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Post subject: Middle pickup for Tele mod!
Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:30 am
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I would like to know of a good middle pickup to mod my tele. I need a reverse wound for strat or a noisless for Tele. S.D. makes some good sounding Hummbuckers that fit into a single coil route. Lil 59 for strat, Lace sensor silver, Fat 50's for Strat, SD cool rails, are some of the ones I am considering.

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Post subject: Re: Middle pickup for Tele mod!
Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 2:50 am
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I have eliminated the hummbuckers and am focusing on true single coils. Lace sensor is out and am currently considering the S.D. Antiquity II Surfer middle RW/RP.

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Post subject: Re: Middle pickup for Tele mod!
Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 6:37 pm
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Can't really answer your query until you specify which pups you will use for neck and bridge. There should be some semblance of balance between the three and knowing the other two will help narrow down the choices for the middle. You will also want to specify exactly how "Stratty" you want your Tele to sound while using the middle pup in tandem with the neck or bridge. How much quack are you looking for? A little or a lot? Will you wire the middle in series or parallel with the bridge and neck pups? Do you already have the new scratch-plate? Was it cut for a Strat sized pup?

Enquiring minds need to know.

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Post subject: Re: Middle pickup for Tele mod!
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 6:10 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Can't really answer your query until you specify which pups you will use for neck and bridge. There should be some semblance of balance between the three and knowing the other two will help narrow down the choices for the middle. You will also want to specify exactly how "Stratty" you want your Tele to sound while using the middle pup in tandem with the neck or bridge. How much quack are you looking for? A little or a lot? Will you wire the middle in series or parallel with the bridge and neck pups? Do you already have the new scratch-plate? Was it cut for a Strat sized pup?

Enquiring minds need to know.


1st, I have a special wound Zebra Hummbucker with Alnico 5 Mags and wound with Formvar wire in the Bridge, split-able coil with an S1 switch in the Volume pot, (250K). An over wound single coil neck covered tele style with Alnico 5 magnets and wrapped with plain enamel wire. I so not have the actual output but have had some input that the neck has an output of about 5.9-6.1 and the bridge is approx 7.1-11.5. The tone pot is 250 K no load and the volume pot is 250 K with an S1 switch to split the coil.
I am having it routed to fit a strat single coil middle RW/RP pickup and adding a 5 way Fender super switch in a standard wiring series and adding a on/off/on toggle for the neck pickup to keep the standard tele middle position. The current pickups are original equipment from guitar centers custom design USA Pro Telecaster HS. I only want a mild Strat sound in the 2nd a 4th positions, but know that it can't be perfect cause it's not a Strat. Just as close as I can without buying a 2nd guitar. The pickup I am most considering is the Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Surfer for Strat Middle RW/RP with an output of 6.3 DCR Alnico 5 Magnets and Formvar magnet wire. My tech says it is a great pickup for what I am doing. He spent some time doing research on the pickup here not to long ago with a strat mod and it out performed any Fender custom shop 50's or 60's with the same configurations. He may forgo the extra toggle and use a push/pull tone pot to activate the neck pickup for that vintage Tele middle position.
Hope this helps any advice you have and thanks for considering my query!

PFF
Here is a link to my pics of the guitar as it is!
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y40 ... rdzxcg.jpg

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My Equipment:
Fender USA Pro Telecaster HS
Fender Super Champ X2 15W tube combo.


Martin D-18 E Retro, Martin GPCPA4-Nat.
Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amp.


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Post subject: Re: Middle pickup for Tele mod!
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 9:54 am
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I have experimented with low output middle pups working with higher output neck and bridge pups. I won't be doing that again. I recommend you look at something a little more robust. Not as hefty as a Quarter Pounder but a bit more skookum than an Antiquity Surfer.

If it were me, I think I'd be looking at the Antiquity Texas rather than the Surfer.
I might even take a stab at the Custom Staggered middle.

The choice is completely subjective and it's all squarely on you. While it can be of some benefit to ask the opinions of others, I don't recommend you place a whole lot of weight on those opinions. Not even mine. Taste and tone are so personal. One man's food is another man's poison.

I give mine because you asked. If it were me I'd be looking for a bit more beef. I'd be wanting a better balance.

Don't get me wrong, low output pups are wonderful and over the last few years I have been gradually leaning to lower and lower output sets. In your case, it's different. You're only buying one pup to match with two existing pups. Not a set.

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Post subject: Re: Middle pickup for Tele mod!
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 12:30 pm
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Here is a wiring diagram that you may want to consider.
It uses an Oak Grigsby, 2 pole, 5 way, Superswitch, which I like better than a traditional 5 way Stat switch.

Image
For the wiring at the pots of the .022 uf capacitor, I used the following diagram.

Image
How this might work with your existing S-1 switch I have not considered.
Personally, I don't like the S-1 switch and would consider getting rid of it, unless you like it.

