SORTED - WTB Telecaster Bridge Pickup that is not Ice Picky!

Sammy

Have at last managed to find a really nice lightweight Japanese Fender Traditional Series 60's Telecaster fitted with a Gibson 57 Classic PAF in the neck position. Unfortunately the Vintage style single coil Bridge pickup, believe that is original, is just too ice picky for me and if you turn down the tone to accomodate, the Humbucker loses its nice full rounded sound.

So need a quality bridge pickup to match up with neck, that is a bit less treble based & not ear piercing but can still also give that Telecaster twang!

WHY?  

LionAquaLooper

Dimarzio Chopper T. 

Svartmetall

SD Little '59 - I have it in a Mex Tele and it's bloody amazing.

Jonathangus

Before you start swapping pickups, try wiring it so that the tone control only works on the bridge pickup?

https://www.premierguitar.com/diy/mod-garage/tele-no-tone-control-wiring

Funkfingers

A T-style bridge position single coil pickup with Alnico 2 or 4 rod magnet polepieces will twang without the screechiness. (A2 under the plain strings and A5 under the wound works pretty well too.)

With these magnet formulations, the coil can be wound as high as 10kOhms and still produce a balanced output to match the '57 Classic himbucker.

Johnnyseven

Sounds like you want a Mojo Broadcaster or Esquire pickup.

lovestrat74

Esquire was definitely more ballsie for me

rze99

A 50s style Broadcaster.

But more importantly, I recommend you take the neck humbucker out of the tone stack completely to get it is bright as possible and roll the tone off a bit (from what is then only the bridge pickup) -  Then the H/S combo works excellently. 

rze99

Neck pickup removed from tone stack on a Tele.

https://www.strat-talk.com/proxy.php?image=http://www.tdpri.com/attachments/tele-bypass-tone-pot-jpg.606531/&hash=90b68c78ca55324b54a996f873495d4d

Sammy

Funkfingers said:

A T-style bridge position single coil pickup with Alnico 2 or 4 rod magnet polepieces will twang without the screechiness. (A2 under the plain strings and A5 under the wound works pretty well too.)

With these magnet formulations, the coil can be wound as high as 10kOhms and still produce a balanced output to match the '57 Classic himbucker.

 I spoke to Ash at Oil City pickups on Friday, as someone recommended them and he advised on his Fortyniner pickup which he said would take the highs off as its designed as an old Broadcaster with 43 wire but with alnico 3 magnets as the newer broadcaster pickups have alnico 5 magnets, which give it a more ice pick sound? Was going to order it but holding on at the moment just to check what else would be suitable as others, incl people like Lollar recommend using for instance their Special T, which uses alnico 5 magnets, as that pickup gives a more rounded sound less treble!

So now totally confused!

rze99

Sammy said:

Funkfingers said:

A T-style bridge position single coil pickup with Alnico 2 or 4 rod magnet polepieces will twang without the screechiness. (A2 under the plain strings and A5 under the wound works pretty well too.)

With these magnet formulations, the coil can be wound as high as 10kOhms and still produce a balanced output to match the '57 Classic himbucker.

 I spoke to Ash at Oil City pickups on Friday, as someone recommended them and he advised on his Fortyniner pickup which he said would take the highs off as its designed as an old Broadcaster with 43 wire but with alnico 3 magnets as the newer broadcaster pickups have alnico 5 magnets, which give it a more ice pick sound? Was going to order it but holding on at the moment just to check what else would be suitable as others, incl people like Lollar recommend using for instance their Special T, which uses alnico 5 magnets, as that pickup gives a more rounded sound less treble!

So now totally confused!

I've got a 49er in a Broadcaster replica build. It's glorious especially into a tweed amp

kennedydream1980

Seymour Duncan Alnico 2 will do the job. I had one in an Ibanez AZS tele style guitar. It was very PAF sounding and matched well with the mini humbucker style pickup in the neck position.

bbill335

i have a tele pickup that has nice mild treble and a fat low-mid sound. has sounded good with 500k pots too. it's less "ice-pick" to me than the mojo esquire i have in another tele. 

Sammy

Jonathangus said:

Before you start swapping pickups, try wiring it so that the tone control only works on the bridge pickup?

https://www.premierguitar.com/diy/mod-garage/tele-no-tone-control-wiring

I have tried the pickup on it's own with the tone turned down it's better, but still not what I want from a bridge pickup, so will be getting another one. Though will use your suggestion anyway to also alter the wiring so the tone control only works on bridge pickup, as I have never had to turn down the tone on the neck pickup on any Telecsater I have ever owned, as otherwise you lose that little bit on snap on the bass strings! Thanks

Sammy

rze99 said:

Sammy said:

Funkfingers said:

A T-style bridge position single coil pickup with Alnico 2 or 4 rod magnet polepieces will twang without the screechiness. (A2 under the plain strings and A5 under the wound works pretty well too.)

