Tele Humbucker Question

[cadred]

I'm generally a humbucker kind of guy, but I fell in love with my dad's AS Telecaster's sound, so I'm thinking of building my own as my first DIY guitar project from Warmoth parts.

However, I also like versatility, so I'm wondering if there is any humbucker combination that can, when coil tapped, get me in the neighborhood of the classic tele sound? I'm looking for that spanky/twangy tele vibe.

Is it possible to have my cake and eat it too, or am I just overreaching?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

P-Rails. That's about as versatile as you can get in one pup.

I have mine mounted with the Rail coil next to the bridge and an A8 next to the Rail (A5 next to the P-90). The Rail give very good Tele tones and the P-90 gives you more meat. Parallel is a nice open PAFish sound and the series is about as beefy as you can get.

There's your cake. And it's covered with frosting. Go ahead and eat it.

 

[cadred]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

Thanks, I will do some research into p-rails.

 

[OttoMatick]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

be sure to check out the SD Tele Hotrails set. Tele Single coil sized humbuckers with 4 conductor wires suitable for coil splitting, phase or series wiring. These are my fave tele pickups. My second fave Teles are the Lace Sensor Tele Set. Single coil tone monsters!

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

You can get a humbucker that will sound Tele-ish when split at best. It will never be a convincing tone because it doesn't account for:

a) Rod magnets -- these are right at the strings while a humbucker magnet is down below. Just a different sound.

b) Slant -- A Tele bridge is slanted so the low strings will be a bit farther from the bridge than the high strings, low strings thus seeing the low and mid frequencies better. A split humbucker is perpendicular, meaning the low strings don't see those freq's as well. (OR doesn't see the high freq's as well, depending on which coil is on when split.)

c) Steel baseplate -- This softens the top end a little so that a Tele bridge sounds twangy with just the right amount of bite instead of the dreaded icepick as you often get with Strat bridge pu's. (Humbuckers obviously don't have this plate.)

d) Steel surround bridge -- This spreads a Tele bridge pu's magnetic field to help even out the tone a bit, again for twangy bite without the icepick. Some Tele bridges made to hold humbuckers are steel so they create a similar effect.

I think your best chance for a real Tele sound is something like a Stag Mag with one of the coils tapped so you get one coil plus part of the other one. And flat rather than staggered rods.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

Zhang,
You are absolutely correct.

However, The OP is "a humbucker kind of guy" who wants versatility and a humbucker combination that can..."get me in the neighborhood" of the Tele sound.

As I said earlier, I get pretty convincing Tele tones out of my P-Rail mounted in a Schecter C-1.

Exactly like a Tele? .......Heavens NO!

In the neighborhood? .......Definitely!

And if the OP mounts it in a Tele body with a steel plate Tele bridge (cut for a bucker pup), he should get even closer to that Tele tone. If I understood him correctly, that's what he was asking for.

As far as your suggestion for the best chance of getting the Tele sound using the tapped StagMag...excellent idea!! But not nearly as versatile as the P-Rail. Depends upon where the OP places the greatest importance....closer to a real Tele sound; or greater versatility (with a pretty reasonable Tele sound).

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

It also depends on how big that "neighborhood" is. To my ear, no humbucker -- at least not without rod magnets -- can get into that zip code, split or not. Maybe the OP's neighborhood is bigger than mine in this case.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

It also depends on how big that "neighborhood" is. To my ear, no humbucker -- at least not without rod magnets -- can get into that zip code, split or not. Maybe the OP's neighborhood is bigger than mine in this case.

You're correct. But keep in mind that he's not going to be using a humbucker to get there...it will be the Rail coil of a P-Rail pup. That Rail sounds totally different than a typical split bucker.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

Also, I think you are probably speaking theoretically, and I absolutely agree with you...no hummer split or not is going to sound like a Tele bridge pup with magnet poles. But, speaking from actual experience, the rail coil of a P-Rail with an A8 mag next to the rail and mounted with the rail coil next to the bridge sounds pretty good...even in a large mahogany bodied C-1 with a maple cap.

Now, speaking theoretically, that same pup setup in a Tele body with a Tele bridge is bound to sound even closer to a genuine Tele. So, yes, I think it would definitely be "in the neighborhood" with the same zip code. Admittedly still several blocks away, but this is what he was asking for.

The StagMag is also a very good choice (a better choice for getting even closer to a genuine Tele tone).

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

My opinion - and I'm sure I'm not alone in this - is that a 2-single Tele is plenty versatile if you know what you're doing.

If you're set on a neck humbucker that works well split, the P Rails is a very good option.

My suggestion, however, is a Quarter Pound for Tele with the tap option. That will give you a big, chunky tone with the full wind and a more "traditional" Tele neck tone with the tap. It also has the benefit of fitting into the standard Tele neck pickup slot.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

You're correct. But keep in mind that he's not going to be using a humbucker to get there...it will be the Rail coil of a P-Rail pup. That Rail sounds totally different than a typical split bucker.

But you need the slant...

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

But you need the slant...

I'm not saying you don't need the slant to get closer to a true Tele tone. I'm just talking about a simple way to get into the neighborhood. That's all. There are many ways to improve upon that suggestion.

 

[cadred]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

Thanks for the discussion guys. I'm definitely not set on anything just yet, other than some kind of Telecaster. I'm leaning towards singles, but I wanted to explore my options by trying to see if humbuckers would work too, though it seems controversial over how close I can get to vintage sound.

Right now my leading option is a Warmoth Thinline Tele body with single coils, but that's subject to change.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

If you go with singles, then I would agree with ratherdashing that the tapped 1/4 pounder would be a great choice (but I think we are talking about the bridge position, not the neck). I have a 1/4 lb in my Tele (not a tapped version) and it sounds great...very ballsy.

If you go with humbuckers, then the P-Rail or StagMag are both good options.

 

[esandes]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

fender's humbuckers were originally the seth lover designed "wide range" and were very versatile. the only authentic reproduction is made by lollar. they are supposedly amazing sounding.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

If I wanted a bucker I'd try a lil 59 so you still get the tele bridge plate and slant, but you also get the bucket sound and a single elif/when you want it.

 

[cadred]

Re: Tele Humbucker Question

Damn, I ain't hurtin' for ideas.