Pup Starter Kit - Your Suggestions Please

[detuned]

Hiya,

I've been agonizing about my AmSe Tele for a while now. I thought of selling it, countouring & refinishing the body, & buying a new body for it. It's an alder body w/rosewood board.

Coutouring & refinishing - Not ideal, I'm a BAD woodworker, & I HATE to paint. Stick to my strengths, I guess.

New body - Maybe it'll work out, maybe not. Hmm.

It occurs to me that in actuality, it's a fine instrument, but next to my G&L ASAT Classic, it sounds kind of wimpy & generic.

The last option before I sell it & look for something more suitable - a pickup swap. I've never swapped pups before, so I don't know much about the various brands.

So, your suggestions please-

I'm looking for a pickup set that's not necessarily louder, but more dynamic, more 3-D than standard tele pups. my guitar is pretty dark, so something that would compensate for that would be nice. I LOVE the G&L MFDs, so something in that neighborhood would be cool. Vintage +. Noiseless or not, I don't care.

Affordable & available are key too. I don't want to sink a mint into this (at some point, you might as well just buy a new guitar!), & I don't want to wait a year for them to ship, either.

So where should I be looking? Duncans, Harmonic Designs, Rio Grandes?

Thanks!

[photoweborama]

Yes, do a pickup swap. I sold my AmSer Tele. I sold it. It sounded like a Strat.

This new Tele the guys helped me build sounds so different. Now if I had just gotten a real set of Tele pickups for the Amser, I might have kept it.

From what I understand, the traditional sound for a Tele neck pickup is that it’s real heavy on the bass and much lower on the treble and mids. Bigsby Tracks tells me it's the metal cover that makes it that way. Uneven sounding to my ears. He would take the cover off to make it sound more even.

Well, it appears on the newer AmSer Tele's they found a way to even the sound out even with the cover on, making it sound more Strat like. Generic sounding.

With the new Tele, at first I thought there was something wrong with the pickup, but I found out that’s the way they should be. Now, when I blend the neck with the bridge pickups, I get this totally gritty blues tone that sounds fantastic when played overdriven.

My stock AmSer Tele NEVER sounded like this!

[detuned]

Sooooo Photo my man,

What's in that bad boy of yours?

:-)

[photoweborama]

Strange enough, stock CiJ Tele pickups that Butnut gave me.

The neck came from a Paisly CiJ Tele and the bridge came from a CiJ 52RI.

Like I said, at first I thought the pickup was broken because it's so different from the stock AmSer. Tele pickup.. but man, it has a great sound.

Here is the AmSer I sold and now I wish I had kept and just changed the pickups: http://photoweborama.com/v-web/gallery/mwtele

Here is the new Photowebocaster:
http://photoweborama.com/v-web/gallery/pcaster

Here is a Jam Zone Jam thread. Scroll down to my take. I just LOVE the tone on the new Tele here...

http://www.thefenderforum.com/forum/...390#post193390

[BigsbyTracks]

I think I need to make it clear that I'm no expert and that other better informed folks may well correct my reasoning or information. But I think it's pretty well documented that in general the cover reduces some of the highs, relatively speaking. But magnets, wire, insulation, winding and cover material can have an effect too.

I thought the Duncan Broadcaster bridge and vintage neck I had were a heck of a combination at a decent price, particularly used. The guy I sold them to loved them compared to the stock MIJ standard (not reissue) pickups he had. To replace that set, I bought a Harmonic Design Super 90 bridge and Vintage Plus neck, again used, to get a beefier sound closer to a P-90. And just recently I just put in a P-90 in the neck, so I guess that reveals my interest in a bluesy sound.

Again, I'm no expert, and trying to report only direct personal experience. YMMV, TTL excluded, all the usual disclaimers apply. :spin :lol

[fezz parka]

Fender Custom Shop Texas Special Teles. IMO, they're the best sounding Tele pickups I've heard in a long time. Alnico V magnets, copperplate on the lead pickup. Based on your description of what you're looking for, these'll do it. Check with Jim in Texas, he should be able to get them for you.:yay

[Mr Fuzzy]

I second Fez Parka!

I put a set of TX Specials in my friends American Standard Tele, and wow! The guitar sounds so much richer. The middle position with the original pickups just sounded like the bridge pickup with the tone rolled down.

With the TX specials all three positions are distinct and sound great.
Best sounding tele neck pickup from Fender IMHO.

