Jazz neck on Telecaster bridge position

[Flores_68]

Hello,

I have a Fender Telecaster and I was considering replacing the single coil on the bridge for a SD Jazz neck so that it won't be too bright. Has anybody tried anything along these lines??

 

[idsnowdog]

The Jazz is one of SD's brightest pickups. A 250k volume pot might tame the Jazz's brightness a bit though. I would probably swap the stock polished A5 magnet for a roughcast unoriented A5 magnet to beef up the mids a bit.

 

[CK71]

I guessing you would have to route the body to do that. Have you considered a single coil sized humbucker like the lil 59? That may help you get the sound you want.

 

[Flores_68]

I guessing you would have to route the body to do that. Have you considered a single coil sized humbucker like the lil 59? That may help you get the sound you want.

It would certainly make my life much easier (and cheaper). I'd have to route it, get a new pickguard etc. I've always been a humbucker person: will I get a humbucker tone from the lil 59?

 

[Mincer]

You will, but the Cool Rails is much much closer to the bright, scooped Jazz humbucker tone than the Little 59. If you don't want a bright pickup, the Jazz & Cool Rails would be the wrong choice.

 

[CK71]

To my ears the single coil sized humbuckers like the lil59 are not as full sounding as a regular humbuckers however it is considerably fuller than the single coil with more in common with regular humbuckers than single coils. I have the lil59 paired with a full sized 59 in my Tele and love the combo. Routing the bridge for a humbucker would give you a ton of options if the jazz didn't work out. It may be helpful to listen to some sound samples of each to help make your choice.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I agree. IME the single-sized hums in general have a tighter, brighter sound and feel than the full size humbuckers they're often named after. It's partly basic physics, because they're sensing a narrower window of string. In the case of a Tele, there's also the positioning on an angle and the fact that it's mounted in the metal bridgeplate.

That said, a bright humbucker might be just the ticket in this case. Certainly it's simpler than routing out the body (and easily reversible in case you ever decide to sell the guitar).

I have a Lil59 For Tele and it's a very good pickup - as long as you aren't expecting an SH-1B. I agree that it's somewhere between traditional Tele and full-on humbucker tone. Definitely fatter tone and a warmer attack than a stock Tele bridge, yet not exactly like the body and PAFish feel of a 59B.

 

[AlexR]

And the neck version of any calibrated set is going to brighter than the bridge.

 

[zionstrat]

Members who've been here for a while will probably get tired of my regular recommendation for most tellies.

Put a mini humbucker in the neck and you'll have the greatest range of sounds possible on a telecaster with the exception of a firebird. The firebird is the same size and works well if you're looking for a brighter neck than a mini

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[Securb]

I've always been a humbucker person: will I get a humbucker tone from the lil 59?

Absolutely yes. SD single-sized humbuckers are just that humbuckers.

 

[ItsaBass]

Hello,

I have a Fender Telecaster and I was considering replacing the single coil on the bridge for a SD Jazz neck so that it won't be too bright. Has anybody tried anything along these lines??

It's a fine choice, in general. I would talk more about what tone you want from the bridge humbucker, so a good suggestion can be made. There are at least half a dozen Duncan pickups that are in the realm of the Jazz. Seth Lover, '59, Jazz, A2Pro, Slash, Pearly Gates, Whole Lotta Humbucker neck, Saturday Night Special neck...Antiquity... All variants of classic Gibson pickups...and most have neck and bridge versions.

 

[Flores_68]

I got quite a bit of input regarding the bridge so my next question is: should I got for a Dimarzio Twang King or a Vintage Stack for the neck? I'm going for a vintage tone.

 

[Mincer]

The Vintage Stack is a great, quiet vintage tone that is hum-cancelling. It is about as traditional as you can get in a hum-canceling design.

 

[stevie_bees]

Members who've been here for a while will probably get tired of my regular recommendation for most tellies.

Put a mini humbucker in the neck and you'll have the greatest range of sounds possible on a telecaster with the exception of a firebird. The firebird is the same size and works well if you're looking for a brighter neck than a mini

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

Last year I put a Psyclone Vintage in the neck of my Telecaster, paired with a Five-Two bridge pickup and I'm using my Tele for pretty much the entire time atm.

 

[superpete]

I got quite a bit of input regarding the bridge so my next question is: should I got for a Dimarzio Twang King or a Vintage Stack for the neck? I'm going for a vintage tone.

for a vintage tone i'd go vintage stack...i love the twang king, but it isn't a traditional sounding tele neck pickup.