Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

[jrsmiles]

I'm working on my next build and I'm getting close to selecting my pickups for this project. I want something really cool and awesome! lol I already have a really nice '52 RI Tele with great sounding Van Zandt pickups that I'm very happy with. This performs as my "pure Tele" tone.

My next one I want to aim for a bit of a different sound.

Here are my goals:
-Bridge - Twang when I need it, which is most times, hot mean, growling, clear and open.
-Neck - "Wind Cries Mary", Stratty, plays well with the bridge

-Switching/wiring - I'm considering a 5 way Super Switch to help get that "out of phase" Strat sound. I know it won't be perfect but I've had experience with other Teles that pulled off a pretty nice version of it just with wiring a neck/bridge in the right way. But if I do that, I need to add a push/pull to tap the '53 bridge pickup and won't be able to use a 5 way switch as SD recommends with the '53 tapped.

I've been reading tons of good info on the '53 tapped Tele JB bridge pickup and I'm close to selecting that as my bridge.

Now I'm wondering, should I get the matching neck pickup in the set, or would it better serve my goals to get the Tele Rhythm with Strat Poles, OR should I find another Strat pickup and mod the pickguard to fit?

I think the Tele with Strat poles will sound more "Strat like" without any modification to the guitar/guard. Or if there is just no substitue, I could get a real Strat pickup and call it done.

I also hear that the newer CS Fender Twisted Tele pickups kind of do the same thing I'm looking for in a neck pickup.


Thanks for looking, and I appreciate any advice you may have!!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

I have the 53 Tapped Tele set in my main Telecaster and love it however the neck pickup is not a real Strat sound.

There are a few Tele neck pickups out there that are more Strat like but if you want a Strat sound just use a Strat pickup.

As for the switching and wiring I'm not sure how a super switch is going to help you with a 2 pickup guitar...the 5 way that Seymour suggests with the Tapped Tele set is a great set up and does away with the need for a push pull pot or a mini toggle.

Question is this...what do you want the Super Switch for??

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

Hi and welcome to the forum. TGWIF gives a lot of great suggestions. If you don't have a Custom Shop budget, there are several options. Here are a few:

1. Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials. At 10k, with AlNiCo 5 mgnets, the bridge pickup is very good for rock tones but with twang with the right technique. The neck pickup does have a Stratty vibe to it also. It's more open-sounding than a typical Tele neck pickup.

2. DiMarzio Pre B-1 - This bridge pickup is a hotter version of the old Broadcaster pickup; with less highs and more mids.

3. DiMarzio Twang King Neck Pickup - I have owned this one in a couple of guitars. It's one of the best Tele neck pickups made. It's very clear and open-sounding like a good Strat pickup.

4. Seymour Duncan APTL-3JD - a great bridge pickup that has a sweet twang and sounds greeat with overdrive/distortion. I have used this pickup with an APS-2 in the neck; but that' a Strat pickup.

Also, I understand you wantig to use a super switch. It sounds like you are wanting a wiring scheme similar to the JD wiring scheme. There are some good diagrams here that will hep you get that achieved. The current JD wiring scheme is as folllows:

• Pos. 1: Neck pickup normal - This is just a normal Strat pickup circuit.
• Pos. 2: Neck pickup with special tone circuit - This gives a fuller, warmer tone synonymous with maybe a 335.
• Pos. 3: Neck and Bridge pickups together in parallel - this is the normal middle switch position on a Telecaster.
• Pos. 4: Bridge and neck pickups out of phase. Using various caps and resistors, this tone is like the bridge and middle pickups together on a Strat.
• Pos. 5: Bridge pickup - This is the standard circuit for the bridge pickup alone.

I believe this is the correct wiring diagram as well.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

the '53 tapped bridge pup is just wonderful and the tele with strat pole neck pup is great too. id be very happy with that set

 

[jrsmiles]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

Thanks for the info!

I mainly want the 5-way super switch to get the options of half in/out of phase of the two pickups. Here's some info I found on it:

Pos. 1 (bridge)
Pos. 2 (bridge + neck in series)
Pos. 3 (bridge + neck in parallel)
Pos. 4 (bridge + neck 1/2 out of phase)
Pos. 5 (neck only)

I like this idea, but I also like the idea of the '53 Tapped pickup.

