Strat pickup into Tele neck project

[fenderjazz]

I was surprised to see that the SD Strat neck pickup slipped right into the neck position on my Tele with only a slight amount of grinding on the pickup cavity. I did not have to route any material out only clean up the built up paint and resin that was on the inside of the cavity. The pickup I used was an 80's vintage SD strat neck pup. It had three wires and the wiring was easy to do. White to switch, red to volume pot and ground to the body shielding. I now have a great sounding Tele with a Hot Rail in the bridge and it matches very well balance wise to the neck pup. I'm extremely pleased with the result. I bought a blank scratch plate that I can match up to my original metal one and will put the screw holes and trim for the strat pup and the job will be done. Keeping the original pick guard which is worth big bucks for sure intact, I can swap back the original pup and pick guard if I ever sell the guitar and it will be right. I had fought against that neck pup, trying a 1/4 pounder which was good, but this is a great guitar now. I highly encourage others trying to find a good neck pup for their tele to go this route. Keep the strength of the Tele (bridge pup) and add the best of the strat (neck pup). I think this is the best way to go as I play both blues and rock.

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

white to switch, red to volume pot, ground to shielding? Huh? Do you mean red to the back of the volume pot? Otherwise I don't understand how it would work.

Glad you found something you liked. Though, this might be worth a shot before you start cutting pickguards - often a tele neck pickup can be made to be more stratty and open sounding just by taking the cover off.

What tele do you have? I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have worked on any tele that I've owned - perhaps they have change rout sizes over the years.

[fenderjazz]

FunkyK my Tele is a real vintage 71 Olympic white model. That's right, the SD vintage strat had three wires and white went to front pickup selector switch and red went to the body of the volume pot-works great. Thats why I posted, because I had never read how easily the strat pup sits in this Tele. I was under the impression that I would have to rout out the body which I didn't want to do because my Tele is a rather rare Olympic White model: I imagine it has fair resale value as such. Right now I am playing it without the scratch plate and it does sound great. I'm assuming the blank one I have coming will be of plastic construction. Being that I have a grounded pup and shielding also below that in the neck cavity I am hoping the addition of the plastic cover will just protect the paint underneath. It does look cool with the plate off with all the aging of the finish the pale white under the plate area is a very nice looking effect... I'll take it outside and snap a few shots of the finished job and update my profile with some pics of the finished job. Thanks for your reply, Roy

[big_teee]

Sounds great, but isn't the tele neck pickup pole spacing much narrower than a rod magnet strat pickup?
I believe the magnet pole spacing of a tele neck is 1.94"
I ran into this on an asian made Strat when I replaced the pickups.
The standand spacing (2-1/16") of a strat pickup hung outside both E strings.
It worked ok but both E strings were weak.
If your strings center the magnets of the neck strat P/U, Great.
If They don't line up very well and the E strings are weak that's why.
Not Trying to be negative, just wanted to give something to look for.
Later,
Rock On!
Terry

[fenderjazz]

Yes, Terry there is a difference, but it works well. Per the SD site, the great Jerry Donahue in fact uses strat pickups on his tele, there is a long list of great players who run strat neck pups on their teles. I'm just sharing this from my own experience to other readers, the tone on this neck pickup just flat out smokes a 1/4 pounder for sure! My amp is a 66 Super Reverb, I now have the tone I've been seeking! Thanks, Roy

[big_teee]

Yes, Terry there is a difference, but it works well. Per the SD site, the great Jerry Donahue in fact uses strat pickups on his tele, there is a long list of great players who run strat neck pups on their teles. I'm just sharing this from my own experience to other readers, the tone on this neck pickup just flat out smokes a 1/4 pounder for sure! My amp is a 66 Super Reverb, I now have the tone I've been seeking! Thanks, Roy

Glad it all worked out for you.
To fix my asian Strat I made new Forbon Flatwork with narrower spacing and Wound a new Pickup.
Good Luck,
Terry

[fenderjazz]

You know, it just came clear to me this morning when I picked up my guitar to play. I frequently bend notes a whole step or more with 11's and when doing so the string is not over the pole. So judging the fitness of a pickup as to whether or not it fits directly under the string is not the major factor. In fact most pleasing guitar tones seem to come from bent positions at least in my mind. I agree that it probably should be done under the pole, but the magnetic field flows out from the poles and the position of the string and what we perceive as pleasing tones are a very complex combination of factors. In the lead position, the string does not vary much from the pole, but in the neck, like where SRV and Hendrix played, the string frequently moves far away from the pole. I'm really enjoying this discussion. Thanks, Roy

[big_teee]

You know, it just came clear to me this morning when I picked up my guitar to play. I frequently bend notes a whole step or more with 11's and when doing so the string is not over the pole. So judging the fitness of a pickup as to whether or not it fits directly under the string is not the major factor. In fact most pleasing guitar tones seem to come from bent positions at least in my mind. I agree that it probably should be done under the pole, but the magnetic field flows out from the poles and the position of the string and what we perceive as pleasing tones are a very complex combination of factors. In the lead position, the string does not vary much from the pole, but in the neck, like where SRV and Hendrix played, the string frequently moves far away from the pole. I'm really enjoying this discussion. Thanks, Roy

