Pickup question. Telecaster neck pickup

CountryDave · September 2023

I like the sound of the twisted tele neck pickup on it8s own, but prefer the mix position when it’s a regular tele neck pickup. For example the mix position on my 52 ri sounds better to me than the mix of a 50’s bridge pickup and a twisted tele.

Is there suck a pickup in existence that has some sort of tap that could give me strattish sounds when selected alone, but the mix would be more leaning towards the vintage combination?

Funkfingers · September 2023

The internal construction of the two pickup types differs. The "Stratty" ones tend to employ longer rod magnets and have taller coils in order to wind on enough copper wire.

To achieve both sounds in one pickup would require some ingenious winding and some sort of divider. From top bobbin plate down to divider = Tele sized coil. From bottom plate up to divider = the extra height to add the Strattiness.

guitarfishbay · September 2023

It might seem like an obvious suggestion but have you tried lowering your tone control in the middle position? I agree strat-like neck pickups sound great but the main difference I find in the middle position is the relative brightness. Free to try anyway!

PAL · September 2023

You don't say what the difference in sounds there is or what you would like to gain or loose !
I would say yes you could achieve the sound you are looking for with either a cap or resistor you just need to find a tech who
can fine tune things for you.
If you look at the Fender Esquire you will see there are variations on the the neck setting even though there is just one
pickup. So just try to work out exactly how you would like the mix setting to sound and go from there. Hope this helps.

pluckbuddy · September 2023

I have no solutions to this issue only to say to the OP that I've noticed the same thing and feel your pain. After trying approx 10+ sets of high end tele pickups that there's always a compromise of sorts between the different positions - didn't think of coil tapping as an option though.

The best middle sound was from a bright bridge pickup with a low output neck. It wasn't easy to use all three sounds at the same amp settings.

At the end of the day though, get the bridge sound right on a tele and that's a great place to be

ICBM · September 2023

You could wire a resistor in series with the neck pickup so it operates in the middle position only, which will reduce its output back to that of a traditional neck pickup. I don't know the value, it would need some experimentation. (Or a preset trimmer, so you could adjust it.)

OilCityPickups · September 2023

CountryDave said:

I like the sound of the twisted tele neck pickup on it8s own, but prefer the mix position when it’s a regular tele neck pickup. For example the mix position on my 52 ri sounds better to me than the mix of a 50’s bridge pickup and a twisted tele.

Is there suck a pickup in existence that has some sort of tap that could give me strattish sounds when selected alone, but the mix would be more leaning towards the vintage combination?

The chief problem here is that the very size alone of a conventional Tele neck pickup as @Funkfingers says gives a physical limitation of how much wire of 42awg that you need for a Stratty sound that can be wound onto the bobbin. The Twisted Tele and my own Californian are taller than either a conventional Tele neck pickup, or even a Strat pickup, because Tele neck pickups only have a 50mm spacing not a 52.5mm like a Strat. If you say tap my Californian you get a weak sounding Strat pickup - not the impersonation of a Tele neck pickup ... the wire gauge is all wrong. It's not only about output, it's about the the 'filtering' effect of using finer wire gauges that change the resonant peak.
One solution is to mix wire gauges ... ie. partially wind to the tap with one gauge, than continue with another (I do this on several of my pickups) but the physical space in a Tele neck is a bit limited for these shenanigans :-)

CountryDave · September 2023

Thanks for all the replies.
As I thought, it’s likely to be a pick one and live with it.
I suppose I’m lucky in that I don’t dislike either the traditional neck alone or the mix with the twisted. I just prefer the alternative.

thanks all for the responses.

victorludorum · September 2023

Stick a tapped Strat pickup in there and you might get what you want.

stickyfiddle · September 2023

There's no perfect solution but I'm super-impressed with the Lollar Special T I just fitted in mine. More stratty than the BKPs I've used before (Brown Sugar and Boss), but still does the classic Steve Cropper-y middle position Tele thing in spades.

Alterlifeson · September 2023

I've been really impressed with the Dimarzio Twang King paired with a normal tele bridge pickup. Definitely not completely strattish but it just leans that way slightly.

Zoolooter · September 2023

Fender Nocaster 51 neck pickup not wired to the tone control did it for me.

Funkfingers · September 2023

OilCityPickups said:
One solution is to mix wire gauges ... ie. partially wind to the tap with one gauge, than continue with another (I do this on several of my pickups) but the physical space in a Tele neck is a bit limited for these shenanigans :-)

Would there be space for those shenanigans in a Stratocaster-sized pickup? i.e. Wind the first stage of the coil to Tele-esque specifications. Wind an outer second stage to get the combined coils sounding like a conventional Stratocaster pickup.

One compromise that might satisfy some is a Twisted Tele / OCP Californian type, Strat-voiced single coil pickup, built with mixed Alnico formulation rod magnets (EAD = A5, GBE = A2 or A3) under a nickel silver cover.

rze99 · September 2023

I agree tone control and heights of respective pickups makes a difference.

