Couple of Tele Questions

[atf]

I bought this Bacchus Tele today for 80 bucks, and it plays really good. However I was wondering :

A:what wood is this, poplar or mahogany, cause I thought poplar had large swirls like alder?

B: What would be the best pickups for a broad range of sound,think vintage up to something like Springsteen.Would no caster pickups work or is there something better in the SD range?

Thanks again

 

[Mincer]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

It doesn't look like poplar to me, as that is mostly grey with very little grain showing- it isn't a wood you would use with a translucent finish. It looks more like mahogany to me, if those are the only 2 choices. As far as pickups go, any vintage Tele set, like:

Vintage Broadcaster Set
Any of the Antiquities
The Vintage '54 Tele with the Vintage Neck

Check out the specs and sound clips...you really can't go wrong with any of them. They are all variations on a vintage Tele theme, and super versatile.

 

[atf]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

It doesn't look like poplar to me, as that is mostly grey with very little grain showing- it isn't a wood you would use with a translucent finish. It looks more like mahogany to me, if those are the only 2 choices. As far as pickups go, any vintage Tele set, like:

Vintage Broadcaster Set
Any of the Antiquities
The Vintage '54 Tele with the Vintage Neck

Check out the specs and sound clips...you really can't go wrong with any of them. They are all variations on a vintage Tele theme, and super versatile.

A mahogany Tele, that's a first.Thanks for the pick up options, will take a look. Stock, it sounds like this, don't know if that's good or not, I have never played a stock tele.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-sPAp7PIzltMi1QVXNoY29xZGc/view?usp=drivesdk





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[AlexR]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

I'd put that at alder.

But why were your choices poplar or mahogany??

 

[atf]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

I'd put that at alder.

But why were your choices poplar or mahogany??

Yeah it's probably alder, I thought it would be poplar cause they do use that on lower models,and I have seen a mahogany body Tele here so I just threw that in there lol

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[AlexR]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

This is an alder body blank I have just bought. It shows the same type of dark spots or marks that your body does.....that why my vote for alder.

 

[Diego]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

+1 for alder here. Doesn't remind me of poplar, mahogany or ash at all.
It could be agathis but I'm unfamiliar with the grain on that wood.

 

[atf]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

This is an alder body blank I have just bought. It shows the same type of dark spots or marks that your body does.....that why my vote for alder.

Didn't know alder had spots like that, and also I checked earlier on the Bacchus Japanese site(which is more comprehensive and has older models listed as well), and indeed they had these teles in alder a while back(I think no one knew that).
Gonna have to go with alder.Thanks again AlexR, much appreciated.

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[beaubrummels]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

I would put a Duncan Broadcaster bridge but not any 'true to vintage' Tele Neck. Fender Tex Mex would sound better for a neck, has a semi-Strat neck thing going on, gives more versatility. 'Real' Tele neck PUs are anemic. I'm not familiar with what in the Duncan line fits in a Tele but is more of a Strat type neck PU, but that's what I would look for.

 

[atf]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

I would put a Duncan Broadcaster bridge but not any 'true to vintage' Tele Neck. Fender Tex Mex would sound better for a neck, has a semi-Strat neck thing going on, gives more versatility. 'Real' Tele neck PUs are anemic. I'm not familiar with what in the Duncan line fits in a Tele but is more of a Strat type neck PU, but that's what I would look for.

Would DiMarzios twang king neck work you think?

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[daan]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

I'm gonna vote for a "Twisted Tele" neck pup, if you gotta keep it stock looking. (That's what I put in my Ibanez, and it sounded great) Otherwise, a mini Humbucker is my favorite television neck pup. I would also vote for wiring in a 4-way switch, to get N+B in series, for a great, non-twangy tele.

 

[atf]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

I'm gonna vote for a "Twisted Tele" neck pup, if you gotta keep it stock looking. (That's what I put in my Ibanez, and it sounded great) Otherwise, a mini Humbucker is my favorite television neck pup. I would also vote for wiring in a 4-way switch, to get N+B in series, for a great, non-twangy tele.

Will take a look

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[treyhaislip]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

Tele pickups for a broad range? Wilde Bill Lawrence L45S & L48TL

 

[Mincer]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

If you are thinking a really broad range of things, I'd do a humbucker in the neck: a Seth Lover
, and a Jerry Donahue in the bridge. They can do 'Tele' but a whole lot more, too.

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

One of the best-sounding guitars I've ever owned was an early 70s Tele that somebody had routed out for a Strat neck pickup. That guitar got murdered by a truck after a gig... long story.

I'd absolutely go for a vintage-style Tele bridge pickup... nothing sounds quite like classic Tele and you want that sound in your arsenal. A stock Tele neck pickup is a terrible thing but lots of things match up pretty well. The one I had with the Strat pickup was killer, and this fall I'm doing a homebuild that'll have a Firebird pickup at the neck. I'm thinking a P90 would be good too.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Couple of Tele Questions

I'd absolutely go for a vintage-style Tele bridge pickup... nothing sounds quite like classic Tele and you want that sound in your arsenal. A stock Tele neck pickup is a terrible thing but lots of things match up pretty well. The one I had with the Strat pickup was killer, and this fall I'm doing a homebuild that'll have a Firebird pickup at the neck. I'm thinking a P90 would be good too.

I really love Broadcaster style bridge pickups, very versatile. And I totally agree on Tele neck pickups–have one from Revel and DiMarzio that were usable in certain situations but not practical nor versatile.

The Wilde Bill Lawrence L45s is the best neck pickup I've ever used–not dark and extremely articulate even with warmer tones.

I would second a Firebird or MiniHumbucker neck pickup as well, especially paired with a Broadcaster bridge.