Tele Custom 72 RI pickup(s)/wiring suggestions?

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

This guitar was a bit noisy when I got it stock.
The Hipshot Trilogy bridge didn't make it any better or worse.
I want to replace pickup(s) in this guitar for two reasons:
1. Single coil hum.
2. The humbucker is noticeably higher output.

Its got a great tele "quack" out of the single coil and the warmest jazz tone out of the neck with the rosewood,
but its like two different guitars in one, that dont always talk politely to each other (in a noisy restaurant sometimes) Laughing

I'd like to get pickups that will get close to the same sounds but with more balanced output and noiseless.
Im thinking of Seymour Duncan and/or Dimarzio in price range.
I was originally thinking of just replacing the single coil, but replacing both may work better I feel.

Also, any wiring ideas for more switching options i.e a 5-way, mini switch or push-pull knobs?
Im not crazy about the typical volume and tone wiring scheme as is.
Im open to any and all suggestions.
I've been to the tele forum on this too, but figured it cant hurt to have a 17th or 18th opinion before I do any more surgery.

Clete

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

My own take is that it is what it is. I wouldn't hack up a guitar like this, but rather sell it and get one that is more to my liking. Many people out there like these as-is. If you hack it up, you spend money on it and wind up with a guitar that is worth less. My take. With that said, if you still want to hack it up -

There are two problems with these Teles, to me. First is the rhythm/lead pickup disparity. Probably the reason they went to Les Paul type wiring on this Tele Custom version way back when was to give the option to independently control the volumes so you can bring down the humbucker into balance. Works pretty well, gives the warm jazzy tone in front in spades, but doesn't sacrifice your Tele quack in back. That's the reason I can live with this version Tele. They can keep the Tele Deluxes with two humbuckers - good guitar, but not a Tele to me.

But that wiring gives the second problem - you don't have standard Tele controls - a single volume/tone control which you can work with your pinky for volume swells and so on. So if you hate that, you could put standard Tele knobs on the left pair and wire up a straight volume and tone to them, and then use the right-hand pair holes for something else (series-parallel + phase switches, for example). But you sacrifice independent pickup controls. It's a tradeoff.

On the pickups - I assume you've tried lowering the humbucker way down into the cavity and raising the lead pickup closer to the strings? Probably won't get it all the way, but it can help. Again, that's the beauty of the stock wiring for this guitar - you can control each pickup independently. I wouldn't change it, and would just use a volume pedal for swells instead.

As far as the single-coil noise goes - it's tough. I have a great Tele with Joe Barden pickups in it. They're very good - a bit more midrangey than a real good+quacky Tele pickup, but still have plenty of Tele quack. But if I raise them close to the strings to increase the volume, I lose a lot of that quack. They're naturally a bit hotter than a standard Tele lead pickup, but not sure they'll hit the level of the HB without raising the lead pickup mercilessly. Maybe if you lower the HB enough. I'd say the same for the Bill Lawrence pickups. They're great pickups, and he does keep them from getting real midrangey. But my experience is that they're not the same as a real good old-school Tele lead pickup.

The only other low-noise Fender-style pickup I've used that comes close (to my ears) to a real single coil is a Kinman, and I have a real cool Strat with a set of Kinman 62-style pickups in it. Never had experience with his Tele-style pickups, but those Strat-styles are great and I've considered trying a set of his Tele-styles.

I think the Duncan Broadcaster pickup is probably the best inexpensive Tele pickup out there, but it's single coil. To my ears, the 'usual suspects' in humbucking but Tele-size pickups have way too much midrange to produce what I consider a 'real' Tele sound.

Most full-size humbuckers out there sound, to me, louder and hotter than the Fender humbucker, which I think sounds good in this application. But perhaps there is a significantly lower-output HB out there.

Again - I wouldn't probably do any more than try to find a low-noise but good-sounding alternative to your single coil and would leave the wiring alone. If that didn't give me what I needed, I'd take the trilogy off and find a more suitable guitar as a platform. But that's just me.

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

Thanks for the "voice of reason" Dave!

At least my original instinct to just try replacing the bridge pup was not way out-of bounds. Dont get me wrong, I love the way this axe sounds, feels and plays! I've recorded with it a lot. As long as I'm in a quiet polarity with the amp its got great tone, and there really is a lot of flexibility in these two pups with individual vol and tone.
I've been used to noiseless EMGs in my Strats and Dimarzio humbuckers in my Ibanez and Ernie Ball guitars for a long time, and true single coil tone (albeit with the hum) sounds good but a bit unweildy live. My other Tele has the S-1 switching. Its quiet and plays great and the one I've been playing live. There are a few songs that I'd like to do with the 72 and alternate tunings, but the hum was holding me back from using it. I did drop the humbucker as low as possible btw. A stacked replacement will be quieter, hotter and balance with the neck better I'm hoping. Ive been looking at Seymour Duncan and Dimarzio and just not sure which to get.

Let me ask for another opinion.
What stacked pickup replacement for Tele bridge would you opt for?

