Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had loaded one of the new MIM Cab's with better Tron style pickups yet & if so what they think about them? I ended up getting my Cabronita dirt cheap, brand new, & with a perfect setup! About half of what you would pay for the same guitar at G.C. or M.F.? I know a lot of guys were complaining about them, everything from finish imperfections to warped necks & frets that will spilt your hand open? Maybe I just got lucky but I love mine, or I at least love the look, playability, & feel anyhow??? In any case the Fideli'Tron pickups that come stock in it are a strange mixture of good & bad. They have a very nice single coil like sound to them while playing clean & hold up pretty well under a fair amount of gain, although some amp & E.Q. tweaking is necessary. The problem is they do a lot of things pretty well & nothing perfect? I thought something from the fabulous Mr. Jones would remedy this but I was hoping for a bit of feedback before pulling the trigger? Because of my insanely good deal, if I go with T.V. Jones pup's I'd be spending more on the pickups than I did on the guitar itself!!!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

I own a USA 2012 Tele-bration LCT and a Warmoth self-build. I have tried the MIM and Squier variants at my local Fender dealership. The comparison that I would draw is that the MIA guitars seem more "alive" than the budget versions. Some of this could be due to the woods. Some of it, in my opinion, is due to the pickups.

On a slight tangent, I have also tried a Gretsch Stump-o-matic. This comes with Fender/Gretsch 'Tron recreations. To my ears, something is lacking.

With a good American 'Tron type pickup, Jerry Donahue style string bending stunts come out sounding close enough to a Telecaster voicing that you can fool yourself into believing that you are hearing a traditional Tele. Other playing styles manage to come out sound like humbucker tones. (Remember, this is a guitar with no tone pot. Everything is in the player's hands.)

 

[philthis]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

I played the USA model tele with the tv jones, sounded great, basic and simple, expensive but cool tones from it. I have also played the cheaper mexican variant. The pickups are not as nice or pristine as the Tv Jones pickups but there not bad ether. I will say this......If you find a Mexican Tele with good sustain and a good neck I would say go for it. just make sure the sustain is there which means the wood is good before you spend the money but really if the wood is good then who cares just do it. I have thought about doing the same thing but also adding a bigsby trem for even more twang which I did see somewhere on youtube and it sounded good to me.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

I did buy the guitar, it was uncommonly well set up when I bought it too? The sustain is act. great too, or as good as any other Bolt??? I know people have been complaining about the MIM's & Squire Cab's since they came out but mine is awesome! I don't have any of the issues that other people had, the action is low & fast & the finish is perfect as well??? As far as the pickups go I've got this love hate thing going on with them. On one hand I think they are awesome because they are buckers that sound very single coil-ish, but on the other they don't handle any kind of gain very well without an EQ pedal to shape the sound? I'm just trying to fig. out if I should pull the trigger & buy some T.V. Jones pup's to replace them? I just don't want to lose that great S.C. sound I get out of them now!

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

I did buy the guitar, it was uncommonly well set up when I bought it too? The sustain is act. great too, or as good as any other Bolt??? I know people have been complaining about the MIM's & Squire Cab's since they came out but mine is awesome! I don't have any of the issues that other people had, the action is low & fast & the finish is perfect as well??? As far as the pickups go I've got this love hate thing going on with them. On one hand I think they are awesome because they are buckers that sound very single coil-ish, but on the other they don't handle any kind of gain very well without an EQ pedal to shape the sound? I'm just trying to fig. out if I should pull the trigger & buy some T.V. Jones pup's to replace them? I just don't want to lose that great S.C. sound I get out of them now!

A few to many TOO's in there, sorry!

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

Whilst I don't have a MIM cabronita tele, or experience of Fidelitron pickups, I have assembled a Tele project with a (sorry Mr Duncan) TV Jones Powertron plus in the bridge. Sounds awesome! Beefier than the typical filtertron, although i do find it is a very versatile model, nice and dynamic too. That said when it comes to heavy gain as you mention, specifically what are you aiming for? Furthermore, what is lacking in the current setup?

Personally I love how the powertron plus takes gain, although it is quite different to regular humbuckers in how it responds. All comes down to taste. Tron pickups do have a unique flavour, depending on what you are after I am not sure whether an upgrade will give the desired outcome. I would expect in general the TV Jones models are an improvement in quality over the stock MIM units, although depending on what you are after they may not take the tone in the direction you are after.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

A good compromise between TVJ Classic and Power'Tron models is the Classic Plus. (This is what I have in my Warmoth self-build. Mahogany body, seriously deep neck, rosewood fingerboard.) Kinda Esquire and LP Junior rolled into one.

If money is a worry, invest in a single TVJ for the bridge position.

