Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Sancho on August 08, 2012, 12:13:47 PM

Title: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Sancho on August 08, 2012, 12:13:47 PM
I have an American Standard Telecaster that is a great player, but traditional Tele tones don't do much for me.
Old school heavy metal (think Priest and Maiden, or Jake E Lee...) doesn't really demand much twang.

So, I'm thinking about fitting a set of humbuckers to it. The bridge pickup will be mounted in a metal bridge, so I suppose I'm looking for something not too trebly?
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Madsakre on August 08, 2012, 12:53:18 PM
Its becoming a bad habit for me recently. But how about a Dimarzio Super distortion. Adrian smith uses them. I just fitted one in a 87 warlock, and im just stoked over how good it sounds.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Loomer on August 08, 2012, 03:26:00 PM
I find that the A-pig in my Tele offsets the brightness of the wood very nicely.

For that sort of metal though, you'd probably need some fairly scaled-down gain setting, lest it becomes too... Well...

War Pig-y  :lol:
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: darkbluemurder on August 08, 2012, 03:27:12 PM
Holydiver.

Cheers Stephan
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: TheyCallMeVolume on August 08, 2012, 05:10:55 PM
Yeah, I immediately thought HD too. That sure will thicken up and add low end to any guitar. In fact, I'd be kinda afraid it'll take too much of a Tele's character away and make it sound like any other guitar. Even with a heavy band like Slipknot, you can still easily tell that Jim Root is using a Tele, it adds a really cool dimension to their songs you wouldn't normally hear in that genre.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on August 08, 2012, 07:09:43 PM
Painkillers! or rebel Yells!
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Telerocker on August 08, 2012, 07:27:58 PM
I tend to say HD, but a RY would be a good choice too, if you work a bit with the toneknob.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Sancho on August 08, 2012, 09:45:26 PM
I'm not one to do much with the tone knob. Holydivers were in the back of my mind already.

The Super Distortion is a great pickup but I've got it in a couple of axes already, so I'm not too keen to put it in this one.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Madsakre on August 09, 2012, 06:45:40 AM
Hehe cool :P
How about a warpig? My friends ash tele is COMPLETE with it :)
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Slartibartfarst42 on August 09, 2012, 08:44:27 AM
Holydiver for me, without question.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Sancho on August 09, 2012, 11:33:57 AM
A set of zebra Holydivers would look pretty sweet in a natural ash Tele 8)
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Telerocker on August 09, 2012, 07:30:08 PM
A set of zebra Holydivers would look pretty sweet in a natural ash Tele 8)

Absolutely  8)
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Mr. Air on August 09, 2012, 08:51:35 PM
Holydiver sounds like a good match but maybe a set of Stockholms would work well too though they might be too modern voiced...
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: DoomBuggi on August 10, 2012, 01:11:37 AM
Holydiver or A5 Warpig.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: mismas1 on August 10, 2012, 01:37:25 PM
I just put a set of Aftermath in a blacktop strat, and holy cr@p it is metal as hell.  You might want to try a set of Aftermath. 
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Philly Q on August 10, 2012, 02:10:46 PM
No pickup suggestions from me, but just a thought... I'm not sure anyone makes a direct-replacement humbucker bridge for an American Standard Tele? 

You might have to drill some new holes, as well as routing for the humbucker itself.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Sancho on August 12, 2012, 11:22:08 PM
Allparts has a bridge that seems like it would fit. But yeah, there'll be some routing necessary.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Philly Q on August 13, 2012, 12:29:08 AM
This one?

http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/guitar-bass-parts/bridges-parts-tailpieces/bridges/guitar-bridges/bridges-for-tele-style-guitars/6-saddle-humbucking-brass-bridge-for-tele-w-rectangular-saddles-2-p-2613.html (http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/guitar-bass-parts/bridges-parts-tailpieces/bridges/guitar-bridges/bridges-for-tele-style-guitars/6-saddle-humbucking-brass-bridge-for-tele-w-rectangular-saddles-2-p-2613.html)

It fits the vintage-style bridge pattern, with 4 screws in front of the string holes. The American Standard bridge has 3 screws, behind the string holes.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: hunter on August 13, 2012, 07:12:55 AM

1. With a Piledriver you could sound like this: https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/downloads/soundclips/telecasters/vintage_hot/piledrivers/piledrivers-modern_metal_clip.mp3

2. A Piledriver is 30GBP less than a HolyDiver

3. No routing or new bridge needed

4. It's much more badass to play Metal on a Tele with a Tele Pickup!
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Telerocker on August 13, 2012, 08:19:18 AM

1. With a Piledriver you could sound like this: https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/downloads/soundclips/telecasters/vintage_hot/piledrivers/piledrivers-modern_metal_clip.mp3

2. A Piledriver is 30GBP less than a HolyDiver

3. No routing or new bridge needed

4. It's much more badass to play Metal on a Tele with a Tele Pickup!


That makes totally sense, unless you can't live with some hum.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Loomer on August 13, 2012, 08:45:09 AM

1. With a Piledriver you could sound like this: https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/downloads/soundclips/telecasters/vintage_hot/piledrivers/piledrivers-modern_metal_clip.mp3

2. A Piledriver is 30GBP less than a HolyDiver

3. No routing or new bridge needed

4. It's much more badass to play Metal on a Tele with a Tele Pickup!


That makes totally sense, unless you can't live with some hum.

BACKED HARD!!!

Re: Hum, for what it's worth, the other guitar player in my old band (blackened noisecore hipsters called Hexis) played a Piledriver'd Tele and the hum was remarkably sparse. He played a Peavey 6505 with gain set to "silly" (like you do..) and no noisegate. Definitely backing the Piledriver here.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Roobubba on August 13, 2012, 09:52:57 AM
There is NOTHING badass about telecasters.
Bad ass, maybe, but definitely not badass. :)
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Telerocker on August 13, 2012, 10:24:04 AM

1. With a Piledriver you could sound like this: https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/downloads/soundclips/telecasters/vintage_hot/piledrivers/piledrivers-modern_metal_clip.mp3

2. A Piledriver is 30GBP less than a HolyDiver

3. No routing or new bridge needed

4. It's much more badass to play Metal on a Tele with a Tele Pickup!


That makes totally sense, unless you can't live with some hum.

BACKED HARD!!!

Re: Hum, for what it's worth, the other guitar player in my old band (blackened noisecore hipsters called Hexis) played a Piledriver'd Tele and the hum was remarkably sparse. He played a Peavey 6505 with gain set to "silly" (like you do..) and no noisegate. Definitely backing the Piledriver here.

Hum compared to humbuckers, but I must admit the singlecoils BKP's I have are quiet.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: hunter on August 13, 2012, 12:27:46 PM
There is NOTHING badass about telecasters.
Bad ass, maybe, but definitely not badass. :)

Oh yeah, there we go ... AGAIN  :lol:
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Sancho on August 13, 2012, 04:49:48 PM
Hum is definitely a dealbreaker for me.

As for the bridge : dammit!
Looks like the Tele is definitely going up for sale, I don't feel like doing major surgery to her.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: hunter on August 13, 2012, 05:05:09 PM

I still think the Piledriver would be the Solution. But if it has to be hum cancelling, a hot rail or stacked humbucker from a different maker could be a great way to beef it up, too.
Title: Re: A Tele for heavy metal?
Post by: Mr. Air on August 13, 2012, 08:40:03 PM
Piledrivers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCK7oHgmv7M