Author Topic: Tele Help (Read 2999 times)

wjt13 · « **on:** December 03, 2006, 01:40:40 PM »

Hi all, im a noob to these forums but if you could help me out with a pickup selection i would greatly appreciate it.

Ive bagged myself a tele with a bigsby and while i like the tone- im looking for something a bit more- a bit more output? and a bigger bite when needed.

the things im after are: quite a jazzy type tone for the bridge pickup - think some of buckethead's flowing clean guitar lines?

and at the bridge a nice muse/smashing pumpkins type of distorted/fuzz tone. overdriven but with clarity?
im running my guitar through a fuzz pedal for heavier moments but i reckon a better bridge pickup would do my tone more justice in these circumstances- im just not sure which pickups to buy?

also when i have had a look around this site for products all the tele pickups seem to be in a single coil style, are these the only pickups that can be fitted to the tele?
as i assume that the bigger pickups provide a much higher output, but can these be fitted to a tele?

thanks in advance for your responses

Wes :D

PhilKing · « **Reply #1 on:** December 03, 2006, 02:29:03 PM »

Unless you have a Tele Deluxe or one of the later Custom's, you would need to rout the body for a bigger pickup. If you wanted to change the bridge pickup, you would also need to change the bridge plate. Depending on the fitting, this might be very hard if you have the bigsby bridge.

You could try the Piledriver, this is based on the original tele pickup from the old Fender pedal steels and gives a great sound.

You don't say what the fingerboard is, but I am assuming rosewood, as I don't think I have ever seen a maple neck with bigsby. If this is the case then you could also look at the Yardbirds set for a smoother sound.

38thBeatle · « **Reply #2 on:** December 03, 2006, 02:54:54 PM »

I'd second what Phil says and he knows what he is talking about.I would say stick to the single coils to keep the essential Tele sound. If you get the hotter BKP's like the Piledriver you shouldn't go far wrong.

wjt13 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 03, 2006, 10:27:54 PM »

hi thanks for the responses!

my guitar is pretty much this one : http://www.playrecord.net/fender-50s-telecaster-electric-guitar-with-bigsby-tremolo-maple-fretboard-white-blonde-p-28430.html

so it has the maple fretboard, is this one gona take a lot of work to change the pickups?

or is it a better thing to change them but keep them as single coil ones?

ill have a listen to some of the demo clips of the pickups on here and have a good old think!

if anyone else has any reccomendations i shall gladly take them on board

once again, thanks for your feedback etc

Wes

38thBeatle · « **Reply #4 on:** December 04, 2006, 07:29:23 AM »

As Phil said, if you install humbuckers you will have to remove some wood from the body and it is not something that can be reversed and will be more expensive. It is up to you but far easier to change from one single coil set to another. One of my constant suggestions to fellow Tele owners is to suggest the 4 way switch that is available( and there are sure to be bets on how long it would take me to drop it into the thread-so there you go guys, my second post-how's that for restraint? :) ). This modification was cheap and really worthwhile and gives you the standard Tele pickup options, i.e. neck, both(in parallel) and bridge but adds, in pos 1, the neck and bridge in series.It gives a much fatter sound-almost humbucker like in some ways. I am sure it will be just as effective with hotter pickups-I have the more vintage style "Country Boy" set.

Tellboy · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2006, 09:39:07 AM »

Yep - agree with Beatle about the 4 way switch. (I believe he must get commission on everyone he recommends) I have a Boss set which I am delighted with.

I would have thought that the Piledriver set is what would work best for you. It has a high output but still can get a great tele sound. If you decide on a humbucker setup you will lose a lot of the tele character which is partly down to the construction of the single coil bridge pickup with a large baseplate at the bottom.

wjt13 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2006, 04:37:50 PM »

thanks for the responses guys!

yeah ive had a look around the forums and Beatle seems to get ribbed a bit for mentioning the old 4 way switch- i shall look into that - im sure its not too expensive to do.

yeah by the sounds of things sticking to single coils is the best thing to keep the character etc.

i shall have a listen and see what the piledriver sounds like- im sure coming from someone who's name is tellboy that im getting info from a tele connoseuir!

cheers :D

Tellboy · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2006, 10:40:27 PM »

Quote from: wjt13

- im sure coming from someone who's name is tellboy that im getting info from a tele connoseuir!

cheers :D

Unfortunately I think it has more to do with Dellboy from Only Fools & Horses than my Fender

....while I've got your attention I've just taken delivery of a batch of genuine 1959 Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standards from China (with bookmatched mdf tops and FAP** Bumhucker pickups). Can let you have one at a bargain price of £15 (plus £500 postage) - or two for £12 each....Rodney get a couple out of the van....

Note**: FAP short for F***ing Awful Pickups (Trademark of Trotter International Trading [TIT])

By the way all non-payers are likely to get a clap of the malice (see link below)
http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=59209&highlight=ebay#59209

Joe Dorcia · « **Reply #8 on:** December 04, 2006, 11:53:10 PM »

I have a few teles and I would say the Yardbird and boss neck pups are very very nice, then again, so are the piledrivers. I recon a set of boss pups would do you, or some piledrivers, The 4-way switch is great too, giving you a stretched humbucker,. NICE

Joe

wjt13 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 12, 2006, 04:27:13 PM »

thanks for the advice!

also, do you know if theres any sound clips of the piledriver on these forums anywhere? ive been looking but i cant seem to find em?

cheers oh and Beatle: i think i might just get myself a 4 way switch! you've sold it to me!