Author Topic: Tele Pickup help (Read 4483 times)

Jimijazz · « **on:** July 13, 2006, 02:19:48 PM »

Hi all.

This is my first post, so be gentle!!!
I built myself a tele earlier this year, and rightly so I put a set of Country Boys in it. Now I love the clean sound (actually, I love every sound from it), but sometimes I wish the pups had a bit more output to them, so the guitar would be coaxed into feedback a bit easier. I don't want a stupidly hot set of pickups, just a little bit. I still want that classic tele tone. I have got a four-way switch already, and I've been digging Truth, by Jeff beck recently.
So please help me to decide - Do I go for the Yardbirds, The Boss, or the Brownsugar set?

Cheers in advance

PS Thought you might want to see a picture...

Tellboy · « **Reply #1 on:** July 13, 2006, 05:15:30 PM »

Hi Jimijazz - welcome to the forum.

Must compliment you on your taste - I am a great fan of Jeff Beck. The first gig I ever went to was the Yardbirds with Jeff playing his Esquire (No I'm not that old - I was an embryo at the time). His tone and phrasing was absolutely amazing.

I've got a Boss set on my Tele and think probably that is what you are looking for. Not sure what amp you are using but through my Cornford Hurricane they are almost in humbucker territory for the top third of the volume pot but drop back in to classic tele mode as you wind back. Haven't tried or heard the Piledriver but that is supposed to still give a classic tele sound at lower settings.

Of course you could always go for one of the Jeff Beck Esquire reissues - they have one in Mansons at Exeter. Although I'm a great fan £9,000 is a little expensive for me although I think it would take about 10 years to make any of my guitars look as "distressed" as that one :? . They also sold two Clapton Crossroads 335s (similar price?). Sheesh..some guitarists have got a lot of money to spend!

P.S. Think your tele looks gorgeous.

Jimijazz · « **Reply #2 on:** July 13, 2006, 05:23:39 PM »

Hi Tellboy,

I actually saw Jeff Beck in Brum last night with Buddy Guy. He was phenomenal!!

As for sounds, I don't want to go to humbucker territory, just a louder single coil sound.

How are the Boss pups? Bright? Warm? Midrangey? Balanced? Have you tried the Country boys to compare?

Also, I'm playing through a Matamp C7 at the moment, but I'm hopefully getting an AC30 CC in the very near future.

Tellboy · « **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2006, 05:56:15 PM »

The Boss still sounds 'teleish' whatever setting I use it on. When I refered to a humbucker type sound I mean when I turn the amp gain up full.

Cornford amps have their own voicing (which I love - others don't) which will obviously affect the sound but I also have a Matamp Minimat and my Tele and Strat (with Apaches) sound great without any pedals. (Have to use pedals to get a good sound with my humbucker equipped guitars with the Minimat).
At lower gain settings I would guess it has probably more middle than your CBs and good top end and punch if you need it. I've got a maple neck so might sound a little different with your rosewood fingerboard.

If you look in the Gallery section you will see that Tim has a Boss set on his tele.

38thBeatle · « **Reply #4 on:** July 13, 2006, 06:37:57 PM »

I can't contribute with the comparisons but would like to say welcome to the forum and what a great looking Tele! I love the Country Boys and find they give me what I want but as I have said before, I'd like another Tele just to get a set of Brown Sugars or Boss but probably wont- the missus would do for me.

Jimijazz · « **Reply #5 on:** July 13, 2006, 06:55:55 PM »

Thanks about the guitar.
What sort of music do you play? I'm guessing it's Beatle-ish, but can you get your country boys to sustain and feedback?

38thBeatle · « **Reply #6 on:** July 13, 2006, 07:25:58 PM »

Hi, well I am a huge Beatle fan but I play in a covers band and we have to cover many bases ( as you probbaly know). I would see myself as a blues player at heart- Strats and Tele's are my thing. I find the Country Boys brought my Tele to life and when we get a bit loud, they do seem to perform well.A fair amount of sustain and I think that the 4th position thickens out well and I find myself using it for lead most of the time- I just love the tone.

deg0ey · « **Reply #7 on:** July 13, 2006, 09:43:07 PM »

Is that 38th singing the praises of a 4 way switch in a tele? Surely not!

Never thought I'd see the day :drink:

HTH AMPS · « **Reply #8 on:** July 13, 2006, 09:58:44 PM »

You don't really need a 'hot' pickup for that Truth-era Beck. The closest I've got is with an AC30 with a green Russian Big Muff used more as a clean boost.

My Tele has a Fender nocaster bridge pickup which is around 8k, fairly pokey with overdrive but still very much a 'Tele' tone. I'd imagine the closest thing that BKP make would be the Boss for that type of tone.

:twisted:

PhilKing · « **Reply #9 on:** July 13, 2006, 10:17:42 PM »

The Yardbirds are the early 60's tele pickups, after Fender went to the rosewood neck. The Brown Sugar's are the Jimmy Page tele sound, from the 50's tele's with a bit more output. The Pile Driver is the early pickup from the first days of the tele.

I have the Pile Driver in one tele and the Brown sugar in another. I like both but the guitars have different sounds anyway because one is maple necked and the other is rosewood. I think the Brown Sugar would be my choice for more punch but still keeping the classic tele tone.

Jimijazz · « **Reply #10 on:** July 14, 2006, 09:12:04 AM »

Great info - Thanks. Now does anyone want to swap a set of country boys for some brown sugars? :D

Quote from: PhilKing

The Yardbirds are the early 60's tele pickups, after Fender went to the rosewood neck. The Brown Sugar's are the Jimmy Page tele sound, from the 50's tele's with a bit more output. The Pile Driver is the early pickup from the first days of the tele.

I have the Pile Driver in one tele and the Brown sugar in another. I like both but the guitars have different sounds anyway because one is maple necked and the other is rosewood. I think the Brown Sugar would be my choice for more punch but still keeping the classic tele tone.