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Post subject: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 10:09 am
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So I've got a US Std tele from 2010, and whilst I love the guitar and the pickup sound, I have two issues:

1. The amount of hum / noise from the pickups when any amount of overdrive is added, especially over the last couple of months, which makes me think they are on the way out, and;
2. The output volume versus my other guitar (PRS Custom 24).

I'm looking to replace the pickups to try and counter these but don't know what the stock pickups are, their output etc etc in order to try and get to a similar sound at a higher volume. Does anyone have any info on the stock pickups that may be able to help me?

Also, any recommendations as to what I might install? Was possibly thinking Seymour Duncan Vintage Stack or custom shop Texas special...

Cheers


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:44 am
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Here's my opinion...

About the best thing you can do to improve a Telecaster is to replace the Neck pickup with a humbucker. Your body is already pre-routed for that mod, you just need to get a new pickguard with the larger cutout. It's a very quick operation. I personally would keep the single-coil in the bridge because that sound is pretty iconic for the Tele.

The bucker I put is mine is called "Powered by Lace" and is available for about $20 on Ebay (direct from China). I love the tone, and I do have other guitars with expensive humbuckers to compare it to, but that's just like, my opinion, man.

However this advice is only if you plan on keeping the guitar "forever". If you might resell this guitar, think twice about any mods since they can drastically reduce the resale value of any expensive instrument. You can always keep the old pickguard with the old neck pickup attached to it, and reinstall it if you gotta sell the axe, but I threw mine away as I can't see ever selling my Tele (knock on wood). Ken


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:50 am
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Not very likely that those pickups (only four years old) would be dying. Maybe something in the wiring, if the hum has increased significally.

The stock pups should be AlnicoV's and give about 7.7 kOhms reading.
A comparison to the PRS humbucker volume is unfair :wink: - and anyway, all guitars aren't the same; that's why there is a Vol control in them and the amps... BTW, how's the pickup height?

Anyway, I'm guessing you won't be satisfied before you get a new pup set. Those Texans are hotter but in the same "tonal family", the SD's probably differ more from the present sound. There are sound samples in the net, but your guitar-pedals-amp rig, playing style and ears will eventually give that final touch, so the decision is up to you.
Or go wild and get the Twisted Tele set. :twisted:

Edit: Read Ken's post, so a comment: some of us just categorically prefer single coils for Teles (& Strats & ...). Like Leo did, you know :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 12:09 pm
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Invoking Leo Fender are we?

The guitar humbucker wasn't invented until 1955 and the Tele design was from 1951, so Leo didn't put a humbucker in the Tele because it hadn't been invented yet, not because he preferred the tone of a Single coil.

That said, in my post I did indicate that the Single coil in the bridge is the best way to go. I just don't like the lipstick-style neck pickup in any way, shape or form (or tone).

Cheers, Ken


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 2:47 pm
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Thanks for the replies guys.

Jmattis - yeah, get that the comparison to the PRS isn't great, and that is always going to be greater, just wanted to give a bit of a benchmark as to the volume on the other guitar. Don't want to adjust the PRS at all as it's set up perfectly IMHO and sounds great.

Have played with the height on the Tele but found that although raising the height increased the volume a bit, it lost some of the tonal quality that I really like, especially in the bridge, seemed to muddy it up if I remember right.

Am certainly liking the sound clips of the Texans, just wasn't sure how noisy or quiet they'd be (the SD ones are being marketed as reduced hum whereas no mention of this on the Texans).


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 3:07 pm
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Ken Shapiro wrote:
Invoking Leo Fender are we?

Rather trying to make a point on what has been a big part of Fender's signature tones, and a reason to its popularity.

Quote:
The guitar humbucker wasn't invented until 1955 and the Tele design was from 1951, so Leo didn't put a humbucker in the Tele because it hadn't been invented yet, not because he preferred the tone of a Single coil.

Stratocaster. Jazzmaster. Jaguar. Mustang. Etc.

And: I don't have anything against humbuckers. Still, in a Fender I prefer single coils.


