Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Peter Krasov

New member
Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Yesterday I got my American Deluxe Tele after refinish. Now it has ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele (http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/custom-shop/telecaster/1953_tapped_jb/) in the bridge, and Hot Rhytm For Tele in the neck.

The sound character of Hot Rhytm is quite okay, and I'd like to dwell on it when choosing the correct neck pickup for my tele. But a few things go wrong:
1) It doesn't have that 'airy' and open sound, like 53 Tapped does.
2) In sounds a bit dull

What would I like to hear?

1) Jazzy open sound (exactly the Hot Rhytm with more higs and clearness)

2) Sound that will be a bit closer to P90's or vintage humbuckers


Which pickups should I try?

Thanks!
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Yesterday I got my American Deluxe Tele after refinish. Now it has ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele (http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/custom-shop/telecaster/1953_tapped_jb/) in the bridge, and Hot Rhytm For Tele in the neck.

The sound character of Hot Rhytm is quite okay, and I'd like to dwell on it when choosing the correct neck pickup for my tele. But a few things go wrong:
1) It doesn't have that 'airy' and open sound, like 53 Tapped does.
2) In sounds a bit dull

What would I like to hear?

1) Jazzy open sound (exactly the Hot Rhytm with more higs and clearness)

2) Sound that will be a bit closer to P90's or vintage humbuckers


Which pickups should I try?

Thanks!



Sounds like you have an alnico 2 Custom Shop tapped Tele hot bridge pickup? If so, that's a wonderful pickup and I have one in a Strat. I wonder why they call it a '53 JB? Was it designed for Jeff Beck?

My favorite Duncan neck Tele pickup to match with that pickup is the alnico 5 "Tele ala Strat" from the Custom shop.

The Antiquity II is an alnico 5 neck pickup that sounds great too. The Antiquity I is alnico 2 and sounds really sweet and chimey - another great one!
 
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Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

There are a few different tapped Tele bridge pickups from the Custom Shop.

The 53 JB Guitar Shop Spec version is the one that I use and I use the matching neck pickup, which is not only a great match but it's also a great pickup!

I suggest getting the matching neck pickup.

However, that said if you want something more like a P90 or a vintage PAF then I suggest an Antiquity Bucker or Antiquity P90...a Tele nek pickup is never gonna sound like a P90 or a Humbucker.
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

There are a few different tapped Tele bridge pickups from the Custom Shop.

The 53 JB Guitar Shop Spec version is the one that I use and I use the matching neck pickup, which is not only a great match but it's also a great pickup!

I don't see any other Tapped Tele bridge pickups besides the '53 JB. http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/custom-shop/telecaster/

I also don't see the version of the "Tele ala Strat" that I have. The version Seymour and MJ are offering now has an open top: http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/custom-shop/telecaster/rhythm_for_tele/

Mine is under an aged solid top and looks, from the outside, like an Antiquity Tele neck pickup.

Lew
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

There is the 53 Guitar Shop spec Tele set (or the bridge can be bought alone) and there is an Alnico II version of the Hot Tapped Tele and there might be the Seymour Duncan Signature Esquire pickup offered but that pickup might be the same as the 53 JB Guitar Shop Spec pickup...not sure.

I know you and Curly both have tapped bridge Tele pickups with alnico II magnets but I don't know what the specs on them are or what models they are...mine is the 53 JB Set, I ordered them as such with the matching neck pickup.

The CS page changes from time to time and will show different models and take some off and some even change but you can get any of them at any time if you know what to ask for.

So Lew...what are the specs on your CS Tapped pickup??
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

There is the 53 Guitar Shop spec Tele set (or the bridge can be bought alone) and there is an Alnico II version of the Hot Tapped Tele and there might be the Seymour Duncan Signature Esquire pickup offered but that pickup might be the same as the 53 JB Guitar Shop Spec pickup...not sure.

I know you and Curly both have tapped bridge Tele pickups with alnico II magnets but I don't know what the specs on them are or what models they are...mine is the 53 JB Set, I ordered them as such with the matching neck pickup.

The CS page changes from time to time and will show different models and take some off and some even change but you can get any of them at any time if you know what to ask for.

So Lew...what are the specs on your CS Tapped pickup??

It's in my Strat so I can't measure it.

But the box says:
Pickup #69539
Tap Tele
Alnico II
6.7K/9.4K
Guass 30
6-30-04
Custom wound by: MJ
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

NICE!

Those are the same exact specs as mine. Thats the Jeff Beck Guitar Shop spec bridge pickup.
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

The sound character of Hot Rhytm is quite okay, and I'd like to dwell on it when choosing the correct neck pickup for my tele. But a few things go wrong:
1) It doesn't have that 'airy' and open sound, like 53 Tapped does.
2) In sounds a bit dull
I have the Hot Rhythm in a tele, and I agree ... it has a very different EQ from most tele bridge pickups, which makes me think it actually should have it's own tone cap
The 53 JB Guitar Shop Spec version is the one that I use and I use the matching neck pickup, which is not only a great match but it's also a great pickup!
I agree ... the matching rhythm pickup sounds great!
I think it's alnico 5, wound to something like 7.6K.
Whatever it is, if you just tell MJ you'd like the one that goes with the custom shop tapped tele pickup, that's what you'll get.

Why does it sound great?
it has enough output to sound full, but enough presence so it doesn't sound dull ... you get a very useful neck tone, and with the 5-way switch wiring, you get five well balanced, very usable positions.

I can't recommend a P-90 or PAF type, 'cause I just haven't tried one.
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

I agree ... the matching rhythm pickup sounds great!
I think it's alnico 5, wound to something like 7.6K.
Whatever it is, if you just tell MJ you'd like the one that goes with the custom shop tapped tele pickup, that's what you'll get.

Thats it! Sounds great...very full and rich but enough top to cut and not get muddy.
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

i have a few of those pups too, 9.6k/6.6k a2 custom shop. i pair them with an ant II surfer in the neck on one and a ant II jaguar pup in the other. im not a big fan of most traditional tele neck pups
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Hey Men, whats the wiring/switching you are using when you have a 53 tapped JB in the bridge. That pickup alone requires three position on a switch, how do you get the neck pickup "in the system"
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

I use 5-way switch: Bridge full; Bridge full & neck; Neck only; Neck & bridge tapped; Bridge tapped. Seymour recommends to use this kind of wiring.
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

ive used that a few times, ive also put the tapped pup on a push pull to choose the output
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

First Time contributor for me! What wiring are you using to include the Tapped JB with a neck pickup. The JB has three tone choices and I want to use a twisted tele in the neck which gives you two more tones. Then you want combos of both pickups.
 
Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

Re: Neck pickup to be paired with ’53 Style Tapped JB for Tele

I use a 5 way...

Like so:

1-bridge tapped
2-bridge tapped + neck
3-neck
4-bridge full + neck
5-bridge full
 
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