I have loads of Teles with loads of differnt pickups my favourite neck pickup is the Fender '64 Pure Vintage. absolutely brilliant. Just enough Strat brightness and the middle position is just a great Tele sound. I have it in 4 Teles.

Voxman · September 2023

rze99 said:

I agree tone control and heights of respective pickups makes a difference.

I have loads of Teles with loads of differnt pickups my favourite neck pickup is the Fender '64 Pure Vintage. absolutely brilliant. Just enough Strat brightness and the middle position is just a great Tele sound. I have it in 4 Teles.

Do you also use the '64 pure vintage bridge p/up or something else?

I've been looking out for a pre-owned Fender 64 Pure Vintage set of these for my '88 Standard US Tele as the new prices are really expensive now and I'd have to pay for fitting on top ...I know it's easy for many here but I genuinely lack the skills to do this myself and as Clint says:

Monday Security Memo Clint Eastwood was right Report

Monday Security Memo Clint Eastwood was right Report

pluckbuddy · September 2023

rze99 said:

I agree tone control and heights of respective pickups makes a difference.

I have loads of Teles with loads of differnt pickups my favourite neck pickup is the Fender '64 Pure Vintage. absolutely brilliant. Just enough Strat brightness and the middle position is just a great Tele sound. I have it in 4 Teles.

Agree it's what I'm using currently too and it's a good one, as is the bridge pickup.

earwighoney · September 2023

CountryDave said:

I like the sound of the twisted tele neck pickup on it8s own, but prefer the mix position when it’s a regular tele neck pickup. For example the mix position on my 52 ri sounds better to me than the mix of a 50’s bridge pickup and a twisted tele.

Is there suck a pickup in existence that has some sort of tap that could give me strattish sounds when selected alone, but the mix would be more leaning towards the vintage combination?

I'd say no.

The Tele neck is a awg 43 whilst the twisted Tele is Awg42.

The Tele mid position is a combination of both wire types.

I'd try an awg43 A5 Tele neck pickup without a cover if possible. It might not sound exactly like a Strat but it could provide a touch more clarity than a standard one.

GoFish · September 2023

Coming at this laterally - if you like the neck sound but not the middle, there's a lot you can do by adjusting or even changing the bridge pickup to compensate.

CountryDave · September 2023

GoFish said:

Coming at this laterally - if you like the neck sound but not the middle, there's a lot you can do by adjusting or even changing the bridge pickup to compensate.

Sorry, I should have mentioned.
The bridge pickup is exactly what I want.

As mentioned above, I’m not unhappy with either the traditional neck alone or the mix with the twisted. Just wondering if there is a ‘Goldilocks, just right porridge’ solution.

Funkfingers · September 2023

CountryDave said:
I’m not unhappy with either the traditional neck alone or the mix with the twisted. Just wondering if there is a ‘Goldilocks, just right porridge’ solution.

There is. Own more Telecasters.

CountryDave · September 2023

Funkfingers said:

CountryDave said:
I’m not unhappy with either the traditional neck alone or the mix with the twisted. Just wondering if there is a ‘Goldilocks, just right porridge’ solution.

There is. Own more Telecasters.

I do and love them all for what they do.
I suppose I’m trying to distill all the things I like the best into one super tele.

GoFish · September 2023

Filtertrons are my answer. They may not help with your problem though, so sorry about that

Would soething like active Fishman pickups in the Gristlemaster help?

Teles are so simple that it's possible to get almost anything, but never *everything*

Roland · September 2023

GoFish said:

Coming at this laterally - if you like the neck sound but not the middle, there's a lot you can do by adjusting or even changing the bridge pickup to compensate.

My personal solution, which may not necessarily suit the OP, is a Californian in the neck, and a Wapping Wharf in the bridge. The WW is tapped halfway, and gives me a choice of three sounds to mix with the Californian in the middle position.

GoFish · September 2023

^^^That's a great idea.

thermionic · September 2023

PVoxman said:

rze99 said:

I agree tone control and heights of respective pickups makes a difference.

I have loads of Teles with loads of differnt pickups my favourite neck pickup is the Fender '64 Pure Vintage. absolutely brilliant. Just enough Strat brightness and the middle position is just a great Tele sound. I have it in 4 Teles.

Do you also use the '64 pure vintage bridge p/up or something else?

I've been looking out for a pre-owned Fender 64 Pure Vintage set of these for my '88 Standard US Tele as the new prices are really expensive now and I'd have to pay for fitting on top ...

I bought a set back in November for I think £120, which was great value - very nice pickups for a Tele that isn’t trying to do the ‘52/Nocaster thing. Looks like you can still get them for under £150, but that’s quite an increase.

CountryDave · September 2023

I’ve recently put a set of ‘64 pure vintage into my pink paisley tele and like them a lot.
They replaced a twisted neck, broadcaster bridge combo that was also very good.
I thought about sticking just the bridge in, alongside the twisted neck, but figured I’d try the pair first.
I already knew I’d like the 64 bridge as I have a Brad Paisley Esquire.

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Pickup question. Telecaster neck pickup

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