Nashville Telecaster Pickup Replacements

[AlteredFive]

Hi - I'm new and i am looking for some feedback on upgrading my Nashville Tele. It is currently all stock, with a rosewood fretboard, and I want to keep the classic single coil sound but with a bit...more. I'm thinking about the Jerry Donahue in the bridge and an Alnico II Pro in the neck. The real question is what to put in that middle position. I've read some of the posts that talk about "out of phase" and RWRP pickups, etc and if I'm going to put money down on new pickups i want to get it right.

I see a lot of people recommending the Vintage Staggered Strat SSL-1 and there is a version labeled "Vintage Staggered Strat - middle rwrp SSL-1 rwrp" I'm guessing that would be the one to get?

Thanks for any feedback and advice.

 

[Cdwillis]

Re: Nashville Telecaster Pickup Replacements

Spitballing here, but I think I would get the neck pickup reverse wound. That way neck/bridge, like on a tele, and middle/neck, like on a strat, are hum cancelling. I never found myself using the bridge/middle position on a strat.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Nashville Telecaster Pickup Replacements

welcome to the forum!

personally i would get the ssl2 which is the flat pole version of the ssl1, very similar tone but more balanced string volume with modern strings and a flatter radius fretboard. i think the jd in the bridge is a great choice. i dont love tele neck pups so if it was me, id put either another strat pup or a firebird pup in the neck. i use an antiquity II firebird neck pup in my tele and it is wonderful.

 

[AlteredFive]

Re: Nashville Telecaster Pickup Replacements

Thanks guys - I am on the bridge or bridge + Middle most of the time as the rhythm guitarist is usually banging away on the lower registers. That said i don't want to neglect the neck pup. I was looking at the "Quarter Pound" for the neck but I don't want to have the pickups out of balance. Maybe just go with the set and an SSL2 in the middle?

there are waaaaaay to many choices here. Thanks again.

 

[baritone]

Re: Nashville Telecaster Pickup Replacements

I like hot pickups - I would pick anything called "Quarter Pounder" which fits in the desired slot.