What pickup configuration shall I go for?

axisus

I'm planning on building a 'rustic' looking Tele this year using various bits of reclaimed wood. I'm having trouble thinking of what to go for for pickup type/configuration.

I have already made:
a standard tele
a tele with HB and Sustainer
a tele with HB/S/P90

What do you think would be a good configuration of pickups that is maybe a bit different to those? I plan to avoid overly modern looking pickups as the guitar needs an 'old' vibe. but otherwise I'm open to any suggestions. 

Whitecat

Filter'trons or some other "tron" style?

hubobulous

3 x P90. Get that full bore strat style thing going. What wood are you going to make it from?

grungebob

Looking at what you already have I’m wondering if you have need for another Tele?

Tenebrous

grungebob said:

Looking at what you already have I’m wondering if you have need for another Tele?

The answer is always yes.

How about a Nashville tele? Ideally without the middle pick-up being a totally off colour. That might be cool.

EricTheWeary

Whitecat said:

Filter'trons or some other "tron" style?

That seems the obvious one.

Or standard tele at bridge and Charlie Christian style at the neck, that's a cool look and works well (for some people at least). 

Jonathangus

Whitecat said:

Filter'trons or some other "tron" style?

This.  Or lipstick.

earwighoney

I'd say have a look at Mojo Marc's website and go to the Waterslide Guitars YT channel.

Mojo Marc seems to specialise in Pre 60's lesser known vintage pickups be it Staples, Dynasonics, Goid Foils and so on and Waterslide Guitars seems to use most of his pickups on their builds.

I'd go for the one which sounds the best and looks what I'd be after.

For vintage pickups, IMO It's difficult to get much better looking than this

and this

timmypix

Firebird neck, Tele bridge. I am biased as I have this and I adore it.

guitars4you

Whitecat said:

Filter'trons or some other "tron" style?

I like that option as well

Filtertron neck - Broadcaster/Nocaster bridge so more guts/welly in that position

ICBM

Two really rusty Seymour Duncan Invaders.

You can easily find them on Ebay.





Be different. The Filtertron/P90/Dynasonic/Gold Foil thing has been done to death and is just boring now.

Fuengi

earwighoney said:

I'd say have a look at Mojo Marc's website and go to the Waterslide Guitars YT channel.

Mojo Marc seems to specialise in Pre 60's lesser known vintage pickups be it Staples, Dynasonics, Goid Foils and so on and Waterslide Guitars seems to use most of his pickups on their builds.

I'd go for the one which sounds the best and looks what I'd be after.

For vintage pickups, IMO It's difficult to get much better looking than this

and this

I ordered a Dyna for my Tele neck on 1st Feb from Mojo, the order book is full for February and the site is closed. 

I'll let you know how they are when I get them in. 

octatonic

Brent Mason style- mini hum in the neck, strat middle, tele bridge.

thermionic

Make your own out of a horseshoe magnet and reclaimed wire.

crunchman

Esquire

Yamaha77

crunchman said:

Esquire

This.

axisus

Thanks for the input all, plenty to think about!

grungebob said:

Looking at what you already have I’m wondering if you have need for another Tele?

I didn't say anything about 'need'!  I'm building another guitar once the weather improves and I happen to love the tele shape. Besides, my last 2 builds weren't Tele's.

hubobulous said:

What wood are you going to make it from?

As I mentioned, it will be 'reclaimed' stuff. I have a damaged and buggered up old Hohner body that I have owned for about 40 years. I'm going to cap it with some old fence wood from my garden (I did say it would be rustic!). The neck will either be a bit of mahogany fireplace that I found outside work a couple of years ago, or a bit of Wenge that my dad found in his garage. 

ICBM said:

Be different. The Filtertron/P90/Dynasonic/Gold Foil thing has been done to death and is just boring now.

I don't really care if it's boring to other people, I'm just looking for something different to what I have!

ICBM

axisus said:

I don't really care if it's boring to other people, I'm just looking for something different to what I have!

You don't have a guitar with two Invaders already do you?

paulnb57

Half bridge, single Gold Foil...at the neck...

p90fool

Quarter Pounder bridge and a cheap rubber magnet pickup under a P90 cover at the neck. 

You can get these for a tenner all day on eBay and they're lively, touch-sensitive and awesome with fuzz or light overdrive. I have them in two guitars and get asked about the sound they make all the time. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Acoustic-Guitar-Pickup-for-Sound-Hole-Microphone-Wire-Amplifier-Speaker-Passive/223671648801?epid=0&_trkparms=ispr=1&hash=item3413de8221:g:EJsAAOSwseFcRWkP&enc=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&checksum=223671648801ade4374b76ed4a84ac4bfaf627ee85fb

BeardyAndy

Gold foil?