What are closest to Vintage Noiseless Tele & Strat pups without the ice-pick?

[Jdawg]

The Tele ones are supposed to be based on 60s pups. The Strat ones I'm not sure of, but they seem like they’re based on 60s pups too. I'd like to find something similar in the non-noiseless variety without the ice-pick for one of my Nashville Teles.

I like the sparkle of the VNL pups but the ice-pick can be harsh if you don't watch the tone knob.

I am interested in the SD Antiquity II pups. Has anybody compared the Tele and/or Strat SD Antiquity IIs with their Fender Vintage-Noiseless counterparts? I am particularly interested in the Strat middle and Tele Bridge pups. I was thinking of combining them with a Twang King neck pup.

[Eagle1]

The Dimazio Virtual Vintage and Areas are the best stacks hands down but not as nice as good "real" single coils .
Have you considered Suhr's dummy coil back plate ? works well and only changes the tone a bit and not in a bad way.

[Jdawg]

Originally Posted by Eagle1

Have you considered Suhr's dummy coil back plate ? works well and only changes the tone a bit and not in a bad way.

I have not heard of this.

What I want are real single-coils. I'm guessing 60s sounding pups. I like the general tone of the Fender VNL. It would be nice to find something similar without the ice-pick and being real single coils is a must for me.

[Eagle1]

Originally Posted by Jdawg

I have not heard of this.

What I want are real single-coils. I'm guessing 60s sounding pups. I like the general tone of the Fender VNL. It would be nice to find something similar without the ice-pick and being real single coils is a must for me.

http://www.suhrguitars.com/pickups.aspx#bpssc

[Jdawg]

Originally Posted by Eagle1

http://www.suhrguitars.com/pickups.aspx#bpssc

Thanks for that. I don't have a Strat. I only have a Tele(s) with a slot in the middle for a Strat pup. So that won't help me right now. I'll definitely keep it in mind for the future.

I know my post reads in a confusing way. I am not looking for more noiseless pups. I like the general tone of the VNL, particularly the Strat pup. I have an MIA Deluxe Nashville Tele that used to have the VNLs in it and I'd like to find something similar that is not noiseless. I am leaning towards the SD Antiquity IIs for the bridge and middle and maybe a Twang King for the neck. Any advice is much appreciated.

[skylabfilmpop]

First check the value of your volume pot. I'd put money on you having a 1meg pot. Replace it with a smaller by 1/2 value pot like a 500k or 250k. you may scrutinize the tone pot too. If you are changing to 60's style pickups you will need to straighten out the wiring and pot values for the pickups to sound right. Correct values are 250k for both. Then you can go for the antiquities although depending on how your guitar sounds acoustically you might choose differently than ant II's as the 60's style fender pickups were brighter than the 50's style ones. so assess if unplugged your guitar is too thin or btight and if it sounds balanced go for the Ant II's and if it needs more body antiquity (1's). The Duncan 5/2 pickups are a good pickup as well, I think they are available as both strat and Tele. These have al5 magnets on the wound strings and al2 magnets on the plain strings to tame brightness and give body to the high strings which in todays world of poly finished guitars is needed. you could also do well to consider swapping out your bridge for an ashtray style bridge if it doesn't have it. One of my teles is a 1985 MIJ 54 reissue. an awesome player with a boat neck but the finish is a bit thin. I had lindy fralin wind me a set of alnico 2 pickups with the bridge slightly overwound and the neck PU cover omitted. The neck sounds like Hendrix and the bridge sounds like Beck-Page. At the end of the day you may have to swap some PU's in and out to find the sound your after, and Duncan or fralin are a good place to start because they have a liberal exchange policy.

[walterw]

if you can tolerate the VNL pickups, then tonewise, real single coils are going to blow you away.

[Martian]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Bill Lawrence originally have a hand in their design. If this is true, than his products would be the closest.