Ok, I'm not a huge tele fan as far as the look, the way they play, etc. But, there is no mistaking the tele tone and the versatility is great. So, I'd like to have one in the arsenal. And not pay a lot. Now, a few years back, I went through this and I bought a squire vintage modified tele. It was a great player. The neck wasn't as clubby, the frets were a little bigger than many teles, and honestly, after I changed the pickups, it was an incredible guitar all around. I wish I hadn't sold it, but I did. So, here we are again. My question is this: they make teles in many pickup configurations. I want to make sure I'm getting the real tele tone. So is the twang normally from the bridge pup? The one I had, had a tele bridge pup, (which I put in a Duncan Jerry Donahue) and had a mini bucker in the front. (I put in a Gfs firebird pup in). If I want a "proper" tele experience, I'm sure I want to go with the traditional ashtray setup in the bridge, but is it important to use the lipstick one up front, or is the tele twang mostly from the bridge? Once that's settled, anyone point me to a good low dollar model? I played another vintage modified at a music store today, but it had a hum bucker in the neck. Def don't want that. Sorry for the long read, I appreciate your input!
Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
- Thread starter BloodRose
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Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
The uniquely sized and mounted bridge/Treble position pickup is the major factor. The bridge is influential too. A few years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the most recent Fender American Standard bridge (machined base plate and Strat-style bent steel saddles) provides an acceptable sound. So, strangely, does a short Am Std hardtail bridge in conjunction with a Filter'Tron style pickup.
The uniquely sized and mounted bridge/Treble position pickup is the major factor. The bridge is influential too. A few years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the most recent Fender American Standard bridge (machined base plate and Strat-style bent steel saddles) provides an acceptable sound. So, strangely, does a short Am Std hardtail bridge in conjunction with a Filter'Tron style pickup.
Kostas
New member
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
For me what defines the telecaster sound is the bridge pickup. The neck pickup is not always special that's why there are telecasters with every pickup you can imagine in the neck position. I have two telecasters, one with six saddles and one with three saddles, both have the classic sound. Personally I don't like the ashtray bridge. I am used to rest my picking hand on the bridge and the bridge sides hurts my hand. That's why I got a chopped bridge for my latest tele.
For me what defines the telecaster sound is the bridge pickup. The neck pickup is not always special that's why there are telecasters with every pickup you can imagine in the neck position. I have two telecasters, one with six saddles and one with three saddles, both have the classic sound. Personally I don't like the ashtray bridge. I am used to rest my picking hand on the bridge and the bridge sides hurts my hand. That's why I got a chopped bridge for my latest tele.
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Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
Q1 - Care to nominate a ballpark figure?
Q2 - Do you still have the Squier Stratocaster listed on your About Me page?
Q3 - Is the stock bridge/Treble position pickup a disappointment?
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/vintage-output/twang_banger_ap/
Q1 - Care to nominate a ballpark figure?
Q2 - Do you still have the Squier Stratocaster listed on your About Me page?
Q3 - Is the stock bridge/Treble position pickup a disappointment?
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/vintage-output/twang_banger_ap/
DreX
New member
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
I have a variety of Telecasters and Telecaster shaped guitars with different pickups and controls. IME, the Telecaster sound is the shape of the thing guitar first and foremost, including the flat top, bolt on one piece neck, and the omission of bindings and gut cuts. It resonates with a particular voicing that will follow a pickup change. For example, the Cabronita is a Tele body with Filter'tron type pickups, it's still more Tele than not, but then there's the FMS HH Tele, with a carved top and binding and a set neck, and it doesn't sound Tele at all. Thinlines tend to sound less "Tele" also. The wood type doesn't really matter, I have ash, alder and basswood Teles, and the type of wood doesn't add or subtract much from the equation.
The stock bridge with the ash tray and metal base plate is a good. hot single coil sound that retains a lot of high end and delivers good bite. The bridge pickup doesn't make the Tele sound, it just communicates the tone that's already there really well. The major problem I've had is that most Tele replacement pickups tend to be hotter, and hot = less twang. I've had a difficult time with Tele replacement pickups, they fall short of the stock Fender Tele pickups more often than not. My favorite by far has been the DiMarzio Twang Kings. The SD Antinquities are a bit dark for my taste, the Quarter Pounds are too hot and fat, the Nocasters are too bright and thin, the Texas Specials are too prickly. The stock AlNiCos have always been pretty good, be it MIA or MIJ.
