Members Karma1 Posted April 7, 2008 Members Share Posted April 7, 2008 I'm one who usually answers these kinds of pickup recommendation posts, but I'm not as familiar with Tele pickups so I could use some help. I just got a new Fender Thinline (MIM) with single coil pickups and want to change them because they are both pretty noisy and the bridge pickup has that ice pick in the ear tone and little sustain. I'm thinking about a Duncan Lil 59 for the bridge for more of a humbucker sound. I'm not looking to preserve the Tele twang and want a pickup that works well for soaring high gain leads (Santana, Gilmour, etc) which is all I ever use the bridge pickup for. But whatever pickups I use must be either humbuckers, noiseless, Lace, or anything that doesn't have that single coil hum. I have Lace Sensors in my Strat and am very happy with them. As far as the neck pickup, I'm totally at a loss and am open to suggestions for any single coil that is noiseless/hum-free. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rinkrat6821 Posted April 7, 2008 Members Share Posted April 7, 2008 DO NOT get the duncan humbucker for the bridge. I just got back from eddies guitar shop with a pair of Fralin blues special pickups to replace the duncans i have in mine currently. The bridge pickup is so harsh that it cannot be used at all. but maybe its my guitar who knows. i recommend fralin or lollar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted April 8, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 8, 2008 DO NOT get the duncan humbucker for the bridge. I just got back from eddies guitar shop with a pair of Fralin blues special pickups to replace the duncans i have in mine currently. The bridge pickup is so harsh that it cannot be used at all. but maybe its my guitar who knows. i recommend fralin or lollar. Thanks for the comments - much appreciated. Anyone else with recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TravvyBear Posted April 8, 2008 Members Share Posted April 8, 2008 I'm in the same situation as you, though I've got a MIM Tele Standard that needs new pickups. I was going to try some of the higher GFS pickups, considering I'd like to get an ashtray bridge from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted April 9, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 9, 2008 I'm in the same situation as you, though I've got a MIM Tele Standard that needs new pickups. I was going to try some of the higher GFS pickups, considering I'd like to get an ashtray bridge from them. I've heard some good reports about GFS pickups - thanks for the suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GilmourD Posted April 9, 2008 Members Share Posted April 9, 2008 www.BG-Pups.com w00t! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted April 9, 2008 Members Share Posted April 9, 2008 Make sure to replace the pots as well. On many of their Thinlines, Fender uses 1M pots; almost all PU's are going to sound bright and shrill through those. Which may be the problem with both the OP's stock PU's and rinkrat6821's SD's. For the Fender-style SC's, they should be around 250K, for something more like a L'li '59, some may want to go to a 500K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members golias Posted April 9, 2008 Members Share Posted April 9, 2008 The sound of the tele pickups, noisy though it can be, is kinda the whole point of playing a tele. I mean, let's be honest for a moment. It's a butt-ugly guitar design. A guitarist only looks at it and sees beauty because of the icon of rock that it has become over the years, and the amazing sound it can produce in the right hands. If you dislike the sound of your tele, don't bother changing the pickups. Sell it to somebody who loves it for what it is and buy yourself an H-S-S strat or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JC777 Posted April 9, 2008 Members Share Posted April 9, 2008 http://riograndepickups.com/scart/Categories.asp?productname=FOR%20TELE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vedder323 Posted April 9, 2008 Members Share Posted April 9, 2008 I mean, let's be honest for a moment. It's a butt-ugly guitar design. A guitarist only looks at it and sees beauty because of the icon of rock that it has become over the years. No. The thread may continue now. For the OP... I have decided on the Lollar vintage pups but im not sure if they will have the "guts" you seem to be looking for. I know many members love the BG pups and Bryan seems like a really nice guy. He mentioned in a PM that he can custom make them based on the sound you are looking for... might do some good to look into that. Fralin's are another big name and for a good reason, that dude must have bloody fingers from all the business he gets... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted April 9, 2008 Members Share Posted April 9, 2008 Fralin's are another big name and for a good reason, that dude must have bloody fingers from all the business he gets... Well, Lindy doesn't wind them all himself, he has a whole staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vedder323 Posted April 9, 2008 Members Share Posted April 9, 2008 Well, Lindy doesn't wind them all himself, he has a whole staff.I know Wyatt, I didnt literally mean that, just saying it in a joking way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted April 9, 2008 Members Share Posted April 9, 2008 I found that the GFS lil Hot Puncher bridge pickup screamed on my tele. And, as an added bonus, when the coils were split, the volume dropoff was pretty slight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted April 10, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 10, 2008 Thanks for the suggestions. I've been checking them out and there is quite a price range from the GFS up to the more boutiqe pickups like Lollar, Kinsman, etc. I kind of went way over budget buying the guitar, so for now, I'll have to stay in the lower end of the spectrum, pricewise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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