Looking for Maximum Quack from my Tele

[Truthsayer]

I'm looking for maximum "quack" from my Tele copy with single coil hum-cancelling pickups. I'm considering Bill Lawrence L-280s. Are there any Seymour Duncan pickups which I should consider instead? This is my first Tele and I'd like to get it right the first time.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Looking for Maximum Quack from my Tele

I don't hear Tele's "quacking"! Do you mean the tone a Strat gets when the neck and middle pickups or middle and bridge pickups are combined? I've heard that described as quack...but my guitars don't quack. Anyways...vintage style single coils are the way to go to get the vintage tone. I'd say get a set of Duncan Tele Antiquitys or maybe the Duncan Jerry Donahue model. Those that are vintage replicas will get the classic Tele tone you hear from masters like Roy Buchanan...that to me is the MAXIMUM TELE TONE...I dunno about maximum quack. Other good choices are the Fender '51 NoCaster set and the Fralin Tele Blues Specials. Good luck! Lew

 

[Truthsayer]

Re: Looking for Maximum Quack from my Tele

Maybe the term is "twang" instead of "quack", I'm not sure, but I know it when I hear it. Its that sound which makes a Tele distictive from a Strat or a LP.

 

[Dave]

Re: Looking for Maximum Quack from my Tele

As I understand it, "quack" is more strat-like, or, rather it comes from a 3 single coil pickup set-up, while using either the neck/mid or mid/bridge. The way to get it is to set your middle single coil pickup lower compared to the neck and bridge with the tone knobs at a higher tone. I can get some quack from my tele, however I have 3 singles in it. Never could get it from the std/vintage 2 single configuration.

Teles have a twang and sort of a chug-a-jangle-y sound which you may be thinking about...

What kind of music are you playing? If you're dedicated to vintage tele tone, then Lew is right. I love my current configuration as listed below. I did have some Fender Hots which came with my Tele and they were a bit dead compared to what I switched them to. I had a Quarter Pound in the neck which was a great pickup for rock/blues, although it's quite a bit hotter than the Blues Special, it seemed to yield a bit more jangle-perhaps because it is a covered pickup, whereas the Blues Spec. is uncovered and has a much more open sound to it.

BTW-you'll get it right many more times than just the "first." :burnout: