I searched "Tele pickups" but amazingly no threads matching my (pretty common I'd have thought) criteria!
I have a Squier Affinity Tele which I got when I bought the Roland Guitar synth system which is mounted onto it. Never been a Tele player before, but I love it, plays like a dream etc. Only problem is the pickups are fairly noisy and sound weedy.
So my birthday present this year is going to be a set of upgraded pickups - my criteria are:
1) Budget up to about £150
2) Noiseless
3) Sound like a Tele!
4) Erring slightly on the hot / beefy side - for ballpark sound think Danny Gatton / Brent Mason etc.
I'll have them installed by a pro, so you can allow for expert shielding and positioning.
What would you folks recommend? Ta!
Comments
If pushed for specifics I'd suggest the Californian/Alligator 90 combo from OilCity.
I have tried the Dimarzio Area T set. They're decent, but personally I went back to regular singles - my current favourite set being the Bare Knuckle Flat 50s. I found the Dimarzios had a spike somewhere that didn't sound right to me, but they were otherwise pretty obviously Tele sounding. YMMV
There are a lot of really nice sounding Tele pickups around that are within your budget but they are not noiseless. Most players put up with that.
I've got an Affinity Strat and I offered it plus a Squier practice amp to someone for £100 today.
I have. They both sound *wrong*. The STKT-1N has something of the Gibson LP Deluxe mini humbucker about it. I happen to like this. The STKT-3B has no high frequency bite. The Duncan Custom Shop noise-cancelling Telecaster replacement pickups are better but still not entirely right.
Barden pickups use two side-by-side coils to reject hum and interference. By definition, the stacked coil designs are considerably taller than the vintage single coil designs on which they are based. Check the depth of the Squier Affinity pickup cavities. This may restrict your options considerably.
If I recall correctly, compared to the bridge/Treble pickup rout on a vintage piece, the Squier Affinity Telecaster rout is very generous. Maybe, sufficiently generous to accommodate a Filter'Tron style pickup? With some strategic changes to the bridge, that could be 2), 3) and 4).
That said, I am contemplating transferring the synth pickup to my Strat instead, as I play that more often and in contexts where I might want the synth sounds at my disposal more. Then I'd just wait for any old cheap Tele pickup upgrades which would do a reasonable job.
They aren't noiseless but they sound amazing
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Their pickups (and guitars, under the brand Eternal) are awesome value for money. I went to their workshop with @ChrisCox1994 recently and the quality blew me away.
And they wind them right there in front of you and can do custom sets, I have a balanced set in mine thats a T90 in the bridge and a PAF style low output humbucker in the neck with a push pull pot on the tone to coil split it with the regular 3 way switch.
It doesnt sound like a p90 though, its definitely still very much a tele sound but just a little more of the good stuff and a little less harshness - still plenty of bite and attack that you want from a good tele sound.
PA Hire and Event Management
They are brilliant, if you can find some, get them.