Best Telecaster Pickups

Alvin Douglas · Post by **Alvin Douglas** » 23 Oct 2015 4:46 am

Hello All,
I am playing a telecaster deluxe and while I really like some things about the guitar, I miss the bite of the single coil pickups on my standard tele. I may change the pickups on the deluxe. What is the best pickup to buy? I see lots of nocaster original stle pickups on ebay. Is that the best choice? Thanks in advance for any info/opinions.
Alvin

Dustin Rhodes · Post by **Dustin Rhodes** » 23 Oct 2015 5:18 am

Does your deluxe have wide range humbuckers? Maybe get some authentic wide ranges. They're very single coil like.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 23 Oct 2015 6:15 am

Danny Gatton swore by Joe Barden pickups.

Dustin Rhodes · Post by **Dustin Rhodes** » 23 Oct 2015 6:20 am

Andy Volk wrote:Danny Gatton swore by Joe Barden pickups.

Great player but not a tone I'd go out looking for.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 23 Oct 2015 6:33 am

Some Jazz players like Lollar's repro Charlie Christians. It's a pretty complex question youre asking ss the guitar, pickup, amp, genre and playing style all factor in. What style do you play and what sound or range of sounds are you after?

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 23 Oct 2015 8:34 am

Best Telecaster Pickups

First, one has to define "best."

Rich Upright · Post by **Rich Upright** » 23 Oct 2015 9:29 am

My favorite is a tapped Duncan Quarter Pounder, or a Texas Special. I alternate between the 2 in my old Tele. The QP will give you the Gatton sound, while the TS will give you a Roy Buchanan "Nancy" kinda sound.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 23 Oct 2015 10:19 am

So many choices and I haven't tried more than a few. Texas Specials in this guitar:

http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Fender%20Cla ... 20Mod.html

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 23 Oct 2015 10:47 am

I've been playing a Telecaster for 45 years and you won't believe this, but of all the tele pickups out there, and I've used most of them, the b3est bridge pickup I own is off a chinese made Classic Vibe Tele. It just sounds great and its the cheapest pickup I ever bought. It can slice through a bass player like a butter knife, yet tames sweetly with the tone knob.
JB

Alvin Douglas · Post by **Alvin Douglas** » 23 Oct 2015 12:18 pm

Thanks for the info everyone. I play classic country and moved from a standard American tele to the tele deluxe. The deluxe has N3 pickups. I really liked the sound of the standard tele pickups and would like to move the deluxe toward the same sound. The sound clips posted by Greg Cutshaw will do nicely. I have never used the Texas special pickups but I think I will try a set. Thanks again All.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 23 Oct 2015 4:12 pm

well, for me, after many years and many different PUPS, I'm back to basics. Now, on all 3 Telecasters, the same pups. Different body wood will give different tones as well. 2x 52RI's and a 96 Bender, all are very close in tones.

These are the same pups, over the years they have been in different packaging even different names on the boxes but, they are the so called "as close to original" as possible without being original 52's!

Bridge 7.2K neck 7.7K

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 29 Oct 2015 5:09 am

Jeff at Sheptone pickups makes hands down the best hummers since Gibson did in the '50s. His Fender pickups are also off the charts. Well priced by a great guy.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 29 Oct 2015 7:14 am

Texas Specials, just be aware, as nice as they may be, are not close to stock Tele PUPS

Neck Pickup: 9.5K. Bridge Pickup: 10.5K

stronger and more mid range as compared to

Bridge 7.2K neck 7.7K

Brighter, more traditional tones...

John Goux · Post by **John Goux** » 20 Nov 2015 12:16 am

My friend just built a Tele with Don Mare pickups that sound wonderful, fat, clear and vintage sounding. I think he is in Long Beach , ca. If i was buying, I'd go that route. You can find him online.

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 20 Nov 2015 7:12 am

I've got a CS Nocaster that came with these:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender/Cust ... kup-Set.gc

They work great for me, great twang without the ice-pick stuff.. Also look up the 4-position wiring mod where you get can get both PUs on in either series or parallel. Very useful for some variety without giving up the textbook Tele sounds.

Jeff Porter · Post by **Jeff Porter** » 20 Nov 2015 1:00 pm

+1 for Don Mare if you're looking for vintage tones.

http://www.buckcannon.com/

I have a Hayride in my bridge. Love it.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 20 Nov 2015 6:26 pm

I have changed pickups in my Tele a number of times. I put Joe Barden pickups the last time and they are in there for good. I used the modern player Tele PU in the lead position.

Alan Tanner · Post by **Alan Tanner** » 23 Nov 2015 1:41 pm

Another plug for Don Mare...I have them in two of my tellys...one a b bender. Great tone and bite too for "that" sound...