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Hi Jack,... what you are describing is what you get when you use an alnico III vintage wound tele neck pup.... like in a Custom Shop Nocaster 51 set... the magic is the A3 and wound to that spec !! :-)
I totally agree with Mark Koher, I've just installed a set of '52 Vintage AlNiCo 3 pickups in my Pine Tele and love, love, love the tone. Smooth and fairly pronounced mids. Almost like the presence is turned up on the mids, yet they are louder volume but the speaker is farther away. As if the mids are part of the wet signal over-mixed into the dry signal! Anyway, try the AlNiCo III pickups, smooth and strong/firm. I'm also amazed that the AlNiCo III magnets are the weakest of the AlNiCo, however their higher iron content gives them a different tonal profile (more iron = lower peak resonant frequency).
HK Guitar the 53 set in this video has Alnico 3s. The 60s set has Alnico 5s. Alnico 3s are very special, but not exclusive to the tone I’m discussing in the video.
This is just great. I am a Tele guy. Never try to buy pickups to try and make the Tele beck pickup sound like a Strat neck pickup. You wil end up spending huge amounts of money and won’t be able to find it. Just let it be what it is. IT’S OWN THING!!! God bless all.
I prefer neck telecaster pickups to sound twangy - distinctly "telecaster" sounding, not like a strat. Some people like a strat tone in tele neck - not me.
I'm a Tele and a coffee addict and I'm sure there's a link between the two. The Tele bridge pickup can be like a strong espresso - a short, sharp bite that delivers immediately. You know what it is straight away and it isn't difficult to find it and be satisfied. The Tele neck pickup is a smooth blend of beans with just the right amount of milk/cream (we all have our preferences) but a distinct, clear flavour must cut through the mellow experience. I actually like the Fender twisted Tele neck pickups (I know many don't). And the Fender modern vintage pickups in my America Ash Series "8502" would be hard to beat. On a budget (or even not), the Ironstone (UK) Tele pickups are worth checking out for a good neck tone and overall balance. It's hard to find what you like. Especially when all you can do is buy them and try them. Adjusting the pickup height is the first (and cheapest) tip to try to improve your tone. It can make a massive difference though is a pain if the neck pickup is screwed direct to the body rather than the pickguard - but can be well worth the effort. Now for a good cup of coffee.
damn! great synopsis.. I cosign ALL OF IT! strangley, I make a silimar comparison between a es 335 and bourbon, on a rainy night, in jazz club... yes the entire image hit me all at once :)
American Standard, '63 reissue, and twisted tels pickups all sound great to me. I tried a Squier classic vibe that played terrific, but in comparison, it sounded like it had a blanket over it compared with the aforementioned pickups, which are all great.
Before you run out and buy new pickups, try one thing. Every time I try telecasters in stores, this seems true. Neck pickups set really up close and high. Crank it down always...opens right up. There are lots of setups at my house, 43 after a buddy sold me his affinity tele. 45 bucks. 2 weeks later, he came by to record some stuff, said wtf pickup you put in...said no change. Back it up some and see, also sustains better
The tele neck pups are much better in terms of moving it closer to the strings compared to strats. I have my 51 nocaster neck very close to the strings and still sounds amazing. Strats behave a different way so do not be afraid to break that rule and move that neck pup closer till you get that sweet spot. Take into consideration that there actually is that pup cover in between which means that the top of the poles might be farther than you think. I have a vintage-style 52 Tele with 51 nocaster pups and a 60's Strat with hand wound Josefina fat 60's pups but the strat can never come close to the tone I can achieve with my Tele even though the nocasters are not even handwound. I really don't get it why others replace the neck with humbuckers when the Tele neck single coils are the best neck pickups out there.
The neck pickup is a matter of find the sweet spot on the height, for mine 1,5mm and 2,5mm is the sweet spot for the neck and brigde pickups, 1,5mm on treble side and 2,5 on the low E... the pickups is about 5k to 7k you always can disconect the tone knowb from the neck pickup to get more highs if you want...
I’m also a telly player and I got to say I experienced the same magic that you explained: exact same way. I always feel like the neck tone gives some ‘hollowness’ or airyness you mentioned. And it’s really sweet on clean tones or low gain overdrives. Like it’s ‘breathing’ when you hit the notes. And especially if I’m picking it dynamically, the response is so fucking amazing dude. Btw mine is Fender Telecaster Japan, I think its a reissue, bought it from a friend
The neck pickup has always been my go to tone on every guitar I've ever owned. The single coil Tele neck is so pure and tonally balanced, with crisp attack, and plenty of sustain, and free of the ice pick piercing treble that the bridge pu produces.
Yeah, I always wondered why single pickup guitars put their pickup in the bridge position, rather than the neck. The bridge position is way too tinny. Too much treble and not enough mids and bass. The neck position on the other hand gives you the perfect "guitar tone".
When driven and compressed it sounds amazing. Roll off some treble. Clean sounds great for chicken pickin and what not but not for a ton of other genres. But the bridge pup on a Tele rules. So does the neck and middle.
Hi I literally bought a fender mim telecaster yesterday, and I am over the moon with it... The tone of it in all three positions of pick up is powerful and has that distinctive sound that only a tele can make... Its factory standard and I have been playing it in all three positions, like you said jack the bridge is a teles bread and butter sound, but the neck sounds really beautiful too. I'm playing it through my fender blue's junior tweed both clean and with a tubescreaner and man it sounds amazing... Thanks for another fantastic informative video.. Really enjoyed it and great playing too 😎🎸👍
Woody. That's a good description. Somewhere between a Strat and Les Paul. Not as muddy as an LP and not as liquid or glassy as a Strat. I've got an Affinity that I string with acoustic 10 gauge strings. Stock pickups. The tone sounds way above its pay grade.
You use acoustic strings on your electric guitar with passive pickups?? Are you a beginner or was that a typo? Maybe you just dont understand how passive pickups or pickups in general work. Or even how acoustic and electric string alloys differ and why its important? I'm just smh over here frustrated at the notion that your comment wasnt a typo.
@@michaelinglis8516 they work. I'm going for jazz tone. Clean. They sound similar to flat wounds ( which I find uncomfortable ) to my ears. I've had other guitarists at a few of my gigs tell me they liked my tone. I'm sure you know as well as I do that to be complimented on your tone by another guitarist is pretty special. They stay in tune very well, but it's not for everybody. I'm 65 , been playing since I'm 8. Actually opened for Leslie West in 1976. If you care to , Google my name and add Squier Affinity Starcaster and see what I mean. Thanks. Keep on jammin'!
@@kennybluet5527 You'll have to excuse my initial speculation. The answer you gave is actually what I was honestly hoping to hear. I've been playing 21 years give or take 6 months and I build guitars and pedals(although at this point the guitar building is still a hobby if you could call it anything). Anyways point being that in the time I've been playing I havent heard of putting acoustic strings of any kind on an electric guitar (other than in an extreame pinch of course lol). With that said if it's going to work for any general "style" I imagine jazz would be it(and the flat wound comparison makes a lot of sense. I would imagine they attenuate the same frequencies but possibly without the inherent downsides of flat wounds) so maybe you are indeed on to something. I'm thoroughly pleased to know that your choice to use acoustic 10s is out of experience rather than ignorance. Is it my business what other players choose to do even when out of ignorance?...Probably not, but again I'm thrilled that it's working for you an if it gets you closer to the sound your after than that's all that matters. Thanks for taking the time to clear that up for me brother!
That’s some beautiful playing right there. I’ve put my tele to the side for the time being and have mostly been using my strat. But this video is inspiring me to pull it back out.
Jack, I’ve heard it on my 2013 Telecaster neck pickup. I’m listening and hearing you as I write this. It’s magical. My Tele has a 4 way switch, the position one away from the neck has the bridge and neck pickups wired in series. It is the most magical ‘neck’ sound I’ve ever heard. Thanks for your video.
What year is that natural American standard Tele? It looks a lot like my 2003. Anyway, I'm so glad someone did a video on this. I've long been in love with my Tele's neck pickup, and I've always said there's something magical about the sound. Thankful you were able to articulate it so well.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it - that tele is right from around that time so I imagine it’s from the same run. It was a short lived butterscotch blonde finish on an American standard
Hey Jack, just ran across this video and became a new subscriber. Your playing is awesome, and the blonde Tele sounds great. I’m going to have to be critical on one point however; this particular video was like watching and “doodle infomercial” you had me completely hooked with anticipation for a resolution that never came. Possibility have one Tele with Mojo, and one without in order to showcase your point. I do believe I know exactly what you referring too, but a side by side comparison with the same amp, both clean and dirty back to back. I will continue to subscribe, because like I mentioned, your playing and equipment is top notch.
I’m pretty sure i play my neck pickup 90% of the time on my American professional tele. My favorite guitar behind my LP. Great playing man, sounds amazing
Yes! I have an American Original 60s Tele with stock pickups. The neck pickup is straight up amazing. Clean or overdriven it’s tight, clear, hollow, and woody with nice sustain. I probably use the neck or both 75% of the time. It’s a beautiful thing
You are so bang on, I’ve always loved the tele neck pickup...I hardly ever use the bridge pickup to be honest. It’s too bright for my liking, but the neck is so nice and smooth and warm.
I don’t usually use it either, but the bridge pickup comes in really handy when you’re playing with a band and the other positions aren’t cutting through the mix.
My telecaster does that! I knew what you were talking about even before you described it. I changes my pickups to 51’ no caster pickups tho, so it’s not stock. It does sound woody and hallow. Especially with new strings, it’s awesome
I’m primarily a neck pickup guy with both guitars and basses. Also a big fan of the Tele neck pup for all the ways you described it. In my experience, there are some different factors that contribute to that sound. The fact that they are unpotted and have metal covers. This means there is some degree of microphonics, varying pickup to pickup, but definitely there, and that lends to that airy tone you described.. Also, not being a hot overwound pickup adds clarity and airy tone. Third, the not having it too close to the strings, that you mentioned.
Agree 100%. Tele neck pickup is easy on the ears and sounds great all-around: clean, edge of breakup, and overdriven. A great contrast to the gnarly, raw bridge pickup. Best neck pickup sound of all, by far.
Nice tone indeed Jack. I just discovered you and this channel. TH-cam is kind enough to show me all things Telecaster. I am something of a 58-year old FanBoy (fan old man?). I just got a new Squier Affinity Tele in Race Red to use as a partscaster. I have other Fender Teles, but none with the traditional Tele thang. One custom shop I own has a nice neck pickup but it happens to be a Seymour Duncan humbuckers and bears little resemblance to traditional Tele on either PUP. I researched things and was hearing that the Affinity Teles were pretty decent so I bought one sight unseen on Sweetwater. I bought Fender Vintage '64 Tele re-issue PUPs and upgraded electronics, pick guard, etc. Well the Squier arrived with a nice setup by Sweetwater and right out of the box it blew my mind! Primary that was the bridge pickup. I had read that people thought the Affinity Teles of late were missing the proper sound in the neck. I have not put the vintage PUPs on just yet as I am having a lot of fun with it with all Chinese parts. But the upgrade electronics are ready to go next string change. I do not have that tone on any of my teles. It reminds me a little of Clapton's "Woman Tone" (many others beyond EC have used the term and the tone). I saw the idea of lowering the PUP. I might try that with the Chinese PUP even before putting in the Vintage '64 genuine Fender PUPs. It would whipped cream on top of the icing on the cake if I could get that type of tone out of this Squier! One other thing is for sure: Now that I realize how much I do love the good ole single coil Tele, I am going to buy a new or used American-made Tele. The Tele single coil bridge PUP explodes out of my Celestion. I can just imagine what a hand selected model made in Fullerton will sound like. I had a ES-335 next up but the Tele has stolen the show for the time being. Besides, I can't really afford a nice 335, but maybe I'll find joy in some of the Epis or other clones given my positive experience with Squier. I have never had a Tele, strat, or Gibson give me the exact tone you are getting. Now I am going to chase it. On Strats I often play on neck or is position 4. Thanks for this video. I will check out others. I've already brought the like count to 888 even. I hope 888 isn't simply 666 + 222!
There is a real magic to a good tele neck pickup. The best tele neck pickup tone I have ever heard is from jazz guitarist, Tim Lerch. He seems to have the science of it figured out, too. He has some great videos discussing this.
Tim Lerch also seems to have many Telecasters with a vast spectrum of different pickup combinations in them. Wonderful player. Jack’s playing is also pretty great. 👍🏽
I don’t know what I did, but the neck pickup in my Tele never sounded right. I never played with the heights until I watched this video. The screw on the bass side was loose. I screwed it in and leveled out the pickup to sound better with the bridge pickup. It sounds so much better on its own now as well. Thank you.
Not in same range but I love both my squier tele pickups and don't use one more than the other. Really pleased with them, never thought of changing them and all.
I personally fell in love with the double bound telecaster custom too, which is why I got one too! I have texas special pickups (for hum cancelling in in between positions), four way switch and an S-1 switch in mine, so I can get series and out of phase sounds, and I love it
@@duanemarshall7612 I got a wiring harness I bought off reverb. I think it’s labeled as a baja tele wiring harness but I can’t remember, just try looking that up
@@Steadman711 yes I'm familiar with that they on Mexican teles I have a Japanese 62 custom Reissue and not pleased with the weak pickups too thin any suggestions?
@@duanemarshall7612 I’ve currently got a set of Texas special tele pick ups and they’re definitely not thin, they’ve got some bite to them. The stock pick ups I had were good too, I just wanted the option for hum canceling when running in series, and they happen to do that
Thanks for your high quality and informative video! As crazy as it sounds, I have a Duo-sonic neck pickup in a 3/4 size tele project I was messing around with. The neck tone is very full and clear and as enjoyable to play as the same position in my CV 60's strat. Each to his own eh?
Lovely! I have two telecasters . One has got a wide range pickup which can be split. When on single pickup mode it is unique too but of course not the sound you are talking about
I'm curious, have you ever compared a P90 to the "tone" you are describing? I play Tele a lot. My favorite pups are Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials. I will sometimes place a Strat middle pup between the Texas Specials for that "Nashville" tone. Usually though, I stay with Nocaster or Texas Specials for my Teles.
Best Tele neck I used was a "Texas special" on a 52 re-issue through a Marshall 50watt Valve combo, epic sound at low and max vol. Now I found a 1 pickup Esquire and can't put it down, forgot all about the neck pickup cos just by flicking the selector towards the neck it engages a cap and resistor that lowers the vol a touch and warms up the tone but not too much az to get boomy. I believe it's a 5000pf cap on all the time? Petfect!
I have this type of pickup. It is the stock pickup in my Fender 96 Art Esparza Masterbuilt Relic. I found this video because I'm looking for another pickup that sounds similar. I would describe it as half way between a normal Tele and a Lipstick. Bright and hollow, yes. The clean sound is beautiful and playing it through a driven plexi is incredible. I don't have a good camera but I'll see if I can post a video.
Hi Jack. Excellent video. I was very sceptical on what you were about to say regarding the tele neck pick up tone until you talked about the ‘airy hollowness’ - at which point I said ‘yes!’ quite loudly and was asked by people around me if I had just won the lottery. The tone you describe is exactly why I love the neck pickup on mine - a frankentele I put together with high quality electrics and pots but a cheap set of Tone Rider vintage plus pickups - and why it gets as much use as the bridge and middle settings. I also wired the pickups for the fourth neck and bridge in series setting It’s like a fattened neck sound with that softer, clear top from the middle postion.
