Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

[PFDarkside]

Let’s talk about the hotter Duncan Tele replacement pickups. If you want “more” from a Tele there are quite a few options:

-Hot for Tele
-Quarter Pounder
-Hot Stack
-Lil 59
-Hot Rails
-BG1400

The website descriptions and specs don’t tell you too much, reviews are ok, but almost all of them for these pickups are “I replaced the stock pickup and this rocks!” Which is cool, but not a comparison between them. Buying all six and taking a weekend to try them all would be fun, but that’s more money and time than I have.

So, leaning on the experience of the SDUGF, what kind of comparisons can you provide for these hotter Tele Bridge pickups? (Let’s stick to SD for now, once we cover these we can get into other brands). Specifically looking at the “wow, that’s louder/thicker/stronger than a stock Tele”, not the Broadcaster-Class pickups.

How hot are they compared to other pickups I might know? (I’m familiar with classic Tele
Pickups, Texas Special and a broadcaster, plus a range of HBs and Strat pickups) How do they compare EQ-wise? Which would you choose for a heavy blues/rock/hard rock Tele? (Not modern metal, but maybe a little classic metal for fun)

 

[mechanic1908]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

Great topic.
Following

Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

Thing is, do you still want it to sound like a Tele, or are you trying to change the Tele sound into something else?

 

[Synapsys]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

This is my modded ESP LTD TE-212.

I had installed a STK-T2b (Hot Lead Stack) and an APH-1n (Alnico II Pro), a Les Paul three-way position switch, and individual switches for each pickup for Series / Parallel / Split wiring. Some magic on the pots, allowing to select between 500k or 250k, depending whether in series or split, to try and catch some classic tones.

The Stack still gives a Tele character, although a modern one, but in parallel and in split it can get very near to classic Tele tones. Handles high gain very well. A2Pro is a dream on the neck, liquid solos just pour out, and parallel and split gives very usable tones, mainly in clean/ breakup.

Also a racing stripe for some Hot Rod look. Added Planet Waves Auto Trim locking tuners, Dunlop straplocks, a Graphtech TUSQ nut, and a string roller.Bridge is an ABR six-string made of brass, really help with sustain.

Some eye candy for you, as follows. I'm terrible at photography, BTW..

Before mods:

View attachment 64509

After mods:

View attachment 64510

View attachment 64511

View attachment 64512

View attachment 64513

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

I don't have a ton of experience with all of Duncan's hotter than vintage tele pickups, but I have had a STL-2T in a MIJ Fernandez Tele (vintage style maple neck, basswood body, 3 saddle steel ashtray) for a while. Originally, I paired it with a APHn, 250k pots, and a three way switch with a pair of push/pull pots to split the neck humbucker and to tap the bridge pickup. In the full output setting, the STL-2 is pretty hot and thick, but still retains plenty of bite. In fact, it's hot and thick enough to get good hard rock and early metal tones, although single coil noise can be an issue at high gain settings. Tapped, the output is closer to a vintage tele style pickup, but, dlperhaps due to the lack of a metal baseplate, it seems a bit more reserved in the mids and the treble is a bit more airy and delicate compared to most vintage style tele pickups. It feels less aggressive in the attack, if that makes any sense.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

Great topic.
Following

Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Tapatalk

Agreed. I have a lot of interest in this as well.
I have a Tele with stock pickups and it sounds ok albeit pretty generic.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

This is my modded ESP LTD TE-212.

I had installed a STK-T2b (Hot Lead Stack) and an APH-1n (Alnico II Pro), a Les Paul three-way position switch, and individual switches for each pickup for Series / Parallel / Split wiring. Some magic on the pots, allowing to select between 500k or 250k, depending whether in series or split, to try and catch some classic tones.

The Stack still gives a Tele character, although a modern one, but in parallel and in split it can get very near to classic Tele tones. Handles high gain very well. A2Pro is a dream on the neck, liquid solos just pour out, and parallel and split gives very usable tones, mainly in clean/ breakup.

Also a racing stripe for some Hot Rod look. Added Planet Waves Auto Trim locking tuners, Dunlop straplocks, a Graphtech TUSQ nut, and a string roller.Bridge is an ABR six-string made of brass, really help with sustain.

Some eye candy for you, as follows. I'm terrible at photography, BTW..

Before mods:

View attachment 64509

After mods:

View attachment 64510

View attachment 64511

View attachment 64512

View attachment 64513

Not sure if it’s just on my end but your pic links are broken.

 

[justFred]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

been through bunches of tele pickups...after all was said and done ended up with lil '59 bridge and SSL-1 neck...never looked back after loading that combo...

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

been through bunches of tele pickups...after all was said and done ended up with lil '59 bridge and SSL-1 neck...never looked back after loading that combo...

That looks like a great combo.
I’d be interested in the A2P neck and the QP neck as well.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

Thing is, do you still want it to sound like a Tele, or are you trying to change the Tele sound into something else?

Same question I have

How much more beef are we talking? Jerry Donahue or Hot Stack?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

The Jerry Donahue is about as hot as I'd go and still sound like a Tele. For the neck, well, I am not a fan of any stock or replacement Tele neck pickup. I generally like a humbucker or a Strat single coil, but there again, you get away from the standard Tele sound.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

Thing is, do you still want it to sound like a Tele, or are you trying to change the Tele sound into something else?

Same question I have

How much more beef are we talking? Jerry Donahue or Hot Stack?

That’s the question... how do they all sound compared to stock and to some known HBs? How do the Tele Hot Rails compared to the Strat Hot Rails, and how does the lil 59 compare to the full sized 59? What does the Hot Stack sound like period?

Looking for some great rock tones that can go heavier or bluesier.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

I typically want to my Teles to sound like Teles, but I have the indulgence of many guitars. A great option for both worlds is the 53 tapped tele bridge and a humbucker neck. You just have to figure out how much "rock" you want compared to how much "twang".

The Jerry Donahue is my default for covering the most ground. Strat and Tele pickups can be the most difficult because everyone has their own ideas on what they want. We are blessed with options but that can also be a curse.

 

[justFred]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

That looks like a great combo.
I’d be interested in the A2P neck and the QP neck as well.

Kinda loses the classic Tele look...but the sound outweighs the looks by far...

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

Kinda loses the classic Tele look...but the sound outweighs the looks by far...View attachment 90695

I admit I do like the lipstick pickup look in the neck, but that humbucker in the bridge looks bad *ss.

But, yeah the sound is the important thing.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

'Great rock tones' generally points to a Little 59, which is a really good replacement for a full size humbucker. For the neck, you might be happier with an actual humbucker, like a 59 or a Seth Lover.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

'Great rock tones' generally points to a Little 59, which is a really good replacement for a full size humbucker. For the neck, you might be happier with an actual humbucker, like a 59 or a Seth Lover.

I’ve never removed my Tele pickguard....do they have a swimming pool route to accommodate a humbucker or is there routing to do?

 

[YeRedHouseOverYonder]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

Wish I could reply to this, but my Esquire build is still on hold for the summer. FWIW, I was am to use a BG 1400 with a pine Tele and rosewood/ebony neck.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

I’ve never removed my Tele pickguard....do they have a swimming pool route to accommodate a humbucker or is there routing to do?

Depends on the model, but most will require routing.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Hot Tele pickups from Duncan... lay it on me

Depends on the model, but most will require routing.

Good to know. Thanks