When I chance upon a Fender MIM instrument that plays well, I tend to leave it set up pretty much as it stands. If you dig your MIM LCT, FFS do not add a Bigsby.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

Whilst I don't have a MIM cabronita tele, or experience of Fidelitron pickups, I have assembled a Tele project with a (sorry Mr Duncan) TV Jones Powertron plus in the bridge. Sounds awesome! Beefier than the typical filtertron, although i do find it is a very versatile model, nice and dynamic too. That said when it comes to heavy gain as you mention, specifically what are you aiming for? Furthermore, what is lacking in the current setup?

Personally I love how the powertron plus takes gain, although it is quite different to regular humbuckers in how it responds. All comes down to taste. Tron pickups do have a unique flavour, depending on what you are after I am not sure whether an upgrade will give the desired outcome. I would expect in general the TV Jones models are an improvement in quality over the stock MIM units, although depending on what you are after they may not take the tone in the direction you are after.

I don't really have any one style of playing so there's no one kind of gain that I'm looking for, if that makes sense? I was just playing & the last three songs were Jump In The Fire, Copperhead Road by Steve Earl, & then some Weezer into a Pearl Jam thing??? I play EVERYTHING so I'm just as likely to be playing Classic stuff like Zep & Sabbath as I'd be to playing Slow Blues or 90's Grunge? So if I want to play some Sepultura I'll use another guitar, I'm thinking the solution is going to be to keep the neck stock as I really do like it!!! Say what you will but I love the way that pickup sounds clean, all bright & spongy, & focus on the bridge for now? I guess I'd want something that will do Heavy Blues to Classic & Progressive Rock but hopefully still complements the neck pickup @ the same time? I'll check out some demo's but if you have any suggestions please???

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

" FFS do not add a Bigsby.[/QUOTE] ", GOD NO! I have very little real world need for any kind of vibrato! I got a couple of strats that have the tremolo's floating on them but mostly just for fun? I love the way a Bigsby looks on any Tele but it's almost always a bad idea to put one on aftermarket. Even the Custom Shop Tele's I've played with them sucked A**!!! Unless you know exactly what your doing installation can be a disaster & unless you really need one, know how to use it properly, & don't mind your guitar going out of tune A LOT it's completely useless, other than sprucing up your axe with a bunch of chrome??? The "basic" look of this guitar is a lot of it's appeal, the Candy Apple Red on it is Flawless & I'm replacing the stock guard with a vintage White Pearloid one & that's it for making it pretty. I don't need it to look like a Harley too?

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

I don't really have any one style of playing so there's no one kind of gain that I'm looking for, if that makes sense? I was just playing & the last three songs were Jump In The Fire, Copperhead Road by Steve Earl, & then some Weezer into a Pearl Jam thing??? I play EVERYTHING so I'm just as likely to be playing Classic stuff like Zep & Sabbath as I'd be to playing Slow Blues or 90's Grunge? So if I want to play some Sepultura I'll use another guitar, I'm thinking the solution is going to be to keep the neck stock as I really do like it!!! Say what you will but I love the way that pickup sounds clean, all bright & spongy, & focus on the bridge for now? I guess I'd want something that will do Heavy Blues to Classic & Progressive Rock but hopefully still complements the neck pickup @ the same time? I'll check out some demo's but if you have any suggestions please???

Heavy blues? Classic/progressive rock? I don't have a vast experience of tron types of pickup, but you may want to look into the Powertron Plus as well. I absolutely love it, and can cover a lot of ground with it, plus I think it was developed with Billy Gibbons, or at least with him in mind which in my book is no bad thing.

 

[DreX]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had loaded one of the new MIM Cab's with better Tron style pickups yet & if so what they think about them? I ended up getting my Cabronita dirt cheap, brand new, & with a perfect setup! About half of what you would pay for the same guitar at G.C. or M.F.? I know a lot of guys were complaining about them, everything from finish imperfections to warped necks & frets that will spilt your hand open? Maybe I just got lucky but I love mine, or I at least love the look, playability, & feel anyhow??? In any case the Fideli'Tron pickups that come stock in it are a strange mixture of good & bad. They have a very nice single coil like sound to them while playing clean & hold up pretty well under a fair amount of gain, although some amp & E.Q. tweaking is necessary. The problem is they do a lot of things pretty well & nothing perfect? I thought something from the fabulous Mr. Jones would remedy this but I was hoping for a bit of feedback before pulling the trigger? Because of my insanely good deal, if I go with T.V. Jones pup's I'd be spending more on the pickups than I did on the guitar itself!!!

I have a Cabronita with TV Jones Super'trons and another with stock pickups. I've also ordered the Duo'trons and the Magnetron. I've taken apart the stock Fideli'trons and there is in fact an AlNiCo magnet in there. The stock pickups sound amazing. I haven't been tempted to buy the TV Classic because I'm extremely skeptical that it will sound substantially different from the Fideli'tron. The Super'tron sounds fatter than the Fideli'tron, TBH I like the Fideli'tron better.

