What's the hottest, most metal Tele bridge pickup?

Man, I'm really glad I gave the Hot Rails another shot. This one sounds fantastic. And after a few listens, it's not all that dark. It just has less pick attack than my BW-equipped Epi. Must be the fact that it's actually further away from the saddles on the lower strings. Or the fact that it's got blades instead of poles. Anyway, I'm 100% satisfied with my metal Esquire for now.

I still would've liked the Custom Shop to make me a Lil Black winter, though, with the cool black nickel poles and gothic font.

Well, you can still do that sometime, I bet it would rock! But I am happy the properly-working Hot Rails is the ticket right now.
 
late to the game.
glad you‘re happy!

you can forget about the bare knuckles now!
the piledriver is not really that hot. less hot than the QP.
the cobraT might have been also a good fit output wise, but from your posts i think you prefer a more mid forward EQ.
if the 500k single vol pot is not bright enough, you could try to convert your bridge to steel saddles if you currently run brass ones (non magnetic).
 
The correct answer to the initial question is. . . any tele bridge pickup that has been shot full of thermite.
 
The correct answer to the initial question is. . . any tele bridge pickup that has been shot full of thermite.

Gets a bit WOOFy!

The quarter pound touts itself as good for metal despite being single coil. I might have to give it a try.
 
Yeah, QP is fantastic.

The HR is my thing, though.

Hell yeah. It’s like a best of single, P90 and can hang with a humbucker for heavy sounds. The switchable output has gotta be handy too.

It’s probably a crazy idea and totally unnecessary, but I’m curious what a QP with either ceramic or A8 mags would sound like. Might not be possible, might end up unbelievable harsh and brittle and something better left for ‘buckers but it also might be a totally new sound if run through a particularly gooey distortion or fuzz.

It’s interesting to me hearing people describe “thin” sounding aftermarket pickup. What is taking out low-end with an overdrive if not deliberately thinning the sound? Isn’t it easier to add gain, mids/bass or cut treble at the amp from a thin input sound, than to have to use other devices to cut things out in between?

Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t the point of early humbuckers to hit the amp with a really hard, really notched frequency band and they got more balanced and hi-fi as amps had more gain on tap?
 
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I don't think the QP is overly trebly at atl. Nor does it lack bass. To me, it did have a pretty evident high-mid emphasis (which I loved), but it still retained a single coil open-ness to the lows and highs. I didn't think it was a bassy pickup at all, but it certainly wasn't lacking bass. I'd even say it might have had more bass than the HR. At least in my guitar.
 
I don't think the QP is overly trebly at atl. Nor does it lack bass. To me, it did have a pretty evident high-mid emphasis (which I loved), but it still retained a single coil open-ness to the lows and highs. I didn't think it was a bassy pickup at all, but it certainly wasn't lacking bass. I'd even say it might have had more bass than the HR. At least in my guitar.
I agree, it’s a really fat sounding single! I just mean my idea of trying a ceramic might upset the balance.
 
Oh, yeah. I asked the CS about making me one with ceramic or A8, but they just told me it would be a better idea just to overwind it.
 
Oh, yeah. I asked the CS about making me one with ceramic or A8, but they just told me it would be a better idea just to overwind it.

But the QP has rod magnets. Can you even get that dimension magnets in ceramic or A8? I doubt it.
 
It is already isn’t it?

well i am pretty sure it’s AWG 44 wire and the strat version is AWG 43 wire, so they aren’t THAT hot. Actually the QP coil is really empty despite the big rods…
so there is enough space for ablot additional wire if tou could live with the highend loss
 
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It’s probably a crazy idea and totally unnecessary, but I’m curious what a QP with either ceramic or A8 mags would sound like. Might not be possible, might end up unbelievable harsh and brittle and something better left for ‘buckers but it also might be a totally new sound if run through a particularly gooey distortion or fuzz.
QP has rod magnets in the coil, not a bar mag underneath. Ceramic or A8 rods would be pretty exotic, though I'm sure they're made.
I could imagine an overwound version being pretty cool. Still, IMO the QP is about perfect just the way it is.
 
the QP is definitely a cool pickup but i have a sPB with 10.5k AWG42 A5 with similar big rods and that one is equally hot but less compressed and conquested (it also has a tap a about 8k). i personally prefer it to the QP so i eventually sold the QP. the QP was a bit over the top and a too big step coming from a Jerry Donahue or SD broadcaster. so i don’t agree with the word perfect:p
but somebody might like the compression. i sometimes do too but not at the time i made the decision.
 
QP has rod magnets in the coil, not a bar mag underneath. Ceramic or A8 rods would be pretty exotic, though I'm sure they're made.
I could imagine an overwound version being pretty cool. Still, IMO the QP is about perfect just the way it is.
You’re probably right.

For those who don’t understand why people think it’s perfect because it’s too “over the top,” that’s what makes it so haha. Over the top is what I want from a single coil because I’m really fussy about them being too weak and twangy.
 
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