Fender Tele Pickup Problems

[Toonsmith]

Help! I have a Fender Tele I bought along time ago, but it's been packed away for about eight years 'cause I started playing acoustic exclusively. I got sick of the band ego thing.

Anyway, I opened my case the other day and the pickups are all rusty. They're pretty much shot. I've been looking for new pickups but the only one's I can find are these Tex pickups. Are they the original one's used or are there others that someone could point me in the right direction?

 

[Light]

There are probably a hundred different choices. My self, I would only ever put Joe Bardens or Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in a Tele. Fender makes at least three or four different choices, Seymour Duncan makes something like 24 different models, Joe Barden has two different versions, Lindy Fralin is making four different neck, and three different bridge variations (and that doesn't even take into account the customization which is normal on his pickups). Dimarzio makes a couple of different Tele pickups. So does EMG, though (somewhat surprisingly) Bartolini does not.

There are lots of choices, so do some research on the names above, and you will get some idea for what is out there. If you are looking for the most cost effective (not cheap, mind you), then you should probably look closely at Seymour Duncan's website. They make great pickups, and I would imagine you could find something there that would fit you desired sound.

Like I said, I would put in Joe Barden pickups, but I have a real thing for his pickups.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[jimistone]

I like Fender pickups for Fender guitars.

 

[Light]

I like Fender pickups for Fender guitars.

Their selection is rather limited, so if you want to go beyond the rather flat sound you get out of many Fender pickups, you have to look elsewhere. Most really serious Strat players these days, for instance, are getting Lindy Fralin's pickups for their guitars. They are a "Fender" sound, but better (to most people’s ears). That being said, the other set of pickups which are very popular right now are the Fender "Noiseless" Strat pickups. I actively dislike the "Noiseless" pickups, but that is an opinion.

I have always been more than a little fond of the hot rod sound. That is why I like the Bardens so much, and the Duncan Hot Rails as well.

The one fact I can add to the conversation is that Seymour Duncan, Lindy Fralin, Joe Barden, Dimarzio, and EMG all sell a much more consistent product than Fender. We sell more Seymours than Fenders by a factor of ten. We get more bad Fender pickups than Seymour's, by a factor of ten going the other way. Fender's quality control is spotty at best, and has been for years.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Ed Dixon]

Danny Gatton was a premier player who used a Telecaster. He once made the cover of Guitar Player magazine as the "World greatest unknown guitarist".

Seeing him live is something one never forgets. His tele had Joe Barden pickups. More info here:


http://www.joebarden.com

If I were working on my telecaster, that's where I'd start.

Ed

 

[jimistone]

Their selection is rather limited, so if you want to go beyond the rather flat sound you get out of many Fender pickups, you have to look elsewhere. Most really serious Strat players these days, for instance, are getting Lindy Fralin's pickups for their guitars. They are a "Fender" sound, but better (to most people’s ears). That being said, the other set of pickups which are very popular right now are the Fender "Noiseless" Strat pickups. I actively dislike the "Noiseless" pickups, but that is an opinion.

I don't like the noiseless pickups either. I very much like Texas Specials.....if they are setup properly. Most people set Texas Specials too high and get a muddy midrange sound. I set them almost flush with the pickguard and they are as good as any pickups out there IMO (and 1/2 the price of Lindys). I have played a freinds strat that is loaded with lindy fralins on a couple of gigs and they are excellent pickups also.

I will say this though, there are 2 componets that are more important than the pickups....your left hand and your right hand. If you have the right touch and know how to set an amp, you can make a mexican strat, loaded with the standard cheezy pickups, sound like a million dollars.

 

[Light]

I will say this though, there are 2 componets that are more important than the pickups....your left hand and your right hand. If you have the right touch and know how to set an amp, you can make a mexican strat, loaded with the standard cheezy pickups, sound like a million dollars.

Yup.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Ed Dixon]

Now if you could just order those from a catalog...

 

[jimistone]

I agree with you on Danny Gatton Ed.

