Telecaster+neck=warm?

[maagabuf]

Hi all,
I'm looking for a neck pick up for a telecaster. I'm looking for a clear sound but warm, something like the jeff buckley's neck sound. I don't know what pick up he used to use with his telecaster. I have a DiMarzio Fast Track T in bridge, and i'de like to put a SD on neck, 'cause I don't want an "all DM telecaster", you know, i'de like to have 2 different type of pick up and to mix different personnality of pick up, I think it will be more interesting in.
Thanks.

 

[Toenail-Tommy]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I have a tele witha SD hotrails in the bridge, and am going to put in a SD neck. I thought that the quarter pounder would be a good choice.
or a vintage rhythm stack... warm mello and clean i believe

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

For a warm Tele neck pickup it's hard to beat the Duncan Tele Alnico 2 Pro.

Personally, I find almost all covered Tele neck pickups to be pretty "warm" though. The cover seems to muffle the highs on pretty much every one I've tried...with the exception of the Custom Shop Tele ala Strat neck pickup MJ wound for me. That one's bright and sounds like a Strat neck pickup in a Tele neck pickup size.

Lew

 

[maagabuf]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

the quarter pound seems to sound more like a humbecker, well that's what i read.

 

[rmcfee]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I installed a Harmonic Design Vintage + Tele pickup and it is amazing. The combination tones are even better. I can't recomend them high enough.
The Tele personality is definately there but the sound is very rich and harmonically more complex. - Rob

 

[maagabuf]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

What's the Harmonic Design Vintage? I never heard of it.

 

[gripweed]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I installed a Harmonic Design Vintage + Tele pickup and it is amazing. The combination tones are even better. I can't recomend them high enough.
The Tele personality is definately there but the sound is very rich and harmonically more complex. - Rob

The tele neck pickup that I would like to try from harmonic design is this

http://www.harmonicdesign.net/allpages/custom_shop.html

Its the mini strat for tele. I've yet to find a tele neck pickup I like or a Strat bridge I've liked. I have a Duncan 5/2 for Strat in the neck position of my current Frankentele.

 

[rmcfee]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

Check out http://www.harmonicdesign.net and you can see the different models.
The Strat pups are amazing too. If I had the cash I'd try a humbucker. I'll bet they are brilliant as well. - Rob

 

[deftgala]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I bought a set of Antiquity's off Lew and love them. my main reference for finding my tele tone was based on Jeff Buckley's tele tone and I did a little bit of research a while ago. It's really difficult finding some info about his gear and this is as close as I could find:

http://www.intimateaudio.com/tributes.jeff_buckley.html

From watching the live in chicago DVD I noticed this: he uses a tele hot rails in the bridge. His live solo stuff re: Live at sine has got great tele neck tone and my antiquity neck hits that pretty well...

also be aware that the tele he is most famous for using was not his, but a friend of his that he never returned!!!

 

[Dave]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

the quarter pound seems to sound more like a humbecker, well that's what i read.

I used to have a set of QP's and although they are high output and fatter sounding, they aren't that clean vs. other low output singles like the A2Pro. I did like them, but wanted a more focused pickup with lower output.

I can't, however, say that it's a humbucker-ish sound. Some folks have likened them to a P-90, but my ears aren't all that good-Lew may hopefully comment on the P-90 designs and how they differ vs. the QPs-he told me once before and I forgot exactly :smack:

I've always been interested in the stacks...

Teles are fun any way you slice 'em.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I used to have a set of QP's and although they are high output and fatter sounding, they aren't that clean vs. other low output singles like the A2Pro. I did like them, but wanted a more focused pickup with lower output.

I can't, however, say that it's a humbucker-ish sound. Some folks have likened them to a P-90, but my ears aren't all that good-Lew may hopefully comment on the P-90 designs and how they differ vs. the QPs-he told me once before and I forgot exactly :smack:

I've always been interested in the stacks...

Teles are fun any way you slice 'em.

Hi Dave, One big diff between P90's and single coils like the QP is that the polepieces in the QP are the magnets and the wire is wound around the polepieces. All vintage type Strat pickups share that same design too.

In a P-90 the six polepieces are not magnets...the magnets are UNDERNEATH the bobbins.

So they're quite differant in construction and, IMO, in the way they sound.

Thanks! Lew

 

[Breogan]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I've got the 54 neck in a Ibanez cheap strat copy and it deliver that warm clear tone. I love it but, sometime I find it a bit too dark.

