Did a Tele vs Strat bridge pickup shootout yesterday...

[Lewguitar]

Spent a little time comparing my Strat (Antiquity Surfer n & m and Antiquity Texas Hot bridge) with my '53 CS Tele (Antiquity I) and my '54 Tele (Fralin Tele Stock neck and Blues Special bridge). I played mostly through my '58 Fender Deluxe Amp with an original Celestion G12 Alnico 12 from the 60's.

I mostly compared the bridge pickups: alnico 2 Antiquity Texas Hot Custom Strat bridge vs. alnico 2 Antiquity I Tele bridge vs. alnico 5 Fralin Blues Special Tele bridge.

The Antiquity I Tele bridge pickup was louder and fuller sounding than the Antiquity I Teaxas Hot Custom Strat bridge! Even though the bridge pickup in my Strat measure almost 10K and the Antiquity I bridge in my Tele measure less than 8K. I found that interesting...

Going back and forth between the two, I actually liked the more open tonality of the Texas Hot Custom bridge in my Strat a little better...it had more space to the tone and more breath...though it also had a little less volume or output compared to the hotter, thicker Ant I bridge pickup in my Tele.

I also spent a little time playing my old '54 Tele with the alnico 5 Fralin Blues Special bridge pickup. That pickup had more treble and more bass than either of the Duncans...but a little less midrange. Great tone too!

Not looking for better or worse...just noting the differences between three of my favorite single coil bridge pickups.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Did a Tele vs Strat bridge pickup shootout yesterday...

Great post Lew! I don't know what it is but when I think of stinging tone I think of a tele. Maybe for focused? I orginally bought my tele b/c of the bridge pup. I have been thinking about trying to get a custom shope A2 version of the QP. Any thoughts? I realize I'm the only person on the forum who likes the QP but I think with the A2 mags it would give me a more prominent midrange and smooth the tone out.

So did both of the tele's have flat poles?

Luke

 

[Artie]

Re: Did a Tele vs Strat bridge pickup shootout yesterday...

I realize I'm the only person on the forum who likes the QP . . .

I love the QP.

Great post Lew. And, it is interesting that the lower DC resistance pup had greater output. I've always wondered what affect, if any, the metal, that surrounds the bridge pup in a typical Tele bridge, might have on the sound.
Seems like it would have some affect.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Did a Tele vs Strat bridge pickup shootout yesterday...

Don't forget that the Tele'sa single cutaway instrument, and the strat's a dual cutaway axe.

I think that affects the tone a bunch also.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Did a Tele vs Strat bridge pickup shootout yesterday...

Thanks guys! I just compared another Strat side by side with those mentioned and that's my Torquoise Blue 57 RI Strat with a Twangbanger as the bridge pickup.

The loudest is the Twangbanger! It's even louder than the Antiquity I Tele bridge pickup though in that tele the Ant I is thicker sounding than the Twangbanger.

But the alnico 2 Twangbanger is loudest and would seem to have the most audible output. AND: a fatter thicker and louder tone than the Texas Hot Custom bridge pickup in my Strat with the Antiquitys.

All of these Strats are very similar: 54/57 Reissues with lightweight and resonant alder bodies and one piece maple neck with identical '62 Reissue bridge/vibratos.

Lew

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Did a Tele vs Strat bridge pickup shootout yesterday...

Don't forget that the Tele'sa single cutaway instrument, and the strat's a dual cutaway axe.

I think that affects the tone a bunch also.

I think the diff is more in the steel bridge/vibrato in the Strats vs the string through body and steel bridge with three brass saddles in the Tele.

The neck is actually supported almost identically in a Strat vs. Tele.

In a guitar like a SG or double cutaway Les Paul vs. a single cutaway Les Paul there's a big diff in tone because the neck itself is shorter in a single cut Les Paul and stiffer for that reason.

That's the way it seems to me anyway.

Lew