I just wanted to post some feedback after installing my set of Yardbird pickups into my US Tele. I ordered them after some discussion with Tim via e-mail and received them very quickly after the order was placed – thanks Tim! After I installed them my immediate impression was how much hotter they were than the stock pickups – excellent. I had also installed the pickups with a 4-way switch, which many consider an essential Tele mod, and also shielded everything inside using copper tape. All was working well, but I was having trouble dialling in a good tone at first and was noticing a fair bit of fret buzz which I hadn’t noticed with the stock pickups. Maybe the weaker stock pickups didn’t show this up or maybe putting new pickups in and intently auditioning the tone just made me more sensitive to hearing it, I can’t be sure. Anyway, I decided to get the guitar setup by a good tech (Sam at Rockers on Denmark Street, London – did a lovely job). I got him to dress the frets as well, which has made a lot of difference. It now plays like a totally different guitar. There is just a slight hint of buzz occasionally on the A string, which was probably only detectable because I was playing the guitar through cans on my PC using Guitar Rig, but I couldn’t care less because everything is pretty much spot on and the tone is out of this world. Very warm tone with just the right amount of oomph for my preferred styles, while retaining the typical Tele twang. I have yet to give them a proper window-rattling through my tube amp but I couldn’t be happier with the pickups. My experience has highlighted one important thing though – you absolutely must have a well-setup guitar to get the full benefit, but I guess this applies to any guitar really, new pickups or not.
So, the pickups were worth every penny. The only question I have now – being the eternal twiddler and a certified tone freak – is whether I would have preferred the Piledriver or Boss bridge pickup in there instead of the Yardbird bridge. Sooner or later I will probably give one of them a try and the bank manager can kiss my arse.
Andy.