I had to hear Roy Buchanan (live from austin tx) before I knew how to use my telecaster. I always thought the bridge was harsh, but when you use it in the right context it cuts through with an angst like no other. I agree the neck pickup has a hefty bass with a certain sparkle on top. I originally felt it was muddy, and from I heard of strats I thought it lacked attack. But now the neck pickup for me is the most soulful sound ever. It has a weary earthiness. With the right amount of gain on a slow/soft song you can play the most beautiful solos.
I've been describing that neck sound as "woody" but have always had trouble elaborating what I meant by "woody" when asked. I'd say woody in a particular percussive, punchy, hollow way that reminds me of a spruce top and cypress back/sides flamenco guitar, but the people I've tried describing it to didn't seem to completely get what I was trying to get at. Love it though, and the middle position which makes for some really twinkly, midwest emo tones
Beyond your demo of the neck pickup, I am curious if your amp tone was set brighter than if you were using the bridge pickup. When my amp is dialed in to highlight the bridge pickup, the neck pickup will by darker.
@@jayfender4486 talking about sounds is somewhat strange, because u try to describe one medium with another - just doesn't work out. very similar to when ppl say something about wine, it always sounds terrible. In fact there is nothing worth saying about it: listen, drink, smell and look for yourself
@@musicplaylists59 that's a good one. A lot of us guitar geeks like to talk gear and tone endlessly. Or maybe I'll just speak for myself. Obsessed. That's the word.
My 2020 Affinity Tele sounds amazing fot the money, i love it just as much as my Les Paul, which is a 1000$ more lol.. After a good setup, it really shines, and I've always loved a good neck pu.
That intro tone up to around 2:00 was pretty sublime. I'm coming from Ibanez shredville and I'm just learning about the nuances of Teletone with an actually very nice, dirt cheap Chinese copy that I massaged the frets on. Apparently it's an accurate copy dimension-wise, and I just love the neck! A little baseball-batty but doesn't interfere with speed at all, and the sound is really nice but I haven't got it dialled in yet on my HD500X. I live in an apartment so unfortunately I can't do an amp.
Airy hollowness is exactly how I describe it too. I love the neck pickup and find it more usable than the bridge, though the bridge is more iconic. Mine is an unmodded American custom.
I have a Tele copy, but I'm more a Les Paul guy, and what you're saying about Tele neck pickups is exactly how I feel about LP neck pickups -all the bridge ones are fine with me, but I'd tried a few sets (T-top, SD '59, Tim Shaw, SD WLH) and not found a neck pickup I like. The sound I wanted is the "Tele on Steroids" sound, which you'd think is easy to find since pretty much everyone says that's what makes the '59 Burst magic. I finally got some from Australia, and am really pleased with them. Great video and playing!
I sometimes think that we as musicians, - guitarists and bassists alike, - are dwelling too much into pickups, mods, types of wood on the instrument, strings, etc. (I'm guilty myself, believe me). Back in the 1960's thru the mid-1970's there was virtually no musical instrument parts & components industry. Yet, the musicians who played a Tele, Strat, Les Paul or a Precision or Rick bass left their mark w/o a hotter pickup, a hi-mass bridge or active electronics. I believe that it will always be the musician who "gets" the sound or tone that defines his style and reputation on a recording or live performance. Jack, you're a perfect example of what I'm saying; - you're a superb player with taste, style and chops. I bet that if I handed U a Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster, U would sound just as good as the Butterscotch and blue Tele Custom featured in this video. With all the advancements in music tech today, - countless players world wide are still trying to get those sounds that happened 40 and 50 plus years ago. The so called "magic" is within the player. Case in point: I saw several videos of Carlos Santana on a Tele; - did he sound like Albert Lee or James Burton? No, - he sounded like Santana . . . BTW, - thank you for the time and effort U put into your presentation, - well done.
