Author Topic: Tele pickups (Read 7907 times)

Brow · « **on:** July 01, 2006, 05:56:59 PM »

Hey guys.

I finally got a job, so I should be able to afford a new pickup soon for my cheapie Telecaster.

It's got a Poplar body with a maple neck and fingerboard (and a bright seafoam green finish too!)

I play mainly Indie Rock stuff in my band, but want something nice and versatile to cover all the bases.

I plan on replacing the bridge pickup, but ditching the neck pickup altogether and using the 3 way selector swicth to switch between 2 outputs of a tapped output pickup.

What would you guys recommend for this guitar?

Thanx

Craig

38thBeatle · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2006, 02:02:38 AM »

Hi Craig, you know what I am gonna say right? I find the CB's versatile but with the classic Tele sound ( which we all love right?) and fantastic wehn you crank em up. Personally, I wouldn't ditch the neck pup but you have obviously thought about it.With the 4 way switch I think it makes a Tele about as versatile as a guitar can get- used it tonight at a gig and it was fantastica nd we were playing very loud in a beautiful country home in the open. I know Phil King has some Tele pups and maybe he can chip in.

Brow · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2006, 01:55:05 PM »

Thanx for your reply.

To be honest, I've never been much of a fan of Telecaster neck pickups. Wether the 1s i've used have been rubbish or not I dunno, but to me they always seem to sound muffled and not very clear (say compared to a strat neck pickup which I love).

I remember trying the Boss', Country Boys and 1 other set at Music Live last year but for the life of me I can't remember which I like and which I didn't! :roll:

PhilKing · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2006, 01:55:34 PM »

Hi Craig, great to hear you got a job, I am sure that must be a big relief. I agree with 38th about the neck pickup, you can get some very sweet tones out of it, and the 4 way switch is the icing on the tele cake (unless you want to go the whole hog and do the Jerry Donahue 5 way!).

I have listened to most of the Tele sets now, and I have the Brown Sugar bridge with a slowhand neck in my 57. This was my favourite for a maple neck tele. If you want to drive a bit more though, get the Piledriver bridge. It is still a recognisable tele sound but with more punch.

Brow · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2006, 04:02:29 PM »

Hi Phil.

Thanx for your post.

Yeah, i'm just thankful to be able to start saving up for stuff again :D Most people say that being on the dole is an easy life etc, but try saving up for new gear when you get £38 a week :roll: :lol:

As far as neck pickups go, another reason I didn't want to replace the neck pickup too is down to a cost issue. The guitar cost me £90 from my mates small guitar shop, and 2 pickups for it would cost about £40 than the guitar actually cost me! :lol:

Do you think a Brow Sugar with a tapped output would be a good idea and do what I want it to do?

Tellboy · « **Reply #5 on:** July 02, 2006, 06:00:23 PM »

I was never a fan of Tele neck pickups until I got my Boss set.

If you must go the route of tapping the bridge pickup I would go for a Piledriver. The other tele pickups vary from 6.4k for the CB up to 8.2k for the Boss - if you start tapping these you are going to have a fairly low DC figure in the tapped position and I would suspect it would sound a little weak. With the Piledriver you could have it tapped from the normal 14.3k down to 7.6k if you are looking for a Brown Sugar sound.

Personally (and I'm sure many other Tele/BKP owners will agree) I think you don't need to tap BKP Tele pickups. Just by using the volume control you can go from crunch/distortion to twangy tele clean. And as 38thBeatle has said (many times :) ) a 4 position switch really makes the Tele very versatile.

deg0ey · « **Reply #6 on:** July 02, 2006, 07:52:54 PM »

Wow, I'm the opposite to most of you - My Highway 1 Tele (to be getting BKPs at some stage, I'm sure) is almost never out of the neck position...

Quote from: Tellboy

And as 38thBeatle has said (many times :) ) a 4 position switch really makes the Tele very versatile.

I think "many times" is a bit of an understatement, he says it so often it may as well be in his sig :lol:

38thBeatle · « **Reply #7 on:** July 02, 2006, 07:58:15 PM »

I am watching you all- me repetitive? never, me repetitive, never....and so on. Back to topic, sorry brow forgot to congratulate you on the job.I suppose getting a H/B for the neck is out of the question for the reasons you have alluded to-or a P90?

deg0ey · « **Reply #8 on:** July 02, 2006, 08:03:25 PM »

An idea dawns thanks to Beatle - You could get a Piledriver in the bridge and summat like a Mule, Riff Raff or Mississippi Queen...maybe even a VHII for the neck position

That's gotta be quite versatile :drink:

simplygoodmusic · « **Reply #9 on:** July 03, 2006, 03:13:19 PM »

You said you liked the sound of strat neck pickups, why not add one of those then?

Brow · « **Reply #10 on:** July 03, 2006, 05:35:24 PM »

Hey guys.

Thanx for the new replies.

I have considered a P90 in the neck of a Tele before, but I can't see it happening with this guitar. Maybe the Gordon Smith Tele I plan on getting in the future

Alot of my decision to only have a bridge pickup comes down to the fact that with such a cheap guitar (£90) I really can't bring myself to spend £130 on pickups for it! I'd sooner use that money and put it towards Apaches for the BrowCaster or Mules for my Gibby LP :)

At the minute I'm seriously considering speaking to Tim about a Piledriver with a tap on it to take it down to round about Boss output level :)

Johnny Mac · « **Reply #11 on:** July 03, 2006, 06:03:33 PM »

Congrats on getting a job Craig! :D

Mr38th's suggestion sounds very nice!

I had a go on a Boss set at the LGS and they were great.

I'm thinking of getting a Tele at some point and seem sold on the idea of a MQ in the neck.

Brow · « **Reply #12 on:** July 03, 2006, 06:07:16 PM »

Quote from: Johnny Mac

Congrats on getting a job Craig! :D

Mr38th's suggestion sounds very nice!

I had a go on a Boss set at the LGS and they were great.

I'm thinking of getting a Tele at some point and seem sold on the idea of a MQ in the neck.

Cheers mate :D

It's nothing exciting, just working in an office of Morgan EST that do roadworks and electrical fitting etc. I spend most of my day photocopying and colouring in building plans :lol:

I know I played a Boss set at Music Live last year, but I can't remember what I thought!? :roll:

Johnny Mac · « **Reply #13 on:** July 03, 2006, 06:12:36 PM »

Quote from: Brow

Quote from: Johnny Mac
Congrats on getting a job Craig! :D

Mr38th's suggestion sounds very nice!

I had a go on a Boss set at the LGS and they were great.

I'm thinking of getting a Tele at some point and seem sold on the idea of a MQ in the neck.

Cheers mate :D

It's nothing exciting, just working in an office of Morgan EST that do roadworks and electrical fitting etc. I spend most of my day photocopying and colouring in building plans :lol:

I know I played a Boss set at Music Live last year, but I can't remember what I thought!? :roll:

Craig, it's a new start and like you say it will get you some new gear so can't be bad eh!

When I played the Boss set I can remember looking at Phil King and saying 'Woah! :lol:

Brow · « **Reply #14 on:** July 03, 2006, 06:24:44 PM »

Quote from: Johnny Mac

Craig, it's a new start and like you say it will get you some new gear so can't be bad eh!

When I played the Boss set I can remember looking at Phil King and saying 'Woah! :lol:

Yeah, it's better than being on the Dole, I've never been so bored in my whole life!

When someone has a reaction like that to a pickup, you know it's a quality item :lol: