Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

[zzz247]

Hi

Could anyone please give me some advice on what pickup to choose for my new Fender Telecaster Standard?

What I am trying to achieve is a Malmsteen sound, hard overdrive with single coil sound, but instead of sounding like a Stratocaster, you should be able to hear it beeing a telecaster. You know the bite from the bridge and the smoothness from the neck.

I also prefer the single coil sound over the humbucker sound.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[metlking]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

The only "metal" Telecaster I have has a HotRails in the bridge and I for one love it!! But, it sure doesn't sound anything like a single coil. In fact it really doesn't sound like a Tele...Maybe split it would but I didn't wire it for the option.............I would guess a Hot Lead Stack STK-T2b would get you into the ballpark without really sounding like a humbucker......

 

[NevermindUs]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

i know many people will disagree, but single coils in heavy metal, to my ears, never really seem to work.

exceptions-p90's
-solos, leads
-and im sure there are many more things to add to this list

 

[karpathion]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

doesnt malmsten have a distortion pedal out there that should help you out a lot. i think dod makes it or digitech. that will probably help out alot.

 

[Micah]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

Maybe a Quarter pounder for tele?? Fat honkin quarter inch pole-mags in a straight up single coil wind! Powerful, but still having that fender-bell tone to it; that "boing" when you hit a string. What else can I say??!

 

[NevermindUs]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

doesnt malmsten have a distortion pedal out there that should help you out a lot. i think dod makes it or digitech. that will probably help out alot.

yeah im pretty sure he does, DOD i think

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

doesnt malmsten have a distortion pedal out there that should help you out a lot. i think dod makes it or digitech. that will probably help out alot.

That's the key....

Yngwie's pickups are DiMarzio HS-3's in his Strats. The exception is a DiMarzio YJM which he uses in the neck position. The HS-3 and YJM's are a little over-wound; but that's more for warmth than output. YJM gets his distortion from his amps and his sig. DOD pedal. BTW, I use to have a DOD Overdrive Preamp pedal (Basically what his pedal is) and it was a dang good distortion and boost pedal.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

John 5 is a big fan of the Tele. But then he also loves country music, which is an extra reason for the Tele.

 

[karpathion]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

yeah i dont think ive ever seen a metal player with a tele. hell i think its pretty cool. it'll definitly be different.
"just becouse it's different doesnt make it wrong"

 

[sosomething]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

It's not the Tele shape that's unusual, it's the fact that you want to stay true to it and use a proper single coil pickup in the bridge. I think that is awesome.

To that end, you need a thick, chunky sounding pickup without screechy highs. Someone mentioned the SD Quarter Pounder. That's a good choice. Another one would be the Bareknuckle Piledriver tele pickup.

Good luck!

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

Malmsteen is actually big on clarity so he prefers VINTAGE output, noiseless pups, a little pre-amping

then... the rest is Marshall amp power tube clipping. Amazingly, he raves about rightness and clarity that he achieves through the use of G12-75's. I have to admit, those speakers, when cranked and WELL WORN IN, are more effective than anyone gives them credit.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

yeah i dont think ive ever seen a metal player with a tele. hell i think its pretty cool. it'll definitly be different.
"just becouse it's different doesnt make it wrong"

Richie Kotzen....

But he has a Fast Track T in the bridge position of his Teles.

 

[karpathion]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

Richie Kotzen....

But he has a Fast Track T in the bridge position of his Teles.

never heard of him? you got alink orsomething i can check it out. id like to hear a tele in metal

 

[gnoj_LL]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

Jim Root's and J5's telecasters!

see links:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...im-Root-Telecaster-Electric-Guitar?sku=514652

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-John-5-Telecaster-Electric-Guitar?sku=511592

but these are guitars though.. just check the pups in these guitars

 

[zzz247]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

It's not the Tele shape that's unusual, it's the fact that you want to stay true to it and use a proper single coil pickup in the bridge. I think that is awesome.

To that end, you need a thick, chunky sounding pickup without screechy highs. Someone mentioned the SD Quarter Pounder. That's a good choice. Another one would be the Bareknuckle Piledriver tele pickup.

Good luck!

Thanx man! Exactly what I want to achieve. Metal these days are too sterile and too perfect. I love the guitar sound on Yngwies latest album. Just have a listen to it, and you understand why. I would love to get that type of heavy sound, but based on a Tele. The BITE I get from the stock bridge pup is fantastic, but can be hard on the ears. Also the neck pup is fantastic, but a little hard to drive.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

never heard of him? you got alink orsomething i can check it out. id like to hear a tele in metal

http://www.richiekotzen.com/

 

[sosomething]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

Thanx man! Exactly what I want to achieve. Metal these days are too sterile and too perfect. I love the guitar sound on Yngwies latest album. Just have a listen to it, and you understand why. I would love to get that type of heavy sound, but based on a Tele. The BITE I get from the stock bridge pup is fantastic, but can be hard on the ears. Also the neck pup is fantastic, but a little hard to drive.

You, sir, are a man of vision! I have contemplated this very thing. I just haven't had the disposable income for a guitar recently. I intend to buy a Tele (a REAL one! No humbuckers!) as my next guitar.

Good luck, godspeed, and please post clips if you can!

 

[zzz247]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

Just a quick update. I have decided on going with the Fender Custom Shop Texas Tele pickups for my Tele Metal Machine.

I did so since they are true to the Tele tone, but with a small output boost and a rounded top. No other changes are done to the sound. This means that it still has the highs, but not so sharp that with heavy distortion it will cut your head (ears) off.

I will have them mounted at the local guitar shop together with some other small mods. Will get back to y'all with an update as soon as I have tried the setup.:fing2:

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Telecaster for hard rock/heavy metal

The singer of Wintersun uses aTelecaster too. Just for the record.