telecaster help with str-2, and stl-2 hot

flinch

New member
Oi oi lads, it's been ages since i've posted here. Cuz it's probably been a couple years since last i bought a good ol pair of sd's. Anyways, anybody using str-2 and stl2- hot on their tele? I just bought a mexican tele with a maple neck so I put these bad boys on the neck and bridge.

And i don't know if it's just me but is the str-2(rhythm) lacking a bit on the highs? I'm fine with the bridge but the neck just seems a bit lifeless. Not too much, just a tad bit. And if so, do you guys reckon i should change the pots to 500 k? Would that make a difference, and should i change both tone and volume pot, or just one since i don't wanna over do it and get too much spike.

Any advice you guys have would be very welcome. Never tried these pickups before or changed my tone pots for that matter. Cheers lads, give me a shout!
 
Re: telecaster help with str-2, and stl-2 hot

Tele neck pickups with metal covers, as yours is, have a fairly muffled tone. A lot of guys change them to a Strat pickup, Firebird pickup, humbucker, P90, etc.

That will improve the tone of the neck pickup when you select the neck pickup to use all by itself.

That will also change the tone (for the worse, IMO) when the neck and bridge pickups are combined. You'll lose that particular classic Tele tone.

My favorite tone for chords and rhythm playing on a Tele is the setting with the the stock neck and bridge pickups combined. See if you can get into it.
 
Re: telecaster help with str-2, and stl-2 hot

i find most tele neck pups kinda lifeless. the hot is no exception. 500k pots will open up the high end, changing just the volume will have more effect than changing just the tone.

if it were me, i would try wiring the tone control to just the bridge pup and see where that gets you. you obviously wouldnt have a tone control on the neck pup but most people dont use it anyway and it will give you a little high end back
 
Re: telecaster help with str-2, and stl-2 hot

Cheers lads, great advice. However the place i got these pickups from are letting me change this str-2 if I'm not happy. They have an aptr-1 or str-1 available if i want an exchange. Do you guys reckon either of those will be better? I want something that will keep a bit of the warmth this str-2 is giving me but with a bit more life (or highs). Or should i just keep it and change the volume pot as you say?
 
Re: telecaster help with str-2, and stl-2 hot

im the wrong guy to ask lol. i use an antiquity firebird neck pup in my tele.

id move the tone control wire to just the bridge pup first since its easy and see where you are. if that doesnt work then swap the pup
 
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