Re: EMG vs Duncan vs Dimarzio
All pickups will sound more or less the same in every guitar, the more or less depends on the pickup. A Dimarzio Evolution will have the "Dimarzio sound" in any guitar. It'll also have the Evo sound, because it's a pickup with a strong character of it's own. The Duncan JB is a pickup known for being picky about what guitar it's in.
EMG pickups follow the same trend. I've played SAs in multiple guitars, and they sounded like completely different models. Of course, they retained the basic EMG flavor, which I happen to like. On the other hand, the 81 has a very distinct sound that jives with pretty much anything- well, as much as you can call that signature tooth-shattering upper midrange "jive".
Now for the terrific eye-rolling that strikes me when I read posts like Mr. blueman above. Such misinformation on the intarnets! Active pickups are typically underwound magnetic blade pickups with a preamp onboard that electronically sums the coils. They pick up the string and body vibration in the same manner as a passive pickup, and have similar construction. It is physically and magnetically impossible for them to kill tone, or overpower the natural sound of a guitar with their own. In fact, they contribute less of their own character than a typical passive pickup.
So, those who talk about actives not giving the "true sound of the guitar"(how do we determine this? With a stethoscope? Do we care?) reveal that their desired guitar sound comes by and large from the actual pickups themselves, and not indeed from the guitar itself. Which is as it should be with an electric guitar. Vintage style humbuckers, in fact have a lot of coloration and compression and can seriously "round out" and "juice up" a dull sounding guitar(Les Paul anyone?). Note: I have had a guitar with excellent unplugged tone, and found that actives did indeed most resemble playing it unplugged.
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All that said, rest assured that your EMG-equipped tele will most likely retain the character you love while reflecting the different wood and hardware you've screwed it on. And keep in mind that tone is a spectrum, not a 1-10 scale. The point is to create cool sounds that you like.
Ok, we've established that most of the sound from an electric comes from the pickups, but I'm feeling crazy so I'll address the rest of the equation since no-one else has....
Ash is quite snappy with a slightly hollow midrange, and maple brings out the treble attack. Alder is nice and pleasant all around, a little blander, maybe a more vocal quality to it. I can only think this guitar you're wanting to copy must be really bright and sparkly.
In my experience, though, the bridge makes the most tonal difference on a tele, followed by the neck thickness/stiffness, tuner weight, finish thickness and finally body wood. Again, this is after the massive percentage the pickups themselves contribute.
An ashtray bridge is a/the major source of piano-like tele twang and snap. A heavy cast six saddle bridge give it a much more even tonal response and more controlled dynamic range.
Heavy tuners continue the effect, giving more sustain but losing some openness and liveliness.
The neck itself contributes much to the resonance and sustain of notes below the 12th fret, and if it's dead you'll fight it the whole way.
A thick finish can really dampen the organic bloom of subtle richness contributing overtones.
String height and neck relief also play a big part in shaping the sound.
Pot quality, fret size, nut material and slotting, size of cavities, pickguard material, trussrod, humidity, amount of death grip applied by the player, etc. ad nauseum, all can contribute to the sound.
