thoughts on telecaster neck pickups?

guitars4you

jellybelly said:

I was genuinely surprised how much better the bridge pickup sounded once I'd removed the neck pickup entirely. 

The proof that a Tele and Esquire are different guitars - similar chassis but subtle difference in the voice

axisus

guitars4you said:

jellybelly said:

I was genuinely surprised how much better the bridge pickup sounded once I'd removed the neck pickup entirely. 

The proof that a Tele and Esquire are different guitars - similar chassis but subtle difference in the voice

Or maybe a touch of the Eric Johnsons ........

Alegree

axisus said:

To be honest, the biggest thing going for it in my mind is that I like the trad tele look. As soon as the cover is off I find it less appealing.

I agree. That's why I'm currently working on a Tele neck that sounds like a Strat when it has a cover. I'm really close too.

guitars4you

Alegree said:

axisus said:

To be honest, the biggest thing going for it in my mind is that I like the trad tele look. As soon as the cover is off I find it less appealing.

I agree. That's why I'm currently working on a Tele neck that sounds like a Strat when it has a cover. I'm really close too.

is it a similar principle to the Twisted Tele neck p/up ?

Alegree

guitars4you said:

Alegree said:

axisus said:

To be honest, the biggest thing going for it in my mind is that I like the trad tele look. As soon as the cover is off I find it less appealing.

I agree. That's why I'm currently working on a Tele neck that sounds like a Strat when it has a cover. I'm really close too.

is it a similar principle to the Twisted Tele neck p/up ?

Similar, but the TT is only 1/2 way between Strat and Tele.
I'm not just making a pickup that sounds like a Strat then slapping on a cover to damp it. I'm making a louder, brighter and clearer pickup than a Strat, then slapping a cover on it for it to be brought back down to Strat tone.

BigMonka

I've got the Mojo '52 tele set in my thinline and I really like the neck tone.
I do fancy trying something like a filtertron in their though to see if it gives it a bit more of a kick, and they look badass.

Voxman

I have a completely stock 1988 USA Telecaster Standard, alder body with rosewood fingerboard. Love the bridge p/up and middle position but blow hot and cold on the neck on its own. With some amps and amp models it can sound good, but with others it can sound too bassy and muffled e.g. Bassman model. It is definitely the most idiosyncratic pick up of any guitar I've ever played.  

One observation though is that it's very sensitive to height adjustments both tonally and getting the right volume balance with the bridge pick up...its a little tricky. However, I've learned to accept it for what it is..i.e. that's the character of a Tele, and I wouldn't want to change the pick up..otherwise it just wouldn't be a typical Tele anymore.

Strat54

With a mahogany body and neck it will look like a Tele but might not sound just like one. A mini humbucker would be my choice for those woods in the neck position.

John_A

Put in a 4-way switch and it becomes very useful in series with the bridge pickup

breezytele

One to consider is the Jim Weider Big T.   

It is wound by Lindy Fralin

and exclusively  sold by AnalogMan in the USA 

part of the appeal is that it is beefier without being a simple overwind.. so not muddy
there are plenty of good clips on the AM site

Anyway, it's probably not so well known . 

ICBM

axisus said:

guitars4you said:

jellybelly said:

I was genuinely surprised how much better the bridge pickup sounded once I'd removed the neck pickup entirely. 

The proof that a Tele and Esquire are different guitars - similar chassis but subtle difference in the voice

Or maybe a touch of the Eric Johnsons ........

It's the magnetic damping of the neck pickup which does it. It's quite a bit more obvious than you'd think if you've never tried one without a neck pickup.

axisus

ICBM said:

axisus said:

guitars4you said:

jellybelly said:

I was genuinely surprised how much better the bridge pickup sounded once I'd removed the neck pickup entirely. 

The proof that a Tele and Esquire are different guitars - similar chassis but subtle difference in the voice

Or maybe a touch of the Eric Johnsons ........

It's the magnetic damping of the neck pickup which does it. It's quite a bit more obvious than you'd think if you've never tried one without a neck pickup.

I has lern'd summat!

BowynMadley

Best tele neck pickup I ever heard was on a broadcast reissue. It looked exactly like a normal pickup but it was a stacked humbuckers wound to about 7k. Meant it was hum cancelling and sounded round and fat. Did mean the guy had to route the guitar cavity lower to accommodate it so swings and roundabouts 

Zoolooter

Tried a few 'brighter/straty ' standard tele neck pickups, and always went back to the Fender nocaster neck and BKP Country Boy bridge. The middle position (which I mostly use) just didn't sound as good. Although, I'm putting together a 2nd tele with an Oil City Winterizer in the neck, which is a vintage firebird wind but done as a full size humbucker. 

TimmyO

Check out the Rio Grande Tallboy tele neck pickups - a more Strat-like sound in a Tele-shaped package - I put one in a Warmoth build and *love* it

TimmyO

https://www.riograndepickups.com/neck-for-telecaster

Zoolooter

The Bill Wilde neck uses a plastic cover that looks like normal chrome. It's supposed to be more chimey. Cheap and highly rated on the telecaster forum.

rico

Alegree said:

axisus said:

To be honest, the biggest thing going for it in my mind is that I like the trad tele look. As soon as the cover is off I find it less appealing.

I agree. That's why I'm currently working on a Tele neck that sounds like a Strat when it has a cover. I'm really close too.

I'm interested!