software

hi guys,

just wondering what are the reasons for a humbucker in the neck of a tele. why would anyone do that when there will be a balance problem with a normal tele bridge pickup? lastly, anyone has any idea how the middle position will sound?

thanks!
dani


Originally Posted by danihi guys,

just wondering what are the reasons for a humbucker in the neck of a tele. why would anyone do that when there will be a balance problem with a normal tele bridge pickup? lastly, anyone has any idea how the middle position will sound?

thanks!
dani

If you read up on guys that play Tele's most of the time you wil find that lots of them do not like Tele neck pickups, people over the years have replaced them with lots of other pickups...buckers, mini buckers, Strat pickups, etc. A vintage output bucker will not overpower a good strong Tele lead coil, and lastly...listen to Keith Richards, or Andy Summers...they both have buckers in the necks of their tele's.

pardon me. but what in a tele neck pickup that people don't like?

Some neck PU are too dark sounding. Some are not.

I have yet to find a use for regular Tele neck pickup. I just find it a bland and useless tone.

If you put a Bucker in the bridge you lose your Twang factor. So it
kinda makes sence to put a Bucker in the neck. When I built my tele
I didn't ever consider a tele PuP for the neck. The 1st thing I did when
I got the body was route it for a Bucker. I seems to be a sucsessful
fomula.


Originally Posted by danihi guys,

just wondering what are the reasons for a humbucker in the neck of a tele. why would anyone do that when there will be a balance problem with a normal tele bridge pickup? lastly, anyone has any idea how the middle position will sound?

thanks!
dani

I agree with Christian: the biggest reason is that the neck pickup in most Teles sounds muffled and weak. So in the 60's, guys started replacing them with the strongest pickups available at the time: a Gibson humbucker.

Lew


Originally Posted by danipardon me. but what in a tele neck pickup that people don't like?Like Lew said, some people find them weak and/or muffled...Lew uses a CS Tele neck pickup that looks like a Tele but sounds like a Strat...lots of guys pit Strat pups in teles in the neck as well. Danny Gatton started using moddified Charlie Christian pickups in his, some guys use P-90, some guys use mini-buckers. I would say that a lot of Stock Tele neck pickups were not very good (you will notice that that type of pickup never appeared again at Fender, or Musicman or even G amp; L... I have CS Tele set in my Tele and I do like the neck pickup, but to me it sounds a lot better than a lot of stock Fender tele neck pups.


Originally Posted by the guy who invented fire

A vintage output bucker will not overpower a good strong Tele lead coil, and lastly...listen to Keith Richards, or Andy Summers...they both have buckers in the necks of their tele's.

quot;Keefquot; came up immediately when I read hte original post.

There's a great sound out of a decent neck pickup on a Tele. While some of them do have the faults listed I've had both a SD Quarter Pounder Tele and a Vintage Stack Tele in the neck of my long-standing number one. Both of these pickups really did a good job of capturing that distinctive tone.

It's not a sound alot of folks really warm up to.....but I've seen a few folks do really well with it and make some great music.

thanks guys, i am guessing any humbucker will overpower a tele bridge pickup no? wouldn't that create a balance issue?

the tele neck pickup that sd makes does not sound as dark or muffled as heard on the audio sample page. maybe most tele neck pickups don't sound good on its own, but when combined with the bridge, it has one of the sweetest tone that a guitar can offer. isn't that one of the reasons what the tele is known for in the first place?

so, with a humbucker in the neck, will it sound similar to a tele neck pickup when the switch is in the middle? you can have the twang in the bridge and a wonderful humbucker tone in the neck, but the sweet tone when two tele pickups are on would be sacrificed...


Originally Posted by danithanks guys, i am guessing any humbucker will overpower a tele bridge pickup no? wouldn't that create a balance issue?

the tele neck pickup that sd makes does not sound as dark or muffled as heard on the audio sample page. maybe most tele neck pickups don't sound good on its own, but when combined with the bridge, it has one of the sweetest tone that a guitar can offer. isn't that one of the reasons what the tele is known for in the first place?

so, with a humbucker in the neck, will it sound similar to a tele neck pickup when the switch is in the middle? you can have the twang in the bridge and a wonderful humbucker tone in the neck, but the sweet tone when two tele pickups are on would be sacrificed...if you want to keep the middle position tone IMO you have to keep a Tele neck pickup...a Tele with a bucker in the neck will have 3 very good useable tones but only one of them will sound like a stock tele.


Originally Posted by big_blackI have yet to find a use for regular Tele neck pickup. I just find it a bland and useless tone.

I felt exactly the same way about the tele neck pickups until I got a set of Lindy Fralin Blues Specials... I liked the neck on that set as much as most strat neck pickups. Since then I've also been impressed with the stock neck pickup on my 51 Butterscotch Blonde (the Original Vintage Telecaster pickup... Alnico 3 rocks!)

A vintage-output humbucker (like say a '59) probably wouldn't overpower a Tele bridge pickup 'cuz those things are wound HOT to be twangy...not sure on any numbers 'cuz I don't have a Tele and don't really wanna go research it but Tele bridge pups are hotter than your average bear.

And if they didn't make Teles with neck humbuckers, nobody could ever try a 59/Hot Rails combo

-X


Originally Posted by Empty PocketsAnd if they didn't make Teles with neck humbuckers, nobody could ever try a 59/Hot Rails combo

-X

hah! you are right.

but i was thinking more along the lines of ants tele bridge and humbucker neck.


Originally Posted by danihah! you are right.

but i was thinking more along the lines of ants tele bridge and humbucker neck. An antiquity bucker in the neck and an Antiquity I tele lead coil would be killer!