quarter pound tele opinions

[Mattwedge]

Hi, first of all, thanks for clicking, I appreciate all the help. I've got this 2001 mexican Tele, I got it to get some different tones than I was usually pulling out of my explorer(also, let's be honest, the two guitars would kinda naturally pull something different out of most guitarists, musically).
Radiohead is me favorite band, and I got it to do some Jonny Greenwood tones because the vibe is just right. Also been seeing Baroness with teles and ASATs lately, so I've had a tone boner for them, and trying to pull them out of my tele as well. These two tones don't seem mutually exclusive, maybe just require a crunchier amp (which I've kinda got). I'm looking for ways to do both better with one set. Currently, it's got a little 59 in the bridge, and the stock fender noiseless in the neck, and they're both totally passable in just about everything I try to do with it. THAT said, maybe they're just a little weak, maybe I've got the best compromise already. I've heard the quarter pounders are tonally between typical hot tele pups and something a bit beefier. YouTube samples seem to gear more toward tones I'm not after, but i know thats mostly up to the taste of the player, and not indicative of the spirit of the pickup or what it's capable of.

I've got a version 3 epiphone valve jr (head and cab) that I really enjoy the round bassy tone of, and I run a bunch of goofey pedals out front. typical working mans rig, but i know people always ask (rightly so) what kind of gear the OP is running said guitar and pickups into.

another thought, maybe a hot rails bridge, and the QP neck?


thanks again!

 

[Clint 55]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

That sounds right if you want to beef it up further. The hot rails bridge and QP neck.

 

[chadd]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

I'm not a fan of the QP tele at all. You lose a lot of the highs, and your signal gets much more compressed at the amp. That makes it sound a lot more flat to my ear.

 

[Mattwedge]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

definitely don't wanna lose ALL the Tele-ness. that's my main concern with the hot rails. suppose it's already got the lil 59, wouldn't hurt to go all the way with it. from what i understand the dually red lace sensor in Greenwood's Tele is a real firey thing.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

There's the neck hot tele as well. It sounds a bit brighter and less compressed than the QP.

 

[Mincer]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

The QP has a little Tele-ness. More than any of the Rails, which abandons any and all Tele-ness. A QP in the neck is great. A Hot Rails in the bridge will certainly be a lot more output, and more metal-ly, and not sound like a Tele at all. Another QP might keep some Tele-ness and still have some kick to it.

 

[Mattwedge]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

Well, thanks everybody. I really appreciate the input!

 

[KNUCKLHEAD]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

The QP has a little Tele-ness. More than any of the Rails, which abandons any and all Tele-ness. A QP in the neck is great. A Hot Rails in the bridge will certainly be a lot more output, and more metal-ly, and not sound like a Tele at all. Another QP might keep some Tele-ness and still have some kick to it.

Mincer, those are pretty Finite statements - being as I used a Rails bridge for 15 years on my last Tele me + Lentz built . I played from my version of key to the Hwy to Mississipi Queen ( and Originals in Standard picking with a Plectrum and a few fingers~ ), from Clean to Hot + beyond and I guarantee You some of the cooler Rails work killer in the bridge . would Never run a QP in the Bridge for Telecaster , as there are just way too many Better choices for most styles of Music ( also to Myself , I havent heard Any Stack I would use thru My amps <-- Amps aren't Talked about enough in Pickup Conversations . Mattwedge Didn't detail what His hopeful END is Tone wise, other than Jonny whoever . How come You guys Suggest HB's all over the Tone range for Pauls + are all conservative for Teles ? so How do we sugggest Black Winters and Such + then think it's some kind of Taboo for Rails in a Telecaster . Again , it's how I Always Roll on 1st. primary one for Versatility , the 2nd Tele for Traditional tone (for Me) . Teles can work Killer for Rock set-up correctly . They Do Not Abandon all Teleness but hot Rails do , sizzling + break-up it depends on Style , Gear and How Good a Guitarist one is

 

[Mattwedge]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

oh, my bad on the description of tones. Jonny Whoever usually has what I would call a balanced fender tone, maybe not a whole lot of low end going through his AC30, but it seems that when he's got his tele out, it definitely sounds like a tele, or at least a fender, but isn't terribly ice picky in the highs. I, however, like a lot of bass in my tone, and I always want to describe my notes as having a round quality to them. I'd like to, like Jonny Whoever from TelevisionFoot, have my tele retain that fender jangle, but be able to get REALLY hot when I want it to, without putting in something like a dimebucker and winding up accentuating the opposite characteristics that I'd like to, I like a rounder, noodlier sound, even in tele land.

hope that helps more.
what have you been doing with your hotrails? or were you advocating for a cool rails of some kind?

my amps again, were a version 3 Epiphone Valve Jr and a 112 cab for most tones. sometimes I use my micro terror into a different 112 cab. Tele gets most of it's use with the valve jr.

boss tu 2
ernie ball vp jr
morely bad horsie
Outlaw Effects boilermaker boost
DOD Bifet Boost
TC Electronic Dark Matter
Lil Big Muff
Electric Mistress
Danelectro Cool Cat tremolo
Behringer VD400 echo
Ditto looper

I'm a mediocre guitarist! who has no sense of style!

thanks!

