Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

[PFDarkside]

I mean any pickup put in the neck position of a Tele... I really like the stock Texas Special Tele in mine, a little more character and a little clearer than a typical Tele pickup. I hate the idea of a Strat pickup in the neck, but the thought of a Seth, Vintage Mini, Vintage P90 or their Antiquity equivalents seems pretty cool.

(Not looking to change mine, just wondering what people like and for what styles)

 

[Juanhanglo]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

My fav is the Harmonic design Vintage plus. to me, it takes the best of a telle neck p/u and adds some p-90 into it. also, it is about as loud as an average humbucker, but not muddy.

one drawback is you can't get it in chrome.

 

[Falstaff]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

The Texas Special is my favorite so far, too, and I have tried a few. I have a couple of Don Mare pickups that I have yet to install, though, so my tune might change soon.

 

[Curly]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

of the Duncans I've tried:

• Vintage Rhythm
• Antiquity
• the Custom Shop neck pickup that comes with CS Broadcaster set or CS "tapped tele" set (I think it's a lot like the Antiquity)

I've wanted to try a mini hum, like a Firebird or SM-1, but that will have to wait.

FWIW, I'm not looking for twang in a tele - I can get a warm, clear tone with the ones I mentioned.

 

[subanots]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

phat cat.

 

[thucydides]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

Dimarzio Virtual Vintage T Neck. Reminds me of a mini bucker.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

For a standard Tele look, I like the DiMarzio Twang King.

For anything else, I like either a vintage type minihumbucker or a fullsize humbucker.

 

[Pastor of Muppets]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

I have just (today!) got my Tele back from a luthier who replaced the Texas Special I had in there with a Seth. I'd never played a Seth before and after an hour's fiddling I'm enjoying the experience...I find it very hard to describe pup sounds, but I'd say it's very 'authentic' - microphonic, with a very clear, bell-like treble. Bags of sustain and lots of character. My playing feels quite exposed in comparison to, say, a PG neck.

Wired out of phase for the mid position gives a great honk too.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

I have a few Teles. They are all setup a little different. I have a Strat Tex Mex in one and I like that a lot. I use this guitar mostly in open E and play slide on her. I have another that has a Firebird Duncan in the Neck..... a smokin' HB for a Tele. Lots of growl and it screams when needed. I have a Vintage 54 in the Neck of another, a Pearly Gates in another and a Jazz that is coil tapping capable in yet another. They all work, and they all sound really good. If I had to pick my Favorite...... I would probably pick the Vintage 54. It sounds as close to a Vintage Tele as I've heard........ but I like the Firebird mini Hum an awful lot too. I just ordered a JD to pair with it. Once thats in it will sound awesome.

 

[sstanfield]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

Both of my teles have neck 'buckers, both w/ split option, but my favorite is the 59/Jazz hybrid. The Pearly Gates is OK, but not as sweet as the hybrid.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

I like single coils best for the neck position in a Tele...or at least single coil size. No humbuckers for me.

Never been totally happy with any stock Fender Tele neck pickup.

Some Tele size neck pickups that I DO like a lot are:

Duncan Custom Shop Tele ala Strat
Duncan Antiquity I or II Tele neck
Lindy Fralin Blues Special Tele neck
Joe Barden Tele neck

Or if you don't mind making room for it, a Duncan SSL-1 or Surfer Strat neck pickup.

 

[notesfield]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

Another vote for the Lindy Fralin Blues Special Tele neck. Talk about breathing life and tone into the neck position of a tele, unreal. Very under-rated and overlooked in my opinion.

 

[ES350]

Re: Your Favorite Tele Neck Pickup?

I went round and round with P90's, Strat, minis, etc etc for years until I put a Melody Maker pu in my old RI Tele...has a warmer sc tone similar to a stock neck pu, but more mids and low end.