Best Neck Humbucker to Pair With Quarter Pounder Tele

[RobJGolde]

I’m looking to pick up either a Squier Paranormal Offset Tele or a Classic Vibe 50’s or 60’s Tele Custom. Whichever one I go with, I’m planning to put a Quarter Pounder Tele pickup in the bridge, and I want to pair it with a neck humbucker. I’m thinking I’d like to pair it with either an Alnico II Pro or a Pearly Gates because I’m a fan of combining A2 and A5 magnets in the middle position, but I’m curious if anyone on here has any other suggestions, or has tried a similar combination before and if they were satisfied with it.

 

[Artie]

The mini-hums sound excellent in a Tele neck position. There are adapter rings to mount them in a humbucker mount.

 

[Mincer]

I'd go with an Alnico II Pro like you thought at first. It isn't as bright as other neck humbuckers, so tonally it is more in line with the QP bridge.

 

[jeremy]

if you want a2 magnet, i love the pgn. a little more upper mid snot than the smoother aph1. either would work well though. 250k pots or 500?

 

[ToneFiddler]

I'd go with an Alnico II Pro like you thought at first. It isn't as bright as other neck humbuckers, so tonally it is more in line with the QP bridge.

Well the QP, depending on the pots can also still be very bright, which would be a good fit with the PGn.

but i you run the QP on the fatter side the APH-1 could be the better option between those 2.

 

[RobJGolde]

if you want a2 magnet, i love the pgn. a little more upper mid snot than the smoother aph1. either would work well though. 250k pots or 500?

I was also gonna install a Mojotone solderless Tele Custom wiring kit that has a 250k pot for the QP and a 500k pot for the neck, along with a Treble bleed, switchcraft jack, etc.

 

[RobJGolde]

Well the QP, depending on the pots can also still be very bright, which would be a good fit with the PGn.

but i you run the QP on the fatter side the APH-1 could be the better option between those 2.

FWIW I was also looking to add a series/parallel switch for the humbucker so if I went with the APH-1 I could get more single-coil-esque tones without coil splitting.

 

[Mincer]

I will say the split tone if the APH-1 is nicer (to me) than the parallel tone.

 

[elelpe]

I had it with P-Rails neck in a tele. Nice combo.

 

[RobJGolde]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I appreciate it. Unfortunately I’m incredibly fickle about stuff like this and was extended an offer to trade my Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster for a Squier VM Jaguar HH, so I’m going to start a different thread about that because I know what mods I’m gonna do for the electronics, but I’m hung up on the pickup combo.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

For future reference, IMO the QP is fat enough that it doesn't really need a 250K pot.
I'd rather keep the bite, and retain as much sparkle as it's capable of.
You can always roll off some treble whenever you like.