With these magnet formulations, the coil can be wound as high as 10kOhms and still produce a balanced output to match the '57 Classic himbucker.

 I spoke to Ash at Oil City pickups on Friday, as someone recommended them and he advised on his Fortyniner pickup which he said would take the highs off as its designed as an old Broadcaster with 43 wire but with alnico 3 magnets as the newer broadcaster pickups have alnico 5 magnets, which give it a more ice pick sound? Was going to order it but holding on at the moment just to check what else would be suitable as others, incl people like Lollar recommend using for instance their Special T, which uses alnico 5 magnets, as that pickup gives a more rounded sound less treble!

So now totally confused!

I've got a 49er in a Broadcaster replica build. It's glorious especially into a tweed amp

So on that note, you think an Oil City Broadcaster would be a good bet, plus also taking the neck pickup out of the tone stack, which someone else suggested, so was going to do that as well?

PS. Your link to removing the neck pickup out of the tone stack didn't work, if you could have a look please.Thanks

Just to also advise, I just had a look at the pots as the person I bought it from said the only alteration was the Gibson pickup, which had been done really well, with no rough hacking out the body, as he also advised me to change the pots. Well on checking, the original owner who put the humbucker in must have changed the pots as well, as they are good quality CTS ones, which wouldn't have been factory fitted, plus his wiring was very neat and tidy. Pity he didn't also change the bridge pick. Though he may have done for all I know, as until I take the bridge off to have a look I can't actually tell, but doesn't matter anyway as I'm not keen whatever it is!  

YellowLedBetterMan

LionAquaLooper said:

Dimarzio Chopper T. 

I put one of these in a Jet t style. Best pickup I've ever used.

Sammy

Just ordered the Oil City Fortyniner

rze99

Sammy said:

rze99 said:

Sammy said:

Funkfingers said:

A T-style bridge position single coil pickup with Alnico 2 or 4 rod magnet polepieces will twang without the screechiness. (A2 under the plain strings and A5 under the wound works pretty well too.)

With these magnet formulations, the coil can be wound as high as 10kOhms and still produce a balanced output to match the '57 Classic himbucker.

 I spoke to Ash at Oil City pickups on Friday, as someone recommended them and he advised on his Fortyniner pickup which he said would take the highs off as its designed as an old Broadcaster with 43 wire but with alnico 3 magnets as the newer broadcaster pickups have alnico 5 magnets, which give it a more ice pick sound? Was going to order it but holding on at the moment just to check what else would be suitable as others, incl people like Lollar recommend using for instance their Special T, which uses alnico 5 magnets, as that pickup gives a more rounded sound less treble!

So now totally confused!

I've got a 49er in a Broadcaster replica build. It's glorious especially into a tweed amp

So on that note, you think an Oil City Broadcaster would be a good bet, plus also taking the neck pickup out of the tone stack, which someone else suggested, so was going to do that as well?

PS. Your link to removing the neck pickup out of the tone stack didn't work, if you could have a look please.Thanks

Just to also advise, I just had a look at the pots as the person I bought it from said the only alteration was the Gibson pickup, which had been done really well, with no rough hacking out the body, as he also advised me to change the pots. Well on checking, the original owner who put the humbucker in must have changed the pots as well, as they are good quality CTS ones, which wouldn't have been factory fitted, plus his wiring was very neat and tidy. Pity he didn't also change the bridge pick. Though he may have done for all I know, as until I take the bridge off to have a look I can't actually tell, but doesn't matter anyway as I'm not keen whatever it is!  

sorry the link failed me

It's dead simple and super effective - remove neck from tone by disconnecting the short wire in the diagram and make a new longer one per below.

Helps the balance too if you

1 set the humbucker low down near level with the guard
2 the bridge pickup quite high (it can take it)
3 set the tone control (for the bridge pickup alone now) turned down to 7

you'll find everything in perfect balance

rze99

Did this on my Tele pictured below. Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop ‘51 Nocaster Single-Coil Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 M SH-1N  (pic 1) and my Fender Hot Rod '50s (pic2)  

Sammy

rze99 said:

Did this on my Tele pictured below. Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop ‘51 Nocaster Single-Coil Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 M SH-1N  (pic 1) and my Fender Hot Rod '50s (pic2)  

Very nice love the Sunburst one bet that sounds great!