 

[JoyDivision24Hours]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I bought a set of Antiquity's off Lew and love them. my main reference for finding my tele tone was based on Jeff Buckley's tele tone and I did a little bit of research a while ago. It's really difficult finding some info about his gear and this is as close as I could find:

http://www.intimateaudio.com/tributes.jeff_buckley.html

From watching the live in chicago DVD I noticed this: he uses a tele hot rails in the bridge. His live solo stuff re: Live at sine has got great tele neck tone and my antiquity neck hits that pretty well...

I have watched the same DVD and I thought it was SD hot lead stack for tele. One big blade pole piece. I think he got his big saturated tone with his LP Custom.. The neck pickup looks stock but could be a vintage stack for tele. I agree on his beautiful tele tone. I think his Alesis Quadraverb had a lot to with it.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I'll tell you the truth: if you have room for it and you're willing to install a new pickguard for a larger neck pickup, the absolute best Tele neck pickup I have heard is the Antiquity Surfer Strat pickup in my MIJ Fender Tele Custom. I use the Surfer neck and a Jerry Donahue bridge pickup in that guitar. Jeremy has mentioned that his favorite pickup for a Tele neck position is a Strat pickup too. Lew

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

The only neck pickups I like for Teles are Fenders. I have tried many Duncans and a few DZ. They were all mucky and tubby. The Fender Delta tone ( can be had CHEAP CHEAP) and American Vintage RI with A3 magnets are perfect for my tastes. Bright, chimy and very Strat like. I also wire my neck pickups only to the volume and bypass the tone. It opens it up a bit more for me and makes it easier to get the bridge pu right where I want it in terms of tone caps and such.. I am very picky about neck pickups, any mud and they come out quick.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

The only neck pickups I like for Teles are Fenders. I have tried many Duncans and a few DZ. They were all mucky and tubby. The Fender Delta tone ( can be had CHEAP CHEAP) and American Vintage RI with A3 magnets are perfect for my tastes. Bright, chimy and very Strat like. I also wire my neck pickups only to the volume and bypass the tone. It opens it up a bit more for me and makes it easier to get the bridge pu right where I want it in terms of tone caps and such.. I am very picky about neck pickups, any mud and they come out quick.

I think Maagabuff is looking for a warm neck pickup. But I do agree with you that almost all Tele neck pickups with a metal cover sound darker than I'd like them to. The best (clearest, brightest, strongest, etc.) covered Tele neck pickup I've ever used is the one MJ wound for me in the Duncan Custom Shop and she calls it the "Tele ala Strat".

The thing is, many serious Tele players play rythym with the bridge and neck pickups combined. I do. And that is a great chimey tone even with a covered Tele neck pickup that sounds a little muffled when I use it by itself.

I've found that if I go for an uncovered Tele neck pickup (the Fralin Blues Special is the one I'm thinking of) the neck pickup by itself sounds fantastic and is much more useful for soloing and for rythym playing with the neck pickup alone. But when it's combined with the bridge pickup I don't get the same familiar chime as I do with a covered Tele neck pickup.

So on my '54 Tele I went back to a covered Fralin Stock neck pickup. Even though I prefer the uncovered Fralin Blues Special neck when I use the neck pickup by itself, I miss the chimey rythym tone I get when I combine the neck and bridge pickups together...it's one of my favorite tones.

Lew

 

[dani]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I'll tell you the truth: if you have room for it and you're willing to install a new pickguard for a larger neck pickup, the absolute best Tele neck pickup I have heard is the Antiquity Surfer Strat pickup in my MIJ Fender Tele Custom. I use the Surfer neck and a Jerry Donahue bridge pickup in that guitar. Jeremy has mentioned that his favorite pickup for a Tele neck position is a Strat pickup too. Lew

wouldn't it sound similar to having a ant surfer in the neck position of a strat? how much different can it be lew?

dani

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

wouldn't it sound similar to having a ant surfer in the neck position of a strat? how much different can it be lew?

dani

It's similar. The Surfer is also one of my favorite pickups in a Strat. But Teles don't sound like Strats. The way the strings are attached with the string through body and the design of the bridge in a tele makes them sound differant than a Strat. I hear more of the wood when I play my Teles. Lew

 

[deftgala]

Re: Telecaster+neck=warm?

I have watched the same DVD and I thought it was SD hot lead stack for tele. One big blade pole piece. I think he got his big saturated tone with his LP Custom.. The neck pickup looks stock but could be a vintage stack for tele. I agree on his beautiful tele tone. I think his Alesis Quadraverb had a lot to with it.

thanks for the correction... my bad