SEYMOUR DUNCAN STK-T3b VINTAGE STACK

Seymour Duncan STHR-1 Tele Hot Rails Pickup

Seymour Duncan STK-T2B HOT STACK LEAD

SEYMOUR DUNCAN ST59-1 LITTLE '59 TELE BRIDGE PICKUP

Dimarzio Super Distortion Tele Guitar Pickup DP318

Dimarzio Area Hot T Bridge Pickup DP421

The only wiring thing I might like is a push pull volume on the lead pickup to get alternate tones from the stacked bridge. I assume this is possible if the pup has 4 wires? Im leaning towards the SD vintage because, well, only cause its called vintage! Smile

Clete

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I've tried various of the Duncan and Dimarzio 'hot' lead pickups over the years - hot rails, quarter pounders, etc. They all sounded like humbuckers to me, with a large midrange hump that is fine for some things, but never sounded like a Tele to me. That's fine if that's what you want, but if you want a Tele single-coil sound, it probably won't cut it - or to be more precise, it didn't for me. But if what you want is more like your EMGs or humbuckers, they'll probably be fine.

The one that might be different out of this pile is the Duncan vintage stack. I've not tried it, it may retain the Tele quack - Seymour does know Tele pickups and this is a pretty common desire among Tele players. My guess is that if it does that, it probably won't be as 'hot' as the others, but if it tamed the hum and still sounded like a Tele pickup, it'd be cool to me. I guess it depends on what you think is most important, it's always a tradeoff.

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

Thanks again Dave.
I haven't personally tried any of these but Im gonna go for the SD Vintage.
Its my gut instinct and if it works great, if it doesnt I still have all the original parts right? Wink

Anyone have first hand experience with this pickup?
Still looking for wiring options too.

Clete

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Well,,, the single coil hum has never really bothered me. I don't like humbucking pickups at all. But,, that's me. If I had that guitar, I'd get the P-90 style pup that fits in a humbucker cut-out. A P-90 sounds wonderful in the neck slot.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Probably should have mentioned this before - my '68 Esquire was routed for a full-sized humbucker when I got it. I tried my PAF (out of an early 60s SG) - same issue you're facing, unbalanced. So it now sports a late 60s patent-number Gibson mini-humbucker. That balances much better with the stock single-coil, the guitar is completely stock otherwise. But you'd have to have a pickguard made to fit. Various sources probably work for that - Chandler, All Parts, probably others.

I love P-90s except for the noise - it's not impossible if you're not pushing the gain. But the mini-humbucker sounds great too - in fact, I probably prefer it for a jazz sound. That guitar has relatively light flatwounds on it right at the moment - could probably play any style gig with it.

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

Aw shoot, now Im in a quagmire again Mad

I wasnt thinking of replacing the humbucker till two days ago,
changed my mind yesterday, and ya had to put that idea in me head again. Confused

It is really hot output though, even when lowered till the springs falls off Embarassed

I'll consider leaving the single coil and replacing the humbucker as yet another option.

Im gonna sit this one out for now, and play it some more.
The answer will come to me in a dream perhaps.
Thanks for helping me to decide what not to do. Laughing

Clete

Michael Brebes · From: Northridge CA

You might want to try the Joe Barden twin-blade Tele pickups. Danny Gatton sure seemed to like them.
_________________
Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso

Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

I have the Barden "Gatton" pups on my thinline Tele. Well,,, actually it's a Zion three pup thinline "Tele." I love them on that guitar, but I didn't like them on my solid body Teles. I tried them on several Teles, and they just seemed to "hard-edged." But the Thinline seems to give them an "airier" sound. Don't know why,,,,,,,

D Schubert · From: Columbia, MO, USA

The neck humbucker and the independent vol/tone controls are pretty unique to that particular model of Telecaster. If those features are not to your liking, you might be better off to replace it with a different Tele altogether.

Consider a more traditional tele with two single-coil pickups and master volume/tone/3-way selector. There are many more aftermarket pickups and switching mods for that type.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

D Schubert · From: Columbia, MO, USA

Back on the subject of no extraneous pickup noise, I just put a 2nd hand set of Seymour Duncan stacked humbuckers (vintage stack bridge) in a Tele of mine and is is definitely quiet. Have not gigged with it yet, but it does still sound like a Tele.

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

D,

I was hoping that someone with first hand experience using the SD Vintage Stack would give me their opinion on it.
I've been playing it a lot lately as is, just to be sure about changing the lead pickup. Havent checked out Joe Barden yet, but the SD is in the running for sure.
Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. Very Happy

Clete

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

Well, I finally went and got the STK T3b vintage stack and replaced the single coil. Razz

I don't know if its just a happy accident, but it works and sounds brilliantly!
The original pups were reading around 6 or 7, almost the same.
This one is like 18 and the tone variety is remarkable.
The output is very well matched with the humbucker, plus, there is no noise!
It was easy enough for me to install, so putting it back to stock is no big deal.

Purists might say it lost a little bite, but its still got plenty of bark!
Hey its MIM and not an original '72 Seth Lover WideRange either, but Im a happy camper.

Thanks Seymour. Very Happy

Clete

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