Regaring the fit and finish of the Cabronita, one I received had sharp frets, but I believe that's because it had sad through a few seasons before I received it. I fixed that easily with a file. Regarding the finish, there are no flaws, just a sense that maybe the poly isn't as consistent is could be. My MIJ's have a greater sense of uniformity. You'd probably need a good caliper to tell the difference, though. That seems to be a problem with all MIM Fenders, not just Cabs. IMO, what some might call cheap comes off more as being "hand crafted" to me, evidence that a person made the thing, and in that way, more interesting to interact with than my more perfect MIJ's.

Cabronitas are a dream come true IMO, two Filter'tron pickups in a Tele form factor that totally play up the Tele's minimalism rather than defy it. That pick guard even echos back to the original prototype. As much as I like original Tele's, the Filter'trons in conjunction with the Tele form factor is even more satisfying, bright and twangy, yet humbucker-full.

If you don't like the Fideli'tron under gain, it sounds like the Power'tron is the pickup for you. Another thing to consider is adding a tone control. I dare say this single handedly fixes the problem, because it rolls off those raspy Filter'tron highs. I made a diagram for a push-pull tone/volume pot, it retains the stock appearance of the Cabronita.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

View attachment 62670

I'd trade it for one of them, if anyone is interested??? Just putting it out there???

 

[philthis]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

I had all these same questions a couple years ago. The Tv Jones classics sound real cool clean with slap back echo or gated delay. They have a ringy bell tone twang that is just damn cool and nothing else sounds like them. I didn't like them distorted however. I played a Gretsch Power jet and loved the tone under high gain. I did some research and found out it was a Tv Jones Powertron pickup in there. I thought it had a cool raw tone and it sounded like it had a kind of grind or grit to the tone. I really liked the powertons from that point on. I also thought the neck model Powertron sounded good. A little more full then the Tv Jones classics but still plenty of twang and bell like chime from them so you wont lose that Tv Jones signature clean tone. Its not as pristine and twangy but you wont be dialing down the treble ether cuz the powertron neck being hotter has slightly rolled off highs in what I think is a pleasant way. I have never played the powertron + pickup. I know Billy Gibbons likes it. The inbetween neck and bridge tone from powertrons is very cool and can sound alot like Zeplins "hots on for Nowhere" type tone or "the Ocean". I was always afraid if I used the powertron plus it would be too hot on the "both pickups on" setting. I know with both the regular powertrons on I loved the inbetween sounds I was getting from the powerjet. Ask DreX or Mr Wolf about the inbetween clean tones and dirty tones and see if the powertron + overpowers the powertron neck pickup to the point of losing the cool spanky clean tone of having both on at once. I have a Gretsch White Falcon and I plan on installing powertrons in it. I like the way they sound, I also like the way they sound clean too. I think clean the powertron neck pickup just has a cool fat jazz tone but articulate not muddy. I think sometimes the Tv Jones classics can sound a bit too thin on the clean settings.

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: Anyone load a Cabronita with T.V. Jones pups yet?

I had all these same questions a couple years ago. The Tv Jones classics sound real cool clean with slap back echo or gated delay. They have a ringy bell tone twang that is just damn cool and nothing else sounds like them. I didn't like them distorted however. I played a Gretsch Power jet and loved the tone under high gain. I did some research and found out it was a Tv Jones Powertron pickup in there. I thought it had a cool raw tone and it sounded like it had a kind of grind or grit to the tone. I really liked the powertons from that point on. I also thought the neck model Powertron sounded good. A little more full then the Tv Jones classics but still plenty of twang and bell like chime from them so you wont lose that Tv Jones signature clean tone. Its not as pristine and twangy but you wont be dialing down the treble ether cuz the powertron neck being hotter has slightly rolled off highs in what I think is a pleasant way. I have never played the powertron + pickup. I know Billy Gibbons likes it. The inbetween neck and bridge tone from powertrons is very cool and can sound alot like Zeplins "hots on for Nowhere" type tone or "the Ocean". I was always afraid if I used the powertron plus it would be too hot on the "both pickups on" setting. I know with both the regular powertrons on I loved the inbetween sounds I was getting from the powerjet. Ask DreX or Mr Wolf about the inbetween clean tones and dirty tones and see if the powertron + overpowers the powertron neck pickup to the point of losing the cool spanky clean tone of having both on at once. I have a Gretsch White Falcon and I plan on installing powertrons in it. I like the way they sound, I also like the way they sound clean too. I think clean the powertron neck pickup just has a cool fat jazz tone but articulate not muddy. I think sometimes the Tv Jones classics can sound a bit too thin on the clean settings.

unfortunately my guitar has only one pickup (not that I mind!) - the powertron plus in the bridge, so I cannot really judge how it interacts with other pickups. That said, I would say the plus model does retain the twang compared with straight up regular humbuckers. With my own limited experiences of tv Jones pickups I'm afraid I can't offer much advice on the rest of the range.
I would still say consider the powertron plus though