What pickup did you put in your tele?

[illini]

It looks like my Tele quests is leading me to pick up a new American Standard. I am leaning toward the 2-tone. I figure I will swapping out the pickups right away. I don't need high output. I will use it for rock/blues mainly with a JCM 800. I don't mind bright as long as the tone is full. Need a neck pup that can give me good blues tones, and a bridge pup that can hold down fat chords and some smooth leads.

So many to choose from, what did you end up with?

[Bluewail]

Lollar Special bridge, Lollar vintage T neck.

[mc2]

Fralin Blues Specials are great for that. The neck is an uncovered pup that leans in the direction of a strat neck pickup. I couple it with a Duncan Jerry Donohue, which gives great twang without the laser beam ear enema.

If you're really looking for a fatter sound, Duncan quarter pounders are a much fuller set that does lean towards p-90/bucker sound, but retains the single coil properties of the chime and clang while being a bit clearer.

[Old Tele man]

...bridge is stock '68

...neck is '71 CBS-era Fender/Seth Lover "wide-range humbucker"

[MSS]

I love the Fender Custom Shop Nocaster pups! I also have a partcaster with a Nocaster in the bridge and a Lollar Imperial Humbucker in the neck position.......tone for days!!

[Ricky_Rockhardo]

Don Mare is the man for Tele pickups.

[AnthonyL]

Lollar Special bridge, Lollar vintage T neck.

+1 - Love it

[Sniper-V]

I really dig on the Twisted Tele Neck and Broadcaster bridge combo.

I also like the Joe Bardens in my OldWorld '53 Blackguard.

[MartinPiana]

Lollar special bridge, Lollar CC neck. Gorgeous and diverse range of tones. Very versatile. Plus the CC looks so damn cool. Makes you wanna play Benny's Bugle or something.

[Sean French]

Don Mare pickups are all I'll use in a Tele.:AOK
I've been through most the others.
My main Tele has Don's Super Sport set.

[Tonefish]

I went with Don Mare too. I am very happy. Worth a look into.

[jtm622]

A Seymour Duncan "Little '59" Humbucker is in the Bridge position of my Standard USA Tele... (Note: I'm a Marshall "rock/blues" guy, too.) I tried to get along with that stock factory single-coil, but ended up literally throwing that worthless little sucker in the trash after just one live gig. Seriously, I took it out, threw in the trash can under my kitchen sink and put in that "Little '59"... Now I have a smooth, non ice-pick type of sound... with NO SINGLE COIL "NEON-SIGN" BUZZ...

[Groovey Records]

www.buckcannon.com Don Mare 2234's for me His "Nancy's"

[The Golden Boy]

Harmonic Design Super 90 in the bridge and Vintage Plus in the neck.

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10038/normal_tele.jpg

[Tone_Terrific]

The Duncan JD can rock pretty hard and then switch back to almost trad Tele character but I don't know that I'd choose it for hi-gain in a noisy room.

[Dave Orban]

Don Mare "Roy Nichols" wind.

Best Tele pickups I've played, and I've played quite a few of 'em. ;)

[SkipTracer]

I scored an early 80s Tokai bridge pu on ebay recently and put it into my 1996 MIM Tele. Sounds great.

[RGB]

Kinman Broadcasters in mine!

[bluesman69]

I put a set of "Kimptones" in mine and it is now perfect IMHO.

[illini]

Like I expected, the suggestions are numerous. Goes to show I guess of the quality of pickup manufactures to choose from now days. Many different flavors of good.

[buddaman71]

Kinman Broadcaster in my Relic Nocaster.
Very cool, snarley tone that's very quiet.
:AOK

[Dave Orban]

Like I expected, the suggestions are numerous. Goes to show I guess of the quality of pickup manufactures to choose from now days. Many different flavors of good.VERY true...

LOTS of REALLY good stuff to choose from...! :dude

[slopeshoulder]

Alder and Rosewood with GVGC/Lollar Alnico 3 staggered 60's set

Ash and maple with Lollar Firebird neck and vintage T bridge.

[K-man]

Alder and Rosewood with GVGC/Lollar Alnico 3 staggered 60's set

Ash and maple with Lollar Firebird neck and vintage T bridge.

I use the GVGC/Lollar's as well. Fantastic Pups.

[Blue4Now]

I use the GVGC/Lollar's as well. Fantastic Pups.


me too, wonderfull pickup

[rkymtnhi]

Frailins--the standard wind.... I love that bridge pickup!

[mad dog]

For traditional, old-style tele tones, the Don Mare 2324 "Nancy" set is outstanding. Low output. I run out of words on these, they sound so fine.

