I couldn't find them in London (went only in Denmark St) when I've gone there, one year ago...
For what the owners of the Blackguard says, it's the way to go for rock and blues...
Hey Andy, Phil, Elliot guys, come here :D
Here is what Phil (the man who looks like have played in most BKP) told us before...
I'd done a note a while back about the different Tele bridge pickups (I don't have all the variations of neck pickups because I like the sound of other pickups in the neck position). However, if I just wanted a versatile tele set with a 50's lean, I would go fot the Flatpole Black Guard set. The neck pickup in both blackguard sets is the same and is a little thicker sounding than the usual tele neck (more Stratish), the flat pole has a little more puch and thicker sound then the stager pole. Both sets sound great though (I have the flatpoles in a 57 Tele and at LGS 07 the stagger poles were in a black guard clone). The pile driver is a thicker sounding pickup but works well with my Slowhand Strat neck in my Warmoth tele. The Brown Sugars really get the Keef tone, I have the bridge with a mini-HB neck in a 59 Esquire, and the Yardbirds nail the 62 tele sound (I have a 62 tele and have played the Yardbird set too, they are really close - I suspect they would sound the same as the originals in the same guitar). The Boss is a little brighter sounding 50's style pickup, think Roy Buchanan and you are in the ball park.
I hope this helps, though as I first said, I think the Flat Pole Black Guard set will be the best ones.
The reason I said Boss is because I was listening to RB a while back and his tone is quite bright (with lots of nice controlled harmonic feedback), so I was asking Tim about it and he recommended the Boss set for it. I actually don't have a Boss set but have played them at LGS/Music Live a couple of times, though this is different to playing your own guitar with them. Just to also let you know, I usually am helping on the BK stand so I can try the guitars before everyone gets in and get a feel for them. Since I am helping people select their pickups, it is good to hear them first! The blackguards are a little fatter sounding (but still very telecaster), with a slightly brighter bridge sound if you take the stagger poles. Yardbirds are Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page rolled into a tele, as I said before, jsut like my real 62 Tele set.
I have the Piledriver with a Slowhand strat neck in one tele, Brown Sugar with an old Silvertone PAF mini-humbucker in another and the 55 Flatpole Black Guard set in another. I've also tried the Yardbirds, Boss and Country Boy sets. For what you are looking for, I would get the Flatpole Black Goard set. The neck is a little fatter sound than the regular tele neck (more like a strat), and the bridge is like a nice 50's tele sound. The Brown Sugar bridge nails the Keith Richards tone, so this might not be what you want (though I like it). The Boss set is very Roy Buchananish so gives nice clear drive. The Country Boys have the typical tele tone that people think of. I don't have a set of Yardbirds because they sound just like my 62 tele's original pickups (which is actually a great compliment, as I think they have a superb tone).
Which leaves the Piledriver. I have been playing this a lot because the tone is great when you drive it. I think it really works with the Slowhand neck, but then again I don't have many teles with the original neck pickups! I can get everything from Since I've Been Loving You to SRV's Tin Pan Alley from them. Since I've never tried a set of Fender Texas Tele pickups, I can't say in what way these are different, other than to say that you can clean them up by backing off the volume without losing any tone (I am using the 50's switching with neck, bridge and bridge with treble rolloff, and deluxe vintage capacitors).
Welcome to the forum!
