Tele Bridge pup in a strat

[Guitar Toad]

Will a hot Tele bridge pickup have a thicker tone than a hot strat pickup in the bridge position. My JV strat is routed for a bridge HB and I think there is room for the tele pup, at least that was suggested to me.

I could put in a Texas Hot custom bridge, Twang Banger, and SSL-52 bridge or a a hot tele pup to go with the Texas Hot I currently have in the neck and the Tex Mex Middle. I could also put a baseplate on any SC that I put in the bridge to beef up the pup tone that I put in there.

What about the Tele pup option? Is that a step up from the Twang Banger as far as thicker tone goes? what would you guys do? I know many of you would just say Twang Banger right?

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

My Mary Kay white (transparent) strat also had the fender HB routing. But it was not enough. I had to use a dremel for the lower corner to the bridge side as the baseplate of the tele lead pickup did not fit.

Here is a pic of it.

BTW I agree about what you say. Apart from the Twangbanger I tried many, including rio grande stelly, surfer bridge with a baseplate, ant I custom with a baseplate. Nothing comes close to what you see in the pic, a fralin blues sp. A very tele clean tone, but with overdrive rolling off the tone gives quite a thick (similar to a LP tone on the weak side) lead tone. I love it!

B

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

After Doc Barlo told us about his Strat and posted pics I copied him and put a whole new set of pickups in my '88 Strat: Fralin Vintage Hots neck & middle (custom wound to just under 6K...same set I use in my Candy Apple Red '57 RI Strat with a bridge Steel Pole 43 and love) and a Fralin Tele Blues Special bridge pickup. The Blues Special is the same pickup I use in my real '54 Tele...I like it better than the 50 year old original pickup which stays safely wrapped and boxed up in the guitar case.

However, I didn't love that set-up in my Strat. I was sure I would but the set didn't sound balanced or complimentary. Great pickups but wrong for this guitar.

So I ordered a new pickguard (tortoise...just like the Doc's) and put together a new pickup set with two Duncan Surfers for the neck and middle and a Duncan Custom Shop Alnico 2 Hot Tele Tapped bridge pickup MJ wound for me.

My guitar has two controls: master volume and master tone. The master tone is a push/pull pot so when I pull up on it I get the full output of the CS Tele Hot and when I push it in I get the clearer tone and output of a Duncan Antiquity I Tele bridge pickup.

And I went with a Schaller 5 way Mega-Switch: neck, neck & middle, neck & bridge, middle & bridge, bridge. Instead of the middle pickup only in the #3 position, I get the neck & bridge combined instead.

It's the most versatile Strat I own. I absolutely love it.

The CS Tele Hot is everything I've ever wanted from a Tele bridge pickup: fat, thick, warm and snarly for soloing and then clean, bright and shimmery for combining with the neck pickup or middle pickup. Simply awesome.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

Todd, I had a feeling that once I mentioned it you would start asking! As you can see Barlo, and Lew have tried it, so have I...I had a Green/Crushed pearl strat with 2 Strat pickups and a Tele lead coil, I had a 3 way switch (neck, neck+bridge, and bridge) and a master volume, master tone, and a blend control on the middle pickup. I also went as far as to drill out the bridge and put 3 brass Telecaster saddles on it! It's very cool. And Since Im sure you are now wondering, if you call allparts they wil make you a guardplate to do this, and since your JV has bucker route in the bridge it will fit with no problem!

 

[Curly]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

FYI,
AFAIK, Lowell George was using tele bridge pups in strats back in the 70's. You can find video clips where you can see that his bridge pup is black, since it's a tele pup.

however, Lew's wiring scheme sounds pretty versatile, with the tapped option and the mid pos that's more functional. That would work well whether or not you used a blender pot.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

Todd, I had a feeling that once I mentioned it you would start asking! As you can see Barlo, and Lew have tried it, so have I...I had a Green/Crushed pearl strat with 2 Strat pickups and a Tele lead coil, I had a 3 way switch (neck, neck+bridge, and bridge) and a master volume, master tone, and a blend control on the middle pickup. I also went as far as to drill out the bridge and put 3 brass Telecaster saddles on it! It's very cool. And Since Im sure you are now wondering, if you call allparts they wil make you a guardplate to do this, and since your JV has bucker route in the bridge it will fit with no problem!