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 3:28 pm
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sdkirk wrote:
...I have two issues:

1. The amount of hum / noise from the pickups when any amount of overdrive is added, especially over the last couple of months, which makes me think they are on the way out, and;
1. Singles coils hum. That's why they invented humbuckers. Hence the name humbuckers. Get it? The single coil sound is the signature of the Telecaster. Your pickups are just fine.
sdkirk wrote:
2. The output volume versus my other guitar (PRS Custom 24).
2. Singles have lower output than buckers as a general rule.

Comparing a PRS C24 with a Tele is like comparing a monkey and a dolphin. Yes, they are both animals that eat food and breathe oxygen and have internal organs that function in a similar way but that's where the similarities end. The Tele and the C24 both have 6 strings and tuners and bridges and pickups and can be plugged into an amplifier but they are not the same animal. To expect one to sound like the other is folly.

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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 1:50 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
1. Singles coils hum. That's why they invented humbuckers. Hence the name humbuckers. Get it?

So how does American football work then, as don’t most of the players use their hands….? ;-)

Seriously, though, I get that they hum, and are generally lower output, but it sounds to me like there are issues with my existing pups due to increasing hum over time, which to me isn’t normal. I was looking for advice to see if there was a decent higher output pickup that also caused less hum (to counter the two issues) – the output isn't a deal breaker, I was just looking to simply my set up a bit, and the two may be mutually exclusive (maybe I've just fallen into some marketing BS that is being quoted by SD when they say the Vintage Stack pups are lower hum). If higher output generally gives higher noise, then I’ll go with "regular" output and carry on as I am, but I just wanted to see if it was possible to kill two birds with one stone if I'm potentially changing pups due to the increased noise issue anyway.


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 5:44 pm
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You might want to take a look at the Dimarzio Area T Hot Bridge and Area T Neck. Martian is familiar with them, I believe, so hopefully he will comment..


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 10:09 am
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Either the Fender Custom Shop Nocaster or the Texas Specials, two pickups from opposite ends of the sonic spectrum and you would not be disappointed with either of them. I think they are the best tele replacement pickups out there.


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 11:51 pm
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I have a 2009 AM std Tele all original, gets played a lot thru solid state and tube amps (latest amp is Mustang3v2) and don't have any hum when gain is increased. Seems to me that there is something out of whack. I don't think pup change will help. Have tech guy check out the electronics (do it yourself if you have a meter). Could be as simple as the grounding is faulty. Hope you can trace the problem. New pups to change sound would be interesting though.
Regards, Ross :D


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 11:47 am
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I recently replaced my MIM Telecaster pickups with the Custom Shop 51' Nocaster pickups and I couldn't be happier. I bought the guitar used and someone else had changed out the originals. I did all the work myself (documented in a different thread but the pictures have disappeared). I removed the old electronics and leveled out the bottom of each cavity, I bought a copper shielding kit and completely shielded all the nooks and crannies, grounded everything accordingly. I play mostly country music so I get that real good twang sound off the bridge pickup and with the neck pickup I get a nice Strat sound. Impulse 7 gave it it's new name "Twang Banging Monster" I play it through a Fender Mustang III and there is no hum or noise at any volume level. This is all according to my aging ears, so it's likely someone else wouldn't hear the same thing and will certainly disagree. Keep in mind Ken Shapiro's comment about value and keeping it "forever", I only had $250 in my guitar and was so unhappy with it I was willing to take the chance. But, like I said I couldn't be happier and it works for me! The next owner will pry it from my cold dead hands!
Good Luck! :D


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 7:15 pm
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I have Fender’s Custom Shop Texas Specials in the bridge of my ’73 Custom and my partscaster. At 10.5k ohms they’ll stand up to a humbucker with no problem. But they are single coils, if your guitar is picking up electrical interferences, these pickups would not help. As far as the noise start looking around where you are playing, neon lights, dimmer switches, something like that is causing the increased hum.


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Advice - 2010 American Std Tele
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 5:26 am
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oldguy101 wrote:
You might want to take a look at the Dimarzio Area T Hot Bridge and Area T Neck. Martian is familiar with them, I believe, so hopefully he will comment..


These are very good replacement pups if the single coil hum is really bothering you that much. You may not like the 'hot" bridge pickup, but check out the regular set:

http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/pre-wir ... p-set-tele

Here is the "hot" bridge pup:

http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/tele/hu ... t-t-bridge

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