HS Tele set up - which combination?

[Lefty Adams]

Hi - building a Telecaster with some real grunt (hopefully) and need some input on which humbuckers go with which single coils. I am trying to match for a set.

The HBs I'm looking at for the neck are either the '59 Neck (SH-1n) or the Seth Lover (SH-55n) and the single coils I've been looking at for the bridge are the Little '59 (ST59-1) and the Quarter pound (STL-3) single.

Any recommendations of these or any other SD pickups? I am into classic and hard rock mostly and also some blues. Thanks.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

I had a Vintage Modified Squier Tele earlier this year with the Duncan Designed versions of either a Jazz or '59 neck and Classic Stack bridge. It sounded great for anything. Blues, jazz, surf, rock, country, whatever. Great combo.

Richie Kotzen's Teles sound killer with a Dimarzio Chopper in the bridge, also.

 

[radekvitr]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

I just tried a Lil 59 and it was way too dark for me. If you only plan on playing with distortion it's great.
The JD is a wonderful tele bridge pickup. It does cleans and overdriven amazingly. A lower output, brighter hum in the neck will match well

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

Jerry Donahue in the bridge and then any vintage style alnico 2 bucker you like in the neck. My fave is the pearly gates. Im sure the seth would be killer too if you prefer that real vintagey midrangey sound.
Tone that turns heads.
If you want to go the whole hog, use 500k pots, .022uf tone cap and add an extra 510k resistor for the bridge pickup so that it gets close to 250k at the volume pot when used on its own.
That real gutsy tele twang that you get from a fat true in single in the bridge is unbeatable. You just can't get it from 'buckers.
my 2c.

 

[BenPerkins]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

Jerry Donahue for sure.


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[Gunslinger_505]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

For the neck position I just put a GFS Neovin Hard Vintage Overwound in my HS Thinline. I really like this pickup. It's a little hotter than the standard Tele neck, but it's not muddy at all, which is often the problem with hot neck pickups. Best of all, it's noiseless. Which, if you're playing with any crunch/distortion is a big plus. Particularly so at lower and practice volumes.

For the neck I'm seriously considering a 59/custom hybrid. This is a little hotter than what you're looking at but not to hot.

 

[rodbali]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

I'm also loading an HS tele body which has nothing in it right now. I'm a newbie to electronics, but I can do basic soldering. Essentially, I'm looking for a combination that would be clean for blues but capable of growling for rock. I’d like a full-sized humbucker, which will be in neck position. For the bridge, I’m considering the Quarter Pound (STL-3) and the Vintage Broadcaster (STL-1B). I realize these are quite different creatures.

I gather that the big danger here is the HB overpowering the single coil. Yet I’ve found a couple of videos on Youtube where the Broadcaster, for instance, is holding up just fine against a 59. So I’m still not sure if I need a super high-output bridge.

For the humbucker I’m considering the 59 neck (SH-1N); the Seth Lover (SH-55N); the Antiquity humbucker; and the Alnico II Pro HB (APH-1N). So, I guess my very naïve question would be… which of the following eight combinations would NOT work?

1 Quarter Pound bridge + 59 neck HB
2 Quarter Pound bridge + Seth Lover HB
3 Quarter Pound bridge + Antiquity HB
4 Quarter Pound bridge + Alnico II Pro HB

5 Vint Broadcaster bridge + 59 neck HB
6 Vint Broadcaster bridge + Seth Lover HB
7 Vint Broadcaster bridge + Antiquity HB
8 Vint Broadcaster bridge + Alnico II Pro HB

If any of these combinations would be a total disaster (or at least a waste of money), I’d really appreciate the warning. Or, if any of these seem like a “thumbs-up,” I’d love to hear that too. Thanks in advance for your response to an extreme newbie!
rodbali

 

[rodbali]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

No response at all for the newbie?

 

[dystrust]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

I have a Hot Stack and SM-1 Firebird pup in my Tele.

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[jeremy]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

any of those combinations would work, some would balance better than others. if i was doing a hs tele and not looking to spend custom shop prices id do a seth lover neck and jd bridge

 

[Mincer]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

I can't imagine any of those combos being bad. They are different flavors of good. I am not a huge fan of a QP pickup in a Tele, but all of those humbuckers are great choices.

 

[rodbali]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

Thank you, to everyone who responded!

I've actually just ordered a Seth Lover neck HB. Now I've just got to decide upon the bridge PU.

Jeremy, I will consider the Jerry Donahue. Thanks for the suggestion!
:bigthumb:

rodbali

 

[Mincer]

Re: HS Tele set up - which combination?

The Jerry Donahue/Seth combo is heaven in a Tele. It is really a great choice.