Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
- Thread starter RMosack
- Start date
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Thank you. My Tele is an ash body with maple neck and rosewood board. It has a vintage type Barden bridge. All I’m looking for with this thread/purchase is the best of those two to make it a classic Tele. For me, Tele means country (which I barely play), some classic blues cats (e.g., Muddy Waters) and three very iconic rock players (Joe Walsh, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck). Of those, my favorite player is Page. And he used a pretty stock ‘60s Tele onloads of stuff. Nothing fancy. I just want the bridge position to be a Tele.
Would the Broadcaster mids fit my desire, or do I need to go Vintage ‘54?
Other pickups in the guitar are a Duncan mini hum at the neck and a Duncan Five-Two Strat in the middle. But I’m only looking for that elusive bridge pickup.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Thank you. My Tele is an ash body with maple neck and rosewood board. It has a vintage type Barden bridge. All I’m looking for with this thread/purchase is the best of those two to make it a classic Tele. For me, Tele means country (which I barely play), some classic blues cats (e.g., Muddy Waters) and three very iconic rock players (Joe Walsh, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck). Of those, my favorite player is Page. And he used a pretty stock ‘60s Tele onloads of stuff. Nothing fancy. I just want the bridge position to be a Tele.
Would the Broadcaster mids fit my desire, or do I need to go Vintage ‘54?
Other pickups in the guitar are a Duncan mini hum at the neck and a Duncan Five-Two Strat in the middle. But I’m only looking for that elusive bridge pickup.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
The Broadcaster certainly has more mids, and the '54 is more classic Tele. But to pick the right one, you have to figure out where you are and where you wanna go. Hoping for 'better' usually results in a sideways step. A '54 will certainly be brighter than a Five Two, with about the same amount of power. The Broadcaster will have about the same power as the Five Two, but more even EQ.
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
The Broadcaster certainly has more mids, and the '54 is more classic Tele. But to pick the right one, you have to figure out where you are and where you wanna go. Hoping for 'better' usually results in a sideways step. A '54 will certainly be brighter than a Five Two, with about the same amount of power. The Broadcaster will have about the same power as the Five Two, but more even EQ.
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
The Duncan Website tells you all you need to know. Use their "compare" feature to put both pickups right next to each other.
Broadcaster is wound nearly 15 percent hotter, and has flat poles. That means it's got a beefier and middier tone, and the outer strings (both Es) will be louder. The '54 has a thinner tone with better string to string volume balance.
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
The Duncan Website tells you all you need to know. Use their "compare" feature to put both pickups right next to each other.
Broadcaster is wound nearly 15 percent hotter, and has flat poles. That means it's got a beefier and middier tone, and the outer strings (both Es) will be louder. The '54 has a thinner tone with better string to string volume balance.
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
The power of the Five-Two isn’t really a concern for me one way or another. I guess I’m more interested in the EQ. What do you mean by more even EQ?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
The power of the Five-Two isn’t really a concern for me one way or another. I guess I’m more interested in the EQ. What do you mean by more even EQ?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
What I mean is that the EQ is flatter across frequencies, than something with high treble with low mids and low bass.
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
What I mean is that the EQ is flatter across frequencies, than something with high treble with low mids and low bass.
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
The guitar already has Duncan’s in all three spots, so I’m admittedly trying to simplify wiring and all and find a replacement Duncan for that Five-Two. I tried asking simple questions, but people at TGP go off script and offer all sorts of other alternatives ... then advise me to not OVERTHINK!
I should have just cut to the chase and asked WHICH DUNCAN PICKUP COMES CLOSEST TO EHAT FENDER PUT IN PAGE’S ORIGINAL 1959 AS WELL AS THEIR CURRENT PRODUCTION WHITE MIRROR TELE? And hopefully closer than the Five-Two Which isn’t working. That’s all I want.
