neck pickup still too bright with 250K pot

[spookyelectric]

Hi! I was hoping to get some guidance on an issue I'm having with my telecaster's neck pickup.

Right now it's a Dimarzio Twang King, which sounds great, but is often too bright sounding when switching from the bridge pickup (which is much warmer) to the neck position.

The guitar is already using a 250K volume pot, and has a series/parallel switch in place of a traditional tone knob (it's a Richie Kotzen telecaster). I'd like to keep this option, otherwise I would just add a traditional tone pot in its place and only have it wired to the neck pickup. I could always switch the neck pickup to a warmer one, but I'd rather not spend the money on a new pickup.

With that being said, what's the best method for getting the neck pickup to sound less bright? A cap or resistor hooked up to the neck pickup? If so, what value would work good for just a very slight reduction in treble? Also, would I just put this cap or resistor in-line with the pickup (i.e. between the pickup and the lug) or would I simply run the cap/resistor from the neck pickup lug to ground?

thanks!

 

[Rhomco]

I have found that a hundred dollar bill placed in the circuit cures most any Tele neck pickup issue.
Glad I could be of assistance,
Rob

 

[Killed_by_Death]

what's the best method for getting the neck pickup to sound less bright?

Turning the treble cut knob counterclockwise does the trick for me.

 

[bluenova]

The bridge pickup is much warmer than the neck?? Are you sure you don't have them flipped at the switch?

 

[Bogner]

Pickup height adjustment can go a long way also.

 

[Pedro58]

That sounds backwards. Typically the Tele bridge is bright and spanky and the neck is warm and woofy.

 

[hotmod]

That is an odd problem indeed. I will tell what i would try if i was in your shoes. I would shield the guitar ,with aluminum tape , under the neck pickup only.Shielding always makes my guitars sound a bit duller. If that doesn't do the trick then i would try disconnecting the tone from the bridge pickup and replace the capacitor with a much higher value one , like from a 0,22 to say a 2.2 one. These are things i have tried for myself for taming brightness and worked for me at the time.

 

[jcs]

I own one Telecaster but I have several other guitars that share the same tone control with both pickups.

This is a real dilemma......you may need to replace the Twang King and find a pickup designed to go with whatever is in your bridge.

The shared tone control makes it more difficult to balance the 2 pickups but the pickups need to be balanced better.

 

[jcs]

Turning the treble cut knob counterclockwise does the trick for me.

Except the shared tone control will make the bridge way too dark if you back off the tone control to tame the neck pickup.

I don't see a bright neck pickup as a real problem if you are willing to work the tone control a lot....I like the somewhat bright neck pickup in my MIM Tele.

 

[GrungeMan]

Pups are out of balance, what pup do you have in the bridge? No tone control but a series parallel switch, sounds limited tone-wise from the get go.

 

[c_mac]

Maybe a set of EMGs are in order

 

[jcs]

Definitely with no tone control, you need balanced pickups.

I would do what some have suggested, pickup height.

To me you must have fairly balanced pickups in a Tele, unless you have 1 or more tone controls.

My MIM Tele is very well balanced and luckily I can set the tone control to where it works for both pickups switching back and forth.

I MUST have the option of brighter pickups overall (tone control on 10) and of course the tone control backed off to 3 to 7 at times for other sounds......but the pickups NEED to be balanced for this to happen.

You probably need to get another neck pickup......I cant imagine Ritchie Kotzen (fine player btw) using a Twang King in the neck of a Tele....maybe he does?

What is your bridge pickup?

 

[luv]

Is it possible something is wired incorrectly? Sounds odd to me.

 

[spookyelectric]

Turning the treble cut knob counterclockwise does the trick for me.

no tone pot on a Kotzen telecaster....

 

[spookyelectric]

I have found that a hundred dollar bill placed in the circuit cures most any Tele neck pickup issue.
Glad I could be of assistance,
Rob

Huh? I think this is supposed to be funny, I just don't get the joke.

 

[spookyelectric]

Definitely with no tone control, you need balanced pickups.

I would do what some have suggested, pickup height.

To me you must have fairly balanced pickups in a Tele, unless you have 1 or more tone controls.

My MIM Tele is very well balanced and luckily I can set the tone control to where it works for both pickups switching back and forth.

I MUST have the option of brighter pickups overall (tone control on 10) and of course the tone control backed off to 3 to 7 at times for other sounds......but the pickups NEED to be balanced for this to happen.

You probably need to get another neck pickup......I cant imagine Ritchie Kotzen (fine player btw) using a Twang King in the neck of a Tele....maybe he does?

What is your bridge pickup?

It's the stock setup for the Kotzen telecaster, always has been-- it's a Twang King neck pickup, and a Chopper T bridge pickup, single 250K volume pot. There's a series/parallel switch instead of a tone pot for use when both pickups are selected.

 

[spookyelectric]

Maybe a set of EMGs are in order

LOL-- now THAT'S a good one! I'd need to make sure the battery fits in the danged cavity first this time!

 

[spookyelectric]

The bridge pickup is much warmer than the neck?? Are you sure you don't have them flipped at the switch?

Um... yeah, pretty sure. I haven't changed the wiring, and I know the difference between the sound of a neck pickup and a bridge pickup

 

[spookyelectric]

That is an odd problem indeed. I will tell what i would try if i was in your shoes. I would shield the guitar ,with aluminum tape , under the neck pickup only.Shielding always makes my guitars sound a bit duller. If that doesn't do the trick then i would try disconnecting the tone from the bridge pickup and replace the capacitor with a much higher value one , like from a 0,22 to say a 2.2 one. These are things i have tried for myself for taming brightness and worked for me at the time.

The Kotzen doesn't have a tone pot, but I may have to try the shielding trick on the neck pickup. I have some copper shielding tape here for just such an occasion.

thanks!

 

[jcs]

It's the stock setup for the Kotzen telecaster, always has been-- it's a Twang King neck pickup, and a Chopper T bridge pickup, single 250K volume pot. There's a series/parallel switch instead of a tone pot for use when both pickups are selected.

Is Kotzen going for a bright neck/rhythm sound? I mean this is a signature Tele.

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