Now I want a Tele with TX special pickups too.

[fezz parka]

Best sounding tele neck pickup from Fender IMHO.

Exactly!

[photoweborama]

What I've learned, and I've heard this for a long time, is that the current AmSer Tele's don't sound like traditional Tele's, and now I tend to agree. But the guitar itself has the basic design to pull it off, if it has the right pickups.

And the stock AmSer Tele pickups just make it sound like a Strat. Well, that's what I've seen with the Tele I had.

But no sense getting rid of the guitar when the pickups are at fault. Well, at least don't do what I did ... Sell it without giving a pickup swap a chance.

Oh yes, I buy almost all my stuff from Jim in Texas.

[detuned]

Well thanks folks!

I'll look out for a guitar with the Texas Specials to check 'em out.

I love this place!

[Kap'n]

Well thanks folks!

I'll look out for a guitar with the Texas Specials to check 'em out.

You won't regret them.

[Tele-Bob]

I'll do my broken record thing here and say that you might want to just get a different guitar, or try playing several examples of the one you already have to determine if it's just your particular guitar that doesn't sound right, or if all examples of that guitar just don't sound right to you.

As I've said many times before, I have never had a set of p'ups transform a guitar from a frog to a prince. If a guitar already has good p'ups in it, changing the p'ups to "other good p'ups" has never yeilded the results I was looking for. This is just my personal experience. Personal experience that has consumed a lot of time, effort and cash.

I would suggest trying a bunch of guitars just like yours before you buy anything and determine if it's just your particular guitar. Beside, gear shopping is always fun and educational. It's all good.

[detuned]

Yah, I thought of that.

Believe me, I have waaaay more time to obsess about gear than actually play it these days...

It's a good guitar overall. Solid, perhaps a little on the heavy side, with a dark tonality overall. Well put together, with a big fat neck. Stays in tune well, fells good to play. The pickups don't sound bad to me, they sound genereic. Like a copy of a tele. If I were picking nits, I'd say I wish it wasn't black, but I bought it to play, not look at.

I'm going to find a guitar to try with these pups & see how they sound. I think Performance in Woburn has one, if not, I may have to steel myself for a trip to GC. The one near my house & the one in town stink, but the one in Natick is decent.If it's not what I'm looking for, I definitely will think about selling it & hunting something else up.

I'm definitely WITH you on the gear shopping! :-)

[photoweborama]

The pickups don't sound bad to me, they sound genereic. Like a copy of a tele.
I'm definitely WITH you on the gear shopping! :-)

That's what I'm trying to say. Stock AmSer Tele pups are made to sound this way. Mine were the same way, and I read numerous threads on other forums saying the same thing.

In this case, I really do think a set of Custom Shop Texas Specials will transform that Tele into what it should be.

But then, gear shopping makes the world go round!

[Tele Jr]

I put Tx Specials in and alder Am Se I had and they really sounded good, they really transformed the guitar into a whole different instrument, it went from being overly wimpy to being lethal.

In the end though I came to the conclusion that the alder body just didn't do it for me campared to an ash Tele, I let the alder go on the cheap to a young student who needed a good axe. I'm to the point now where I feel like alder body Tele's sound like they are part Strat too, and I'm not a Strat guy.

If your G&L is ash, and you really like that, maybe you should consider checking out an ash body Tele and putting Tx Specials or whatever pups you end up liking in one of those.

[detuned]

Nope, it's alder.

Maple board tho'.

It's just a different instrument, a different version of the tele template. I wouldn't change a thing on that one.

[fezz parka]

Remember to get the Custom Shop Texas Special Teles. These are not your run of the mill Texas Specials. I'm not a fan of the regular Texas Specials.

[detuned]

Update:

CS Texas Special Tele pups on the way from MF. Just under $100 shipped. Noice.

FWIW, it'll be my first pup swap. I've replaced saddles, nuts & pickguards, but never pups.

I'll update once they're in...

[detuned]

As promised, here's the update:

After a loooong shipping delay from MF, they finally arrived. Whacked them in a couple of weeks ago, & plugged into my 6V6-ed HRD. Very nice, pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

The CS Texas Specials are best described as "rude" (in a good way). They're very agressive, with a lot of bite. The bridge pup is (IMO) somewhat better than the stock pup, but the neck is another story. I'm still fooling wth the pup height to get it perfect, but this thing is huge! Very powerful & dynamic.

