After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

[roice]

I have a LTD TE212, it's a cheap guitar, but it feels good and plays surprisingly well. It's a Tele shape but it sure doesn't sound like one. It has a humbucker in the neck and the usual tele style single coil at the bridge. Both pick-ups leave a lot to be desired, muddy humbucker and the single coil is so quiet in comparison. A change in pick-ups might make it a nice guitar. I would like the pick-ups to be similar in output levels and I generally play clean rock, but versatility across styles would be good. Any suggestions?

Thanks
roice

 

[Chistopher]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

A 59n and a Quarter Pound bridge would sound nice together. The QP is designed to sound like a P90 and when tapped can go back to a (more) traditional Tele tone.

When the neck is in humbucking mode and the bridge is at full output it would make an excellent rock machine, then you can split the neck and tap the bridge to get better cleans and more conservative levels of output.

 

[TVFV]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

Well, would you rather have more of a single coil sound or humbucker sound?

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[Mincer]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

Welcome to the forum!

For clean rock, a Jazz or Seth Lover neck pickup would be great. For the Tele pickup, look at the Jerry Donahue. These pickups should balance well, too.

 

[roice]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

Well, would you rather have more of a single coil sound or humbucker sound?

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Humbucker I think.

 

[TVFV]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

Humbucker I think.

59 neck and a Lil 59 in the bridge would be my suggestion. Also look at the DiMarzio Chopper T for the bridge.

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[roice]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

Thanks for the responses, gives me a good starting point.

 

[Synapsys]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

This is my modded ESP LTD TE-212.

I had installed a STK-T2b (Hot Lead Stack) and an APH-1n (Alnico II Pro), a Les Paul three-way position switch, and individual switches for each pickup for Series / Parallel / Split wiring. Some magic on the pots, allowing to select between 500k or 250k, depending whether in series or split, to try and catch some classic tones.

The Stack still gives a Tele character, although a modern one. Handles high gain very well. A2Pro is a dream on the neck, liquid solos just pour out, and parallel and split gives very usable tones, mainly in clean/ breakup.

Also a racing stripe for some Hot Rod look. Added Planet Waves Auto Trim locking tuners, Dunlop straplocks, a Graphtech TUSQ nut, and a string roller.Bridge is an ABR six-string made of brass, really help with sustain.

Some eye candy for you, as follows. I'm terrible at photography, BTW..

Before mods:

View attachment 64509

After mods:

View attachment 64510

View attachment 64511

View attachment 64512

View attachment 64513

 

[roice]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

This is my modded ESP LTD TE-212.

I had installed a STK-T2b (Hot Lead Stack) and an APH-1n (Alnico II Pro), a Les Paul three-way position switch, and individual switches for each pickup for Series / Parallel / Split wiring. Some magic on the pots, allowing to select between 500k or 250k, depending whether in series or split, to try and catch some classic tones.

The Stack still gives a Tele character, although a modern one. Handles high gain very well. A2Pro is a dream on the neck, liquid solos just pour out, and parallel and split gives very usable tones, mainly in clean/ breakup.

Also a racing stripe for some Hot Rod look. Added Planet Waves Auto Trim locking tuners, Dunlop straplocks, a Graphtech TUSQ nut, and a string roller.Bridge is an ABR six-string made of brass, really help with sustain.

Some eye candy for you, as follows. I'm terrible at photography, BTW..

Before mods:

View attachment 64509

After mods:

View attachment 64510

View attachment 64511

View attachment 64512

View attachment 64513

Wow! that is impressive.

 

[Synapsys]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

Thanks! It's of the cheapest guitars I own,and yet one of,the best sounding. Got it cheap new here in Europe, for around 200 bucks, and it's an awesome modding platform.

Hope yours get the tones you're looking for!

 

[Chistopher]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

This is my modded ESP LTD TE-212.

I had installed a STK-T2b (Hot Lead Stack) and an APH-1n (Alnico II Pro), a Les Paul three-way position switch, and individual switches for each pickup for Series / Parallel / Split wiring. Some magic on the pots, allowing to select between 500k or 250k, depending whether in series or split, to try and catch some classic tones.

The Stack still gives a Tele character, although a modern one. Handles high gain very well. A2Pro is a dream on the neck, liquid solos just pour out, and parallel and split gives very usable tones, mainly in clean/ breakup.

Also a racing stripe for some Hot Rod look. Added Planet Waves Auto Trim locking tuners, Dunlop straplocks, a Graphtech TUSQ nut, and a string roller.Bridge is an ABR six-string made of brass, really help with sustain.

Some eye candy for you, as follows. I'm terrible at photography, BTW..

Before mods:

View attachment 64509

After mods:

View attachment 64510

View attachment 64511

View attachment 64512

View attachment 64513

Ya know, there's a contest about this very type of thing going on right now.

 

[Synapsys]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

Ya know, there's a contest about this very type of thing going on right now.

The rules say all work must be done by entrant, and my tech did all the work... I just told him what I wanted.

 

[chadd]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

I really like the Antiquity tele bridge pickup, sounds great in my old thinline. Paired with a Seth or something like that in the neck, I would be in heaven. For low cash, those LTDs are great guitars, I have one of the ST203s that I leave laying around so I don't have to pull something out of a case or worry about damaging it.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: After suggestions for new pickups for a LTD

Just a thought, maybe go Phat Cat in the neck with a Vintage Broadcaster in the Bridge or P-Rails in the neck with a Vintage Hot Stack in the Bridge. These would be versatile for your “Clean Rock” and should liven up that Tele a lot.

Btw, have loved the LTDs that I’ve owned—great guitars for the price IMO.