Christian, you know by now that I am an impressionable guy. I haven't really been playing a strat long enough to have my own preferences. I remembered when Lew first posted about the Hot Tapped Tele in his strat. But I didn't really consider it as an option until you mentioned it would be a possibility. In Lew's case he is talking about a sweet Custom Shop wound Tele pup. I can't go CS. But this summer I may able to do the Aniquity Custom Texas Hot for bridge or the Ant Hot Tele for bridge.

Is it a problem that the Ant Tele bridge has south polarity and the TH I have in is a North and the remaining middle Tex Mex is RWRP? Perhaps it's not since I noticed that the Tele's in the Ant's have north neck and south bridge orientations. Does the bridge tele + middle strat produce a nice notch tone?

I had considered an HB, Custom Custom, but I think I want to keep the notch tone. I had resigned to go with the Texas Hot Custom Bridge (THCB) before this came up. I wish I could test both.

I have heard guys say that the Twang Banger out performs the TH custom bridge. Therefore I have this impression that the THCB is therefore lacking somehow. I may love it. Maybe I would like Ant Hot Tele bridge more. I won't know until I try one, and act based upon good recommendations from the trusty Forum veterans.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

todd, it would be easy enough to put in a Texas Hot Custom Bridge and then just put a Fralin base plate on it later if wanted a tad more Tele twang!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

FYI,
AFAIK, Lowell George was using tele bridge pups in strats back in the 70's. You can find video clips where you can see that his bridge pup is black, since it's a tele pup.

however, Lew's wiring scheme sounds pretty versatile, with the tapped option and the mid pos that's more functional. That would work well whether or not you used a blender pot.

The very first time I ever saw a Tele pickup in a Strat was a photo of Lowell...he was playing a natural finish maple neck strat with a white guard plate...you could see that Tele pickup a mile away!

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

todd, it would be easy enough to put in a Texas Hot Custom Bridge and then just put a Fralin base plate on it later if wanted a tad more Tele twang!

That's exactly what I had in mind...well,a Fralin base plate or hack saw blades. I haven't made up my mind yet.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

That's exactly what I had in mind...well,a Fralin base plate or hack saw blades. I haven't made up my mind yet.

go with the base plate...it looks a lot better. I did the hacksaw thing once, it worked but it looked like hell!

 

[royd]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

So it sounds as if some of you had the tele pickup go in without any additional routing if the strat is routed for an HM. Is this accurate? Did you have to mount the pickup backwards?
thanks.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

So it sounds as if some of you had the tele pickup go in without any additional routing if the strat is routed for an HM. Is this accurate? Did you have to mount the pickup backwards?
thanks.

Mine went right in...no alterations. But the rout was kinda sloppy and a little oversize do it yourself job that the previous owner of the guitar did. Christian mentioned (I think?) that if the humbucker rout is precise that it might need a little enlarging for a Tele bridge pickup to fit easily.

No biggie though...just a little grind here and there.

Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

Mine went right in...no alterations. But the rout was kinda sloppy and a little oversize do it yourself job that the previous owner of the guitar did. Christian mentioned (I think?) that if the humbucker rout is precise that it might need a little enlarging for a Tele bridge pickup to fit easily.

No biggie though...just a little grind here and there.

Lew

The guitar I had the Tele pickup in was like Lews...it had been an SSS route, then somebody opened up the bridge hole, but they didn't keep it clean so I had extra room

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

Can you guys offer a comparison between the Texas Hot Custom Bridge and the Antiquity Tele Bride pups? How much diff is there between the 2?
Thanks again.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

Can you guys offer a comparison between the Texas Hot Custom Bridge and the Antiquity Tele Bride pups? How much diff is there between the 2?
Thanks again.

