Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

F

fuzzyratfarts

New member
Hey I am getting a maple neck, ash bodied Tele and want to know what pickups to put in...I want a versatile sound, and I have never owned a Tele before...Something that I would be sure to like....

I want this guitar for straight jazz, blues, moderny jazz, funk, that stuff..

Here I the pickups I am considering

Fralin Blues Specials
Fralin Standard Set
Antiquity Set
JD Bridge model

What would be the best for me out of those pickups? Feel free to mix and match sets if you think that would fit me better...THANKS! :beerchug:
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

I'd say JD lead and fralin blues sp. neck is a very good start.

If you haven't done so, I'd advise you to go over the ultimate tele tone thread. There are tons of info over there.

B
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

I'd recommend the Antiquity I flatpole Tele set, or the Antiquity I Tele lead or JD Tele lead with an SM-3n firebird-style neck mini-HB. The Antiquity Tele lead has a stronger low end and more high end bite than the JD, whereas the JD has stronger mids. The Ant mids are still very nice and strong enough, and it sounds bigger and more dynamic than the JD to my ears. The Ant Tele rhythm tone is very smooth and warm, so it works well for blues and should do well for jazz. The SM-3 neck mini-HB is full and warm, but with a hint of single coil flavor. It is excellent for blues and jazz, and can yield an excellent woman tone with overdrive.
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

I've got specs for one myself, same neck and body wood. The pickups I'm going to put in are Lindy Fralin Blues Special bridge and Seymour Duncan Hot Rhythm neck. Same as what Brad Praisley has in his '68 Pink Paisley.
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

don't discount a set of vintage stack for tele pups ... plenty of killer versatile tele tone - no hum ... do the 4-way mod for even more versatility ... or hotrod it to a nashville style by adding one of the new classic strat plus pups in the middle


good luck
t4d
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

Don't forget Fender here..they're Nocaster bridge is an awesome pickup, very versatile - got the guts to do rock & jazz and cleans up well for clean pickin'...matched to the '52RI neck pickup it is RWRP - add a 4-way switch and you can get humcancel parallel & serial tones.

It's what I have in my ash-bodied, maple-necked (rosewood F/B) USACG tele. I'll try to get some clips up this week.
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

dr.barlo said:
I'd say JD lead and fralin blues sp. neck is a very good start.

If you haven't done so, I'd advise you to go over the ultimate tele tone thread. There are tons of info over there.

B
Click to expand...

I can't recommend the Fralins because I've never tried them. My guess is that they are a great pickup! There are very few Tele neck pickups that I get along with though.

With the maple neck and the ash body (bright!), I would go along with the good doctor and recommend the JD. It is a great pickup!
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

i havent tried many tele pickups, but this JD tele pickup is really good, i can use it for anything basically
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

I traded flank, my JD for an Antiquity II. They're both outstanding pups. I think the Ant has a bit more high-end and air, but the JD has chime and smooth twang.
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

Well, judging from your initial post, it looks to me like you would like to play Jazz. Jazz is played, mostly, with the neck pickup. No one here has really brought this up. As far as a bridge pickup, I would either go with a JD or a Viuntage Stack. Those are my two favorites. You could also do a Hot Tapped for added versatility. another option is a Lil 59. You'll get a twangy PAF tone and can split it too.

Now, for the neck pickup.... I would honestly route for a mini-humbucker. Talk about sweet....I would go with either an Antiquity LP Deluxe style or a Gibson minihumbucker. Not the Firebird style though. They tend to be be a little harsh IMO. But a lot of players here use them with nice results.
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

The SM-3 neck mini-HB that I recommended above is far from harsh-- very warm and full, but still a mini rather than a PAF in terms of tone.
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

Those are all great choices! So there really is no best that I could suggest.

I've been playing my Tele with the Jerry Donahue bridge and Antiquity neck alot lately and I just love the heck out of it.

I'd recommend that set.

Lew
 
Re: Calling all Tele pickups know-it-alls! (Lew!)

Kelsey said:
The SM-3 neck mini-HB that I recommended above is far from harsh-- very warm and full, but still a mini rather than a PAF in terms of tone.
Click to expand...

Maybe to your ears the SM-3 Minis aren't harsh. To mine, they are... I have a certin voice I hear in my head concerning mini-humbuckers. The Firebird style is just a model I don't care for...
 
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