Yes this is true and tonite when I have more time I will see what really happens when I bend a note.
You realize that if you bend it far enough you are probably over another pole.
The pickup doesn't care which pickup is picking up which note of which string.
It also has a lot to do with playing style.
I tend to play the little e string a lot up high and I could really tell this before I wound a new pickup.
I make pickups and trying to get everything centered has always been an objective.
Same goes on with the Humbuckers.
The gibson is 49.2mm.
The 5omm fits better on the les paul bridge, and the 49.2 fits better under the neck.
Like I said earlier, I wasn't trying to be a downer, or a pesimist, or anything like that.
Because I had issues with that before, I brought it up.
Like you, I have enjoyed the discussion.
On a final note, I wound a tele neck pickup for a friend, that sounds just like a strat neck pickup, with the 42 ga. wire.
It sounds great.
I won't bother you anymore, maybe!
Rock Steady, Rock Hard!
Later,
Terry

[fenderjazz]

Hey big Teee, can you help me? I have a busted P Bass pickup, a 74. I took off the cover and removed a turn of magnet wire. I smoothed off the insulation and measured, and i have good dc resistance there. I then wrapped the wire around the tiny bobbin and measured again after soldering and nothing. I don't get it. How do you solder the connection up?. I did two wraps around the outside and then soldered the exposed wire to the rivet but no connectivity, I am extremely frustrated by this, what is the trick? I remember your saying you build pickups, so hopefully you can share the technique with me. I've got a good pup I just cant solder the end of the magnet wire to the rivet and maintain continuity. Thanks again, Roy

[big_teee]

Hey big Teee, can you help me? I have a busted P Bass pickup, a 74. I took off the cover and removed a turn of magnet wire. I smoothed off the insulation and measured, and i have good dc resistance there. I then wrapped the wire around the tiny bobbin and measured again after soldering and nothing. I don't get it. How do you solder the connection up?. I did two wraps around the outside and then soldered the exposed wire to the rivet but no connectivity, I am extremely frustrated by this, what is the trick? I remember your saying you build pickups, so hopefully you can share the technique with me. I've got a good pup I just cant solder the end of the magnet wire to the rivet and maintain continuity. Thanks again, Roy

Hello fenderjazz:
If the wire broke on the outside of the coil (finish lead), but good on the inside of coil (Start lead), here's what you do.
The start lead is on inside soldered to one eyelet rivet. The finish goes to the other eyelet rivet.
so if it checked good from start lead, to the broke finish end.
You want to unwrap a coil or two, and wrap the wire 2-6 turns around the finish eyelet (which you said you did).
Then take some 400 grit sand paper and lightly sand the wire wrapped around the eyelet, at the solder area of the eyelet.
The wire you are trying to solder is varnished, or Plain enamel.
You can't solder either without scuffing it first.
Then solder.
If that doesn't work hollar back.
Good Luck,
Terry

[fenderjazz]

Gotcha Terry, that was apparently my problem, I could not get the solder to stick to the rivet. So when I pushed the pickup lead wire in, the connection was being lost. Another problem was that both pups on the P Bass shared a single lead wire so I had to solder in two steps, first wire to rivet, next rivet to the lead wire. I even tried pulling the rivet, wrapping the loose end and then reinstalling the rivet on top of the turns around the hole and flowing solder behind but that just broke all the wraps from expansion as the rivet got hot. A bigger rivet sure would be nice or better yet a little tab on the rivet to solder the lead wire to.... Its hard soldering those tiny leads to the rivet. I saw on a video someone talking about how solder iron heat would melt the insulation from the magnet wire and make contact but I didn't find that to work myself. I also found taking the 6 turns to be helpful to give the solder joint more purchase. I don't think the two wraps was enough. This stuff is fun. I'm going to start winding my own pups now. Where do you go to purchase the magnet wire? I'm going to make my own winder from a sewing machine motor as I saw on the net. Thanks, Roy

[isaac]

I heard that a tele neck pickup wound with 42 wire vs 42gauge wire is very stratty, cover or not. So you might be able to get those tones, and still have the look of a tele. I have wound several pickups but have never tried this particular one myself though.

[big_teee]

I heard that a tele neck pickup wound with 42 wire vs 42gauge wire is very stratty, cover or not. So you might be able to get those tones, and still have the look of a tele. I have wound several pickups but have never tried this particular one myself though.

This thread is 2-1/2 years old.
I just made a Tele pickup set yesterday.
I like the regular tele neck pickup, over the Strat P/U, because of the better narrower pole spacing.
A neck pickup with .630" A5s, and wound to 7.5k, with either 43 PE, or SPN is IMO hard to beat.
I prefer a bare nickel cover over the thicker plated cover.
T

[Mark Hammer]

Not discussed here yet is the fact that Tele neck pickups always have flat/level polepieces while Strat pickups can have staggered or level polepieces.

Which did you use?

[big_teee]

Not discussed here yet is the fact that Tele neck pickups always have flat/level polepieces while Strat pickups can have staggered or level polepieces.

Which did you use?

Don't know if that ?? was directed to me.
I just make a neck tele with Non staggerred slightly beveled poles.
You can let the magnets stick out the back, if your using longer magnets.
I make the .0630" A5s flush on both ends.
I've tried taping over the poles before putting the cover on, but I don't do that anymore.
I seat the cover all the way down, then pot the pickup with the cover on it.
On the bridge pickup most guys do flat poles even with the top.
I use slightly longer magnets, and let the beveled magnets stick out the top about 050".
Teles seem to be gaining in popularity lately!
T