I have a variety of Telecasters and Telecaster shaped guitars with different pickups and controls. IME, the Telecaster sound is the shape of the thing guitar first and foremost, including the flat top, bolt on one piece neck, and the omission of bindings and gut cuts. It resonates with a particular voicing that will follow a pickup change. For example, the Cabronita is a Tele body with Filter'tron type pickups, it's still more Tele than not, but then there's the FMS HH Tele, with a carved top and binding and a set neck, and it doesn't sound Tele at all. Thinlines tend to sound less "Tele" also. The wood type doesn't really matter, I have ash, alder and basswood Teles, and the type of wood doesn't add or subtract much from the equation.
The stock bridge with the ash tray and metal base plate is a good. hot single coil sound that retains a lot of high end and delivers good bite. The bridge pickup doesn't make the Tele sound, it just communicates the tone that's already there really well. The major problem I've had is that most Tele replacement pickups tend to be hotter, and hot = less twang. I've had a difficult time with Tele replacement pickups, they fall short of the stock Fender Tele pickups more often than not. My favorite by far has been the DiMarzio Twang Kings. The SD Antinquities are a bit dark for my taste, the Quarter Pounds are too hot and fat, the Nocasters are too bright and thin, the Texas Specials are too prickly. The stock AlNiCos have always been pretty good, be it MIA or MIJ.
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Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
I agree with some of what you are saying. (Constructional formula, Ants dark, QPs overblown.)
My experience has been that the Fender '51 Nocaster treble/lead pickup is sensitive to the neck dimensions of the host guitar. I love the pickup in my Relic Nocaster, with its vast neck, but could never get the same tones from the same model pickup in a Fender AVRI '52 Tele. (Go figure.) The AVRI sounds best to my ears with a Nocaster neck/Rhythm position single coil and the '53 Tapped Tele Lead model. Speaking of which...
The SD Custom Shop '53 Tapped Tele Lead pickup offers two output levels. In a Fender AVRI '52 Telecaster, both modes sound like a Telecaster. Both output levels are within tolerances for Blackguard production.
I agree with some of what you are saying. (Constructional formula, Ants dark, QPs overblown.)
My experience has been that the Fender '51 Nocaster treble/lead pickup is sensitive to the neck dimensions of the host guitar. I love the pickup in my Relic Nocaster, with its vast neck, but could never get the same tones from the same model pickup in a Fender AVRI '52 Tele. (Go figure.) The AVRI sounds best to my ears with a Nocaster neck/Rhythm position single coil and the '53 Tapped Tele Lead model. Speaking of which...
The SD Custom Shop '53 Tapped Tele Lead pickup offers two output levels. In a Fender AVRI '52 Telecaster, both modes sound like a Telecaster. Both output levels are within tolerances for Blackguard production.
Rich_S
HomeGrownToneBrewologist
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
There are many folks who love the Tele neck pickup (and/or the resulting middle position) and many who don't. True "Tele tone" comes from the bridge pickup (including the bridge and the all-important bottom plate). Since none other than Keith Richards has seen fit to put a humbucker in the neck position, everybody pretty much gets a pass on neck pickups and it can still be a "Tele" no matter what you stick in there. My MIM has an SSL-1 Strat pickup at the neck; at other times it's had a '59N. I've also used an SM-1; minihumbuckers make great Tele neck pickups.
There are many folks who love the Tele neck pickup (and/or the resulting middle position) and many who don't. True "Tele tone" comes from the bridge pickup (including the bridge and the all-important bottom plate). Since none other than Keith Richards has seen fit to put a humbucker in the neck position, everybody pretty much gets a pass on neck pickups and it can still be a "Tele" no matter what you stick in there. My MIM has an SSL-1 Strat pickup at the neck; at other times it's had a '59N. I've also used an SM-1; minihumbuckers make great Tele neck pickups.
superpete
Active member
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
the best low dollar tele i've found is a used squier classic vibe telecaster. i just picked one up for $250 and it plays great. some people like the stock picups as well. i swapped mine out for a stl2 hot in the bridge and a twang king in the neck and this guitar kicks a lot of butt for the money i paid for it.
the best low dollar tele i've found is a used squier classic vibe telecaster. i just picked one up for $250 and it plays great. some people like the stock picups as well. i swapped mine out for a stl2 hot in the bridge and a twang king in the neck and this guitar kicks a lot of butt for the money i paid for it.
firebirdguy72
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Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
Actually the tele neck pickup isn't a liptstick tube. It's just a cover over the pickup. A lipstick tube has the wire wrapped directly around a small bar bar magnet and is inside the tube.
Actually the tele neck pickup isn't a liptstick tube. It's just a cover over the pickup. A lipstick tube has the wire wrapped directly around a small bar bar magnet and is inside the tube.
