Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

E

Esseff

New member
I know what you are all thinking but it doesn't make sense...
My MIM Deluxe Tele Thinline had Fender Vintage Noiseless pups with the factory 1Meg pots and .022k cap.
I wanted something a little more bright and twangy so I swapped out the pups with a set of MIJ vintage style pups that were very bright in my MIJ Tele. It had 250k pots and 047k cap.
Now, the Thinline still sound warm! Even with the 1 meg pots and 022k cap which should all add up to a very bright sound.
Anyone make any sense out of this?
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Different pickups in different guitars.

I swapped set of humbuckers between guitars, and between the two instruments (both Les Pauls of the same construction) the swap solved the very same 'too bright bridge' issue in both guitars - with nominally the same electronics.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Esseff said:
Impossible!
These were very bright pups that went from 250k to 1meg pots and 047 cap to 022.
It should be ice pick but it's warm.
Makes no sense?
Click to expand...

You don't think that the wood and different design of your guitars makes a difference in tone??
Would you expect a Les Paul to sound like a Strat with the same pups?
You think that a maple guitar will sound the same as a basswood guitar with the same pups?
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Warm bridge, twangy bridge... warm wood, bright wood... thinline, not thinline

Lemme guess the thinline had barrel saddles too, yes?

What does the MIJ sound like with the Vintage Noiseless??? Btw if necessary consider swapping just the saddles on it for brass
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Gtrjunior said:
....see tonewood thread.
Click to expand...

Tonewoods… bleh. Repeatedly debunked.

Even if... I'm not talking marginal/slight diff. I'm talking very bright to very warm when, considering the electronics, it should be the opposite.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

GuitarDoc said:
You don't think that the wood and different design of your guitars makes a difference in tone??
Would you expect a Les Paul to sound like a Strat with the same pups?
You think that a maple guitar will sound the same as a basswood guitar with the same pups?
Click to expand...


Of course! But read the details. We are not talking a marginal/slight diff. Considering the electronics and the very bright pups, just too much diff.
.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Esseff said:
Tonewoods… bleh. Repeatedly debunked.

Even if... I'm not talking marginal/slight diff. I'm talking very bright to very warm when, considering the electronics, it should be the opposite.
Click to expand...

You're modding Fenders and don't believe in tonewoods???

Partscaster enthusiasts ARE the proof.

Also, electronics don't actually do all that much, not in this case... especially when you got two basic neutral sets of stock pickups from the same brand... and a good pot set to full blast ain't actually doing much of anything in the circuit.

Main differences between your guitars:
1) wood
2) construction
3) bridges (presumably)
 
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Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Adieu said:
Warm bridge, twangy bridge... warm wood, bright wood... thinline, not thinline

Lemme guess the thinline had barrel saddles too, yes?

What does the MIJ sound like with the Vintage Noiseless??? Btw if necessary consider swapping just the saddles on it for brass
Click to expand...

Thinline 'not Thinline' is about the only diff, and most ppl find Thinelines to be bright guitars at the best of times.
Barrel saddles on the MIJ NOT the Thineline.
Tonewood… bunk! In fact the Thineline has maple neck and the MIJ rosewood. Both alder but obviously one semi hollow.
The brightness difference is huge not just marginal and considering the electronics it shud not be warm at all.
Not using the other pups.

Anyway I think I need to do more investigation to get to the bottom of this.
.
 
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Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Esseff said:
Thinline not Thinline is about the only diff, and most ppl find Thinelines to be bright guitars at the best of times.
Barrel saddles on the MIJ NOT the Thineline.
Tonewood… bunk! In fact the Thineline has maple neck and the MIJ rosewood. Both alder but obviously one semi hollow.
The brightness difference is huge not just marginal and considering the electronics it shud not be warm at all.
Not using the other pups.

Anyway I think I need to do more investigation to get to the bottom of this.
.
Click to expand...

Go test some strats with identical pickups... shouldn't be too hard to find some mix of alder, ash, basswood, poplar, agathis and maple vs. rosewood too

Or just swap necks on your teles if they'll fit, which they should. Lol.
 
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Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Adieu said:
You're modding Fenders and don't believe in tonewoods???

Partscaster enthusiasts ARE the proof.

Also, electronics don't actually do all that much, not in this case... especially when you got two basic neutral sets of stock pickups from the same brand... and a good pot set to full blast ain't actually doing much of anything in the circuit.

Main differences between your guitars:
1) wood
2) construction
3) bridges (presumably)
Click to expand...

Let's not get into the tonewood debate - for every person that says they have found a diff I can show u another that has found no significant diff.
So...

1 both alder
2 yes construction diff but most ppl find Thinlines to be bright guitars
3 yes 3 saddle on MIJ modern 6 saddle on Thinline

But can that account for such a huge diff?

More investigation required I think. But very strange to me.
.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Being that a guitar is an integrated system, it is difficult to distinguish what percentage each component contributes to sounds being different. You can approach it another way, like thinking 'Wow, this guitar sounds bright! What does it need?' rather than figuring out what components cause the difference. And, hey, more time for playing!
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Adieu said:
Go test some strats with identical pickups... shouldn't be too hard to find some mix of alder, ash, basswood, poplar, agathis and maple vs. rosewood too

Or just swap necks on your teles if they'll fit, which they should. Lol.
Click to expand...

I really don't need to test tonewoods. I have two MIJs (pink n blk), a trad 60s custom (alder/rosewood) and a trad 69 paisley (basswood/maple). Both these new from the same trad series. Both with the same MIJ Trad vintage style pups. THEY SOUNDED IDENTICAL before I started swapping pups.
TEST DONE!
Sorry to disappoint all the tonewood believers.

.IMG_20181206_182432.jpg
 
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Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Esseff said:
I know what you are all thinking but it doesn't make sense...Anyone make any sense out of this?
Click to expand...
People tend to think of pickups as something that radically alter the tone of a guitar but they don't. Beyond the electrical properties of a pickup it should be a neutral transducer to transmit the natural acoustic tone of the guitar. Pickups transmit not only string movement but also body vibrations. Those body vibrations are then accentuated by the tonal profile of the pickup. So it's not uncommon for the same pickup to sound radically different when used in different guitars. I have heard pickups which sound horrible in certain guitars totally transformed with a difference in fretboard material from rosewood to maple.
 
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Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Esseff said:
Tonewoods… bleh. Repeatedly debunked.

Even if... I'm not talking marginal/slight diff. I'm talking very bright to very warm when, considering the electronics, it should be the opposite.
Click to expand...

I was just being a smartass...lol
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

I happened to have 2 Fender Strats both with rw board, a 1976 and a 1977. The 1977 sounded bland, muffled to warm. After all setups like tighten the screws and the trussrod, it was still the same. My last idea was to swap the necks. Guess what, then the other Strat sounded "warm". Just sayin'.
 
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Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Esseff said:
Tonewoods… bleh. Repeatedly debunked.

Even if... I'm not talking marginal/slight diff. I'm talking very bright to very warm when, considering the electronics, it should be the opposite.
Click to expand...

Wrong.

Your guitars are proof.

My example was proof. You just have deliberately closed your eyes, plus perhaps been incapable of understanding the real issue.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

AlexR said:
Wrong.

Your guitars are proof.

My example was proof. You just have deliberately closed your eyes, plus perhaps been incapable of understanding the real issue.
Click to expand...
See my post above with the pic.
So alder/rosewood and basswood/maple sounded identical with the same pups in each. That don't matter to you?
My point... I don't think it's the wood and I'm surprised the electronics didn't make a diff.
Sure thinline is hollow, maybe it's that, but tonewoods... bleh I say.
 
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