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Ha ha. I know. I’m trying two different forums to try and get as much input as possible.I think we just had this discussion...lol
The guitar already has Duncan’s in all three spots, so I’m admittedly trying to simplify wiring and all and find a replacement Duncan for that Five-Two. I tried asking simple questions, but people at TGP go off script and offer all sorts of other alternatives ... then advise me to not OVERTHINK!
I should have just cut to the chase and asked WHICH DUNCAN PICKUP COMES CLOSEST TO EHAT FENDER PUT IN PAGE’S ORIGINAL 1959 AS WELL AS THEIR CURRENT PRODUCTION WHITE MIRROR TELE? And hopefully closer than the Five-Two Which isn’t working. That’s all I want.
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
I own a Page Mirror Tele, but I haven't done any wiring work, so I haven't measured the pickup yet.
My instinct, also owning an AV '58 Tele and an AV '64 Tele, is that the Page pickups are just a hotter wound version of the Fender Pure Vintage '58 set. That, or it just applies to the bridge, and the Page neck pickup might or might not be any different than the stock PV '58 neck. I don't know for sure; I'm just using my ears to guess.
The Fender PV '58 bridge is similar in specs to the Duncan '54 (A5, high 6Ks, 42 AWG wire), with the main specs difference being that the PV '58 has more stagger.
PV '58:
Duncan '54:
My gut, also having an Esquire that I assembled using a Duncan Broadcaster pickup, is that this will be the closest thing Duncan has to the Page bridge pickup. The Page is staggered, and the Duncan Broadcaster is not, but in terms of tone and output, they feel similar to me.
I would go for the Duncan Broadcaster. If you want a deal, buy used. I got mine used, in like new condition, for $35 from a Duncan forum member.
FWIW, here is my Page bridge pickup:
And my PV '64 pickup. It's not a whole lot different in specs or tone than the PV '58, but the bridge pickup is slightly "weaker" sounding. The neck pickups of the PV '58 and PV '64 sets sound identical to me. (Note: this is a pic shot the day I got the guitar, prior to me setting it up, which is why the saddles are so ridiculously low.)
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
I own a Page Mirror Tele, but I haven't done any wiring work, so I haven't measured the pickup yet.
My instinct, also owning an AV '58 Tele and an AV '64 Tele, is that the Page pickups are just a hotter wound version of the Fender Pure Vintage '58 set. That, or it just applies to the bridge, and the Page neck pickup might or might not be any different than the stock PV '58 neck. I don't know for sure; I'm just using my ears to guess.
The Fender PV '58 bridge is similar in specs to the Duncan '54 (A5, high 6Ks, 42 AWG wire), with the main specs difference being that the PV '58 has more stagger.
PV '58:
Duncan '54:
My gut, also having an Esquire that I assembled using a Duncan Broadcaster pickup, is that this will be the closest thing Duncan has to the Page bridge pickup. The Page is staggered, and the Duncan Broadcaster is not, but in terms of tone and output, they feel similar to me.
I would go for the Duncan Broadcaster. If you want a deal, buy used. I got mine used, in like new condition, for $35 from a Duncan forum member.
FWIW, here is my Page bridge pickup:
And my PV '64 pickup. It's not a whole lot different in specs or tone than the PV '58, but the bridge pickup is slightly "weaker" sounding. The neck pickups of the PV '58 and PV '64 sets sound identical to me. (Note: this is a pic shot the day I got the guitar, prior to me setting it up, which is why the saddles are so ridiculously low.)
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Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
I'd say to stay away from overpowered pickups like the Jerry Donahue. But which vintage one you might want depends how you want to change what you have now. If you need brighter than the Five Two, I'd go for the '54 or Antiquity 55, Antiquity II, or regular Antiquity.
Re: Broadcaster vs Vintage’54?
I'd say to stay away from overpowered pickups like the Jerry Donahue. But which vintage one you might want depends how you want to change what you have now. If you need brighter than the Five Two, I'd go for the '54 or Antiquity 55, Antiquity II, or regular Antiquity.
