Do I replace the pickups on my Squier Tele?

B

bassface732

New member
Hi all!

So I bought my first Telecaster about 4 months ago... After spending several hours in my favorite music story playing 7 different Teles, I pretty easily narrowed it down to just 2: An $1800 American-made model, and (to my great surprise) a $500 Squier 40th Anniversary Edition. After some hemming and hawing, I let the $1300 price difference break the tie, and I bought the Squier. I've played it a ton since then (including a few gigs, 2 of which I played it exclusively) and I love it to bits, but did notice a few shortcomings. After doing some work on it I've got it playing like a dream, sanded down some pokey frets, and have ordered a bone nut and a Wilkinson replacement Telecaster bridge with brass compensated saddles to replace the stock ones.

Here's my conundrum: Do I replace the pickups? On the one hand, I obviously really like the way the guitar sounds- it's one of the main reasons I bought it in the first place. So if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? On the other hand, I have had my moments of doubt where it seems maybe a little anemic or lacking "oomph" compared to other Teles I've come into contact with... And besides: upgrading the pickups is a relatively cheap and easy upgrade that can make a significant improvement, so if I'm already going to the trouble to have the nut and bridge replaced, might as well replace the pickups while I'm at it too, right?

I'd love to hear some thoughts on this... Can anyone recommend a good set of pickups that pack some more punch than the Squier ones, but that still maintain the bright, versatile character that attracted me to them in the first place? OR am I just worrying too much about the name on the headstock, and silly to think about upgrading pickups that already please my ear? For the record I primarily play rock, hard rock, blues, funk, (try my best at jazz) and since picking up the Tele have found myself venturing into country.

Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts on this!
 
Quests for something 'more better' than what you have and already really like are at best usually a sideways step. If you still want to replace the pickups, ask yourself: what would I change? More/less power? EQ change? Noiseless? Changing for the sake of it is fun, but a more informed decision will have more value in the long run.
 
I love Squiers and I own 4 of them. But yeah, with few exceptions their stock pickups are pretty bad. I always change them.

Like Mincer said, you should really try to nail down some more details on what sounds you're looking for versus what you already have. That's really the only way to know what you should be looking at for replacements.

If you play a wide variety of styles, I would look for something more middle of the road in terms of output. For the bridge, I would recommend taking a look at the Jerry Donahue model as its my favorite "medium output" pickup. :)
 
i believe that guitar has alnico 5 magnet single coils, which sound pretty good from the little experience i had playing my buddies for a bit. if you like em, keep em. that being said, there are tons of options out there if you want something different.

the 4 way switch is a easy, cheap mod. i use one in my black tele and the series option is nice to have
 
I can’t speak for the stock pickups but I think the Vintage stack for Tele is a great pickup in the bridge spot. Still has Tele twang yet gets it done with some gain too and no hum.
 
Honestly, I wouldn't swap the pickups. You already like the sound and you're likely to run in circles, spend a lot of money, and pull out your hair trying to improve upon the sound by a tiny margin.

There are tons of ways to add a little more "oomph" to your current sound. Plus, if you're playing in a band, having a sound that cuts through a bit and doesn't interfere with the other instruments can be a good thing.

Do NOT get caught up by the name on the headstock. It's easy to think you're missing out by not having a premium model or that people will judge you for not having "Fender" on the headstock...they won't. If anything, they'll be impressed that your Squier sounds so good!

FYI...I have a $400 Squier P-Bass that replaced a $2K MusicMan Sting Ray bass. After a setup and new strings, I liked the Squier better and I'm not embarrassed about it in the slightest!
 
Chistopher said:
I think sometimes the Squier logo adds to the instrument. Let's people know that the sound is coming from your hands and not your wallet.
Click to expand...

i understand what you are saying, but i dont think a squier logo adds anything. i own squiers and have owned cas fenders before. a good guitar is a good guitar. ive never played a bad cs strat, i played a lot of squiers before i found the great one
 
I’d rather be able to get more from less, as opposed to less from more so to speak. Unfortunately I seem to be able to just get less from all. Oh well.
 
Wait until after you change the bridge - that is going to change the sound quote a bit.

I just worrying too much about the name on the head stock, and silly to think about upgrading pickups that already please my ear?
Click to expand...

Read the quote in my signature and ask yourself again.....
 
Do you know who Chris Buck is?

He's an incredible blues player with a knack for soloing who has really gained a large online following in recent years.

Dude has access to pretty much any guitar he wants, but what's one of his absolute favorites, which he actively tours with? A Squier 40th Anniversary Jazzmaster, LOL!
 
Man, thanks so much to everyone for all the thoughtful replies! There are some great points here about sticking with what sounds good, not sweating the name on the headstock, having an instrument that cuts through the mix, and so on. I think the general consensus here is absolutely correct- I’m gonna hold off on swapping the pickups, at the very meast until after changing the bridge. If after some time I come up with something specific I want to change about the sound, you all have given me some great places to start looking Thanks again everyone!!

P.S. I’ve heard some pretty awesome stuff from Chris Buck… didn’t know he was a Squier player! Cool to know
 
I think Mike McCready of Pearl Jam recorded their first album Ten on a Squier strat. Just saying...branding doesn't mean much :)
 
As jeremy said, Squier can be quite good if you find the right one. I found an incredible Squier VM Jazz 5 strings that plays as good, even better, as some Fender.

If you want more oomph, maybe try a eq pedal before your amp/distortion/overdrive pedal to bump the signal a bit.
 
dotsdad said:
Wait until after you change the bridge - that is going to change the sound quote a bit.



Read the quote in my signature and ask yourself again.....
Click to expand...

That was what I was gonna say.

Even if you still want to change, it may very well not be the change you would have chose before that bridge.
 
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