Tele pickup question...

[musicartrevolution]

Okay folks, so i played a Tele the other day and fell in love with it. Only issue is being a standard tele, it has a single coil bridge and neck. Now i play primarily heavier music, so i was curious for those who've tried them, how do the hot rails sound in these? Does it beef them up at all? Still sound thinner than a humbucker? Any other recommendations? Just looking for input. I was originally wanting an american HH Tele but they discontinued them.

:beerchug:

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Tele pickup question...

Yes, the HR Tele pickups give similar output levels to humbuckers. They sound similar but not identical to full sized HBs. To retain some Tele twang, go for the Li'l '59.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Tele pickup question...

To my ears, neither the Lil 59 nor the Hot Rails for Tele retain any twang. The Lil 59 sounds luike a PAF and the Hot Rails sounds like a hot humbucker with huge mids; especially in the upper midrange.

 

[symptom]

Re: Tele pickup question...

I have a Squier Vintage Modified Tele wich has 2 duncan designed pickups. A humbucker (like the 59) in the neck and a stack in the bridge. The bridge position has the tele twang and also goes really well in overdriven hard rock and classic rock sounds. That thing is a little screaming machine...

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Tele pickup question...

Okay folks, so i played a Tele the other day and fell in love with it. Only issue is being a standard tele, it has a single coil bridge and neck. Now i play primarily heavier music, so i was curious for those who've tried them, how do the hot rails sound in these? Does it beef them up at all? Still sound thinner than a humbucker? Any other recommendations? Just looking for input. I was originally wanting an american HH Tele but they discontinued them.

Stock Tele's can do HEAVY just fine :

Stock Tele ---> Mesa Dual Recto.


Rails WILL beef up a stock Tele.

I was told that even the Vintage Rails warms up a Tele, and so too the 'Cool Rails'. Never expected to hear that, but that is what i was told when i looked into the same subject.



James

 

[gilmour68]

Re: Tele pickup question...

I've used the STK-T2 hot Tele stack in the bridge position of my '92 Standard Tele for the past 14+ years (until it died last month :-( ). I just ordered a replacement from ebay today.

I had it wired in the "power boost" configuration and I thought it sounded good for a variety of music including some heavier stuff too. Use the mini toggle to get a more single coil sound if that's what you need.

 

[metlking]

Re: Tele pickup question...

I love's me Tele' with Hotrails bridge! Smokin' guitar! Hot humbucker tones for days!

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Tele pickup question...

I've used the STK-T2 hot Tele stack in the bridge position of my '92 Standard Tele for the past 14+ years (until it died last month :-( ). I just ordered a replacement from ebay today.

I had it wired in the "power boost" configuration and I thought it sounded good for a variety of music including some heavier stuff too. Use the mini toggle to get a more single coil sound if that's what you need.

WELCOME TO THE DUNCAN FORUMS :beerchug:



James

 

[saladin]

Re: Tele pickup question...

A Hot Rails Tele bridge is one of the best pickups for playing heavy music. Very focused and tight response...just don't expect it to twang!

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Tele pickup question...

You could try the 4-way switch to give you the series setting. Extra girth, plus the traditional Tele tones. Best of both worlds.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tele pickup question...

Teles can rock with the standard pickups if you have the touch and the skill. Jimmy Page used a stock Tele for all of Led Zep I.

But the sound of today's heavy music is so much heavier that
I doubt most guys who love today's heavy metal could get the tone they're looking for from a Tele - whether with stock pickups or Tele size mini humbuckers.


Not saying there aren't some exceptions, (there are!) but IMO, you have to have full size humbuckers to get that modern heavy sound.

I love Tele's though. Mine's a '54. Here it is:

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Tele pickup question...

^nice tele Lew, what's the fingerboard like on that?

musicartrevolution, have you bought a tele yet? unless you really don't like 7 1/4" fingerboard radii and/or want the tele single-coil bridge, consider a squier tele custom II as the routs will take either P90 or HB pickguard. it'll probably need a thorough set-up though...
the P90s in those aren't the cleanest or most vintage but are great for blues right through to high-gain IMO, although you'd need to shield the guitar properly and/or use a gate

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tele pickup question...

^nice tele Lew, what's the fingerboard like on that?

I had it refretted a few years ago with higher than vintage frets so it's easier to bend strings on. Other than that it's a fairly large soft V shape neck with a maple fretboard. It's probably the finest electric guitar I own. It has Joe Barden pickups and a Barden bridge and I have the original pickups and bridge from '54 in the case. Other than that it's a '54 stock Tele. The original pickups are great sounding but a little weak. It came with the original now 55 year old 6K bridge pickup - sometimes those old pickups are real strong and sometimes they sound great but are a little weak. When I get old and unable to play well I'll put it all back to stock so my wife can get the most $$$ for it. But for now, it's hard to beat those Barden pickups. Danny Gatton used them, Bill Kirchen, and many more Tele spankers use them.

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Tele pickup question...

A Hot Rails Tele bridge is one of the best pickups for playing heavy music. Very focused and tight response...just don't expect it to twang!

Is there such a thing as a Hot-twanger ?
Or is that the Holy Grail ?



James