Telecaster neck pickup match for Little '59

[axiseffects]

I picked up another Tele a while back...an Arctic White Mexican Standard (alder body, maple neck and fretboard) and I did all the shielding upgrades and installed a Little '59 humbucker in the bridge, along with a pair of 500K control pots. I used a 0.047uF capacitor for the tone control.

Now, what would be a good pickup for the neck position to match the tone and output of the Little '59? I play mostly rock and hard rock, so a high output pickup would be best, and humbucking (traditional or a stack) would also be a plus, since I use a lot of distortion which will REALLY amplify any and all noise that the pickups can get from outside sources. I like pickups that aren't muddy or dark sounding. In my other Tele I have a Duncan Quarter Pound in the neck position and I never could get it to brighten up, even with 500K control pots.

I would be especially interested in a pickup that would fit in the original pickguard, but if needed I can get Warmoth to cut a new pickguard for me. The pickup doesn't necessarily have to be manufactured by SD, either

Thanks!
Phillip

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Telecaster neck pickup match for Little '59

I would try a Strat pickup- a Lil' 59 for the neck position... or maybe Cool Rails...
Unless you are looking for more traditional Tele tones from the neck...

 

[baritone]

Re: Telecaster neck pickup match for Little '59

What about a Vintage Stack?

 

[Stratsky]

Re: Telecaster neck pickup match for Little '59

Is your Tele routed for a humbucker in the neck position? I would assume it is since my 2001 MIA is. I would put a full size humbucker in the neck position. You would have to have one with the shorter legs to install in a Tele though.

 

[jamz1823]

Re: Telecaster neck pickup match for Little '59

i was thinkin a str-1 vintage might sound nice

 

[axiseffects]

Re: Telecaster neck pickup match for Little '59

Thanks guys. I was also thinking about using a full-size humbucker. Both my 2003 and the new 2006 MIM Standard Teles have the neck route for a full-size humbucker. Are there any recommendations for a short-leg humbucker from Seymour Duncan?

I was looking at the '59 model humbucker (SH-1), and the "dimensions" drawing for the model number tb59-1b is a short-leg model, but is this a neck position model, or a bridge position model?

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/humbuckersdescr.shtml#59153Model

I'm also still keeping the option open for a standard-size neck position Telecaster pickup. The STK-T1N Vintage Rhythm Stack looks like it would be a good match for the Little '59. I was also looking at the tone chart for the STR-2 "Hot" rhythm pickup shows that it has less bass than the Quarter Pound rhythm. The Quarter Pound has always sounded too muddy to me...not enough "bite"...it doesn't seem to pair well with the Little '59 in the bridge (which is the setup in my 2003 MIM).

Thanks!
Phillip