SORTED - Best pickups for a Telecaster?

Castro

Already leaning towards Mojo as I have two brilliant sets of pickups from Marc (Jazzmaster and Gold Foils).

I love crystal cleans and Keef/Coxon/Clash type dirt.

Any recommendations?

crunchman

Had a set of Fralins once that were very good.  Expensive though.  These days I'd probably look at a British maker.

stickyfiddle

I love my BKP Boss set, and I had Mojo wind me something very similar for another tele, also fantastic. 

Danji

I recommend a Charlie Christian pickup for the neck, there are some reasonable handmade ones in the UK or the more expensive Lollar pickups from the US

RandallFlagg

Fender Custom Shop 51 Nocaster set

noisepolluter

I have an Oil City Wapping Wharf in the bridge with a Seymour Duncan vintage mini humbucker in the neck. This combination covers a lot of tonal ground - I'd have happily gone Oil City with the neck HB too if I hadn't already had the SD knocking about spare. Ended up having to get the leads on the Duncan swapped round however as it was reverse polarity so sounded thin on the middle setting.

For glassier cleans Oil City also do the 60's-voiced bridge Diesel Tap (or of course the Thames Delta if you don't want to go tapped.)

proggy

One of my Tele's has a Duncan quarter pounder in the bridge with a stock neck pickup, the other one has a Duncan hot rails in the bridge with a Duncan phat cat in the neck. Both very good and very different.

rico

I have a Mojo Open T which will be installed imminently (for some more stratty type neck tones) and I'm probably going to go for a BKP Boss in the bridge. 

badlydrawnbanjo

I have Oil City (@TheGuitarWeasel) pickups in mine. A Californian in the neck and an Alligator in the bridge. Wonderful gear,

Castro

Fellow guitarists thanks for some really interesting recommendations that would never have crossed my mind.

impmann

I've owned all of the following and they are ALL without doubt *BRILLIANT*

Oil City Honky Tonk Angel
Mojo Broadcaster
Mojo Esquire
Seymour Duncan Broadcaster
Alegree Cirrostratus

It really depends on budget and what sound you are after. I tend to prefer the 'Broadcaster' type bridge pickups as they are fatter, with more mids than the later pickups. If you like the Coxon/Strummer sound, you'd probably prefer the later pickups as Graham's solo stuff has mainly been with a late 60s guitar and Joe's battered black device was an early 60s one IIRC. Keef on the other hand sounds like Keef whatever you put in those paws of his - although I get close to his sound with the Mojo Broadcaster and the SD Broadcaster...

Hope that helps

Castro

@impmann Alegree Cirrostratus? I want one just for the name.

impmann

Castro said:

@impmann Alegree Cirrostratus? I want one just for the name.

@Alegree

They are fabulous pickup sets - I was mightily impressed.

Alegree

Castro said:

@impmann Alegree Cirrostratus? I want one just for the name.

Come for the name stay for the tone

IvisonGuitars

Castro said:

@impmann Alegree Cirrostratus? I want one just for the name.

I now have the guitar (that I'm assuming @impmann is referencing here) and the @Alegree bridge pickup is indeed exceptional! 

impmann

miserneil said:

Castro said:

@impmann Alegree Cirrostratus? I want one just for the name.

I now have the guitar (that I'm assuming @impmann is referencing here) and the @Alegree bridge pickup is indeed exceptional! 

Yup - thats the one!! :-)

MattP

No such thing as best, of course, but I've had a set of Oil City Hardman pups in my tele for a long while now.

And they're not going anywhere.

blueskunk

Nocaster 51s

StuartMac290

Personal favourites are the Klein Broadcasters I have in a K-Line Tele. 

Sassafras

Personally, I don't think you can beat single-coils in a Tele.

paulmapp8306

I love broadcasters in mine.  Any decent make of broadcasters.

If you like the spanking country style they won't be for you.