Seeking alternative to Fender V-Mod in a new Tele

[TW7734]

I own an American Professional Telecaster with the stock V-Mod pickups. The ash-bodied guitar is very bright and the pickups sound really thin. Cranked on both volume and tone, it's just not a good sound at all. I can play with the tone control some and it cuts the ice pick highs, but I know I can do better.

I want to fatten up the sound and am seeking opinions from this forum. I don't want to lose the Tele twang, though, in any case. I have a partscaster with an Alnico2 Pro in the neck and a Jerry Donahue in the bridge and it's a sweet setup -- pure Bakersfield -- in fact, it blows the new Tele away in tone and overall sound -- but I don't want a copy of what I already have.

I'm leaning toward the Quarter Pounders, but am open to other suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Seeking alternative to Fender V-Mod in a new Tele

I have a SM-1b/STL-2T combo.

It still has a lot of tele character, but it is thicker all around. The nwck firebird mini has a lot more clarity and air than a normal tele pickup. I personally dislike covered tele neck pickups and recommend either an uncovered model, a strat pickup, or a firebird mini in any tele neck position.

 

[TW7734]

Re: Seeking alternative to Fender V-Mod in a new Tele

I have a SM-1b/STL-2T combo.

It still has a lot of tele character, but it is thicker all around. The nwck firebird mini has a lot more clarity and air than a normal tele pickup. I personally dislike covered tele neck pickups and recommend either an uncovered model, a strat pickup, or a firebird mini in any tele neck position.

That's a hell of a combination. Thanks. I really liked the 52 Hot Rod Tele that Fender had out a few years back and that would give me something like it.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Seeking alternative to Fender V-Mod in a new Tele

One thing: the combo I have in that tele is very much a rock-tele combo. It will do country (particularly when using the tap option in the bridge position), but twang isn't really it's strong suit.

For more traditional tele tones, I use a MIJ 69 Thinline RI with a pair of Zhangbucker Paul Bunyans in it (uncovered neck).

It is noticeably quieter than the solid body, but it is a lot cleaner and has a lot more pop and twang to it.

 

[TW7734]

Re: Seeking alternative to Fender V-Mod in a new Tele

One thing: the combo I have in that tele is very much a rock-tele combo. It will do country (particularly when using the tap option in the bridge position), but twang isn't really it's strong suit.

For more traditional tele tones, I use a MIJ 69 Thinline RI with a pair of Zhangbucker Paul Bunyans in it (uncovered neck).

It is noticeably quieter than the solid body, but it is a lot cleaner and has a lot more pop and twang to it.

Thanks again. I like Telecasters with guts AND twang and my partscaster does that pretty well -- but I'm definitely onto that first combination you brought up. There's a lot to consider here but those V-Mods, they just don't make it in this guitar -- or to my ear.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Seeking alternative to Fender V-Mod in a new Tele

Did you adjust the pickups? Turn the pickups nearer to the strings. If you press the strings on the last fret, the high e should be just 1 mm away from the pup surface. If you do that with the low E, it sould be around 2 mm. That gives you a fuller sound and more volume.