I have a recording of him playing on austin city limits, and he flat out plays his ass off. At the end of that set he opened a beer, took a couple of drinks, and did a slide solo (sloshing beer all over the neck of his guitar)....then he ends that song by grabbing a towel and doing a muted solo (in essence, wiping the beer off the neck)...the slide solo and the "towel" were both awsome. I have never seen anyone but Gatton do that....it was VERY impressive.

 

[Light]

I agree with you on Danny Gatton Ed.

I have a recording of him playing on austin city limits, and he flat out plays his ass off. At the end of that set he opened a beer, took a couple of drinks, and did a slide solo (sloshing beer all over the neck of his guitar)....then he ends that song by grabbing a towel and doing a muted solo (in essence, wiping the beer off the neck)...the slide solo and the "towel" were both awsome. I have never seen anyone but Gatton do that....it was VERY impressive.

It really is a shame when someone so talented and skilled at what he does is so unhappy. I read a story about his parents buying him a banjo when he was about thirteen, and by the time he got home, he was playing some Earl Scruggs piece.

A truely amazing player.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Ed Dixon]

I have a recording of him playing on austin city limits, and he flat out plays his ass off. At the end of that set he opened a beer, took a couple of drinks, and did a slide solo (sloshing beer all over the neck of his guitar)....then he ends that song by grabbing a towel and doing a muted solo (in essence, wiping the beer off the neck)...the slide solo and the "towel" were both awsome. I have never seen anyone but Gatton do that....it was VERY impressive.

The night I saw him in DC, he played slide with a full caraff of wine, a pair of pliers, a ladies shoe, and an assortment of other things people threw on stage.

Other than his telecaster and a Fender Super Reverb amp (I think that is the model) his only effect was an echo pedal. During the average song he adjusted his guitar controls and the amp controls perhaps a hundred times. Of course he never missed a note during these adjustments. Just amazing.

Ed

 

[Light]

Oh yeah, I thought of another good pickup supplier while I was at the shop today. Rio Grande makes good pickups, and is another place to look at.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Clive Hugh]

While we are on the subject of pickups lets not forget Bill Lawrence (the genuine ones made by him).
I have used these on my bass and yesterday on a Les Paul knock off given to me by a friend, I am very happy with them and if I had any desire (read money) to change my strat(s) pickups I would definately go the same route.
The only downside to me was they had a 6 week waiting period, but were worth it when they arrived.
Clive

 

[Toonsmith]

Thanks for all the replies but now I'm more confused then I think I should be. Too many choices. All the pickups you mentioned look interesting but not being able to hear examples of them doesn't help in my decision.

I guess what I should have asked is which pickup, in your opinion, if not fender, gives the closest resemblence to the vintage tele sound. From the various websites that I've gone to they all claim to have that sound. And that may be true or not.

Do the hot rails give a hotter signal than the usual pole pickups?
And does the over windings give the tone a fatter sound, with lets say a less twang of the original? I just want that sound I used to get with my fender.

 

[Light]

Thanks for all the replies but now I'm more confused then I think I should be. Too many choices. All the pickups you mentioned look interesting but not being able to hear examples of them doesn't help in my decision.

I guess what I should have asked is which pickup, in your opinion, if not fender, gives the closest resemblence to the vintage tele sound. From the various websites that I've gone to they all claim to have that sound. And that may be true or not.

Do the hot rails give a hotter signal than the usual pole pickups?
And does the over windings give the tone a fatter sound, with lets say a less twang of the original? I just want that sound I used to get with my fender.

Then I would suggest either the Lindy Fralins, or the Seymour Duncan Vintage Broadcaster (for the bridge, if you want that bite) and the Alnico II for the neck. If you want a it to be a little subtler, than the Alnico II for the bridge as well. The Hot Rails are a MUCH hotter pickup, but they are a hot rod pickup. I do not think that is what you want.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[faderbug]

I like Fender pickups for Fender guitars.

some great music was made with this set up