Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: StevensCustomGuitars on June 10, 2009, 10:03:49 AM

Title: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: StevensCustomGuitars on June 10, 2009, 10:03:49 AM

Hi guys, long-time lurker here, first post so go easy  :wink:

I'm building a hand-painted country-style telecaster type guitar for a British Americana band and am looking for a bit of advice. I'm looking for a single-coil at the bridge and humbucker at the neck. Any suggestions for a good mix? Needs lots of nice cleans but also country-rock/Stonesy breakup. Links to soundclips would be great.

I've installed CountryBoys in the past which I LOVE! but maybe we need a bit more welly here?

Any advice appreciated.
Cheers
Dave

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: Twinfan on June 10, 2009, 10:46:55 AM

Yardbird and Stormy Monday?

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: Philly Q on June 10, 2009, 11:02:09 AM

^ 

I was thinking the same, although I don't actually have any of the BKP Tele pickups so I'm only going by what I've read.

Maybe Brown Sugar/Stormy Monday if you want a full pair of wellies.  :)

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: StevensCustomGuitars on June 10, 2009, 11:48:45 AM

Thanks guys, i'll check out some sound clips.

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: Ratrod on June 10, 2009, 12:17:26 PM

Howabout this?

Blackguard in the bridge and a Mississippi Queen in the neck.

That should have a nice 'southern' vibe.

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: StevensCustomGuitars on June 10, 2009, 12:23:30 PM

that sounds interesting. Haven't heard the Mississippi Queens yet. Thanks

Just listened to a great demo of the yardbirds, they sound lovely.

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: AndyR on June 10, 2009, 01:46:41 PM

That does sound interesting Ratrod :D

Out of my experience I'd say, for the bridge:

Blackguard Flat 50 if you lean more towards fatter/raunchier, blues/rocknroll type of raunch.
Yardbird if you lean towards a more versatile, capable of sweeter, and good for layered guitar parts that don't clutter each other.

Otherwise, they both do the job :D

If I was pairing a tele bridge with an MQ neck though - Blackguard Flat 50 would be my personal choice (I like neck/bridge complementing each other, the Yardbird would give more contrast with an MQ).

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: StevensCustomGuitars on June 10, 2009, 01:59:20 PM

There are just too many lovely options! The MQ does look stunning and It might be a nice change for the guitarist, don't think he has a P90 sound.

If anyone is interested, the band is the Redlands Palomino Company. I think their music is online somewhere if anyone wants to listen to the sound I'm fitting the guitar too.

Thanks for all the thoughts guys.

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: Ratrod on June 10, 2009, 05:06:27 PM

Steve Cropper (Blues Brothers) put a P90 in the neck position of his Tele. It can be heard throughout the movie. The intro to Rawhide and all the leadwork in the final Jailhouse Rock are good examples of what you can expect.

Edit: There's so much you can put in the neck position of a Tele. I have thought about a P90, a Filtertron, a Dynasonic, a Charley Christian pickup etc. When I lost sleep over it, I decided to go with no neck pickup at all.

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: rob on June 10, 2009, 08:13:45 PM

I played a Peavey Omniac today that has the Duncan Jerry Donahue in the bridge, wow pretty sweet/ mid sounding and a bit over wound but still twangy, i bet that pup would rock and clean up great. Amazing array of tones from 2 pickups, great combination of strat and tele sounds. Theres a strat pickup in the neck, but the combination of resistors and capacitors is one of the ingredients to the sound. I'm tempted to buy one of these but its a shame to chop it up to put a b bender in it. :D
Sorry not Knuckle pickups though.
Rob

Title: Re: Which pickups for a Country/Americana telecaster with humbucker at neck?
Post by: PhilKing on June 10, 2009, 11:28:27 PM

I have a Brown Sugar with an old Silvertone mini-humbucker and they are a great pair.  You could put a BKP-90 in the neck with it and I think you would get the Richard Thompson vibe.