I'm almost there, still need some advice on Tele pups please.

[Johannn]

Hi everybody,
After many hours reading forums and stuff I’m about to decide which pups to choose,
but I still got a few doubts/questions.. In other words, I need some advice from you guys..
I’m playing a MIA Standard Telecaster Lefty.
(click the link on bottom of this message for a picture)

Apart from reading the forums I’ve listened to the Tonewizard on the SD site and these are my options:
Bridge: APTL-3JD Jerry Donahue or the SH-4 JB Model.
Neck: SH2 Jazz Model.

1st: I just don’t know whether to decide between the JD or the JB. My only references are the Tonewizard samples and it would be a big help if any of you can help me out here. Which one would work best in combination with the SH2 Jazz Model?
I'm not looking for a ' fat humbucking' sound but more for a rounder, warmer and 'mellow' tone.

2nd: I’m a lefty so I’m wondering if I can put these pups in my Tele. The pics of the pups show that the wire is coming from on the right side of the pup leading towards the toggle switch. This is obvious for an right-handed guitar because the switch is on the right side of the pups. But on a lefty the switch is on the left-side of the pups while the wire is on the right side.
Are there any tone differences when I put these pups in a lefty ? The pole-pieces supposed to be under the bass-string will be on the high strings on a lefty and otherwise. I’ve read this is an issue with staggered pole-pieces, but if I’m right the pups mentioned are flat pole-pieces, right?

Last but not least: I have a standard American Telecaster. Will these pups fit in my Tele ?
Can I just replace the stock pups with the mentioned pups without needing anything else except a screwdriver and a soldering-iron?

I’d really appreciate your feedback, tips and suggestions!!
Thank you so much,
Johann.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I'm almost there, still need some advice on Tele pups please.

After auditioning 4 differant lead pickups in my Tele:
1. Fender Texas Teles
2. Lindy Fralin Blues Specials
3. Fender No caster
4. Duncan Jerry Donahue

I chose the Jerry Donahue! It reminds me of the lead pickup in the best sounding Tele I ever owned: an original '51 Tele. You might want to read my thread "Ultimate Tele Tone".

A Jazz neck would be an excellant choice if it's a neck humbucker you want. Any neck humbucker will overpower a bridge single coil tho. The Seth Lover would be another excellant choice and would have a bit less bass and might have a more balanced tone with the JD.

I've heard that the Duncan neck PhatCat P90 makes a nice neck pickup with the JD too...but that it will overpower the JD a little too.

I just ordered a new pickguard for my Tele and plan to try a neck PhatCat as soon as the new pickguard arrives.

But I suspect I'll settle on something like a Duncan Antiquity Tele neck, Fralin Blues Special or Stock neck or maybe even the Fender NoCaster neck, I liked that one alot too.

I have not yet settled on what I prefer for the neck pickup with my JD...but it'll probably be a single coil...not a humbucker. That's the next step in my search for the Ultimate Tele Tone! :burnout:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I'm almost there, still need some advice on Tele pups please.

The poles on the Jerry Donahue are almost flat, BTW, with only the middle two being raised slightly to match the radius of the fingerboard. I think it'd work perfectly in a left handed guitar.

Lew

 

[mongrollo]

Re: I'm almost there, still need some advice on Tele pups please.

If your tele it is the one pictured in your thread I don't think a standard humbucker will fit in any of the holes. I don't know much about teles but i I have seen some pictures of them without pickguard and the pickup cavity seems to narrow for a humbucker.

If this is true, to replace your pickups in the way you want (screwdriver and soldering iron) you must use one especificaly designed for a telecaster. I can't recomend you any, I just have use a 54 set and they sounded very good but probabely it is not the sound you are after...

Probabely Lew will tell you more since it seems he had played a lot with telecasters!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I'm almost there, still need some advice on Tele pups please.

Well, it just depends what's under the pickguard. My James Burton Tele came routed for either a standard Tele neck pickup or a humbucker. Vintage Teles don't give you that option, but in the case of my James Burton Tele all I need is a new pickguard cut for a humbucker and I can put a HB or PhatCat in there easily. Lew

 

[Johannn]

Re: I'm almost there, still need some advice on Tele pups please.

Thanks so far guys,
I've taken a pic with the pickguard off.
Maybe this will make things clearer..
So again,
this is what I'm trying to achieve:

Bridge: APTL-3JD Jerry Donahue or the SH-4 JB Model.
Neck: SH2 Jazz Model.
The question is: will the SH2 fit in ?
I'm afraid not.., but maybe someone else knows..
Thanks,
Johannn

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I'm almost there, still need some advice on Tele pups please.

No, the Jazz (or any full size humbucker for that matter) will not fit. Lew

 

[Kelsey]

Re: I'm almost there, still need some advice on Tele pups please.

If you mean the full-size JB humbucker, it will not fit in the bridge position. American Series Teles (2000 and later) are routed for a humbucker at the neck position, but I guess some of the earlier American Standards were not. If your guitar is light, I would consider a Fender Nocaster set, but if it is at least moderately heavy then I would go with the Jerry Donahue bridge pickup (a good choice in any case). As Lew said, the lefty business won't matter with the JD (or the Nocaster). The Nocaster neck pickup probably won't match the polarity of the JD, so one of them would have to be rewired at the pickup. The Fender Texas Special neck pickup might work better in that case, as it has a separate wire for the cover. The Fralins are supposed to be real nice, but I don't like the look of an uncovered neck pickup on a Tele. If you do, then go for it.

 

[jeremy]

Re: I'm almost there, still need some advice on Tele pups please.

im not a big fan of the texas specials, a little grainy for my tastes.
with that rout youll be stuck with a single coil sized pup