Favourite Tele Pickups for Hard Rock

[Lee Bob]

I'm looking at adding a tele to the herd but I need to know which tele pickups will be able to hold up (in a live situation) with the humbuckers in my LP's (PRS Tremonti Treble and Duncan Distortion). I play rock in the vein of STP, Foo Fighters and other 90's bands.

I'm basically looking for a bridge pickup that will allow that clear, articulate, spanky tele tone to shine through, but still provide thickness and drive of a humbucker under high gain. For a neck pickup I would like something that provides nice full cleans and smooth leads.

If you could provide some backup info on your recommendations so I can narrow down my choices.

Thanks.

[El Kabong]

Both of these gentlemen have wound excellent tele p-ups for me and nailed the tone I was after.

Don Mare: http://www.buckcannon.com/

Owen Duffy: http://www.ocduffpickups.com/home.html

[zombywoof]

Gotta agree the Mare pups are fanstatsic. Ya might also want to check out the Van Zandt Tele pickups.

[ddeand]

I found that the best Tele pickups for heavier rocking are the Harmonic Design S-90 bridge pickup coupled with a Vintage + in the neck slot. Great power, tone, and articulation. You lose a little of the traditional Tele twang and ice pick trebles, but you really make up for it in power and tone.

Dean

[PdL]

FWIW from the photos of seen of the guitar player in STP, he plays a tele fairly often. The ones I have seen him with appear to have standard single coil pups, as opposed to humbuckers or even hot-rodded single coils.

[Garrett Bagby]

I love the Bill Lawrence L298TL in my Esquire. It is a great sounding pickup and holds its own against humbuckers as far as output. It's noiseless, too.

A lot of Tele bite is still there, but minus the ice pick and of course the hum!

Another thing to consider for high gain is a modern brass bridge. The old stamped ones are prone to feedback.

[AJ Love]

the DiMarzio Virtual Hot T bridge is terrific for High Gain

[mainsale]

I've got six Tele's, but the one that I reach for the most is loaded with a Fralin P-92 in the neck for outstanding clear tonage without the mud that is often associated with Tele neck pickups and a Fralin Blues special in the bridge for phat and rich Tele bridge tone without loosing the all important Tele "Twang". I would also recomment 4-way switching, a good tonecap and a good vintage style bridge with three compensated saddles like PigTail, Glendale or Callaham.

[mrfjones]

look at the Peter Florances voodoo tele pickups. I think he has a fat series that may interest you. they are wound very hot.

[The Golden Boy]

Originally Posted by ddeand

I found that the best Tele pickups for heavier rocking are the Harmonic Design S-90 bridge pickup coupled with a Vintage + in the neck slot. Great power, tone, and articulation. You lose a little of the traditional Tele twang and ice pick trebles, but you really make up for it in power and tone.

Dean

I always say it's a cross of a LP Jr. and a Tele...

[go7]

IMHO, Wolfetone Vintage P90`s. Naughty but nice. Good luck!

[MCG]

You give a set of Duncan Quarter pound teles a try.
MCG

[Mike K]

Joe Barden pickups are my favorite for rock (more classic than hard). They are also my favorite tele pickups for blues, jazz, r&b, country, fusion, etc...

Just get used to working the tone control and away you go.

[Lee Bob]

Originally Posted by ddeand

I found that the best Tele pickups for heavier rocking are the Harmonic Design S-90 bridge pickup coupled with a Vintage + in the neck slot. Great power, tone, and articulation. You lose a little of the traditional Tele twang and ice pick trebles, but you really make up for it in power and tone.

Dean

I really like the sound of that pickup combination. I've been bouncing back and forth between getting a Tele or an LP Jr. I think with the S-90 I could get the best of both worlds and have a guitar that sits well with my LP's.

Thanks for the recommendation.

[Lee Bob]

What does everyone think about the EMG T pickups. I absolutely love Keith Urban's tone, and wonder how much the pickup has to do with that.