Best SD Tele pickups for metal?
- Thread starter Marcus
- Start date
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
We have had this conversation a few times around here. I have two "metal" Teles.
My green Tele is more along the lines of classic metal. It has DiMarzio Super Distortion and a Maxon Super 70 (bridge) in the neck. My black Tele has an SD Hot Rails bridge and a TV Jones Classic + (bridge) in the neck. I get more grind out of the black Tele, and the TV jones gives me a Malcolm Young-like vibe on the rhythms. Both are very different but very serviceable guitars.
My green Tele is more along the lines of classic metal. It has DiMarzio Super Distortion and a Maxon Super 70 (bridge) in the neck. My black Tele has an SD Hot Rails bridge and a TV Jones Classic + (bridge) in the neck. I get more grind out of the black Tele, and the TV jones gives me a Malcolm Young-like vibe on the rhythms. Both are very different but very serviceable guitars.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
The Hot Rails is a fun pickup like an EMG 81 is a fun pickup. If you have a Tele and want to play metal on it, you should give it a shot.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Pontiac Jack
New member
As others have said,Hot Rails will do the job,no probs. But I would also recommend the Little '59. If you a looking for classic metal sounds,it works extremely well. I use them in my "E-Type" models using the 3 way switch for series/parallel/single coil and a push/pull tone control for in/out of phase. You end up with a very versatile single pickup guitar.
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I have had the Hot Rails, Super Distortion T, and Quarter Pound in my Esquire.
The Hot Rails is the hottest, but it is also the darkest. I think it's a fun pickup, but I sometimes find myself wanting a more vicious attack from it. Downside is it's a little too dark for my taste, but upside is it's also really tight. It's also surprisingly hot. It has no problem keeping up with the full-size ceramic screamers I have in my Les Pauls.
The Super Distortion T is second hottest, and it does sound nice, but it's fatter-sounding. It does seem to have a more open top-end to it, though. Ultimately, I swapped mine out because it was microphonic.
The QP has a super nice EQ profile. Kinda like an upper-mid-focused JB meets a spanky P90 with a hint of Tele twang thrown in. It is an underrated pickup for metal. It really distorts well. I just wished it had more output to keep up with the rest of my guitars, which is surprising based how much A5 it has and how high it's DCR is.
The Hot Rails is the hottest, but it is also the darkest. I think it's a fun pickup, but I sometimes find myself wanting a more vicious attack from it. Downside is it's a little too dark for my taste, but upside is it's also really tight. It's also surprisingly hot. It has no problem keeping up with the full-size ceramic screamers I have in my Les Pauls.
The Super Distortion T is second hottest, and it does sound nice, but it's fatter-sounding. It does seem to have a more open top-end to it, though. Ultimately, I swapped mine out because it was microphonic.
The QP has a super nice EQ profile. Kinda like an upper-mid-focused JB meets a spanky P90 with a hint of Tele twang thrown in. It is an underrated pickup for metal. It really distorts well. I just wished it had more output to keep up with the rest of my guitars, which is surprising based how much A5 it has and how high it's DCR is.
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alex1fly
Well-known member
Honestly I dig anything voiced like a single coil for a Tele playing metal. Yeah it's not a traditional sound but I can get that from my HB equipped guitars. And the Tele with a single coil is so dang defined, it's really fun with chugs and fast runs and that growly sound you get when you thwack the strings hard.
Currently have a Hot Stack in my Tele. Works great for high gain.
Currently have a Hot Stack in my Tele. Works great for high gain.
This might also be a good job for the Custom Shop, too. Let them know that you want them to look like stock Tele pickups, but for metal (and possibly noiseless), and they will build them for you.
SweetClyde99
New member
Thanks for the replies guys.
Securb, awesome guitars man!
I was secretly hoping you'd recommend the Quarter Pounder ones as I'd like to keep the look of the original pups
You do lose a lot of higher output options if you want to keep the traditional Tele single coil look. I do have a Dimarzio Area Hot T in a Tele that keeps the traditional look sounds a lot like a good Humbucker. It’s lower output than a metal pickup—more PAF than anything high output—but it is noiseless and it does chug surprisingly well. I’m sure Dimarzio didn’t have metal in mind when they were designing this thing, but I’ve played Metallica on it, and it sounded plenty authentic to me once I rolled off the highs a bit with the tone knob.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I personally can't stand the scratchy/squelchy voicing of single coils for metal, but I really do like the QP. It's pretty chunky under lots of gain with just a hint of twang.
I am always impressed with how great a tele bridge sounds with the tone pot backed up a bit. They say Jimmy Page's tele sold more LPs than anything.
Whenever I tried to go actual metal with a tele, I tried the single coil jr humbuckers and they are decent. In the end, I get a Gotoh humbucker bridge, and take out my router and...
Whenever I tried to go actual metal with a tele, I tried the single coil jr humbuckers and they are decent. In the end, I get a Gotoh humbucker bridge, and take out my router and...