 question.


One of my friends knows a guy who has been building guitars for years...I'm sure he will know how to route it for a full size Humbucker. Hopefully it won't be too expensive.
 
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Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

I found this:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Custom-Shop-Parts-Hot-Rod-Telecaster-Bridge-?sku=360580

Ouch...I didn't realize a bridge would cost this much. I think I'll end up spending more money on the mods then on the actual guitar! My friend who I got the tele from gave me a good price, 250$. I have a feeling I'm going to be spending about that much. 108$ for a single APH-1, 70$ for a bridge, and 35$ for a new pickguard. I think it will be worth it though.
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

I don't think you can get a Tele single coil to sound much like a full size humbucker without a booster of some kind. I used to plug my '54 Tele into a Boss DS-1 and the pedal into one of my smaller tweed Fender amps (like a 5e3 Deluce) and just turn the amp up to get humbuckerish tones. The Duncan Pickup Booster would help...or a Boss DS-1. The Duncan Jerry Donahue Tele lead has a smooth, thick, midrange laden tone...the Duncan Antiquity I alnico 2 might be a good choice too. But you'll need a booster to fatten and thicken up the tone and a cranked tube amp to push the sound of your Tele into "paf in a Les Paul" territory.

Lew
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Hi Lewguitar, thanks for the input.

I am a little confused though...Are you saying I can't get the stock pickup to sound like a Humbucker without a DS-1 or a different booster? Or that even if I got a APH-1 HB in the bridge I would still need a booster?

I do have a DS-1 which I use with the Tele right now.
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

I would consider the Pickup booster... I love teles. If u get the APH1 you wont need the booster .
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Too bad they have that 'flame' on that bridge...
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Yeah, I didn't really like the flames...

Thanks MixedMedia, I'll definitely be getting the bridge from ebay.

I should see how much an APH-1 is on ebay too...
 
Re: Advice on pickups for a Telecaster

Johnny Nightslayer said:
Hi Lewguitar, thanks for the input.

I am a little confused though...Are you saying I can't get the stock pickup to sound like a Humbucker without a DS-1 or a different booster? Or that even if I got a APH-1 HB in the bridge I would still need a booster?

I do have a DS-1 which I use with the Tele right now.
Click to expand...

If you put a true, full size humbucker in your guitar, that should do the trick...it did for Eddie Van Halen, who was trying to sound like Eric Clapton's Cream and Bluesbreakers tone when Eric played humbuckers through a Marshall. But if you were to retain your stock single coil pickups or go to a little hotter single coil pickup set, you still might need a booster to get close to the tone of a full size humbucker.

Lew
 
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