I'm looking to really supercharge my HSS tele and am pretty out of my element when it comes to middle strat-style pickups. I've settled on a Stag Mag for the bridge with a tapped QP tele in the neck, but I'm having a tough time deciding on what to do go for in the middle. I was thinking of just doing a QP Staggered Strat in the middle, but I'm a little concerned that might end up being a little too much output there. I mostly just use the middle pickup in conjunction with the bridge or neck to get a stratty quack. Would the QP in the middle be able to achieve that or would it be too beefy and edge too close to humbucker sounds to still get that nice cluck?
Best Middle Pickup for a Super Tele?
- Thread starter Cysquatch
- Start date
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Best Middle Pickup for a Super Tele?
I'd try the 5-2 or an SSL-1. There are plenty of sound clips for both of them in the middle position out there on the interwebs.
I'd try the 5-2 or an SSL-1. There are plenty of sound clips for both of them in the middle position out there on the interwebs.
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Best Middle Pickup for a Super Tele?
I'd go straight for the DiMarzio Red Velvet. It's an overwound Strat pickup with a metal baseplate, and a modern magnet stagger. It'll blend great with the higher output pickups, and it will allow you to get kind of a Tele bridge/Strat hybrid sound when used alone. I have a Strat with three of them, and it sounds killer. Higher output than a vintage-style Strat pickup, but still sounds "vintagey," and doesn't have any muddiness issues.
I'd go straight for the DiMarzio Red Velvet. It's an overwound Strat pickup with a metal baseplate, and a modern magnet stagger. It'll blend great with the higher output pickups, and it will allow you to get kind of a Tele bridge/Strat hybrid sound when used alone. I have a Strat with three of them, and it sounds killer. Higher output than a vintage-style Strat pickup, but still sounds "vintagey," and doesn't have any muddiness issues.
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Re: Best Middle Pickup for a Super Tele?
How bright guitar we're talking about here? If it's bright, I would avoid SSL-1 and go for Alnico 2 Pro strat or five-two. I've A2P strat in the middle of my super bright Warmoth Tele and it gives some fantastic quack tones when combined with bridge/neck pups.
How bright guitar we're talking about here? If it's bright, I would avoid SSL-1 and go for Alnico 2 Pro strat or five-two. I've A2P strat in the middle of my super bright Warmoth Tele and it gives some fantastic quack tones when combined with bridge/neck pups.
Re: Best Middle Pickup for a Super Tele?
It's definitely on the darker end of teles in my experience, so I'm not worried about getting a pickup that's too bright in the mid position.
It's definitely on the darker end of teles in my experience, so I'm not worried about getting a pickup that's too bright in the mid position.
Re: Best Middle Pickup for a Super Tele?
Nah, got the traditional 9.5" on this one.
I'll definitely get back to you all with what I end up getting and include some sound samples once I get this thing wired up into the crazy monster I'm planning on. I appreciate all this input, you guys are great. I'll make sure and include the wiring I get set up for this thing in case anyone else is interested in doing an S-1 equipped 3 pickup tele with some splits and taps.
Almost forgot, for a middle pickup on an HSS, is it standard to go for RWRP for the neck position hum cancel or leave it standard to go with the bridge properly? Or is it up to the player at that point?
Nah, got the traditional 9.5" on this one.
I'll definitely get back to you all with what I end up getting and include some sound samples once I get this thing wired up into the crazy monster I'm planning on. I appreciate all this input, you guys are great. I'll make sure and include the wiring I get set up for this thing in case anyone else is interested in doing an S-1 equipped 3 pickup tele with some splits and taps.
Almost forgot, for a middle pickup on an HSS, is it standard to go for RWRP for the neck position hum cancel or leave it standard to go with the bridge properly? Or is it up to the player at that point?
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