Overall, a definite improvement - my guitar sounds like a tele now!
Not exactly what you'd call "twangy", but that probably has more to do with my playing style than the pups.

Played it with the band last week - sits real nice! Cuts as well as the MFDs on my ASAT Classic, but with a more "tele-ish" sound.

Thanks to all for the advice! Much cheaper than a brand new guitar!

[Kap'n]

Just ordered a set of CSTS today for my Nashville telloid. I'll order an extra neck pickup for the middle when I get a few more $$$.

[fezz parka]

Dig it!:wail2

[NeoFauve]

What's the bridge plate made of in the AmSe Tele?
That's a factor in how the Bridge p'up acts.

[fezz parka]

I'll bet it's chrome plated brass...and thick. That will take away some of the pure twangosity. But it'll still sound great!

[Offshore Angler]

Screw it. Take out the neck pup, since a real Tele player never uses it, attach a baseplate to the stock pup and go wreak havoc.

OSA

[fezz parka]

Screw it. Take out the neck pup, since a real Tele player never uses it, attach a baseplate to the stock pup and go wreak havoc.

OSA

I guess Buchanan, or Bryant, or Lee, or Burton never used their neck pickup, huh?

[Don]

What's the bridge plate made of in the AmSe Tele?
That's a factor in how the Bridge p'up acts.

The bridge plate on my '96 Am. Std. is chrome plated brass and there is no elevation plate on the bridge pickup! It is a Telecaster in name only. You can tell that it has been tamed to increase sales.

The bridge pickup still manages to have a nice tone though. Good for rock and roots type pop, even a little blues. The neck pickup is to dark though and the pickups combined lack sparkle.

Mt USACG T-Style has Fralins in it and is wicked! The guitar is very responsive to touch and the controls.
The (covered) neck pickup alone and pickups combined are wonderful. It wasn't as good with the Duncan pickups that I had in it before the Fralins.
The Fralins really took it over the top, although I like the bridge pickup's tone on my stock Am. Std. a little more.

[Kap'n]

Just ordered a set of CSTS today for my Nashville telloid. I'll order an extra neck pickup for the middle when I get a few more $$$.

Damn! Backordered!

[Offshore Angler]

I guess Buchanan, or Bryant, or Lee, or Burton never used their neck pickup, huh?

I'd say that's a pretty good guess. I don't think RB ever EVER used it, and I've never seen a picture of Lee where his selector wasn't on the bridge.

[Offshore Angler]

'Scuse me. RB would hold a note and wiggle the switch so technically he did use it.

[fezz parka]

Listen to "Messiah", he starts on the neck. Same with "Roy's Bluz". It's the most beautiful neck tone. You can always tell when he's going to switch to the bridge pickup, 'cuz you hear the "click". He used the neck as much as he used the bridge, and his neck tone was better....

[Strat-Mangler]

'Scuse me. RB would hold a note and wiggle the switch so technically he did use it.

Ooooooh! *Now,* you've done it! You're entering a debate about RB against fezz.

Good luck! :lol

[fezz parka]

Oh, there's no debate. Chuck's just messin' around. I may not be a rocket scientist, but I know a Tele neck pickup when I hear it.

[Kap'n]

Oh, there's no debate. Chuck's just messin' around. I may not be a rocket scientist, but I know a Tele neck pickup when I hear it.

It might be harder to identify one, if you don't have one. ;)

[fezz parka]

:hee

[Strat-Mangler]

Pffffffsh... I'd respect those Tele players if only they'd "see the light" and play a Strat with a TS-9.

[fezz parka]

TS9's are for people who like to twiddle knobs. You only need 1 knob:

[detuned]

Screw it. Take out the neck pup, since a real Tele player never uses it, attach a baseplate to the stock pup and go wreak havoc.

OSA

Y'know, I don't think I'd do that to this guitar, but I've been thinking about picking up a cheap Squire or MIM tele & going the "Esquire" route. I know Fender makes one, but I don't want to drop 6 bills on a whim. For one thing - I can't! :-P

I *do* find that I spend most of mytime on the bridge pup tho'. Originally, I bought this guitar to get the middle position sound, but have since seen the light.

Thanks again to Fezz for the usual fine advice!

[Offshore Angler]

Hey, fezz iz a decent human. He can take alternate points of view. Besides, he started it!

Plus, he's right, the damn bastage!

[fezz parka]

Yes, I am a bastage!:hee