I recently built a Tele style guitar using Fender SCN noiseless pickups in the neck and bridge positions.
I used a Lace Sensor Chrome Dome for the middle pickup with the following specs:
• Neck, Middle (Normal or RWRP)
• Resistance: 6.0k
• Peak Frequency: 3600
• Inductance: 2.6 henries

While the neck and bridge pickups, as well as the Lace Chrome Dome are noiseless, I still ordered the Lace pickup reverse wound.
Lace claims they took the Lace Gold, installed a "hotter magnetic", and covered the pickup in a chrome-plated heavy brass cover.
Many people have provided great reviews of these pickups on various sights.
That plus the chrome dome "Tele Plus" style cosmetics, was why I chose this pickup, figuring that it would fit in well with the very hot, discontinued Fender SCN noiseless pickups, which I love.

I used the above wiring diagram with the optional mini-toggle.
The above wiring diagram is wired similar to a Tele, and not a strat, regarding the middle switch position.

Telecaster Style 5-Way Switch.................Stratocaster Style 5-Way Switch
1) Neck................................................................1) Neck
2) Neck + Middle.............................................2) Neck + Middle
3) Neck + Bridge..............................................3) Middle
4) Middle + Bridge..........................................4) Middle + Bridge
5) Bridge.............................................................5) Bridge

Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the middle pickup sounds somewhat muted, as if the treble has been reduced.
For this reason, I would recommend eliminating the optional mini-toggle switch, as it may be a tone sucker.
I have not yet removed the switch, so I cannot provide a definite answer as to whether the switch is the culprit, or whether I just don't like the pickup, as the other pickups sound great.

With this as background, why have you eliminated consideration of using a stacked, noiseless, humbucker, and plan to go for a true single coil pickup?
I know that your guitar tech has recommended the Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Surfer, but have you considered that he just may have one of the pickups sitting around that he wants to use, assuming that he installs the pickup?

There are great sounding noiseless stacked humbucker pickups.
With your bridge humbucker, I would be looking to go noiseless, with the possibility of swapping out the neck pickup for a noiseless pickup, down the road.


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Post subject: Re: Middle pickup for Tele mod!
Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:54 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
I have experimented with low output middle pups working with higher output neck and bridge pups. I won't be doing that again. I recommend you look at something a little more robust. Not as hefty as a Quarter Pounder but a bit more skookum than an Antiquity Surfer.

If it were me, I think I'd be looking at the Antiquity Texas rather than the Surfer.
I might even take a stab at the Custom Staggered middle.

The choice is completely subjective and it's all squarely on you. While it can be of some benefit to ask the opinions of others, I don't recommend you place a whole lot of weight on those opinions. Not even mine. Taste and tone are so personal. One man's food is another man's poison.

I give mine because you asked. If it were me I'd be looking for a bit more beef. I'd be wanting a better balance.

Don't get me wrong, low output pups are wonderful and over the last few years I have been gradually leaning to lower and lower output sets. In your case, it's different. You're only buying one pup to match with two existing pups. Not a set.

I completely understand your theory, but I have a double hummbucker and when split the single pickup out put is about the same as the Antiquity surfer and the Texas special from Fender. I have currently a high output Bridge paired with a med output neck that sounds great and am looking for the 2 and 4 positions sound. I have heavily considered the Antiquity Texas hot middle, it is 9.8 output and a little hot for my setup. But you never know I may change my mind and go with that. Thanks for your help!

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Fender USA Pro Telecaster HS
Fender Super Champ X2 15W tube combo.


Martin D-18 E Retro, Martin GPCPA4-Nat.
Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amp.


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Post subject: Re: Middle pickup for Tele mod!
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2016 8:30 am
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Wow I actually had the tech measure the resistance with a meter and the bridge p/up is combined at 7.2 DCR and the neck is at 4.0. The neck output is identical to the hummbucker when it is split, so the white pickup is 4.0 and the black is 4.2. He checked it several times to confirm and was a bit shocked to find that G.C. had it setup to these specs. A low impedence pickup that sounds great clean and breaks up early when driven. He said the 6.3 RW/RP Antiquity II Surfer is a great addition and can be tailored to the existing pickups and adjust the output to balance the pickups. I do not know what that entails but trust his judgment. All will be taken care of in Feb.

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My Equipment:
Fender USA Pro Telecaster HS
Fender Super Champ X2 15W tube combo.


Martin D-18 E Retro, Martin GPCPA4-Nat.
Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amp.


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Post subject: Re: Middle pickup for Tele mod!
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2016 6:21 am
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Well since I last posted on this thread I have decided not to route a 3rd pickup and do a neck pickup replacment and the , Seymour Duncan 5-2 for tele is a great pickup and is RW/RP so when in is paired with the split hummbucker in the middle position it is noise free. Since I am a primarily rhythm player I live in the 3rd position more often than not. I have also considered the SD Vintage stack for Tele, a stacked hummbucker and that seems like it would be a great combination. I am also going to put in a 4 way switch and keep the same 3 positions as before and add a parallel position, so 1=Bridge, 2=Neck/Bridge parallel, 3=Neck, 4=Neck/Bridge Series. All this makes this guitar very versatile using the S1 switch while in 2, and 4 splitting the hummbucker gives me 6 positions. And it is still a Tele and not a Strat.

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My Equipment:
Fender USA Pro Telecaster HS
Fender Super Champ X2 15W tube combo.


Martin D-18 E Retro, Martin GPCPA4-Nat.
Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amp.


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