Nostalgic Distortion
New member
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
As long as you have the "Tele" open bridge pickup that's going to be 98% of the "Tele Twang" that your referring too? The neck pickup, although very iconic looking, can be switched out with quite a verity of pickups and it will still be very much a Telecaster? You have to keep in mind when the first Brodcaster's & Nocaster's were made there was nothing but the bridge pickup? After a few years they started to route out the neck but there was still just one pickup, if you wanted the neck pickup you had to buy it & then install it yourself, or pay someone to do it for you? Bruce Springsteen's Butterscotch Tele is this way? You can keep the lil covered rhythm pickup but I find them kind of wimpy sounding? Or do the Keefer thing & put a full sized neck humbucker in its place, that's very nice! My absolute favorite combination, & this is after much experimentation & a lot of money, is a nice hot Tele bridge pickup, I settled on the Quarter Pound Lead for Tele, & a Phat Cat in the neck?
No dumb stacked or bladed S.C. sized stuff in the bridge? They have their place but not if you want real Tele sounds from it? The noise & feedback is a lot of the character of a Telecaster, hence the open coils? I.M.H.O. ANY hum cancelation comes at a cost, & things like the JB-JR or LIL 59 are just trying to replicate the sound of a full sized humbucker? I don't know whether it's dullness, or weakness but I have never heard a noiseless or stacked Tele voiced pickup that sounded nearly as good as real singles? The Quarter Pound was perfect for me, it's still very much a Tele bridge pup but has the balls to play Classic Rock, Grunge, Metal, and much more aggressive stuff! I mean the thing can almost push a tube amp over!!! As of now I've got noise cancellation in pos. 2 but for the most part I just turn it down when I'm not strumming, what a neat trick??? If you have other guitars for heavier stuff and your looking for a REAL TELE sound then stick with a REAL TELE bridge pickup, then figure out what you want from the neck & go from there?
Here's mine, ain't she purdy????? This & my AC-30, it's an flipping amazing combination!!!!
As long as you have the "Tele" open bridge pickup that's going to be 98% of the "Tele Twang" that your referring too? The neck pickup, although very iconic looking, can be switched out with quite a verity of pickups and it will still be very much a Telecaster? You have to keep in mind when the first Brodcaster's & Nocaster's were made there was nothing but the bridge pickup? After a few years they started to route out the neck but there was still just one pickup, if you wanted the neck pickup you had to buy it & then install it yourself, or pay someone to do it for you? Bruce Springsteen's Butterscotch Tele is this way? You can keep the lil covered rhythm pickup but I find them kind of wimpy sounding? Or do the Keefer thing & put a full sized neck humbucker in its place, that's very nice! My absolute favorite combination, & this is after much experimentation & a lot of money, is a nice hot Tele bridge pickup, I settled on the Quarter Pound Lead for Tele, & a Phat Cat in the neck?
No dumb stacked or bladed S.C. sized stuff in the bridge? They have their place but not if you want real Tele sounds from it? The noise & feedback is a lot of the character of a Telecaster, hence the open coils? I.M.H.O. ANY hum cancelation comes at a cost, & things like the JB-JR or LIL 59 are just trying to replicate the sound of a full sized humbucker? I don't know whether it's dullness, or weakness but I have never heard a noiseless or stacked Tele voiced pickup that sounded nearly as good as real singles? The Quarter Pound was perfect for me, it's still very much a Tele bridge pup but has the balls to play Classic Rock, Grunge, Metal, and much more aggressive stuff! I mean the thing can almost push a tube amp over!!! As of now I've got noise cancellation in pos. 2 but for the most part I just turn it down when I'm not strumming, what a neat trick??? If you have other guitars for heavier stuff and your looking for a REAL TELE sound then stick with a REAL TELE bridge pickup, then figure out what you want from the neck & go from there?
Here's mine, ain't she purdy????? This & my AC-30, it's an flipping amazing combination!!!!
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
I'd just get a MIM Standard if you aren't a big Tele fan, but just want one in the "arsenal." They are fine guitars for that purpose, bone stock, and they should cost only $250-$350 bucks locally. They aren't as classic sounding as a Custom Shop reissue or AVRI, but they do "the Tele thing" just fine IMO.
I'd just get a MIM Standard if you aren't a big Tele fan, but just want one in the "arsenal." They are fine guitars for that purpose, bone stock, and they should cost only $250-$350 bucks locally. They aren't as classic sounding as a Custom Shop reissue or AVRI, but they do "the Tele thing" just fine IMO.
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dystrust
Well-known member
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
I agree that a Tele-style lead pickup is responsible for probably 90% of the signature Tele sound, but there are absolutely authentic sounding stacked and blade pickups. You mention Springsteen in your post and he's using Barden blade-style hum-canceling pickups. My Tele has a SD Hot Stack in the bridge and you wouldn't know it isn't a true single if you heard the recordings.
