Telecaster Pickups

UncleBiff

So who's got the best reputation for making top end, amazing telecaster picks? Preferably UK based. I need to get some NSG 'Knuckledusters' made but Bare Knuckle don't want to do them anymore, so I need a new partner to work with me and build some.

WezV

I would speak to ash at @OilCityPickups ;;; for this.

Was it dual Tele coils to make a humbucker for each position, as the basic idea?   Seems like it would be up Ash's street.  (Similar to his brass knuckle design)

I also have a lot of stuff from Mojo these days.

Funkfingers

WezV said:

dual Tele coils to make a humbucker for each position, as the basic idea?

Like the Fender John Jorgenson signature Telecaster?

WezV

Funkfingers said:

WezV said:

dual Tele coils to make a humbucker for each position, as the basic idea?

Like the Fender John Jorgenson signature Telecaster?

Pretty much

TTony

Another vote from me for Ash.  He’s a busy man though - which is obviously a good sign!

Funkfingers

This month, I have been mostly gassing for the tones of the “Danish” Pete Honoré signature pickup pair. Essentially, a Broadcaster-type bridge/Treble pickup and a “Stratty sounding” neck/Rhythm position pickup. 

It is possible to arrive at this combination with off-the-shelf pickups from various UK makers. 

If the BKP Knuckleduster pickup is special request OEM item, the company is honouring its contractual agreement by refusing to make the pickup available anywhere else.

WezV

Funkfingers said:

If the BKP Knuckleduster pickup is special request OEM item, the company is honouring its contractual agreement by refusing to make the pickup available anywhere else.

Gonna go out on a limb and say that's not it

earwighoney

Funkfingers said:

This month, I have been mostly gassing for the tones of the “Danish” Pete Honoré signature pickup pair. Essentially, a Broadcaster-type bridge/Treble pickup and a “Stratty sounding” neck/Rhythm position pickup. 

I've been looking at such a combo as well, @p90fool has a Strat pickup in his Tele Neck as well, it seems to be a good combo for getting a lot of different good sounds.

UncleBiff

There's so many interesting pickup combinations that never get looked at. So much heritage and standardisation in the main stream guitar world. I'm considering doing a removable, flush, inserted wooden plate into one of my guitars (like a wooden scratch plate but is part of the structure/design) and doing a load of pre installed pickup option plates, so I can swap them about and really hear what subtle (or obvious) differences changing the pickups makes. It will also help to find what the right combo is to cover what sounds I need/prefer in a band set up and then make something special with that perfect sound combination on board.    

Roland

UncleBiff said:

There's so many interesting pickup combinations that never get looked at. So much heritage and standardisation in the main stream guitar world.    

Too true. I look forward to your experiments.

UncleBiff

Following on from everyones recommendation I got in touch with Ash at Oil City Pickups and we have had a few long conversations about the old Nathan Sheppard Guitars/Bareknuckle 'Knuckledusters' and he agreed to get involve and have a look at producing them for me moving forward. I had one set left which I sent him and he had a good look and play with them and went about starting a new prototype. Which I got my first glimpse of today.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/998txc2v2dohgg7/6abf16_4545c43d7c35402e93c91be14e515309~mv2.jpeg?dl=0

I haven't seen it in the flesh yet, as he still has to do the bridge before he sends them out to me, but the first impressions of the new and improved neck version looks amazing!

It's actually been a really interesting process. Ash was in no 'bitchy' about Bareknuckle but while discussing the things that we both had to say about the originals, from each of our perspectives, it really came to light that the originals weren't that good. I had numerous occasions where the neck pickups came apart from each other, where they were only glued together and they were very 'noisy', as well as being a nightmare to fit and level, due to the mounting screws going through the middle the pickup on the neck and the fixing screws being within the coils on the bridge. I think tech has moved on which helps, as we can now make new top and base plates easily especially for them. Having side lugs may not look quite as neat but will make them much better to fit and maintain and the all in one top plate looks awesome. We've also added a ground plate and Ash has balanced the 3 top strings and 3 bottom with alnico 3 and 5 magnets to create a better range.

I cant' wait to see the bridge pickup done in the next few weeks and then swap a set into a guitar to get an A/B test against the originals. There may be a few more tweaks along the way but the process is feeling good.

The originals had a think brass plate on the bridge pickup, to make it more like a Tele sound, but Ash seems to think that should be steel and that a brass plate wouldn't do anything. So we are going to do a set of each so we can A/B the differences there too.    

 

Funkfingers

earwighoney said:

Funkfingers said:

a Broadcaster-type bridge/Treble pickup and a “Stratty sounding” neck/Rhythm position pickup. 

I've been looking at such a combo as well, @p90fool has a Strat pickup in his Tele Neck as well, it seems to be a good combo for getting a lot of different good sounds.

I eventually decided to give Alegree a try. I’m glad that I did. Factor in a ground wire mod for the metal cover of the neck pickup and a Freeway 3B3 selector switch and the job is done.

UncleBiff

And the bridges are now ready too! Looking forward to getting these next week and seeing what they sound like. There's to bridge pickups, one with a copper plate and one with a steel plate, so we can A/B the differences and decide which way to go. ie, more Tele or more Humbucker.

They look great too. Seems to be a big improvement on build quality.  

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ax62mrixgamoj7h/6abf16_ead75684585e41bbb87001827b249002~mv2.jpeg?dl=0

WezV

They look great!

normula1

+1 especially the neck pickup

PhilKing

That's great that you've been able to get them sourced.  I think they look fantastic and I like the solid top on the neck pickup.

Bowks

They look great, must agree the neck pickup looks a lot neater than the BKP did.

Looking forward to hearing them!