For further exploration, I'd love to try one of the HB sized P90 types in the neck spot. Heard a Fralin P-92 (think that's the number) in a Linhold special ... beautiful!

[Shamus]

Twisted Tele neck pups are things of legend... Bridge pups are your own choice. The TT neck pup has cut, wood, air, snap, weight... All the things you want in a Fender neck pickup...

[DavidS]

Don Mare S-Telly neck and Tweed Monster bridge in my Baja tele are stupid good sounding. Very organic and harmonically rich. Can't praise them enough.

[Bikedude]

++'s on the Lollars. I put in Lollar 52's, in my BSB Squier Affinity Tele, and it sounds like a "vintage" american tele, and it plays like buttah.

[Memorex]

None. The pickups in my $109 SX Tele sound (surprisingly) as good as the pickups in my expensive Les Paul Customs. You guys are just wasting your money.

[clothwiring]

I have Kinman AVN 60s and in my tele they sound great. I wanted more of a 60s vibe when I built 'er and I think I nailed it. Really love my tele.

[c_mac]

Lace Gold Sensors in the neck and middle (both Strat size) and a Lace T100 in the bridge.

[Joe Gamble]

Loved the stock Nocaster pickups but couldn't deal with the noise. So now I have Area T's in mine. They sound really good but are less airy and a lot more muscular than the Nocasters. Oh well...

[grownupboy]

lollar vintage t neck and bridge - love them! playing an 08 natural ash with rosewood board.
g

[mc2]

I don't know that I'd choose it for hi-gain in a noisy room.


Why not this one in particular and not the others? I've used this with a great deal of success and complement for over 9 years now.

Over the years, I've prefered vintage output pups in general, and letting the natural gain structure of the amp and pedals to provide the drive.

Just curious as to why this wouldn't work with a noisy room, higher gain?

Thanks for the reply-

[fieldhdj]

Lollar Vintage Bridge and Charlie Christian neck.

http://members.cox.net/fieldhdj/charlie%20mexico%20003.jpg

[Jahn]

Due to dirty power in my house, I had to go hum free. Providence shone, however, and I have a 1963 Gibson Firebird pickup in the neck, and a Dimarzio Area T in the bridge. Ridiculous mojo working with Rick Kelly's Bowery Pine:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Bowery%20Tele/pics004.jpg

[DaveG]

A set of Pete Biltoft's Tele-sized P90's make me smile every time I play my Tele.

[ben_allison]

Bill Lawrence Keystones...

I can't believe the tone, regardless of the price... best $50 I ever spent!!!

[wil]

Just put in Fred Stuart Blackguard neck and LapWrap bridge. I've only had them in for a week but wow. For the first time, I'm more impressed by a bridge pickup than a neck pickup. Both are great, but bridge just blows me away. I was looking for a Keef sound, and this has it in spades. You probably can't go wrong with any of the pickups recommended in the thread, but since I didn't see Fred's pups here, I though I'd throw it out there. Good luck with your quest for new pups.

[otaypanky]

I bought my American Tele used. It had a S.D. Lil' 59 in the bridge, and a Rio Grande TallBoy in the neck. Not realizing at first that the bridge had a humbucker in it, at first I thought there was something wrong with it. Then I realized what it was and how cool it is ~ Here's a clip of it demonstarting some tones possible with a Richter 5E3 . No grit until about 3:30 in http://www.youtube.com/user/otaypanky2
No Laughing ! ----- ok, you can laugh. :rotflmao
But the gear sounds good right? :dunno

[mooawk]

It looks like my Tele quests is leading me to pick up a new American Standard. I figure I will swapping out the pickups right away.

Why do you want to swap pickups right away? It's an American Standard. It's going to have good pickups. You should play the guitar as is for a month or so before deciding on changing anything.

[otaypanky]

Why do you want to swap pickups right away? It's an American Standard. It's going to have good pickups. You should play the guitar as is for a month or so before deciding on changing anything.
Definitely, Good suggestion ~

[Groovey Records]

Otay Hollywood Just Called!

Whays goin on on my Tele is

Pine Body>Glendale Bridge and Saddles>Don Mares 3324 Nancy's Heart Tone Pot and PuP set> Snake Oil Nickel Strings> BF 65 Vibrolux

[Polynitro]

You should swap them for stock American Standard Tele pickups.

[illini]

Why do you want to swap pickups right away? It's an American Standard. It's going to have good pickups. You should play the guitar as is for a month or so before deciding on changing anything.
Your right. I probably won't swap them out right away. But I usually do end up changing pickups in my guitars. I am just trying to get a heads up on my research.:D