Lew could help you out Im sure...which Tele bridge are you talking about?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

Can you guys offer a comparison between the Texas Hot Custom Bridge and the Antiquity Tele Bride pups? How much diff is there between the 2?
Thanks again.

I'll compare them again this week just to refresh my memory, but my recollection is that the Antiquity I Tele bridge pickup in my Nocaster tele seemed a little stronger and louder than the Antiquity Texas Hot Custom Bridge pickup in my Strat...even though the Texas Hot has a higher DC resistance...over 9.5K on the one I have.

In order of output, the way I remember when I compared the bridge pickups in my Strats and Teles, it went something like this:

1. CS Tapped Tele Hot...full output
2. CS Jerry Donahue
3. CS Tapped Tele Hot...lower output
4. Antiquity I Tele (tie but more mids)
4. Fralin Blues Special Tele (tie but more bass)
5. Twangbanger
6. Antiquity Texas Hot Custom
7. Fralin Steel Pole 43







Lew

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

I'll compare them again this week just to refresh my memory, but my recollection is that the Antiquity I Tele bridge pickup in my Nocaster tele seemed a little stronger and louder than the Antiquity Texas Hot Custom Bridge pickup in my Strat...even though the Texas Hot has a higher DC resistance...over 9.5K on the one I have.

In order of output, the way I remember when I compared the bridge pickups in my Strats and Teles, it went something like this:

1. CS Tapped Tele Hot...full output
2. CS Jerry Donahue
3. CS Tapped Tele Hot...lower output
4. Antiquity I Tele (tie but more mids)
4. Fralin Blues Special Tele (tie but more bass)
5. Twangbanger
6. Antiquity Texas Hot Custom
7. Fralin Steel Pole 43







Lew

Thanks Lew that will be cool!

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

Mine had a hb route standard sized on some of the american series standards. But it needed routing!

B

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

Mine had a hb route standard sized on some of the american series standards. But it needed routing!

B

Is the size of the metal baseplate the reason the extra routing was required for the genuine Tele pup install, even when the strat is already HB routed? I can see the base plate being a problem.

Would it be possible to remove the baseplate that comes with the Ant Tele bridge pup and use the Fralin base plate instead? Then I could have all the ingredients of a Tele pup, larger bobbins, wire and windings, with the proper mounting configuration, right? Then, it would simply slip right in. How's that for positive thinking? Would the Strat pup cover fit over the tele pup?

Also, Seymour makes the Aniquity I Tele bridge pup without waxing the plate to the pup, but the Antiquity II Tele bridge pup is waxed. He cites feedback problems that calls for the waxing on the Ant II. I would want to be sure that the base plate is waxed. And the Fralin comes pre-waxed.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tele Bridge pup in a strat

Is the size of the metal baseplate the reason the extra routing was required for the genuine Tele pup install, even when the strat is already HB routed? I can see the base plate being a problem.

Would it be possible to remove the baseplate that comes with the Ant Tele bridge pup and use the Fralin base plate instead? Then I could have all the ingredients of a Tele pup, larger bobbins, wire and windings, with the proper mounting configuration, right? Then, it would simply slip right in. How's that for positive thinking? Would the Strat pup cover fit over the tele pup?

Also, Seymour makes the Aniquity I Tele bridge pup without waxing the plate to the pup, but the Antiquity II Tele bridge pup is waxed. He cites feedback problems that calls for the waxing on the Ant II. I would want to be sure that the base plate is waxed. And the Fralin comes pre-waxed.

Ok...the bobbin is the same size as the baseplate, so removing it won't change/fix anything, and yes, the shape of the bobbin/base plate is why it won't fit in a standard HB route. The Antiquity I is not waxxed because that is "vintage correct". No, a cover will not fit on a Tele pickup...if you want to get a tele tone w/o opening up the route a little bit, and you still want it to look like a Strat a Twangbanger is your option.