Punkavenger Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 My friendly neighborhood Luthier built a Warmoth Tele and threw a Seymour Duncan medium output Tele set in... I don't know exactly which one.He doesn't like the tone... too ice picky especially on the little E string.I've heard folks talk about this or that pickup for Teles that were outstanding but I've never really paid that much attention since I'm not a Tele guy. What would you guys recommend? He's friends with Seymour so if one of the SD pickups really is the bomb that would probably be preferable. However anything with really good tone from any manufacturer I'm sure he would be willing to take a look at. I can't visualize him rocking out. He's more of a classical music/jazzer sort. Maybe a Beatles or Bob Dylan tune or two...I know he spent a bundle on the project and now hes kicking himself. You don't want a sweet old man to be bummed out now do ya? Thanks!
Jorge Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 Not a Duncan recommendation, but he probably could check out the Bill Lawrence L-290T. Great pickup, pretty good output, but not harsh by any means. That, and a good tone control, and you have a very flexible and useful Tele. Also, it is not enxpensive at all, which is very surpising for the quality of the pickup. The L-280TN goes well with it in the neck, and not being covered, looks very cool as well.
serial Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 I love Teles, but some of them have bridge pickups that need help. For a more all-around useful guitar, I've been sticking in GFS rail humbuckers in mine ("Lil Hot Puncher", I think they're called). Sound great, are dirt cheap and don't wail like a banshee (in a bad way) under high gain or volume situations.
bruce919 Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 +1 on the GFS rails (Lil Pucncher) I bought a set of the med. output version & put them into an Am. Deluxe Ash Tele. Vary good tone. I would say before you intall them. Round off the edges of the rails on the bass side. edges are a bit sharp.
FunkyE9th Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 Rio Grande... Muy Grande on the bridge and Tallboy on the neck.
tomteriffic Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 The Duncan Broadcaster (or whatever it's called these days) is a repro of the original early 50's pickup. It's quite a bit fatter and warmer than most Tele pickups. There's a matching neck pickup but any good higher-output neck pickup should smooth things out. Wathc out for some of the so-called "vintage" tele pickups, as they tend to ape the brighter, "ice pick" type tone that came later.
harry65 Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 duncan jerry donahue or fralin blues special tele, both can twang but also rock out with no ice pickiness...............................
hamersandstrats Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 The best tele pickups I've heard are Suhrs. I had a gorgeous Fender tele for a while-white ash body, rosewood neck with the Suhrs installed by previous owner. What a great tele. Tonewise, ran circles around my T-51. At BCR Gregs suggestion, I pulled the Suhrs and installed them in the T-51 and had the best of both worlds.When I returned the stock Fender pickups to the white tele, it sounded like crap. The dealer I traded it to (for a Hamer Special FM!) preferred the original pickups in it anyway. Besides that, the stock pickups in the MIM Muddy Waters tele are warm sounding, and I believe they are the same ones Fender used on the reissues. No ice-pick there. I have a set lying around (along with the original bridge), if you're interested, let me know.
Disturber Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 The Duncan Broadcaster (or whatever it's called these days) is a repro of the original early 50's pickup. It's quite a bit fatter and warmer than most Tele pickups. There's a matching neck pickup but any good higher-output neck pickup should smooth things out. Wathc out for some of the so-called "vintage" tele pickups, as they tend to ape the brighter, "ice pick" type tone that came later. Plus one on the Duncan Broadcaster. These comes stock in the Hamer T51's and sound very good. Think Black Crowes when cranked through a Marshall and a good straight tele tone clean. I matched mine with a Duncan Antiquity II in the neck - a very good match indeed.
harry65 Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 The Duncan Broadcaster (or whatever it's called these days) is a repro of the original early 50's pickup. It's quite a bit fatter and warmer than most Tele pickups. There's a matching neck pickup but any good higher-output neck pickup should smooth things out. Wathc out for some of the so-called "vintage" tele pickups, as they tend to ape the brighter, "ice pick" type tone that came later. Plus one on the Duncan Broadcaster. These comes stock in the Hamer T51's and sound very good. Think Black Crowes when cranked through a Marshall and a good straight tele tone clean. I matched mine with a Duncan Antiquity II in the neck - a very good match indeed.gotta respectfully disagree, while i love that pickup because i play country it is the very definition of ice picky, look at the duncan website at the tone comparision chart, it's all treble, great pickup but extreme highs..................
backinit Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 I will let you know what I feel about the GFS lil killer as I have one on the way...when the body gets here in a bit. I guess it's kinda cool that you can pick the "version" to suit what you're after.
zzdat Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 Harmonic Design super p90 bridge and vintage + neck are killer.Cool BeansGene
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