I was wondering about some of the more traditional 'vintage' sounding SD tele pickups and how they sound with distortion. In my experience vintage-voiced single coils have sometimes been very picky about overdrive/distortion. How do say the Antiquity, AlnicoII and Broadcaster react with gain? I'm sure they sound fabulous clean, but how do they handle distortion?
SD 'vintage' tele pups + distortion = ???
- Thread starter dr space
- Start date
mongrollo
New member
Re: SD 'vintage' tele pups + distortion = ???
I have a set of '54 and they have this wonderfull powerfull sound only single coils can deliver under any kind of overdrive.
EDIT: Think of Jimy Page in LED ZEP I and II, he used mainly a telecaster. But also stratocaster masters like SRV, Hendrix, Blackmore, Clapton... etc. All of them used singles under distorsion and overdrive and they only got great tones!!
I have a set of '54 and they have this wonderfull powerfull sound only single coils can deliver under any kind of overdrive.
EDIT: Think of Jimy Page in LED ZEP I and II, he used mainly a telecaster. But also stratocaster masters like SRV, Hendrix, Blackmore, Clapton... etc. All of them used singles under distorsion and overdrive and they only got great tones!!
Last edited:
Curly
Moe's Bluesman
Re: SD 'vintage' tele pups + distortion = ???
I also think the SDs I've used sound better clean and smoother when pushed, then some stock Fender pups.
My Broadcaster, Antiquity, and JD all sound great with distortion, and for my playing, I kind of like and need that extra push.
my experience is somewhat different - I think if a pickup sounds good clean, and especially when pushed a little, then it will sound good with OD & distortion.dr space said:
I also think the SDs I've used sound better clean and smoother when pushed, then some stock Fender pups.
My Broadcaster, Antiquity, and JD all sound great with distortion, and for my playing, I kind of like and need that extra push.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: SD 'vintage' tele pups + distortion = ???
Yep, Jimmy Page used a Tele with pickups similar to yours with raised/staggered polepieces for the bridge pickup...the Broadcaster had flat polepieces. So did Jame Burton, in his early 60's Tele, when he was with Ricky Nelson.
TWANGY!
The Duncan Antiquity II's for Teles are a Duncan Custom Shop version of those pickups...tho at 6.4K for the bridge pickup, I'd want a little more output myself.
The original lead pickup that came with my '54 Tele is a 6.2K flat poled version of the pickups Fender switched to in '54. It has a beautiful clear tone but I prefer something a little stronger and with more mids for soloing.
I'm using Duncan Antiquitys and the Jerry Donahue lead and waiting for some Custom Shop versions of the Hot Tapped Tele bridge, Jerry Donahue bridge and Hot Tele neck to arrive. Next week I hope.
Lew
mongrollo said:
Yep, Jimmy Page used a Tele with pickups similar to yours with raised/staggered polepieces for the bridge pickup...the Broadcaster had flat polepieces. So did Jame Burton, in his early 60's Tele, when he was with Ricky Nelson.
TWANGY!
The Duncan Antiquity II's for Teles are a Duncan Custom Shop version of those pickups...tho at 6.4K for the bridge pickup, I'd want a little more output myself.
The original lead pickup that came with my '54 Tele is a 6.2K flat poled version of the pickups Fender switched to in '54. It has a beautiful clear tone but I prefer something a little stronger and with more mids for soloing.
I'm using Duncan Antiquitys and the Jerry Donahue lead and waiting for some Custom Shop versions of the Hot Tapped Tele bridge, Jerry Donahue bridge and Hot Tele neck to arrive. Next week I hope.
Lew
Re: SD 'vintage' tele pups + distortion = ???
For what it's worth, I have the Vintage 54's in one Tele, Rio Grande Muy Grande's (overwound) in another. The 54's sound wonderful with zero to moderate grind (pushed blues, classic 60's/70's type rock). They do not keep up with higher gain music styles (the Muy Grande's do).
For what it's worth, I have the Vintage 54's in one Tele, Rio Grande Muy Grande's (overwound) in another. The 54's sound wonderful with zero to moderate grind (pushed blues, classic 60's/70's type rock). They do not keep up with higher gain music styles (the Muy Grande's do).
