Vintage '54 tele lead vs. Twang Banger

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ruach777

New member
I recently came across a "Made in the USA" Peavey Strat copy in a thrift store. While the neck was in near perfect condition, the body needed a new paint job, and the hardware and electronics were destroyed. They only wanted $15 for it, so I decided to take on the job of restoring it. I'm in the process of refinishing the body now. I have all the hardware necessary, but the only spare pickups I have are a Alnico 2 Strat and a Vintage '54 Tele lead. I'm on a budget and would like to spend as little as possible.
I would like to have opinions about putting the Vintage '54 in the lead position, or spending more for a Twang Banger. (I expect the Vintage '54 to gain some bottom end and lose a little twang, and in a Strat style guitar I'm OK with that.)
 
Re: Vintage '54 tele lead vs. Twang Banger

$15 dollar guitar?
Try the tele pup! What have you got to lose? The cost of a pickguard to mount it on and the time it takes to drill a couple holes.
It might very well sound fantastic!
 
Re: Vintage '54 tele lead vs. Twang Banger

Toss the vint 54 in there...you'll have to deal with the ground since on a Tele the pickup screws connect the brass plate to the bridge but it can be done.

I had a Tele pickup in a Strat for a while and dig it a lot!

So did Lowell George

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Re: Vintage '54 tele lead vs. Twang Banger

Lowell George, yeah!

I have experience of the Twangbanger in Stratocasters of varying quality from Squier to Fender American Vintage Re-Issue. It does not, repeat NOT, replicate the sound of a Telecaster. (Without the vintage T stamped steel bridge, how could it?) What it does do is add a hint of Tele to double string bends and beef up overdrive sounds through cranked valve amplification.

I love the TB but I never delude myself that it sounds exactly like a Telecaster. Same goes for its its Custom Shop predecessor, the Strat-Tele.
 
Re: Vintage '54 tele lead vs. Twang Banger

That's pretty much my experience with the Twangbanger, but it is a great pickup.
 
Re: Vintage '54 tele lead vs. Twang Banger

Even a Tele pickup doesn't sound like a Tele when it's in a Strat...no Tele bridge, no string through body not to mention the big hole knocked in a Strat for the vibrato system...

However both the Vintage 54 and the TB are cool pickups but since the OP has a 54 already I'd just use that!!!
 
Re: Vintage '54 tele lead vs. Twang Banger

Thanks for the input. I knew the Tele bridge pickup would sound different in a Strat. I'll give the '54 a try. Thanks again.
 
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