 

[KNUCKLHEAD]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

I Always use Alnico 5 in the Neck with Tele Now ( Good for bridge too ~ but I use a Chopper in primary . what I dont see on Your Pedals list is an older Japanese Boss Dual Overdrive , about the best od kicker pedal U could have with fender ax and tube amp , way more versatile han a Tube screamer +can be modded killer if wanted too ( usually dont need it / older Japanese ones . 2 or 3 pedals would probably drop off the list . I use a Bad Horsie as well ( mostly for Drop C tuning though

 

[KNUCKLHEAD]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

BTW , the 1 p-u I would avoid in Any Tele or strat ( in My experience ) is a JB - They sound like krap to me , missing something ( I dont know or care but I would be Very suprised if JB actually uses JB's in His Strats but I dont know this for sure . All of the very Experienced player's fenders I've worked on have Not had me leave one in for the long haul or any Stack ( again , just my experience .

 

[Mattwedge]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

i had a JB in a tele that was routed for a humbucker in the bridge. the full size jb in my tele sounded great, if not exactly what I was after. the jb jr I had in a strat didn't do it for me. i like my tones a little airy and a little dark, usually. had great success with 59's in my epiphones. the only tele I ever modded got a JB, and not only is that not what I'm after now, this bridge is set up for a single coil, and Id rather not change that. so, it's either the lil 59 in it, a hot rails, or a QP from what I can see is out there in Duncan land.

 

[KNUCKLHEAD]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

I meant single size JB . Sorry but if U just have to use Duncan on this one - Chopper is better than Hot Rails IMHO . I like twisted Tele better than QP as well ( but they're Out of Duncan Land ) TT and QP are both good pickups for Tele . are U paid to use SD ?

 

[Mattwedge]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

Nah, not at all paid to use Duncans. haha. My local shop is a Duncan dealer and I've got a good reputation there. makes things easier to return, swap, or even put on layaway. It's essentially because of that that I have never owned a dimarzio pup.

 

[Mattwedge]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

twisted tele and chopper t you say? what kinds of sounds are you usually trying to wrangle out of your tele, or those pickups?

 

[KNUCKLHEAD]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

It's not like that on the wrangling part , pickups dont go into my guitars until the research +/or Experience from 30+ build yrs. has lead me to them ~ then I am better equipped to know what result I will have . I haven't had to remove ( swap out ) 1 pickup choice I have made in at least 20yrs.. Let me put it this way , I dont use Internet lingo much with pickups like fizzy, fizzle . punkin' izzle so I talk more like I said : I can do from the key 2 Hwy or Jimi type stuff to Miss. Queen or a Kick-ass Rock song on my Main Tele . These pickups fit between the freq. or ranges I need , which are just common sense not overkill or underkill in Any tone range needed 1 of My Primary guitars for practice , Recording and Most Important - Live Shows thru the Tube gear and Speakers , etc. that I use <-- and there are No trial ~ Mistakes in those either after 45 yrs. I actually dont have to wrangle too much with any gear these days but I remember when that was part of life back in the 70's : ) Oh, and they sound Killer thru that small Classic 30 amp with the 12" Jet Falcon speaker in it , as well

 

[Mincer]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

Mincer, those are pretty Finite statements - being as I used a Rails bridge for 15 years on my last Tele me + Lentz built . I played from my version of key to the Hwy to Mississipi Queen ( and Originals in Standard picking with a Plectrum and a few fingers~ ), from Clean to Hot + beyond and I guarantee You some of the cooler Rails work killer in the bridge . would Never run a QP in the Bridge for Telecaster , as there are just way too many Better choices for most styles of Music ( also to Myself , I havent heard Any Stack I would use thru My amps <-- Amps aren't Talked about enough in Pickup Conversations . Mattwedge Didn't detail what His hopeful END is Tone wise, other than Jonny whoever . How come You guys Suggest HB's all over the Tone range for Pauls + are all conservative for Teles ? so How do we sugggest Black Winters and Such + then think it's some kind of Taboo for Rails in a Telecaster . Again , it's how I Always Roll on 1st. primary one for Versatility , the 2nd Tele for Traditional tone (for Me) . Teles can work Killer for Rock set-up correctly . They Do Not Abandon all Teleness but hot Rails do , sizzling + break-up it depends on Style , Gear and How Good a Guitarist one is

Well, any Rails is a good choice in a Tele, it just doesn't twang like a normal single coil Tele pickup. A Cool Rails sounds great, but it sounds like a clean clear humbucker to me, and nothing like a Tele pickup. A '53 Tapped Tele is also a great choice, as you can tap it for the output you want.

 

[KNUCKLHEAD]

Re: quarter pound tele opinions

Well, any Rails is a good choice in a Tele, it just doesn't twang like a normal single coil Tele pickup. A Cool Rails sounds great, but it sounds like a clean clear humbucker to me, and nothing like a Tele pickup. A '53 Tapped Tele is also a great choice, as you can tap it for the output you want.

Same as Any PAF is a good choice for a Les Paul : )