Well, about a week old now but finally got hold of this Japanese 60s Traditional Tele I had been eyeing up for a while.
http://imgur.com/a/1WtRifEI got it with a view to upgrade various bits and pieces and am currently deliberating over the pickups.
Looking for for something that still has the essence of a Tele but just a little less ice picky and that overdrives a bit easier. I also want some that are not necessarily noiseless but quite low on hum. Thinking the SD Vintage Stack or the SD Quarter Pounders and wondered if anyone has any experience as to how they might fare with these requirements?
Loving the guitar but really looking forward to upgrading it and making it my own.
Cheers
Darren
Comments
IMHO, the Duncan STK-T3b Stack is too far the other way. Fine for high gain overdrive but lacking the bite or twang for clean or semi-clean Telecaster sounds. The Custom Shop stacks sound infinitely more convincing.
Within the last year, Duncan launched the Red Devil pickup for Stratocaster. Chances are, in the not too distant future, they will produce a variant of it with the three-point mounting baseplate for Telecaster.
On a slight tangent, if you can find one, there is always the Lace Sensor red.
Bandcamp
The colour of the OP’s guitar resembles Daphne Blue - give or take some imitation yellowing of the clear coat.
Thanks for the P/U advice @Funkfingers
Bandcamp
Bottom line: I can offer you a Dimarzio Pre B-1 which actually sounds just what you're looking for.
"The Pre B-1™ maintains a lot of the basic character of the Tele® bridge position, but the sound is bigger. It can still cut through a mix, but it will fill more space, as well. It also has about 25% more power than a stock Tele® bridge pickup. That means thicker overdrive and more sustain from your favorite tube amp."
I can post it to you for £50.
Cheers,
R.
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/
In terms of pickups, if you can swipe a set off a baja, they’ll do the job, with a bridge pickup that’s still tele
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/
The STK-T1n needs setting lower than a vintage style single coil. The nearer it gets to the vibrating strings, the more it begins to sound like a small Gibson humbucker. This is bound to alter the level balance when both pickups are selected.
Fender 51 Nocaster Pickups are absolutely the very best Tele pickups, ever!!!
The QPs seem a good choice for what I wanted after a couple of weeks of trying them out. Definitely thicker and darker than a traditional Tele, but then again that's how I've always tried to make my Teles sound anyway. It will still do that country Tele sound for sure, but with the highs tamed and the mids beefed up a bit. NIce jazzy tones from the neck pickup too with the tone rolled back a bit.
So, happy so far, but this was always going to be a 'blank canvas' guitar so who knows what it'll be in another year or so's time!
I agree with this as far as the bridge pickup goes. Unfortunately the (2nd hand) set I bought had a knackered neck pickup so I am unable to comment.
My MIJ Paisley has the Nocaster bridge pickup paired with an Oil City Honky Tonk Angel neck pickup and sounds very nice indeed.
I do like the Twisted Tele neck pickup, but this is aimed more towards the strat sounds whilst retaining the tele look.