Replacement Telecaster pickups – suggestions?
Hi folks,
I have a Hot Rod Tele from 2008. It´s a great guitar (minihumbucker in the neck, single coil in the bridge), but I want to replace the pickups. I am jonesing for a normal single coil in the neck. Seeing that the bridge is somewhat hotter to compensate for the minihumbucker, it would make sense to change that at the same time.
Do you have any suggestions? Obviously I like Jim´s sound. Other Tele players I like are Ted Greene and Bill Frisell. I am looking for a relatively balanced Tele set that can twang, but handle jazz and rock as well. I have been looking at the ´55 Stagger set by Bare Knuckle from the Blackguard series, as the promise about improved string balance is enticing:
https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=teles&sub=vintage&pickup=55stagger&series=blackguard
Thanks in advance!
I have a Hot Rod Tele from 2008. It´s a great guitar (minihumbucker in the neck, single coil in the bridge), but I want to replace the pickups. I am jonesing for a normal single coil in the neck. Seeing that the bridge is somewhat hotter to compensate for the minihumbucker, it would make sense to change that at the same time.
Do you have any suggestions? Obviously I like Jim´s sound. Other Tele players I like are Ted Greene and Bill Frisell. I am looking for a relatively balanced Tele set that can twang, but handle jazz and rock as well. I have been looking at the ´55 Stagger set by Bare Knuckle from the Blackguard series, as the promise about improved string balance is enticing:
https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=teles&sub=vintage&pickup=55stagger&series=blackguard
Thanks in advance!
Comments
http://www.curtisnovak.com/pickups/tel_n-v.shtml
http://www.curtisnovak.com/pickups/tel_b-v.shtml
I noticed Curtis Novak offers his pickups with either A2, A3, or A5 magnets. Do you happen to recall which magnet type(s) you've tried? If so, which would you recommend?
Thank you again!
Sorry- I don't recall and I seem to think there wasn't an option at the time. If there was an option, I know I would have gone with the p/u with the most bass response. The p/u's I tried had a a classic output level (not too burning hot) a nice bass response with a pleasant little growl.
Sometimes I find multitudes of p/u choices a bit overwhelming.
For example, about 15 years ago I temporarily used a Seymour Duncan a "classic" Tele set of p/u 's and I loved them, but I had carelessly thrown away the box. Four months later- for the life of me I couldn't recall exactly what they were! I don't desire advice or a search at this point, and I'm okay with my p/u's - but the amount of choices and variables was totally overwhelming to me. So, I didn't pursue trying to identify them and now- I can't share what they were. And I lost them!
Though these manufacturers offer a p/u for every occasion, I sometimes wish there were less choices!
I'm sure there are many fine minds here, that can offer better advice then me! ha ha
Yes, Rogerio - Lollar's are good too and who can argue with Redd!
All the best- Jim
I totally agree about pickup choices. There are so many, it makes my head spin. I understand why pickup makers do it. They feel the need to offer new products in order to sell more pickups. But it puts people like me in analysis-paralysis mode. At this point, I've listened to so many YouTube videos of people playing various pickups, enough to realize they aren't very helpful. No telling what other gear was used and how much sound was attenuated by the microphone in their cell phone/video camera/whatever.
At the end of the day, you really just have take the plunge and try the pickups yourself.
Thanks again. I really appreciate the help.
Wish I'd thought of that. Nice one Blue Cajun.
A perfect description of what happens these days. So much gear and too much information to go with it.
Whether we’re buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions--both big and small--have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented.
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I've done some experimenting with tele pickups. Nocaster, Klein, Keystones, and O.C. Duff Buckaroos. That's about it, but my favorite is the Cavalier Nashville made by Rob DiStefano. The Nashville may be a bit too twangy for the OP, but he has other "hotter" pickups like the Lion.
http://www.cavalierpickups.com/
on his expertise with all things Fender. I have a Big T Weider set (Lindy/Analogman); and his first production Wide Range Humbucker neck model in original Deluxe/Custom dimensions, with a Split Single humbucker bridge model are headed this way. And what a
wonderful cat to talk with and get to know with such ease.....
first production version of the Wide Range Humbucker neck model in original dimensions, with a Split Single humbucker bridge model
are headed this way. And what a wonderful cat to talk with and get to know with such ease.....
I have also thought about leaving my beloved tele #1 alone, and just buying a whole new tele! If I did this, I would like put a Charlie Christian neck pickup in, I would just have to decide from whom: Vintage Vibe, Lollar, TK Smith.....
I have wanted to experiment with a CC pickup as well, but only have one tele so I have been nervous that it would be too much of a "one-trick pony". While I am really into jazz, swing, and rockabilly, I also like other styles such as old school R&B and funk. Traditional tele pickups cover so much ground, which is what really attracted me to telecasters. I think your idea of buying a second guitar for the CC sounds like a good way to go.
Living in a small condo in Tokyo I don't have the space for too much gear (which is a good thing!). I've been through loads of different guitars over the years, but I'm down to just two now. A great Fender Japan '52-style tele and the first guitar I ever owned a '91 Fender Strat Ultra.
The real dilemma I'm facing is that I don't bond with the lace sensor pickups in the Ultra. I just can't bring myself to sell the guitar because of the sentimental value (my father bought it for me in high school, so I've had it since I was 15), and for some reason I haven't been able to bring myself to mod it either. Truthfully, if I'm going to keep myself to just two guitars, I think a better number two for me would either be a Gretsch like Cliff Gallop played with the dynasonics and a bigsby or some kind of a Gibson ES-style guitar with P90s.
I currently have a Grestch Hot Rod, which is great for most things, but I don't hear it as a real jazz/swing guitar, and a Epiphone Broadway (one of the Korean-Peerless made ones), which is very much in Gibson L5 territory....
My Gretsch has a P90 in the neck instead of the stock filtertron, because I think it's a better fit for jump blues type stuff, and the Broadway has some cheapo pickup, but suprisingly good.... GFS Surf 90s. Which are supposed to sound like Dynasonics. I can't vouch for that, but they do sound really good in this guitar, regardless of their cheap price.
I don't a CC in a tele would be limiting at all.... I don't know how it would do for funk, but it should be perfect for R&B type stuff. Check out JD McPherson sometime... all that was played on tele with a CC neck pickup....
I'm jealous of those Gretschs. Sounds like they would be right up my alley. Thanks for the heads up about JD McPherson as well. I will check him out.
So much good info on this board.
Thank you again for the recommendation on Curtis Novak's pickups. I finally ordered a set. I asked if he could wind me a set like yours, and he said no problem (the magnets are A5, by the way). Turnaround time was really fast. I got them in a week and a half (and that included Thanksgiving).
I just installed them, and they are fantastic: very articulate, full sounding, and (as you mentioned) with a nice bass response. The neck pickup is clear and not muddy. And the bridge pickup is smooth (if that's possible for a Tele bridge pickup) with no ice pick. They sound great clean and overdriven. And the two pickups sound great together. I've tried too many sets where maybe I liked one pickup and not the other. These are just right.
Best regards,
Doug