Best pickup for vintage Tele

[RickyD]

The people posting here really seem to know what they are talking about. I'm just a player.

My question to you: What's the best pickup for a vintage tele for rhythm & blues, besides what you personally make?

I'm talking about new product, not used stuff. Feel free to talk about the competition, and please give credit where credit is due (they'll be talking about you, too). Price matters.

[Spence]

Contact Randy Peterson and ask about his 'I can't believe it's not vintage ' line of pickups.


To inquire call
425-776-1761 Between 10am and 3pm PST.
or email me cohibarandy@hotmail.com

[madialex]

Hi Don't take it personal but I don't think anyone here will be doing any of that, I may be wrong but??

There are a lot of guys here who make killer tele pickups, but again I don't think we are allowed to do that here. Please someone else chime in if I'm wrong.

[kevinT]

some sellers from this forum

I don't sell tele pickups yet so it's not a conflict of interest for me to list some sources.

Here is a small list of folks (boutique pickup makers) on the forum that get great reviews and really know their shit... you might try their products out.

Man..those Randy Peterson pickups are awesome

In alphabitical order:
http://www.lollarguitars.com/
http://www.sdpickups.com/
http://www.shedpickups.co.uk/asp/default.asp
http://www.wolfetone.com/index.html


here are a few more from the forum... i probably left off many that I don't know yet....forgive me if i have.

jsmoore
motorcitypickups
tonerider
truetone

whoops...i forgot Stan Hinsley

[madialex]

I don't sell tele pickups yet so it's not a conflict of interest for me to list some sources.

Here is a small list of folks (boutique pickup makers) on the forum that get great reviews and really know their shit... you might try their products out.

Man..those Randy Peterson pickups are awesome

In alphabitical order:
http://www.lollarguitars.com/
http://www.sdpickups.com/
http://www.shedpickups.co.uk/asp/default.asp
http://www.wolfetone.com/index.html


here are a few more from the forum... i probably left off many that I don't know yet....forgive if i have.

jsmoore
motorcitypickups
tonerider
truetone

Hi Kevin, that would have been my short list for awesome tele pickup winders although I would have left my name off the list, I personally don't think I wind a great tele pickup. I have been trying for years to get them down but they elude me. But yes the list you have is as good as they get.

[Mark Hammer]

I always find requests like RickyD's confusing. The difference in "personality" between the neck, bridge, and N+B settings is so distinct on a Tele that one is really obligated to ask the question "Just exactly WHICH 'vintage Tele' sound are you aiming for?". When some folks think older Tele, what they have in their mind is primarily the bridge pickup tone. Others think about nailing the sparkle you get from two pickups on at once. And so on.

I'm certain that just about any of the fine manufacturers/boutique-winders mentioned can nail you what you want. The question is, "Which Tele were you wanting?"

[Stan H]

Hmmm...kind of like going down to the Chevy dealership and asking them if you should buy a Dodge.

[RickyD]

I'm looking for the early Mar-Keys Steve Cropper sound. For example: "Grab This Thing" from the album, "The Great Memphis Sound". I started out playing soul music in the 60's and Cropper was the man. Or "Otis Redding Live in Europe".

Consider this: the guys that were playing those vintage Tele's didn't have a choice of different Tele models or pickups. Just barely had a choice of strings. I don't think people were really all that aware that some bodies were ash and some were alder, or really cared. All the great vintage Tele sounds really came from the same guitar, as nearly identical as Leo Fender could make them. So, why wouldn't a good vintage Tele pickup make all the great vintage Tele sounds? Are Tele's as variable as the PAF's?

Spence and Kevin T, I appreciate your just speaking up with a straight to the point suggestion.

Possum, if you are out there I know you have an opinion, and I'm interested in what you have to say.

[Sweetfinger]

I always find requests like RickyD's confusing."

Me too, but I'm especially befuddled by the statement that this is for a 'vintage Tele', but the recommendations must be for a new product of some sort, and that price matters.

Here's my 2 cents:
If we ARE talking about a 50's, 60's ,or even 70's tele, my FIRST choice would be an ORIGINAL old correct pickup. It WILL sound good, maybe even great. Your guitar will be worth more because its closer to stock, and you'll have the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you're playing the same guitar and pickups that they were playing in the old days.

FWIW My fave tele sounds are currently purveyed by Kid Ramos, especially on the 'Greasy Kid Stuff' disc. Live, he's been playing a baritone tele lately, which REALLY gives me a tone woody!

