Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

[FuelGTRX]

As much as I love the traditional Tele tones I'm getting with the Jerry Donahue in my Tele, it's not working too well with the current band I'm in. I need a thicker humbucker like tone in the bridge position. So I'm thinking the Lil' '59 for Tele. I have no experience with the SD single coil sized humbuckers. How does this pickup compare to the full size '59? Would I need to switch the pots to 500K or would keeping the 250K pots be okay? How would the Lil' '59 pair with a SD Tele Vintage Rhythm in the neck position?

 

[bluesbend]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

If you're going to use a Lil'59 at the bridge, my advice is to put a STR-2 at the neck. It's a little hotter than the Vintage and works well with a humbucker.
I had a STR-2 paired with a full size '59 in one of my Tele's for about a year and a half that sounded d@mn good. I used 500k pots with them.

Have you considered putting a Quarter pound at the bridge?




The Tele now has a Lil'59 bridge p'up at the neck with a full size Pearly Gates at the bridge.

View attachment 20813

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

I had a lil59 in my Tele for several years. I had it paired with a full sized Jazz in the neck. I used 500K pots and found the pickup to be a wonderful bridge pickup. I have never used a full sized 59 so I won't make that comparison but I found it to be an excellent rock pickup. The only reason I changed it is I wanted a bit more of a traditional Tele sound again.

 

[FuelGTRX]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

If you're going to use a Lil'59 at the bridge, my advice is to put a STR-2 at the neck. It's a little hotter than the Vintage and works well with a humbucker.
I had a STR-2 paired with a full size '59 in one of my Tele's for about a year and a half that sounded d@mn god. I used 500k pots with them.

Have you considered putting a Quarter pound at the bridge?

The Tele now has a Lil'59 bridge p'up at the neck with a full size Pearly Gates at the bridge.

How would you compare the output of the Lil' '59 to the Pearly Gates? I know the Lil' '59 for tele reads around 17K and the Pearly Gates is around 8.35K, but resistance is never a full proof way for judging output.

I'm afraid the Quarter Pounder will be to high in output for me. Like vintage to vintage-hot output pickups, like the PG.

I thought about the Lil' Pearly gates for Tele, but it's way out of my price range.

 

[bluesbend]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

They match up fine for me.
The high output doesn't necessarily equal metal type tones, if that's your concern.
I play blues and rock.
If you want to keep the Tele tone and just add more meat, another option is the QP with an SSL-5 Strat p'up at the neck. Or a set of Duncan hot Tele pickups. STR-2 and STL-2.

 

[BRHGM]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

I have one with an Alnico II for tele.

 

[bluesbend]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

The JD that he wants to replace is Alnico II. It's a thicker sound he's after.
I've got a Tele build that I'll be doing that will have a JD with a STR-2.
The JD is a helluva pickup.

 

[BRHGM]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

The Lil 59 is thicker sounding, but it doesn't sound like a Tele pickup at all. It doesn't sound like a 59 either. I think that the Hot Stack for Tele matches up better, but it is really bright. The QP will probably do the job.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

And if you're getting rid of the JD it will sell pretty easily. Its a much desired pickup

 

[FuelGTRX]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

And if you're getting rid of the JD it will sell pretty easily. Its a much desired pickup

Nope, that one is staying with me I'm keep that one in the parts drawer for another day. I love the tone of the JD, it just doesn't fit what I'm doing with my current band and I need a backup/alternate guitar to my strat. When I finally get the money for the Tele '72 Deluxe reissue I'm eyeing, the JD will probably make it's grand return

 

[FuelGTRX]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

How much output does the Quarter Pounder have compared to the Lil' '59 or full size Pearly Gates (which I have in my strat)? Looking at the specs it seems pretty hot at around 17K, but I know that's no the true bench mark for output. I already ditched the Texas Special that came in the bridge because it was too hot, it read around 16.3K.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

Nope, that one is staying with me I'm keep that one in the parts drawer for another day. I love the tone of the JD, it just doesn't fit what I'm doing with my current band and I need a backup/alternate guitar to my strat. When I finally get the money for the Tele '72 Deluxe reissue I'm eyeing, the JD will probably make it's grand return

Funny, I'm doing a '72 deluxe/andy summers tele cross, and thats my bridge pickup too. A review of the custom shop A.S. tele measured the bridge pup and its almost the same as the JD. The rhythm pup is pretty much a '59

 

[bluesbend]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

The L'il 59 and QP have similar output and resonant peak numbers. The QP is a brite sounding p'up, but you do have a tone knob that will help with that if you need it.
The QP Tele bridge I'm using is paired with a Duncan hot P90 which is also high output.
I also had one paired with an STR-2 hot Tele neck p'up which worked out well.
I've not played a L'il 59 bridge for a Tele, just the ones for Strat bridge position which I have at the neck of a Tele and the bridge of a Strat.
Like I said, the STL-2 hot Tele bridge might be a good choice since it's got a fat tone but still retains the Tele bridge character.

 

[Blueturtleman1]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

As much as I love the traditional Tele tones I'm getting with the Jerry Donahue in my Tele, it's not working too well with the current band I'm in. I need a thicker humbucker like tone in the bridge position. So I'm thinking the Lil' '59 for Tele. I have no experience with the SD single coil sized humbuckers. How does this pickup compare to the full size '59? Would I need to switch the pots to 500K or would keeping the 250K pots be okay? How would the Lil' '59 pair with a SD Tele Vintage Rhythm in the neck position?

I have a strat with a JB jr in the bridge and I just bought a tele with a lil59 in the bridge. I love the tone of both of them.

The lil 59 is really responsive to the tone control in a good way. I play mostly blues, rock and country. All good. All the youtube videos make it sound like crap. I don't know why. It sounds great in my Mexican tele.

I also have an American standard tele. Great for country. But my go to axe lately is the MIM with the lil 59. More versatile.

Cheers.

B.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Opinions on the Lil' '59 for Tele?

I bet a Quarter Pound for Tele would be perfect. It has more mids than a normal Tele, and a lot more output, like a P90. It retains some single coil properties, though. Going to a Lil 59 for Tele will get you a classic humbucker sound. You can always wire the Lil 69 for parallel or split tones for lower output.