I agree that a Tele-style lead pickup is responsible for probably 90% of the signature Tele sound, but there are absolutely authentic sounding stacked and blade pickups. You mention Springsteen in your post and he's using Barden blade-style hum-canceling pickups. My Tele has a SD Hot Stack in the bridge and you wouldn't know it isn't a true single if you heard the recordings.
Nostalgic Distortion
New member
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
We'll have to agree to disagree about that one? If you can get what you want from the hot stack then awesome! I haven't tried the new version so I can't really comment on that particular Stacked pickup? I can only comment on the ones I've used in length & I've only ever used the original, I really didn't care for it, but I have been told by a bunch of people that the new version sounds much better & has a truer tone than the original one did? Still, for me, I'll take a true Single any day!!!
Ultimately it's going to be your guitar, what works for me or what works for someone else is irrelevant? We can share our own experiences with you so you can make some kind of a educated guess on what you want, maybe put you in the right ballpark but I wouldn't go listening to anyone who says "this is the best thing for you", you're probably going to end up disappointed?
We'll have to agree to disagree about that one? If you can get what you want from the hot stack then awesome! I haven't tried the new version so I can't really comment on that particular Stacked pickup? I can only comment on the ones I've used in length & I've only ever used the original, I really didn't care for it, but I have been told by a bunch of people that the new version sounds much better & has a truer tone than the original one did? Still, for me, I'll take a true Single any day!!!
Ultimately it's going to be your guitar, what works for me or what works for someone else is irrelevant? We can share our own experiences with you so you can make some kind of a educated guess on what you want, maybe put you in the right ballpark but I wouldn't go listening to anyone who says "this is the best thing for you", you're probably going to end up disappointed?
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
It's already been touched on but that twang comes from the bridge and bridge pickup combination. Base plate is optional, IMO. Jerry Donahue gets plenty of twang from his bridge pickup and there's no plate.
When I built mine, I went with the Broadcaster. After some setup tweaks on the guitar, I finally have it sounding how it should. It's a pretty killer pickup. Not too hot and not too vintage, though it is vintage spec. I play a lot of rock and classic rock with some blues and the Broadcaster works nicely.
A used MIM would do the trick for what you want. Good quality and they sound fine out of the box. Later on you can swap pickups if you want.
It's already been touched on but that twang comes from the bridge and bridge pickup combination. Base plate is optional, IMO. Jerry Donahue gets plenty of twang from his bridge pickup and there's no plate.
When I built mine, I went with the Broadcaster. After some setup tweaks on the guitar, I finally have it sounding how it should. It's a pretty killer pickup. Not too hot and not too vintage, though it is vintage spec. I play a lot of rock and classic rock with some blues and the Broadcaster works nicely.
A used MIM would do the trick for what you want. Good quality and they sound fine out of the box. Later on you can swap pickups if you want.
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
The bridge and a broadcaster style pickup. For the former I'd say the 3 brass saddle style (there are ones withoffsets for better intonation) and the ashtray style with the lip all around (for looks really).
The broadcaster style pickup I find the most authentic to my ear.
The bridge and a broadcaster style pickup. For the former I'd say the 3 brass saddle style (there are ones withoffsets for better intonation) and the ashtray style with the lip all around (for looks really).
The broadcaster style pickup I find the most authentic to my ear.
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
The G&L ASAT line is something to consider, too. Great guitars.
Bill
The G&L ASAT line is something to consider, too. Great guitars.
Bill
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
I agree. Putting the bridge (fast track 2) (parallel wired in itself) on parellel with neck (chopper) (also parallel wired), with the mid pup omitted, on my strat, gives a very tele tone. Adding the mid pup to the mix I get a very rich and nice sound.
I agree. Putting the bridge (fast track 2) (parallel wired in itself) on parellel with neck (chopper) (also parallel wired), with the mid pup omitted, on my strat, gives a very tele tone. Adding the mid pup to the mix I get a very rich and nice sound.
Re: Telecasters-what is the tele tone?
$350 OR LESS. Hopefully much less. I like the vintage modified teles.. Was looking at a regular Squier tele ($179) and it wasnt bad except the tiny frets...
LOL!! forgot about the about me page.. had to make some deletions. my one strat has a bucker in the bridge.. The other has a set of Bill Lawrence singles that Im pretty happy with. Since the one has a bucker, Id like to keep a regular strat for the strat tones.. But that pickup could be interesting... Those really do the trick?
$350 OR LESS. Hopefully much less. I like the vintage modified teles.. Was looking at a regular Squier tele ($179) and it wasnt bad except the tiny frets...
LOL!! forgot about the about me page.. had to make some deletions. my one strat has a bucker in the bridge.. The other has a set of Bill Lawrence singles that Im pretty happy with. Since the one has a bucker, Id like to keep a regular strat for the strat tones.. But that pickup could be interesting... Those really do the trick?
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