Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

[Closed Eye]

I recently traded my much-ado-about-nothing Ibanez RG for a 2005 Fender Mexican Telecaster because the Edge Tremolo system made me angry beyond explanation. Now, the guitar is great and the maple fretboard is smooth as silk but when I plugged it in I immediately noticed the way huge twang in the guitar's tone and the clarity of the (stock) single coil pickups. I've been playing humbuckers so long that I completely forgot how cool single-coils sounded.
Anyway, I had to adjust my amp settings accordingly to make up for the aforementioned twang and right now, at this moment, I'm really digging the sounds I'm getting out of it.

Granted, the pickups are stock and it's Mexican, but it's a damn fine guitar.
The bridge also isn't one of those crappy ones you tend to find on cheaper guitars and aside from some warping in the sunburst finish the quality of the construction is pretty amazing.

Anyway, besides the review, I was wondering where the "twang" in the telecaster came from? Is it the pickups? The wood? The body shape?

Thanks for the look and any future info I may recieve from this thread.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

Tele twang is primarily a result of the bridge and the bridge pickup being hung from the bridge plate.

Coll that you're diggin the tele... it's quite a change from an RG, both in tone and feel. Night and day difference, I'm sure.

 

[Hoss]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

yeah...definitely the whole bridge thing...and those pups are made for that sound as well....i've heard good things about the voodoo pups for a bit of a p-90 bite down there instead of twang...and there's several SD's that'll change that for ya too...hotrails, lil59, etc...that is if you don't want that much twang...cuz twang ain't necessarily a bad thang!!! :dance: :laugh2: :dance:

 

[beandip]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

it's got alot to do with that 43 gauge wire, and the baseplate. The bridge/saddle setup helps. And the string though body part I'm sure has something to do with it.

 

[Guest]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

Doesn't the fretboard have a bit of an impact as well? I'm asking not saying, mind you, just something I always figured.

 

[Dave]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

The maple fretboard will make it brighter-accentuating the highs, not necessarily twangier. The string-through body doesn't really add to the twang either, rather it can provide a fuller sound vs a toploader because the strings are guided through ferrules in the body.

Most is from the nickel bridge, the pickup w/brass plate as the other folks said.

Glad you like the tele-there are a whole buncha Duncans just waiting to jump in there! Do yourself a favor and throw a Jerry Donohue-nice'n'twangy, but not so edgy. Perfect for a maple neck!

 

[Guest]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

The maple fretboard will make it brighter-accentuating the highs, not necessarily twangier. The string-through body doesn't really add to the twang either, rather it can provide a fuller sound vs a toploader because the strings are guided through ferrules in the body.

Most is from the nickel bridge, the pickup w/brass plate as the other folks said.

Makes sense, thanks.

Oh, btw, congrats Closed Eye.

 

[Closed Eye]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

So, the bridge and pickup placement really seems to be where the twang comes from? Anyway, I don't want to change the pickup and get rid of/lessen that twang because, honestly, I'm really really starting to like it. The tone differance between the Tele and all of the guitars I've since sold is exactly like night and day. Just, wow, single coils are awesome. I may invest in a set of Fender Custom Shop American pickups to get that "Tr00 Fender Tone" later on down the line, but the stock ones are just fine right now. Thanks guys!

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

To the sound of Queen's Bohemian Rapsody
Mama, just killed an orc. Swung my axe against his head / Rolled an 18, now he's dead. .

Just saw this for the first time and just about died myself

 

[Guest]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

Here's a bit more on the Bohemian RPG
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=46591&highlight=bohemian+rpg

 

[Mephis]

Re: Review: Mex Tele/"Twang" in the telecaster: pickups? body shape? wood?

I like the tele twang... But I couldn't live with low output for long, so a week later I put in a 1/4 in mine .

And yes, the stock pickups were awesome, thats the 1st time I've ever picked up and guitar and was impressed with factory pickups. Hell, im not even gona change the neck on mine, its perfect.


But like the other have said, its just how the pickup is made, at the angle its set at, and the fact that its suspended by the bridge plate.

Also, tele pickups dont use Bar magnets, the pole pices are the magnets. (Stock anyway, the 1/4 uses a bar magnet and pole pices)