Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

[escape21]

I have a Hwy 1 tele (stock) and i like the neck pickup, but i really dislike the bridge pickup.
It is too steely and harsh.

I would like the bridge pup to retain the tele twang, but in a smooth way...

I play rock, blues and alternative but i dont play country.

I was thinking that maybe the JD would be better, cause its Alnico II and would balance better with the neck pup. But I dont want a country(harsh) pickup as my stock pup is...

Wich pup do you think would suit better for my style and needs??

Thanks in advance!

 

[Artie]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

I don't have a lot of experience with Tele's, but I just installed a JD last weekend. It fits this desire perfectly . . .

I would like the bridge pup to retain the tele twang, but in a smooth way...

Artie

Edit: I should probably add . . . I've never tried the "Hot".

 

[Curly]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

the JD has warmer tone, due to the A2 magnet, and more mids, due to the hotter wind, than a typically bright A5 "country" tele bridge pickup

 

[Kelsey]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

I have one Tele with a JD (paired with a Phat Cat) and another with an STL-2 Hot (paired with a stock Fender Atomic II HB). I like them both. The JD has vintage appointments and a more vintage tone, but it has a really meaty midrange than can sound almost P90ish at times. It's a great Tele lead pickup. The STL-2 is a great bang-for-buck Tele lead pickup that pushes the front end of an amp and can keep up with a PAF HB at the neck. It doesn't have as much high end as the JD, and the mids aren't as malleable (more of a feel thing), but the STL-2 has tighter lows and punchier mids. They both compress a bit more than something like the Antiquity or Nocaster, both of which are also excellent choices.

Both the JD and STL-2 have more output than most stock Tele pickups, so I would probably not like them with the stock neck pickup, but some people like the bridge to be a lot hotter than the neck, so YMMV. Another nice choice in a smooth but twangy Tele lead pickup is the 5/2 Nashville Studio lead, and that would probably match the stock neck pickup a bit better than either the JD or STL-2. However, you'll have to do some minor surgery to get the grounding right with the neck pickup if you use the JD or 5/2 (the STL-2 does not have a base plate, so rewiring it to match a Fender is easier).

 

[Uncle Unborn]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

I have a Hwy1 Tele with JD too! It sounds pretty good, but I had expected a better tone. I don't claim the pickup though; the Hwy1 isn't the best guitar out there, although it's good for the money.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

I agree with Kelsey's statements on the STL-2 and JD. I have the Hot in my Thinline paired with a Pearly Gates in the neck and the JD with a SM-1 in my ash 50's style tele.

The Hot is more of a rock pickup that can do country while the JD is a country pickup that can do rock.

 

[badco33]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

I have a JD in a Fender James Burton Tele and I absolutley love the tone. It has good spank and twang when needed but also has a nice mid quality that you don't find in most tele pickups. I have it paired with a Str-1 Vintage neck pickup and it pairs up nicely. I did have to adjust the heights of the pickups a little to get a more balnced volume when switching from the neck to the bridge. But that didn't take very long to find the right spots. I've found that with a lower output neck pickup I can get a better middle position tone. With a high output bridge and neck it tends to be too thick for my tastes.

very good early Zeppelin tone with the JD.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

I have a JD in a Fender James Burton Tele and I absolutley love the tone. It has good spank and twang when needed but also has a nice mid quality that you don't find in most tele pickups. I have it paired with a Str-1 Vintage neck pickup and it pairs up nicely. I did have to adjust the heights of the pickups a little to get a more balnced volume when switching from the neck to the bridge. But that didn't take very long to find the right spots. I've found that with a lower output neck pickup I can get a better middle position tone. With a high output bridge and neck it tends to be too thick for my tastes.

very good early Zeppelin tone with the JD.

I agree with this post! Especially the part about using a lower/vintage output neck pickup for "better" tone when the neck and bridge pickup are combined. I found the exact same thing to be true, even if the neck pickup alone tone might be "better" with a hotter Tele neck pickup. I tend to play rythym on my Teles with the neck and bridge combined and I prefer a covered vintage output Tele neck pickup for that combined tone. However, when I'm playing on the neck pickup alone I do like a hotter neck pickup (like the Duncan Custom Shop Tele ala Strat neck or a Fralin Blues Special neck) alot!

As for the Jerry Donahue, it's my favorite Duncan Tele bridge pickup...although it's not as steely/bright/twangy as some country type Tele purists might prefer.

Regardless, it reminds me of the bridge pickup in my '51 Tele which must have been wound like the lead pickup in Jerry's '52 Tele...the pickup that the JD is based on.