I think I'd be just as happy with these positions:

1. Bridge
2. Neck/Bridge
3. Neck/Bridge out of phase "Strat" sound
4. Neck
5. ?

I wouldn't be opposed to adding a push/pull pot or S1 pot to control the '53.

I've been reading a lot on the Super Switch on the TDPRI: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/255331-5-way-switch-wiring-idea-without-know-how.html

 

[Gypsyblue]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

I have that set. The bridge pickup is the best single coil Tele pickup I've ever used. The neck pickup is much nicer than a stock Tele neck pickup but doesn't have the output or tone of a great Strat pickup. So I removed it and installed a Strat neck pickup instead and that's what I'd recommend you do too if you really want the sound of a Strat neck pickup.

You're not going to get what you call those "out of phase" sounds without a middle pickup to combine the bridge pickup or neck pickup with. And those sounds are not out of phase - it's just the sound of a Strat middle pickup combined with a Strat neck pickup or bridge pickup. If they were out of phase it would sound like a mosquito - not Mark Knopfler or Eric Clapton.

BTW, I'm just waiting for a new pickguard to arrive for my Tele and then I'm putting a Strat middle pickup in it that'll match the Strat neck pickup I put in it a couple of months ago.

 

[jrsmiles]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

Cool. What Strat pickups did you use? I've been considering a middle pickup in the Tele, but I just don't know yet. I know I'm not going to get that exact Strat sound, but I'm trying to get close.

Regarding the neck, that's why I'm looking at the Twisted Tele or SD Tele with Strat Poles, at least then I wouldn't have to mod anything since they'd drop right in.

Also, what kind of switching/wiring are you using with the '53 bridge?

 

[Gypsyblue]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

Cool. What Strat pickups did you use? I've been considering a middle pickup in the Tele, but I just don't know yet. I know I'm not going to get that exact Strat sound, but I'm trying to get close.

Regarding the neck, that's why I'm looking at the Twisted Tele or SD Tele with Strat Poles, at least then I wouldn't have to mod anything since they'd drop right in.

Also, what kind of switching/wiring are you using with the '53 bridge?

Seymour's recommended wiring is a 5 way Strat switch and in the #3 setting is the neck pickup by itself. #1 is the vintage output of the bridge pickup and #5 is the hot output. #2 and #4 combine the neck pickup with either the vintage or hot output of the bridge pickup.

That is a really good way to wire a Tele!

I went with a Fralin Strat pickup I already had. I have two (one is RW/RP relative to the other) and I'll install the middle pickup when I get my new pick guard.

At that point I'll probably wire it like a Strat with a master volume and master tone, and make the master tone a push/pull switch to choose between the hot or vintage output of the bridge pickup.

I'll remove the existing 5 way switch and install a Schaller 5 way "mega" switch that in the #3 position combines the neck pickup with the bridge pickup instead of giving the middle pickup by itself.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

Seymour's recommended wiring is a 5 way Strat switch and in the #3 setting is the neck pickup by itself. #1 is the vintage output of the bridge pickup and #5 is the hot output. #2 and #4 combine the neck pickup with either the vintage or hot output of the bridge pickup.

That is a really good way to wire a Tele!

I went with a Fralin Strat pickup I already had. I have two (one is RW/RP relative to the other) and I'll install the middle pickup when I get my new pick guard.

At that point I'll probably wire it like a Strat with a master volume and master tone, and make the master tone a push/pull switch to choose between the hot or vintage output of the bridge pickup.

I'll remove the existing 5 way switch and install a Schaller 5 way "mega" switch that in the #3 position combines the neck pickup with the bridge pickup instead of giving the middle pickup by itself.

Interesting - is there a diagram for this wiring?

 

[elelpe]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

Some tele players have raved about Jim Weider Big T neck pickup made by Fralin. They said it sounds like strat but a little warmer. Maybe you're interested. A lotta bucks though. Me, I love clear crisp tone from my humble Keystones neck pup.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Looking at '53 Tapped Tele and Tele with Strat Poles, need advice...

any vintage type alnico 5 strat neck pup will work, i like the antiquity II surfer or jaguar pup in the neck.