[Mark Hammer]

While Steve has changed gear over the years (and kudos on your taste! Steve's one of my all-time heros), almost fundamental to the target sound is the strings. Most of us never even realized that lighter gauge strings could be found until 1970 or later. What Steve played in those days was likely to be classified as at least medium heavy gauge these days. The performance/tone of the pickups you test out or ask for opinions on are more than likely to be strung with nothing heavier than a 10-thru-46 set or maybe an 11-thru-52 set, light by mid-60's standards. Listen to "Hip Hug Her" and you'll realize what a struggle it was to bend them suckers.

I'm not suggesting the target tone can't be attained with current production products, just that in most instances people aren't using them with the same sort of strings so the information available may be of limited use. Ironically, it may well be that once you stick stiff strings (and a Twin) into the equation it doesn't matter what you use for a pickup.

[RickyD]

Sweetfinger and other confused/befuddled posters - Sorry, did not intend to befuddle. Current production relates to availability, which in turn relates to price. I'm not spending a lot of money on gear, thousands of dollars for a pickup. That's a wealthy man's hobby. Vintage IMO is pre CBS (1965 or older?). And the vintage era divides into tweed/blond/brown/blackface amps as well as various evolutionary changes in the guitars. I started playing in the mid 60's, so to me the 50's instruments are the vintage stuff. The question pertains to currently manufactured subtitutes for the original units.

I spent $50.00 on a set of Fender Original Vintage pickups. If I decide to change them out I can get my money out. I'm sure almost all the pickups recommended on this thread are better than these, but I can't bring myself to spend $200 for something I haven't heard.

Mark Hammer, a good point about strings. Big impact on tone. Gibson medium flatwounds is what pretty much everybody was playing (13's, wound 3rd) around here in the 60's. I was covering Hip-Hug-Her when it was in the top 40. Chops are chops, then and now, hard for some, not so hard for others. If you try a set of 13's, I'll bet you won't have a big problem with a whole step bend, and that's all you need for that tune.

Many thanks again to all who took the time to respond!

-Rick

[mick]

" I'm sure almost all the pickups recommended on this thread are better than these, but I can't bring myself to spend $200 for something I haven't heard."

Most of the winders will offer you a rewind or an exchange , or even your money back should you not get what you want so I can't really see a big problem for you if you end up with something you don't want, but some of it can be as simple as changing your tone cap or even just rolling back your volume a little bit , if you are local to any of the winders I'm sure that they would be happy for you to call in and I would be pretty certain they would have a guitar or 2 loaded with their pickups..if price is a big issue maybe stick with what you have and try a couple of cap changes..

Mick

[Sweetfinger]

"

Most of the winders will offer you a rewind or an exchange , or even your money back should you not get what you want

Mick

'cept Fender

I desperately desire the Svengali mind control technique that Fender uses to keep people buying the 'vintage noiseless' pups or 2,000 dollar 'relic' Strats. I cringe when customers come in with their new box of 'toneless' pups and ask me to install them.

Regarding the perception of 'vintage' - When I first heard the term being thrown around, it was referring to guitars that were at the time, 20 or 30 years old. Vintage technically refers to the year an item was made, but the 'vintage' guitar craze of the 80's seems to have solidified the notion in boomer/gen x'ers that 'vintage' refers to 60's or earlier instruments. Time has marched on. For the kids in their late teens who are reading guitar magazines and drooling over the fare in the local Guitar Center, Nirvana is OLD GUY MUSIC! 70's and 80's, and even some 90's instruments are 'vintage' to them. 50's and 60's Strats are rare antiques, seen only in books, or rarely in person.
If 'Spinal Tap' were filmed today, Nigel Tufnel would be pointing at something like an Ibanez Jem with the disappearing pyramid inlays! 'Still got the ol' tagger on it"
Puts a bit of perspective on the whole thing, doesn't it.

[David Schwab]

I desperately desire the Svengali mind control technique that Fender uses to keep people buying the 'vintage noiseless' pups or 2,000 dollar 'relic' Strats.

I don't get that whole "pay a lot of money for a beat up guitar" thing! I bet you anything it started as a factory second, and they tried to figure out to sell a scratched guitar!

Even worse.. Gibson is selling $2000 partially finished Les Pauls! They came right off the CNC machine with a rough carved top, not sanded, and have some stain rubbed in. Missing hardware too. Crazy!



http://www.gibson.com/bfg/

[Ruel]

New relics???

Ahh! I thought I was missing something. I couldn't, for the love of God figure out why would anyone spend his hard earned Dollars or Pesos for some newly made ax that was purposely made to look beat up. I mean vintage or old gear that show their scars are cool but putting dings and scrape marks on a newly painted guitar? That's faking it to the highest degree? Problem is, people are buying them.: