Charlie Christian neck pickup etc for tele

[tomjackson]

I'm after something a bit special for the neck pickup when I build a Tele (or mod one I buy).  I've never been that impressed with Tele neck Pups, certainly being a Strat player.  Jerry Donahue rekons Fenders 2 best sounds are strat neck and tele bridge, so he has a strat pickup in the neck of his tele.

But I have a strat pickup in my strat so was wandering about the CC type a few manufacturers are making (and hoping that BK could make one if it's the way to go).  Here are my questions.

1.  Tele neck pickups, am I missing out, can they really have depth and clarity or are they always second to the bridge sound

2.  Has anybody heard a CC type pickup in a tele, what is it like and could BK make one?

3.  Has anybody tried a strat neck pickup in a tele?

I'm after smooth jazzy bell like cleans with depth and articulation to harmonicly rich fat overdrive.  I'm talking low gain vintage drive.

Does this exist?  Of course the blackguard neck may be the very pickup, but as I say I've never heard a truly great tele neck pup.  Or even a mini HB??


Thanks

[38thBeatle]

1) I think you may be missing something. I like the Tele neck sound but I know what you mean, some tele's have the puny muffles tone. I would say that my CB's are a big step up in tone from those that were there and the neck pup is used.
2) sorry can't answer
3) I think Phil King has a Strat neck pup in a Tele.If Memory serves it is a Slowhand but I am sure he'll correct me if I am wrong.

[Philly Q]

I love the sound of a Tele neck pickup, much more than the bridge.  And I never understand why people set out to make Tele neck pickups which sound more like Strat neck pickups!  But it's just personal taste.

I doubt BKP would make a Charlie Christian pickup, for the usual reason that it would need specialised parts/tooling and there just wouldn't be the demand.  But it wouldn't do any harm to ask.

I have a Firebird pickup in a Tele and I love the sound, but it is still quite fat and humbuckerish.  And I think it would need a relatively hot Tele bridge pickup to match the output.

[PhilKing]

I do indeed have a Slowhand in the neck of a tele, along with a piledriver bridge.  I like Strat neck pickups and this gives a nice fat sound.  However the Black Guards have a really nice sounding Tele neck pickup and if you don't want to alter the guitar perhaps this is the way to go.  I also have a mini humbucker in the neck of another tele, with a Brown Sugar bridge, which I really like too - lots of Stones and blues tones in it.

[WezV]

if you want the CC look with a great sound you really want to be trying a lollar pickup... and lets face it, they do look pretty special

if you are happy just to get the sounds right then speak to tim as he may be able to get that into a SC or P-90 size... i doubt he would do the look though

sounds like a P-90 with alnico 5 magnet and less winds in the coil would get you in the right ballpark... i doubt tim would have any thicker 38 awg wire but you never know - he might have some for vintage rewinds or experimenting... not a wire you often see in pickups now

i think you need to go play some more tele's, preferably BKP'd ones if you can.

i must say i quite like having a decent humbucker (or mini hum) in the tele neck position.... ooh, maybe a manhattan would work and have some of that deco style

[tomjackson]

Guys, thanks for the advise.  I think playing more teles before I decide is the best way to go but I have never come accross a BKP tele so they would be hard to try.  I'm certainly not after the aesthetics of the CC pickup, in fact I's rather lean towards an authentic early fifties look.....

It's nice to hear people say they love the tele neck sound, may be I have just not played the right teles :D

Are there any really good examples of a tele neck tone, on youtube, a classic solo or BKP clip?

That might help me decide!

[38thBeatle]

If I get a moment this weekend I will play my Tele(with CB's) head to head with my Strat(Apaches) in neck position and try to describe the two in comparison to one another. I impulse bought a pedal off Ebay ( I was a little the worse for wear!) and plan on testing it out but my gear is being carted off from my house around mid day for a gig I am doing tonight so I am a bit pushed for time though.

[Roobubba]

if you want the CC look with a great sound you really want to be trying a lollar pickup... and lets face it, they do look pretty special

if you are happy just to get the sounds right then speak to tim as he may be able to get that into a SC or P-90 size... i doubt he would do the look though

sounds like a P-90 with alnico 5 magnet and less winds in the coil would get you in the right ballpark... i doubt tim would have any thicker 38 awg wire but you never know - he might have some for vintage rewinds or experimenting... not a wire you often see in pickups now

i think you need to go play some more tele's, preferably BKP'd ones if you can.

i must say i quite like having a decent humbucker (or mini hum) in the tele neck position.... ooh, maybe a manhattan would work and have some of that deco style

Wez, I can't believe you're talking about aesthetics! It's a TELE!

:P

[Elliot]

Does anyone know any classic tele neck recordings to use as a calibration sound?