Tele pickups for Squire

[Thurisarz]

I changed my mind about the Squire tele i talked about in the guitar forum. I'm gonna buy it, but i want to change pickups.

Should the Alnico 2 pickups do the work, "The musical magnets". As the pink floyd fan i am, i need a bridge pickup that's like a -55 7ender Esquire (The one Seymour gave to David if i got that right).

Thanks!
//Thurisarz

 

[Thurisarz]

Re: Tele pickups for Squire

:feedback:

 

[BS123]

Re: Tele pickups for Squire

The material the body is made from is one of the factors that will decide which pickups will do best for you. I won't speak for everyone but my experience has been that in a nice ash Tele, Alnico 2 pickups work best. They produce the tone that suits me best. Alnico 5 pickups tend to be a bit too bright. It also depends on the windings and wire used in the pickups. I have heard Alnico 2 pickups in ash and they have been too bright in some cases. I had a poplar bodied Tele with a B-bender. I used a JD model and it as well as the stock pickups were the best. The JD has Alnico 2 and the stock had alnico 5. I installed a Fender Nocaster pickup in that Tele and it sounded horrible. Nocaster pickups use Alnico 3 magnets which have a different lower mid and bass responce altogether. The Squiers are made from Agathis right? I believe they have tonal features similar to mahogany; which can be warm and deep sounding.

The tone you're after is that of a '55 Esquier right? Well, I might be wrong, but I believe that in '55, Fender started using the smaller diemeter poles as well as raising the D & G poles a bit. This would result in a slightly thinner twangier tone. I would recommend you try 3 models.

1. STL-1 Vintage 54
2. STL-1b Broadcaster
3. APTL-3JD Jerry Donahue model

 

[Thurisarz]

Re: Tele pickups for Squire

Thanks for your answer BS123!

The Squier is made of Alder, and the Broadcaster pickup isn't avaible in Sweden, but we have the Vintage 54 and JD model. Which of them would fit in my tele? And which neck pickup would fit with that?

Hopefully in a nearby future, i'm gonna buy a Am. Ash telecaster!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tele pickups for Squire

I have three Teles. All identical except the body of one is alder and the other two are swamp ash.

After lots of testing and pickup swapping, the Antquitys sound best in the swamp ash guitar and the Jerry Donahue sounds best in the alder Tele.

I'd go for an Antiquity neck with the Jerry Donahue...they'll both be alnico 2 and will sound great together.

If you'd like a little more heft and body to the neck pickup tone, then maybe you'd like alnico 5 for the neck pickup: the Vintage neck would be a good choice.

I did not keep the Alnico II Pro Tele neck pickup in my alder Tele...a little to warm for my tastes.

Lew

 

[Thurisarz]

Re: Tele pickups for Squire

Would the JD model give me that Esquire sound?

Thanks for the Answer Lew!

 

[BS123]

Re: Tele pickups for Squire

The JD is just about my favorite Tele bridge pickup. However, the mids are prominent and the highs can be airy.

 

[Thurisarz]

Re: Tele pickups for Squire

Thanks for the Answers!

I'll think i go with Antiquity in neck and Vintage 54 in Bridge, if nobody else has any other recommendations?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tele pickups for Squire

Would the JD model give me that Esquire sound?

Thanks for the Answer Lew!

Sure. Any vintage style Tele pickup would.

The JD is based on the pickup in JD's '52 Tele.

Another cool option would be the Tele Hot Tapped. You could use one of those in a Esquire and get vintage 6.5K output or hot 10K output with the flick of your selector switch.

Lew

Lew

 

[Thurisarz]

Re: Tele pickups for Squire

Now that i know what the JD is i'll change the '54 for that, thanks lew for clearing that out!