Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

[sstanfield]

I finally gave into G.A.S. for a Tele Thinline w/ humbuckers and bought this Warmoth.
http://www.warmoth.com/showcase/sc_...ttp98&menuItem=3&subMenuItem=0&subMenuItem2=0

What pickups do you suggest for blues/rock?
Does anybody know what Jonny Lang has in his? I really like the sound of his guitar on the Lie to Me album.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

If it was mine, I'd go for an Alnico 2 Pro or Pearly Gates neck humbucker and a Custom Custom Trembucker for the bridge.

Great tone for blues or any style.

Lew

 

[sstanfield]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

Lew,

Thanks for the advice.

Steve

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

Personally I like the '59/JB combo

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

Personally I like the '59/JB combo

Great set in a Fender...though the Jazz n might be a better choice for less bass woof and more clarity and upper harmonics.

I suggested the PGn or AIIPro neck and Custom Custom because I love those pickups in my Strats...have not not tried them in a Tele but I'm a Tele kinda guy and am very familar with them.

Lew

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

This is my "Johnny Lang" tele...

Warmoth Maple/Swamp Ash Body
Warmoth Rosewood/Brazilian Rosewood Neck... 59 Roundback contour/6100 frets/Sperzel keys

Alnico 59/Custom Hybrid in the Bridge and an Alnico 59/Jazz Hybrid in the Neck... it is a blues rock machine!
Master Volume and other knob is a Spin-A-Split for the Bridge pickup and a Push/Pull-Tap for the Neck pickup

 

[sstanfield]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

Thanks Xeromus and BachToRock for the posts.

BachToRock, Nice tele!

Another question:
What about wiring? I ordered a couple of concentric double pots and a 3-way switch so I could wire it like a Les Paul, but is there something else that would work better?

Maybe using a 5-way switch and splitting the pickups in 2 and 4? Could I get a traditional single-coil sound?

Steve

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

If you don't need a tone control, the setup mentioned in my post works great and looks stock.
It allows you to get any combination of Hum or Single alone or combined...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

Thanks Xeromus and BachToRock for the posts.

BachToRock, Nice tele!

Another question:
What about wiring? I ordered a couple of concentric double pots and a 3-way switch so I could wire it like a Les Paul, but is there something else that would work better?

Maybe using a 5-way switch and splitting the pickups in 2 and 4? Could I get a traditional single-coil sound?

Steve

Yes...that is a gorgeous Tele!

Regarding the pots, in my dual humbucker Strat I like to be able to split the coils for a single coil tone or connect them in parallel for a single coil tone that's humbucking.

If you went with a master volume and master tone instead of the concentric pots you're thinking of you'd be able to use push/pull pots that would let choose between normal humbucking or a single coil tone. I'd do that.

Personally, I like the being able to choose between normal humbucking (series) and parallel, because parallel still sounds like a single coil but it's strong and also humbucking.

If you use one pot to switch one pickup and the other pot to switch the othe rpickup you can also have the neck in parallel for a strong humbucking single coil tone and leave the bridge in series for normal humbucking...or vice versa.

You'd get a lot of good tones out of that ax.

Lew

 

[sstanfield]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

Master Volume and other knob is a Spin-A-Split for the Bridge pickup and a Push/Pull-Tap for the Neck pickup

Do you have a schematic?

 

[MikeS]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

First, both of you guys have great looking Teles.

sstanfield, I think either a AP2H set or an AP2Hn/PGb would be a great set in that guitar. If you want a slightly hotter pickup in the bridge position, Lew's suggestion of the CC trembucker sounds right on.

I've been wanting to do a two hum tele from warmoth for a while. Have fun with your project! Good luck!

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

No... it's pretty simple though...

3-way switch

Bridge humbucker is wired to the second pot as a Spin-A-Split
Red&White to Center Lug and Right Lug is grounded

Neck humbucker is wired to the push/pull on the back of the second pot.

LEW's idea is also EXCELLENT... you could have 2 DPDT push/pull pots and wire both pickups either series/parallel or series/split and still wire up the second pot as a tone.

All the wiring will fit easier into your body since it has rear mounted controls...

 

[sstanfield]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

Yes...that is a gorgeous Tele!

Regarding the pots, in my dual humbucker Strat I like to be able to split the coils for a single coil tone or connect them in parallel for a single coil tone that's humbucking.

If you went with a master volume and master tone instead of the concentric pots you're thinking of you'd be able to use push/pull pots that would let choose between normal humbucking or a single coil tone. I'd do that.

Personally, I like the being able to choose between normal humbucking (series) and parallel, because parallel still sounds like a single coil but it's strong and also humbucking.

If you use one pot to switch one pickup and the other pot to switch the othe rpickup you can also have the neck in parallel for a strong humbucking single coil tone and leave the bridge in series for normal humbucking...or vice versa.

You'd get a lot of good tones out of that ax.

Lew

Lew,

That sounds great, but where can I find the schematic?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

There's probably a schematic on the main page of Seymour Duncan Pickups. Just click on Support and then look around a little. There'd also be a wiring diagram included in the box with new pickups. One thing though: if you go for push/pull pots you can switch from series to single or series to parallel but you can't have all three. If you installed a on/on/on switch you could have all three. Keams Canyon huh? I've seen that on the map or maybe driven through there but I'm not sure where it's at. I love that part of Arizona though and get down there alot. It'd be nice to know more of the people who actually live there though! You must be Native American huh? Lew

 

[sstanfield]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

There's probably a schematic on the main page of Seymour Duncan Pickups. Just click on Support and then look around a little. There'd also be a wiring diagram included in the box with new pickups. One thing though: if you go for push/pull pots you can switch from series to single or series to parallel but you can't have all three. If you installed a on/on/on switch you could have all three. Keams Canyon huh? I've seen that on the map or maybe driven through there but I'm not sure where it's at. I love that part of Arizona though and get down there alot. It'd be nice to know more of the people who actually live there though! You must be Native American huh? Lew

Actually, I'm a biligaana (white) teacher. It is beautiful here, if you like rocky canyons and high desert. I do!
Keams is on the eastern edge of the Hopi reservation. I live in Jeddito, 6 mi. south, on Navajo reservation.

What's the difference in sound of those choices? I had my fat strat wired with a hum/parallel push/pull (I think) , but I didn't know what the difference was and I never use the parallel - it sounds too thin and whimpy.

Steve

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

If it was mine, I'd go for an Alnico 2 Pro or Pearly Gates neck humbucker and a Custom Custom Trembucker for the bridge.

Great tone for blues or any style.

Lew

Yeah that's a good way to go for smooth alnico 2 tone. I hadn't tried that out yet but I was kicking around the idea of putting an A2P and custom custom in my semi hollow.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Need Pickup Suggestions for new Warmoth Tele

Actually, I'm a biligaana (white) teacher. It is beautiful here, if you like rocky canyons and high desert. I do!
Keams is on the eastern edge of the Hopi reservation. I live in Jeddito, 6 mi. south, on Navajo reservation.

What's the difference in sound of those choices? I had my fat strat wired with a hum/parallel push/pull (I think) , but I didn't know what the difference was and I never use the parallel - it sounds too thin and whimpy.

Steve

Ah...that's why the name Keams Canyon seemed so familiar. I get down to Hopiland at least once a year. I have a photo taken from atop First Mesa around the turn of the century sitting right here on my desk. Single coil and parallel sound similar....it's just that parallel is still humbucking and single coil is not. Lew