Very cool video and I completely get where you are coming from. I think your description of the highs sitting on top of an airy mid-range hit the nail on the head. I have never been a Tele guy, but 2 weeks ago I went into GC with cash in hand and ended up walking out with my first Tele. A G&L ASAT Classic in solid Ash with Alnico V pickups. I played literally every Fender Tele/Strat on the wall. Oddly...none of them had that "magic" in the pickups, and especially the neck. Throughout the full pickup range they just all sounded really "thin" to my ears. They didn't seem to have that warmth sitting below the treble. I kept picking up that G&L (cheaper than the Fenders I was prepared to buy) and it just had something different in the pickups that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Needless to say, I took that guitar home and have been loving every minute of playing it. The neck is saucy and every pickup position has usable tones. It's the first guitar that I have not avoided a position on. Now that I have seen this video, that's exactly the way I would describe the neck. Good low end with glassy treble sitting on top of airy mids.
I have a 1993 American standard tele w/ a rosewood board and hand wound set of tele pickups made by a friend of a friend of mine. The bridge pickup is amazing and versatile and was made with alnico 5 magnets. The neck pickup is pretty unique sounding and was wound with alnico 2 pickups and doesn’t have a pickup cover on it. Although I love the neck pickup, it has just a tiny bit less presence in the high end than other tele neck pickups I’ve played.The guitar also has a custom cut aluminum pickguard made by the same guy, which I’m sure affects the tone in some way, if not just the sustain. The pickups were wound a bit hotter than other single coils I have, so there’s a bit more volume, but it still stays very clean. All in all it’s one of the best guitars I own, alongside my 84 es 335 studio, and 65 reissue jazzmaster. I could pretty much cover all the ground I need with those guitars. Would I sell all my others? ... never.
I enjoyed this video. I'm a long time Strat player. The main reason I didn't consider a Tele was the fact that, on a Strat, I'm on the neck pickup 80% of the time. But when I finally got a Tele 10 years ago, I was amazed how much I liked the neck sound. I had always read that the Tele neck pickup was close to useless. Not so! I bought a Tele primarily due to watching videos of Guthrie Trapp, who gets a beautiful sound from his Tele neck pickups. Now I find I'm on the neck pickup 80% of the time on the Tele like on my Strats, although I use and love all three switch positions. I've used many Tele neck pickups, but tend to gravitate towards those with a little extra mids and output, but not what you'd call hot. I reach for a Tele first these days.
I’ve got a modern player telecaster plus that sounds similar to what you’re describing to my ears. I’m local to New Hampshire, I’ll have to check out those pick ups.
Hi Jack, I would like your opinion on a '72 Fender Telecaster (Vintera series) - because that's what I have, humbucker pick - up with an ordinary Telecaster pick - up, however it's not my number 1 guitar; but my 70's Fender Stratocaster also Vintera too, thank you.
Tele neck pickup is my second favorite tele tone (I love tele neck tone, but the guitar has to be wide open and the pickup has to have enough clear treble in it) . My favorite and most under rated tone is neck and bridge together. That's what I use 80-90% of the time. Imho It's the best tone for funk and soul
I have a G&L ASAT Classic thinline and I definitely love the neck pickup sound it has. Stock MFD neck pickups designed by Leo himself are more on the hotter side (a sort of p-90 touch) but still true to tele character. And, even more important, well balanced in output with the bridge counterpart. Love them also when gain goes up and they clean very musically when you roll off the volume pot. Maybe not true to vintage specs (ceramics, oh my...) but I love them.
I have a Fullerton and a Tribute with classic MFDs . I am stuck on treb passes. I put a .002 in the Tribute. The Fullerton Thinline came (yesterday!) with one installed. Treb passes are game changers, especially with the neck pickup. I have 11 Telecasters. One has Duncan Phat Cats, which are his attempt to squeeze P 90s into a standard humbucker configuration. The classic MFDs do not approach the power of the Phat Cats. I no longer have P90s to do an A:B with. My #1 and my attempt to build a road copy both have Texas Specials. With out a treb pass the neck pu would leave me flat. Enter the Tribute with MFDs and it is closer to #1 than my build. G&L only makes one build of their pick ups. Of note, I sold my earlier pair of USA ASAT specials over the pickups. I liked P90s but not those MFD Specials, they hurt. I did not have the heart to hack the guitars. Currently, I am hooked on thinlines! Good Luck with yours!
