Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

[B2D]

...other than the Tele Hot Rails for neck, that is.

I'm planning a Tele build in the near future, and from the Teles I've played, I seem to gravitate towards a humbucker in the neck.

I already know I'd like a Hot Rails for Tele in the bridge. I also know there's a neck variant as well. I just want to see what some other options are.

Thing is, I've never tried a Duncan neck humbucker that I've liked enough to stick with long term. Truth be told I'm more of a DiMarzio player overall but I do like certain Duncans for specific needs, and the Hot Rails is one of those pickups. If I wanted to stick to DiMarzio, I'd use a Tone Zone T or a Super Distortion T and an Air Norton or PAF Pro neck, and while I love the AN and PAF Pro, I've never tried the T-model bridge stuff. I prefer not to mix brands if at all possible. I do really like the Hot Rails every time I pick it up.

The other guitarist in my band has a '90s MIM Tele with a Lil' 59 Tele and a Tele Stack neck pickup... sounds great but I'd like more output and drive.

I was looking at the SM2n for a possible neck choice. Any opinions on that one? I cannot find any sound clips.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

How much do you use both pickups at once? I find a more useable less clucky 'combined' tone occurs using pickups that contrast. Since the Hot Rail can tend to be a bit darker, I feel like you'd want a neck pickup with a bit of brightness but enough girth to not get plowed over. Jazzmaster Hot?

 

[B2D]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

How much do you use both pickups at once? I find a more useable less clucky 'combined' tone occurs using pickups that contrast. Since the Hot Rail can tend to be a bit darker, I feel like you'd want a neck pickup with a bit of brightness but enough girth to not get plowed over. Jazzmaster Hot?

Maybe... 20% of the time?

I saw a video of a guy with an Ash Tele that had a regular '59 in the neck with a THR in the bridge and it sounded nice. I've personally never dug the '59n that much, I was thinking maybe use the bridge 59 in the neck slot or use a Pearly Gates neck.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

Not sure how it will pair with a Seymour Duncan Hotrails, but I love my DiMarzio TrueVelvet in the neck of my Tele–have it paired with a boutique hot Broadcaster style bridge pickup. The TrueVelvet is very smooth but not muddy at all. Gets a very nice hot bluesy tone.

EDIT: I was going to go with a Mini-Humbucker in the neck but my Tele is not routed for it...planning to for the next Tele project. I have not tried the SM2n, hopefully someone who has will chime in.

 

[KNUCKLHEAD]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

Twisted Tele may work in the neck 4 U

 

[B2D]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

Twisted Tele may work in the neck 4 U

I looked it up. It sounds like a cool pickup, but it's a single coil. And so is the Jazzmaster Hot, for that matter.

As I said, I'm looking for a humbucker in the neck.

But that Twisted Tele pickup does look interesting. I may try one some other time when I don't need a neck bucker.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

Sounds pretty fricken epic to me.

 

[B2D]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

Now we're talking!!

That's the SM3n in that vid for the neck slot. I wonder how the SM2 compares? I'll ask the guy.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

I like either the Hot Tele Neck or the Quarter Pound Neck in there. It will get a better balance with the Hot Rails.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

Didn't read the "humbucker" part somehow Maybe a 59 as stated, or a Jazz?

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

What about a sentient?

 

[B2D]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

What about a sentient?

You know I'd actually considered that for a more modern sound. It's on the table. The band I'm in likes a mix of modern and classic tones and we're not purists for gear.

 

[B2D]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

Dude in the white tele video says:

The SM-3 has more midrange and a more traditional blues/crunchy growl yet with more clarity and more detail than the SM-2. The SM-3 is an Alnico 5 magnet which tend to be warmer where the SM-2 is a Ceramic which work well for classic rock and metal with great upper mid detail. So it really depends on what kind of music you play and what kind of tone you are looking for. For myself I find the SM-2 really works well as a bridge pickup for those searing leads.. and the SM-3 works best for my style of playing as a neck pickup for that traditional blues/crunch kind of tone.

That makes me lean towards the SM3, to be honest.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

Yep. I enjoy clean tone most of the time so I'm very happy with Alnico 5 and 2 so far compared to ceramic. (I'd like to try the other Alnicos.)

 

[Mincer]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

The Sentient is very modern, very percussive. It is an excellent neck pickup, especially for those that pick every note (as I tend to do).

 

[chadd]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

You know I'd actually considered that for a more modern sound. It's on the table. The band I'm in likes a mix of modern and classic tones and we're not purists for gear.

Screamin Demon?

I have a DiMarzio mini in the neck of my Warmoth thinline and love the way it sounds, but it is a relatively low output mini.

 

[B2D]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

Screamin Demon?

I have a DiMarzio mini in the neck of my Warmoth thinline and love the way it sounds, but it is a relatively low output mini.

I had a Screamin' Demon in the neck slot of my Music Man with an A2 for a while and it was... OK. I liked it more in the bridge with an A8 or the stock magnet. Cool pickup, but I needed a different thing at the time.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Need a neck pickup to match a Tele Hot Rails bridge.

In my Silhouette Special (alder), I use an APH-1, and in my USA SUB1 (poplar) I use a Jazz. They sound about the same, as the poplar guitar has a ton of mids.