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Post subject: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 7:31 am
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So I've got this Tele with a broadcaster bridge pickup and a Seymour Duncan Jazz HB neck pickup.

Here's the dilemma: I love how the Neck pickup sounds, and I like both pickups together, but I've never been truly happy with the bridge pickup. I can't explain it. The pick is fine, but not gnarly or raw enough for me, not too bright, not too dark, but sounds like it has some authority when it's dirty. The Broadcaster pickup is missing something.

The best bridge pickup I ever heard was in my Muddy Waters Telecaster, a '60s style pup I think. I sold the guitar a few years ago after the bridge pickup was professionally rewound, but never sounded as good again. It was highly respected pickup company, but pickup came back sounding limp compared to the way it did when it worked properly.

Any ideas of a good bridge pickup that would go well with the HB? I mostly play post WWII blues and the Police with this guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 8:34 am
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Of all the forum members you would have been in the back end of my list of who's most likely to ask this kind of question :lol:

OK, here goes, highly personal opinions, just to start the flood:
a) Fender Custom Shop chose CS69 for the Andy Summers Tribute guitar, that might be a good choice.
b) (I say this often:) You can't go wrong with Lollars - maybe the J-Street?
c) Plus, there are the custom pickup makers - you know: "support your local economy".


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 5:37 pm
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jmattis wrote:
Of all the forum members you would have been in the back end of my list of who's most likely to ask this kind of question :lol:

OK, here goes, highly personal opinions, just to start the flood:
a) Fender Custom Shop chose CS69 for the Andy Summers Tribute guitar, that might be a good choice.
b) (I say this often:) You can't go wrong with Lollars - maybe the J-Street?
c) Plus, there are the custom pickup makers - you know: "support your local economy".


I'm more of a Strat guy, so most of my knowledge is in that area. Thanks! I'll have to check them out on youtube.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 8:18 pm
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Sent you a PM


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 2:17 am
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Would mounting the bridge pickup directly onto the body of the guitar improve things?
I only mention it as Andy's own guitar has the bridge pickup mounted in such a way.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 2:36 am
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jmattis wrote:
Of all the forum members you would have been in the back end of my list of who's most likely to ask this kind of question :lol:

OK, here goes, highly personal opinions, just to start the flood:
a) Fender Custom Shop chose CS69 for the Andy Summers Tribute guitar, that might be a good choice.
b) (I say this often:) You can't go wrong with Lollars - maybe the J-Street?
c) Plus, there are the custom pickup makers - you know: "support your local economy".


I'll second the Lollars. Was thinking the Vintage T Series or the '52 T series though. I've gotten quite a few of their sets and liked them. Last month was a humbucker sized P90 that went into my HSS. Awesome tone and none of the hum I was expecting. And they are close enough for one day mail service if I call early in the day so guess they are close enough that I am supporting the local economy.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 6:13 am
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stratmangler wrote:
Would mounting the bridge pickup directly onto the body of the guitar improve things?
I only mention it as Andy's own guitar has the bridge pickup mounted in such a way.


What exactly does mounting the pickup to the body do?


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 8:17 am
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More andysummerish tone..? :wink:

But seriously, folks.
As we all know :?: , AS's Tele had/has a broken bridge plate, and the bridge pup was/is mounted into the guitar body. This defect was reproduced in the Custom Shop Tribute Teles; IMHO mostly because they were replicas, not so much for a tone difference. After all, there are some special (= magical) electronics in those AS Teles, original and replicas.
Not to mention the pair of AS hands that create the original sound - for some reason the Custom Shop didn't choose to replicate those.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 10:37 am
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jmattis wrote:
More andysummerish tone..? :wink:

But seriously, folks.
As we all know :?: , AS's Tele had/has a broken bridge plate, and the bridge pup was/is mounted into the guitar body. This defect was reproduced in the Custom Shop Tribute Teles; IMHO mostly because they were replicas, not so much for a tone difference. After all, there are some special (= magical) electronics in those AS Teles, original and replicas.
Not to mention the pair of AS hands that create the original sound - for some reason the Custom Shop didn't choose to replicate those.


Mike Eldred said in the video that mounting the bridge pickup directly to the body significantly changes the tone!
Check it out at 4 minutes 30 seconds.

The GE Smith model also has the bridge pickup mounted directly on the body because GE prefers the tone that way.
They might be onto something ......

Fast forward to 5 minutes


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 12:06 pm
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jmattis wrote:
More andysummerish tone..? :wink:

But seriously, folks.
As we all know :?: , AS's Tele had/has a broken bridge plate, and the bridge pup was/is mounted into the guitar body. This defect was reproduced in the Custom Shop Tribute Teles; IMHO mostly because they were replicas, not so much for a tone difference. After all, there are some special (= magical) electronics in those AS Teles, original and replicas.
Not to mention the pair of AS hands that create the original sound - for some reason the Custom Shop didn't choose to replicate those.


I agree that what make sound the way he does is in his hands. For this Telecaster, I'm looking for that same tone I got from the bridge pup on the mw Telecaster, and make sure that it'll complement the HB in the neck.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Wed May 06, 2015 3:14 am
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paris wrote:
stratmangler wrote:
Would mounting the bridge pickup directly onto the body of the guitar improve things?
I only mention it as Andy's own guitar has the bridge pickup mounted in such a way.


What exactly does mounting the pickup to the body do?


Most Teles with a bridge humbucker seem to have a Strat style bridge with the pup mounted to the body and lose that "tele twang". My custom has a more traditional Tele type bridge but cut out for a humbucker. The humbucker doesn't have the metal backplate of a normal Tele singlecoil to tie it to bridge and give it that twang unfortunately. The Tele style bridge is more to keep it looking like a Tele since the humbucker just fits in the slot and is mounted to the body. In this case the body in extensively chambered and the sound is more like a Gretsch than a Tele. Especially since the humbuckers are Lollartrons modeled after the ones in the Country Gentleman.
Image

The 3 way switch is gone now. Added piezos and wanted to use the tone knob to control that pickup so went with no switch and 3 split knobs that control the volume/tone of each pickup individually. The piezos have their own output so can run them through a separate amp dialed in for them while sending the humbuckers to the tube amp as usual. Amazing guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a new Telecaster Bridge Pickup
Posted: Wed May 06, 2015 6:09 am
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Fralin pick-ups make some very nice Tele bridge pickups. I've got their stock tele on one of mine and it sure suits me for country or blues/rock.


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