Neck humbucker for telecaster

[badgermark]

Howdie gents and ladies, I think i made a post like this a while ago but needs change and i has money to spend and a guitar to pimp. To the requirements!

The guitar in question is a maple necked, alder bodied mexican telecaster. Other pickup is a holydiver in the bridge. I need something in the neck that is clear, yet rounder and warmer than the HD. In this guitar the HD is pretty thick already, but still got bite, the neck has to be smoother yet clear (not that muddyness is a problem with BKPs anyway)

Thinking of something from the vintage/vintage hot range, as it has to keep up with the relatively beefy HD, and the middle tone is extra important, i loves that position on my les paul.

Oh and don't recommend a mississippi queen, i tried one, loved it and it's now in my les paul. The MQ sounded too similar to the HD (crazy!), not enough of a contrast.

As I'm not a humbucker person usually, get recommending, I'll speak with Tim when I'm closer to blowing £100 on tonal nirvana.

Oh and when I can be bothered I'll post pictures, I can't decide on open or covered. That's another day, another post.

Thanks chaps.

[Twinfan]

VHII?  AIV Stormy?

[badgermark]

Might need a little more info than that. I was under the impression that the Stormy Mondays were more open and clear than warm. Been thinking maybe the Mule, or possibly an Abraxis. See what Timothy says!

[HTH AMPS]

Holy Diver neck pickup?

[Philly Q]

Might need a little more info than that. I was under the impression that the Stormy Mondays were more open and clear than warm. Been thinking maybe the Mule, or possibly an Abraxis. See what Timothy says!

I'd say the SM neck is sweet rather than warm.  There's a rounded quality to the sound - nothing at all spiky - but it doesn't have a lot of body.  Or to put it another way, it sounds great clean but it's hard work to get it to really sing with distortion.

(That's the AII I'm talking about - I haven't tried AIV)

Having said that, I think the SM would be a good choice if you had a regular single-coil Tele pickup in the bridge.  But not with a Holydiver.

[badgermark]

From the clips I've heard of the neck holydiver (thanks antag) it seems a bit less warm than I'm after. Ah well, I'll ask the team in a few days after i get paid and see what they reckon.

[badgermark]

Tim got back to me, recommended the Cold Sweat. So I'm gonna trust him and go for it. Only question, to cover or not to cover? Whatcha think?

[38thBeatle]

Cover for sure.

[Philly Q]

I'm leaning slightly in favour of no cover, to match the bridge pickup.

[ilÿti]

Either black cover or white open coils, but slab on a white pickguard too for the latter.

[badgermark]

The black pickguard is staying, far too classy. I'm thinking covered, but the white open poles might look cool too. Never thought of a black cover, normal screws though. Decisions!

[FernandoDuarte]

no cover or black cover with no pole-pieces, to keep the "hot esquire" look :D