Tele pickups - Boss or Brown Sugars?

[lilmanbeingerasd]

Hey guys, new member here.

I'm looking for a pickup set for an alder/rosewood tele.  I definitely don't want high output pickups, but I AM looking for a rounder, more balanced tone (ie. enough mids and bass to even out those highs).  Most teles I've played I consider too thin.  Clean tone is most important, and slight overdrive is all I would ever need.  I guess I want more "politeness" than raunch (which, I know, is contrary to the nature of a Tele, but nevertheless).  Main styles would be pop and RnB.  Something close to Mayer's tones on Continuum perhaps?

It seems that the Brown Sugar set or the Boss set have enough mids to add this kind of balance, but are they too high output for what I need?  I'm afraid if I go with anything with less output, the tone will thin out.  What are the precise tonal differences between the Sugars and the Boss?

Thanks in advance, guys.

[Philly Q]

Welcome aboard!  :D

I don't know the answer, but I'm also interested to find out. 

It's often been said that the Boss set is good for Roy Buchanan tones, so I'd expect it to be capable of getting pretty nasty and snarly (in a good way! 8) ).  On that basis I'd think the Brown Sugars (or maybe even a lower-output set) may be more what you're looking for, but I could be totally wrong.

[AndyR]

Welcome :D

I pretty much agree with Philly (ie I've probably read the same stuff :lol:)

I only have experience of the Blackguard Flat 50s (I like them so much I bought a second set). I can say they're nice and "thick" in comparison to the pickups they've replaced (a Baja tele's stock pickups and some Texas Specials), without losing any of that tele character. I use them for a bluesy type of tone most of the time but I'm finding them very versatile - they do clean up very nice, but I picked them hoping for raunch, which they do very well...

I've got a sneaking feeling that the Blackguard 55s might fit your bill better than the Flat 50s - I understand that the difference is the bridge pup has staggered poles and slightly less output. The neck is the same I think. I love the neck, people say it's "stratty", which I'm coming round to, but I wouldn't really describe it that way myself - it's "fat" like you expect the neck to be, but with a clarity that is very tasty.

I still wonder about Country Boys myself - I think they might be worth considering as well, the clips I've heard seem to suggest a more polite/refined classic tele tone.

[Philly Q]

I pretty much agree with Philly (ie I've probably read the same stuff :lol:)

Indeed!  :lol:

Then again, people who are new to the forum probably haven't read all that stuff, so perhaps it bears repeating (as illustrated by the endless "best pickups for an SG?" threads).

[MrBump]

I'm also interested, and my idea for a parts Tele is currently in its gestation period...

The Boss/Buchanan vibe sounds pretty much what I'm after...

[Philly Q]

Yeah, the Boss set interests me too.  Or at least, the Boss bridge certainly does.  But I don't know the specs of the neck pickup - I like the "traditional" warm tone from a Tele neck, I don't want it to sound Strat-like.

Repeating what I've read (again!), the Blackguard neck is wound with 42 gauge wire which contributes to the more Stratty tone.  43 gauge wire would give a warmer tone (or woollier, depending on your POV  ).

[PhilKing]

I put quite a bit of information in this thread:

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=14256.msg185023#msg185023

[gwEm]

i love the tele tone (though not sure about the look) and am also interested in the boss set or perhaps piledrivers.

i like the tone of all teles i've tried, though they've all had boutique or original vintage pickups. speaking about the brown sugar set - it remains clear and punchy with gainier amps. theres a bit of raunch there and its absolutely not thin.

piledrivers i liked alot too, though its wind is just starting to sound compressed in my opinion. but its a fat sounding tone, really nice, liked it alot too. it still has strong telecaster characteristics.

[38thBeatle]

I have just one set of Tele BKPs- Country Boys. They are, as I have said before, the classic Tele tone. I am not sure if you would consider them thin-I don't but judging by your original post that you might think so. I haven't any experience of other sets unfortunately.