Pickup advice needed for a dual humbucker Tele

FuelGTRX

FuelGTRX

Member
I recently joined a new project and I'm needing something different from my dual humbucker Telecaster. I'm currently running a set of Pearly Gates pickups in this Tele. They sound great in this guitar, but they have too searing of a mid-range and a touch too much compression for the sound I need with this band. I need something twangier, but with a decent amount of meat on the lowend. Basically, I'm wanting more of a traditional Tele sound with a bit more muscle.

I'm not sure if it matters, but this band plays in D standard tuning. Not quite sure how that will affect any choices I make.

One option I was looking at was the GFS Retrotron Surf 90's. The description basically says it has the clarity of a singel coil and the bigness of a P90, without that hard driving mids of a P90. It's either that, or a set of Retrotron Liverpools. Other than those options, I'm out of ideas.

Any thoughts or advice?
 
Last edited:
Re: Pickup advice needed for a dual humbucker Tele

What gauge strings were you using for Standard Tuning? What gauges are you trying for D?

Come to think of it, what type of bridge does your HH Tele have? Specifically, what sort of saddles? Changing to Callaham replacement parts of the correct width/spacing could give you back the twang.
 
Re: Pickup advice needed for a dual humbucker Tele

put alnico 5 magnets in your pearly gates. more bottom and more twang with less mid range and compression
 
Re: Pickup advice needed for a dual humbucker Tele

Funkfingers said:
What gauge strings were you using for Standard Tuning? What gauges are you trying for D?

Come to think of it, what type of bridge does your HH Tele have? Specifically, what sort of saddles? Changing to Callaham replacement parts of the correct width/spacing could give you back the twang.
Click to expand...

I was using .10-46's for Eb standard before I joined this new band. I'm now using .11-49's for D standard. 10's were too loose sounding for me in D.

My Tele is MIM and it has the vintage style hardtail bridge like found on the '72 MIM reissue Tele Deluxe. It's a Blacktop series Telecaster.


jeremy said:
put alnico 5 magnets in your pearly gates. more bottom and more twang with less mid range and compression
Click to expand...

This is actually an idea that has crossed my mind. I may have to give this a try.
 
Re: Pickup advice needed for a dual humbucker Tele

I second the A5 suggestion or maybe a set pf 59s.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top