Lew

 

[Artie]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

I tend to play rythym on my Teles with the neck and bridge combined and I prefer a covered vintage output Tele neck pickup for that combined tone. However, when I'm playing on the neck pickup alone I do like a hotter neck pickup . . .

Lew; Thats interesting. How do you think it would sound to use something like a "tapped" SSL-6 for the Tele neck? Have it be "tapped" for the neck/bridge position, and full-on for the neck-alone position?

Since I just happen to have a tapped SSL-6 laying around, it might be worth a try . . . if you think so.

Artie

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

Hi Artie, Tapped, wouldn't that pickup be more like a regular Strat pickup? That'd still be stronger than a vintage style covered Tele neck pickup. Truth is, I'm not really crazy about the tone of a vintage style covered Tele neck pickup when it's used by itself...they always sound a little weak and muffled to me. But I do like the way they sound when combined with a vintage style Tele lead pickup when I'm playing rythym on my Tele. I have several Teles: two with a vintage style covered neck pickup and one with an Antiquity Surfer Strat pickup as the neck pickup. When the neck and bridge pickups are combined I like that jangley chimey N&B Tele tone best of all for rythym...but if I'm soloing on the neck pickup or playing rythym on just the neck pickup the Surfer is better. Lew

 

[Artie]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

Hi Artie, Tapped, wouldn't that pickup be more like a regular Strat pickup? That'd still be stronger than a vintage style covered Tele neck pickup.

Yeah, I see what you mean. It would take a CS pup, like an APS-1 with maybe a 66% tap. Oh well . . . it was a hot idea for a sec.

Artie

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

how about that same SSL-6 with the tap set really, really low into the pickguard?

It won't sound like a traditional tele rythm pickup, but I bet it'll take away some of the punch.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

Yeah, I see what you mean. It would take a CS pup, like an APS-1 with maybe a 66% tap. Oh well . . . it was a hot idea for a sec.

Artie

Well...there's a particular tone vintage Tele's get when the neck and bridge pickups are combined. You can hear it on Pretender's records. It's just nice and clear and jangley and chimey. That's the tone I was referring to. But maybe you should try that Strat pickup someday...you just might like it... Lew

 

[Mephis]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

I have a Hwy 1 tele (stock) and i like the neck pickup, but i really dislike the bridge pickup.
It is too steely and harsh.

I would like the bridge pup to retain the tele twang, but in a smooth way...

I play rock, blues and alternative but i dont play country.

I was thinking that maybe the JD would be better, cause its Alnico II and would balance better with the neck pup. But I dont want a country(harsh) pickup as my stock pup is...

Wich pup do you think would suit better for my style and needs??

Thanks in advance!

You would LOVE the rio grande Muy grande, its JUST for that sound!! I love mine, nice twangy and warm, still has tele cleans but you just use the tone knob to switch between slightly warm but still trebbly and warmer.

 

[escape21]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

Ok! Thanks for the info!!

One more question: Will the stock neck pup sound too weak with a bridge pup with more output? should i change the neck pup too?

Wich of the two pups (jd and stl-2) comes closer to the Dimarzio Pre b-1 in output and tone??

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

The STL-2 would be closer to the B1 than the JD.

 

[escape21]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

Thanks!

 

[gripweed]

Re: Jerry Donahue vs. Hot (stl-2)

I agree with this post! Especially the part about using a lower/vintage output neck pickup for "better" tone when the neck and bridge pickup are combined. I found the exact same thing to be true, even if the neck pickup alone tone might be "better" with a hotter Tele neck pickup. I tend to play rythym on my Teles with the neck and bridge combined and I prefer a covered vintage output Tele neck pickup for that combined tone. However, when I'm playing on the neck pickup alone I do like a hotter neck pickup (like the Duncan Custom Shop Tele ala Strat neck or a Fralin Blues Special neck) alot!

As for the Jerry Donahue, it's my favorite Duncan Tele bridge pickup...although it's not as steely/bright/twangy as some country type Tele purists might prefer.

Regardless, it reminds me of the bridge pickup in my '51 Tele which must have been wound like the lead pickup in Jerry's '52 Tele...the pickup that the JD is based on.

Lew

I surprised that you didn't recommend the CS hot Tele tapped. It would give him the best of both worlds.

I happen to think that the Donahue pickup is a *great* pickup. It was a little too bright for the guitar I had it in though. I went with the Fender Texas Tele instead (a great Tele pickup IMHO).