New Tele

[Sarkasis]

I'd like to get some Tele players' thoughts on pickups. Mostly looking to play on the in-between pickup setting. I want a detailed, prominent midrange with twang and snarl. I also want it to respond well when I pick harder.

From doing a little research and listening, I like the sound of the flat 50 bridge, but was thinking of something a little less warm sounding than the 50 neck, something with a more distinct twang.

So Flat 50 bridge /x neck - I was thinking about the 68 or Country Boy.

Country Boy seems like it would add an interesting midrange texture, I dunno whether it's hot or 'thick' enough to have the dynamics I'd like.

Thoughts?

[Telerocker]

Can't comment on the Countryboy-neck. I have the old BG50-set, which is now the BG52-set. The neckpickup is quite stratty and twangy. The inbetween sound is great for lots of styles. The neck-BG52 will certainly add the brightness your looking for. Don't get fooled by the dc-resistance. It's not underpowered.

[Sarkasis]

The 52 sounds good, nice defined picking sounds. I just have a feeling that it might be too "stratty," and might not have the midrange "meat" I'm looking for in practice.

[Telerocker]

Just mail the BKP-team for a recommendation.

[Nolly]

Have you considered the Brown Sugars? They seem to be an under-rated set but do a great job of covering both the classic Tele spank and twang while providing more muscle for very satisfying hotter tones.

[Sarkasis]

Tim said the Country Boy neck would sound completely different from the Flat 50, and instead recommended a 55 Stagger or maybe Yardbird, which makes sense. Forgot the Yardbirds were supposed to be like hotter CBs.

I'm leaning either way between the 55 and Yardbird necks for different reasons. I don't want the tone to be too warm I guess, but the Yardbird neck does seem pretty nice.

Any further advice? Anyone ever paired a Flat 50 bridge with a different neck?

[Telerocker]

Personally I would keep it all AV for a nice in between position, so the 55 stagger makes totally sense. Doesn't mean the Yardbird-neck (AIV) can't be mixed with an AV-Blackguard-bridge. When Tim says it's a good option too, I believe him straight away. He knows his pickups best.

[Sarkasis]

The Brown Sugars sound real nice, but a bit too "close," and somehow not as twangy as the competition. The 50 bridge sounds like it has a bit more air and grind. And the Yardbird neck is sounding pretty good, I like the midrange character. I'll listen to the samples some more though, maybe I'd like the more precise sounding 55.

Does it make much difference if this is a Thinline tele? I guess I didn't mention that.

I guess to try to describe it better, I'm looking for a really twangy, big, grunty, slightly 'dirty' clean sound with an acoustic airiness. It needs to fit will in a big mix. As it stands I'm mostly looking at 50/Yardbird.

[AndyR]

The Yardbird neck is a gorgeous thing - one of my favourite pickups. With my set-up it's unbelievably sweet and clear sounding while still giving me "tele-neck". I haven't used the guitar for a while, but I was amazed to find myself happily playing blues-rock rhythm parts on the neck alone - it cut through the mix nicely.

Like Telerocker, I've also got the "old" 50s sets, so I've not tried the new Flat 50. But I have often wondered about pairing the bridge from one of these sets with the Yardbird neck. I suspect that would give a very usable middle position. I can't remember what the difference is between the new Flat 50 and the old (now the 52 apparently) - but if Tim says pairing the bridge with a Yardbird neck would work on the new ones, then I'm tempted to give it a go myself.

[BigB]

Does it make much difference if this is a Thinline tele? I guess I didn't mention that.

Well, I have very few experience with thinlines, but yes obviously it's going to make at least _some_ difference with any good pickups, and even more with vintage style pickups (well, the BGF50 bridge is quite hot for a vintage style pup but anyway...). 

Did you mentioned this to Tim FWIW?

[roland_rat]

Got to agree with AndyR about the yardbird neck.  Truely is superb! I would go has far as to say yardbirds are my favourite of all the Bare Knuckles I have tried.  Great pickup for Jazz, Blues or Rock though not best suited for metal.

Some of the others I cannot really comment on.

[froglord]

I've got a Yardbird neck in a Thinline Tele. However, I've also got 500k pots, a different cap (0.022, I think) and no cover on the pickup (all Tim's recommendations). I was aiming for typical fat, rounded neck pickup tones, but with extra treble so that with a bit of overdrive I could get that chewy strat thing you hear from Hendrix, SRV or Rory Gallagher. It works better than any strat pickup I've ever heard.

You can increase the treble content by leaving out the traditional Tele neck cover. Changing pots or caps will, of course, affect your bridge pickup too. I think it works brilliantly for my setup because I've got a Piledriver in the bridge. The pot and cap change help me recover some of the treble lost from such a hot, punchy bridge pickup.

[daisy]

I`ve got a 55 stagger set and although i love them and the neck pick up which is what youre asking about, to me they wouldnt match the description of what youre after (snarl) in the mid position. I love the neck and bridge so much individually (pure Roy Buchannan + Jim Campilongo) but find the both pick ups on setting slightly hollow and indistinct--nice enough for some soul/r&b licks but not what youre after by the sound of things.

[Sarkasis]

The Boss neck has been recommended, and the clip sounds good. I thought at first it might be too warm, mostly because it's a hotter "rock" pickup and i thought it might be too focused or something, but it seems like it has a nice crispness to it. It seems like it might balance well.

I'm now thinking the Yardbird might be too mellow, so I guess it comes down to the Boss neck.