Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

[axiseffects]

A while back I installed a pair of new pickups in my MIM Tele...a Quarter Pound in the neck and a Little '59 humbucker in the bridge, but I've noticed that the Quarter Pound is a little too muddy/dark sounding for my taste, especially when compared to the Little '59, which has a nice treble bite.

So, which Telecaster neck pickup do you guys think match the Little '59? I need a nice treble bite, and a fairly hot output. I was looking at the Hot Rhythm (STR-2), but does it have the treble response that I'm looking for?

My rig is pretty much all Fender-based, playing a Telecaster, and amplifying with a '94 "Evil Twin" amp, so I really like to keep all the treble response there so that it really cuts through.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!
Phillip

 

[axiseffects]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

Hmm now that I think about it, the control pots in my Tele are still 250KA, and the tone capacitor is a 0.047µF. Do you guys think I should replace the pots with 500KA and the tone capacitor with a 0.022µF? That Quarter Pound does have enough output to put it in the same class with most humbuckers, and the bridge pickup is already a humbucker, so I'm thinking that the pots and tone cap might need to be changed to match... That might solve the excessive muddy/bassy problems with the neck pickup.

The Little '59 is always nice and crisp, but any switching combination with the neck pickup has a very pronounced "muddiness" that's very hard to dial out.

Phillip

 

[tone4days]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

have you tried lowering the neck pup height? especially on the bass side?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

I had real problems with my neck pup...everyone told me"get a bucker", "get a mini-bucker", "strat pick-up" I wanted to keep a Tele pick-up...after a lot of trying I settled on a Custom Shop Duncan...It's very close to a Vintage Tele Rhythm. The Vintage Tele Rhythe is what I put in all my Tele's now. It's a killer pup.

Good luck

The guy who invented fire

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

Tele size neck pickups with decent output and great tone are a real challenge to build...they're so little it's hard to wind enough wire around one to make a good one.

And if they have a cover over the polepieces it mutes the highs and results in a muffled tone. Which is why so many vintage Teles have been devalued by routing them out for another neck pickup.

Some of the best would include the Duncan Custom Shop Tele ala Strat (I have one MJ made me) and the Lindy Fralin Blues Special Tele neck.

Never tried either with a Little 59 tho.

 

[axiseffects]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

Yep I've lowered the pickup a few times to try to improve things, but it only helps very slightly. The SD description of the Quarter Pound says it has great treble bite, but I definitely haven't been able to get that treble bite out of it, which is why I was thinking that the pots and capacitors might need to be changed to the humbucker values...500KA and 0.022uF.

Phillip

 

[pencil-in]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

Hmmm... I was thinking of 'quarter-pounding' my Nashville Tele neck and middle positions, also combined with a lil '59 bridge.

muddy you say?

I wanted to do this to get away from the awful microphonic feedback I've been getting with stock pickups.

a bit off-topic... nevertheless, you've helped me.

would changing cap values not mess up the bridge tone that you're happy with?

P

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

This is why I wonder why Seymour Duncan at some point decided to cover the neck Quarter Pounder. In the early 80's the neck QP was an uncovered tele neck pickup with those oversized poles. Too bad they still didn't make them like this now.

 

[marianos]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

hi, I'm new to the forum, so I can't post any new threads (or perhaps i just don't know how!), but I'm wondering if you guys could help me ID a pickup...the only catch is that I don't have any possible way to tell what kind it is since It doesn't have any labels or stickers...
Is the DC measuring the only way??

PS:sorry I barged in..!

PS2:ALL teles are amazing!

 

[scottish]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

i would highly advise trying one of these http://store.guitarfetish.com/alfaovpotene.html

 

[scottish]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

hi, I'm new to the forum, so I can't post any new threads (or perhaps i just don't know how!), but I'm wondering if you guys could help me ID a pickup...the only catch is that I don't have any possible way to tell what kind it is since It doesn't have any labels or stickers...
Is the DC measuring the only way.

PS:sorry I barged in..!

PS2:all teles are amazing!

is it a duncan pickup? if so then a picture and a dc reading might help. If you dont even know whether its SD or not...then unless its unique looking i would say you are out of luck.

 

[marianos]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

yep, it's a Seymour, a former friend of mine got it about ten years or so ago, then I got it, he wasn't able to install it, and i got a new tele so I left the pup to sit on a drawer.
my friend had a Jackson RR, so I think it might be an JB tb4, and probably he couldn't get it to fit because it was a MI korea model and those are fitted with the "S" kin of SDs

cant' seem to be able to upload an image tho...

 

[marianos]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

here's some pics

 

[viewaskew2k5]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

hmmmm i know you probably want covered...but why not just try a twang banger! (if it will fit) Or you can get a Custom Shop strat neck covered

 

[jeremy]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

i would not suggest a twangbanger in the neck. i have one in a strat and love it in the bridge but i cant imagine it would be that good a neck pup.

Yep I've lowered the pickup a few times to try to improve things, but it only helps very slightly. The SD description of the Quarter Pound says it has great treble bite, but I definitely haven't been able to get that treble bite out of it, which is why I was thinking that the pots and capacitors might need to be changed to the humbucker values...500KA and 0.022uF.

Phillip

how do you feel about taking the cover off the neck pup? i bet that would change things enough that you wouldnt need to do anything else. youd need to be careful doing it of course and should wrap the coil with cloth tape or something to protect it.

yep, it's a Seymour, a former friend of mine got it about ten years or so ago, then I got it, he wasn't able to install it, and i got a new tele so I left the pup to sit on a drawer.
my friend had a Jackson RR, so I think it might be an JB tb4, and probably he couldn't get it to fit because it was a MI korea model and those are fitted with the "S" kin of SDs

cant' seem to be able to upload an image tho...

could be a jb, if you get a resistance reading we can narrow it down for ya

 

[marianos]

Re: Advise for Tele Neck Pickup

I've been busy this week, but yes, I'm getting a reading asap, most likely tomorrow.
THANK YOU ALL GUYS!
AND AGAIN axiseffects I APOLOGIZE FOR THE GUERRILLA-ISH POST!!!