Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

[Tonehound54]

Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

I’ve stumped the Google box for a change on the Indentity of these Duncan’s...

I just purchased a dead mint Richie Kotzen Tele from the 2nd owner who informed me the original owner installed these mystery pups, thankfully the original factory Dimarzio’s were included in the sale.

The factory rear pot when I lifted the control plate has been disconnected so no tone control , volume only...can’t remember if fender set rear pot up as a series/parallel, but I believe I read some people feel these guitars might be on the overly bright side.

I dropped both pups down as low as they could go and the bottom end was so extreme I thought I might witness a plume of Smoke from my Weber CVA-8

I’d thought about setting the guitar back to stock form but I have enough humbucker guitars and the modded 57 Custom champ that I’ve been spending more time with lately shines with single coils and I think I’ll install a set of SC back into it.

Thought I’d try here first before calling SD shop...

Certainly appreciate any help.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

the rear pot is series/parallel on the kotzen tele. no idea what the kraken pups are, but not surprised they are pretty hot. the champ is a cool little amp but they sound best with bright single coils most of the time

 

[Tonehound54]

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

the rear pot is series/parallel on the kotzen tele. no idea what the kraken pups are, but not surprised they are pretty hot. the champ is a cool little amp but they sound best with bright single coils most of the time

Appreciate the reply Jeremy, I have the guitar apart and not sure I even want to put it back together with the factory pups and pot setup. I’m a fan of a tone control and besides I’ve read threads where others commented how bright these guitars come stock. I might just look into a set of Kerry’s Broadcaster bridge and Nocaster neck or Something from Peter Lawrence and wire it typical 50’s

 

[ErikH]

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

The Kotzen is bright? Really? I have the same pickup he has in my Esquire wired up to a 250K volume pot and a tone control. The 3-way does series/split/parallel. It's not bright at all, and the body of mine is ash. Even without a tone control, it shouldn't be that bright.

 

[Tonehound54]

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

The Kotzen is bright? Really? I have the same pickup he has in my Esquire wired up to a 250K volume pot and a tone control. The 3-way does series/split/parallel. It's not bright at all, and the body of mine is ash. Even without a tone control, it shouldn't be that bright.

I’ve only read different reviews on the RK Tele and some feel factory Dimarzios are bright in these Ash/Maple/heavy guitars.... (mines just over 9lbs) But Again, I don’t know because these “Kraken” Duncan’s came installed and they’re pretty high output winds the way they act.

The guitar in its present form has a 500K volume pot and the parallel/series 2 position pot has been completely disconnected but ya she’s powerful.

I think I’ll put the factory Dimarzios back into it and wire it back up to factory specs before I look further into possibly a Broadcaster/Nocaster single coil set. I do know my little Tweed champ isn’t a fan of buckers and I purchased this guitar to use through this amp.

Being I’m not familiar with SD Custom Shop procedures, is it possible the customer who ordered this set, built to customer specs and these are decals related to customers order ??

 

[jeremy]

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

yes, and that is likely the case. if you order something from the cs, you can call it almost anything you want. this guys was into legendary cephalopod-like sea monsters of giant size. you could name yours the tonehound54 super fancy pickup #1 if ya wanted. in parallel, these might suit you better. the guitar itself is a great ax with a really nice neck. id rather have a tone control than the series/parallel switch too

 

[Tonehound54]

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

yes, and that is likely the case. if you order something from the cs, you can call it almost anything you want. this guys was into legendary cephalopod-like sea monsters of giant size. you could name yours the tonehound54 super fancy pickup #1 if ya wanted. in parallel, these might suit you better. the guitar itself is a great ax with a really nice neck. id rather have a tone control than the series/parallel switch too

Someone in the custom shop Jeremy could’ve easily been hard of hearing and the customer said, hey my wife’s calling and I’d better get crackin, ya ok sir we’ll label them Kraken then.

Many many threads on how overly Bright these Dimarzios are or some feel they make the guitar. I’ve owned a pile of teles over the years and still have enough to admit I have a serious problem but this Kotzen is absolutely stellar as far as what I dig in a keeper telecaster, 2 piece ash/maple and bonus pretty flame maple cap, big honkin neck which I feel helps contribute to added sustain, the weight, well I can deal with that considering all the pros to this guitar, I’m thrilled, and I’ve only played it for less than 1/2 hour until I tore it down, and as she sits in pieces waiting to find the proper pup/pot configuration... she’s a real Kraken

Just measured the neck, .973/1st, 1.023”/12th. How’s that for a porker !!

What do you think about a set of Fender 51 Nocaster pups and 250x2. I’ll get the decade capacitance box hooked out to figure out what cap suits best

I’ve been reading great reports on Peter Lawrance single coils but his website doesn’t seem to be working and I’m not on Facebook where I think he might advertise ??

Want something clear and clean without any searing highs which hopefully suits my classic/southern rock and a bit of blues desires.. any noiseless set in any guitar IMHO I haven’t been a fan of, sacrifice tone to achieve silence...

 

[jeremy]

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

Re: Help me Indentify SD SWD Custom Shop “The Kraken” pups in Kotzen Tele

my favorite tele bridge pup is the custom shop '53 tapped jb. my favorite tele neck pup is a antiquity firebird pup. love tele bridge pups, not so much the typical neck pups. the fender nocaster bridge is good, but the neck sounds like a tele neck pup.

the neck on those kotzen is beefy but i really like it. and richie shreds on it