In addition to the way you describe the neck pup tone I would add "round" to the adjectives. I've always loved that tone. All three of my T-style guitars exhibit it.
I have 2 Les Pauls which are so versatile. However when I play my Telecaster, it is so easily distinguishable from ANY other guitar that’s playing. Love it.
That's the problem with buying electric guitars, it has to look and feel right, has to be inspiring in hand - you have to want to run around the neck. AND it has to sound sweet and right. That is a box full of options to balance. That's why you can audition 10 guitars and walk out of the store with nothing ... Or plug in at a pawn shop and start grinning. It's hard to get the right one. I have been building up parts casters over the years because I can't buy what I want ... Nice playing by the way. You do dynamic range nicely : D
Hey Jack, I just finished assembling a modded Esquire. I added a Fender CS Nocaster pickup in the neck position and it's awesome: smooth, airy, full presence. You can play bluesy, even Jazz if you want, which is usually totally ignored on a Tele. The bridge PU is a Peter Florance TE-50: superb tones ! I wired the pickups out of phase, so that I have an additional "hollow" tone in the intermediate position, just like "Greeny". Cheers from France 🇫🇷🎸
To me the Telecaster neck pickup is like this Woody sound. It’s like the mids are coming though a large speaker that is gently covered by like this wood board, but not completely covered. And the wood is vibrating very gently to the sound of the speaker giving off its own interesting sound that’s unique and not quite muffled, but compressed. To me that what the pickups sound like, compressed sound. Like the Telecaster knows the exact tonal sounds it wants to give off, and it leaves all the rest in the background. It’s not giving you every harmonic sound, but what it’s giving you is gold. That’s the only way I can describe it. I know, sounds crazy right? Lol
I am saving for my first guitar and a Telecaster, here, AM built ofc, costs 2-3k USD(14-20 000 NOK). A used one you can get for 1.5k USD, or around 10 000 NOK.. 40 bucks for a guitar, not sure I would trust that.
@@OriginalPuro You don't understand. He went in person to the thrift store , saw the Tele and purchased it for only $39. Thrift stores sell donated items so he's telling the truth. I paid @ $25 for an entire Golf set w/bag. 7 or 8 clubs were included.
@@PeterDad60 I used to work at a Goodwill thrift store, as an electrical processor (aka processed electrical items, ect) The truth is.....I dont know how anyone could come up on a $39 dollar guitar because 1. I, or someone like myself, definitely already stole it 2. Quota. Everyday a certain amount, i believe 200, items needed to be processed. 75 - $2 dollar items, 25 - $10 dollar items, 10 - $50 dollar items or something along those lines A processor must find the right balance between making quota, with insufficient items, flushing the quota stickers down the toilet and trying their best to help out the community Basically, either i steal it, or more likely drop it in a random customers cart for a dollar and say "shhh". Otherwise the item becomes known and nobodys getting away with putting it on a shelf for 39 dollars. If the manager were to see an item that could be sold for more than labeled, theres a chance of them actually trying to sell it for real money, which is not very Robinhood I did come up on a 400 dollar Ibanez working that job but there was no better feeling than wheeling a nice ass flat screen out to an absolutely thrilled costumer because I slapped a "broken" sticker on it and sold it for a dollar like Santa Claus lmao
@@OriginalPuro Lol smh. There is absolutely no reason you should ever spend that kind of money on your first guitar unless you're buying it to show it off rather than play it. The fastest way to loose respect from other guitar players is to have a $1,000+ guitar that you can only use to play smoke on the water and out of tune chords. Also if it takes such an expensive guitar to get you excited at first you'll NEVER EVER be a guitar player. Save your money and let someone who's earned it buy that guitar so it doesnt spend its life never getting played sitting up against a wall like a $20 thrift store guitar in a teenagers room. Of course youd pull it out once a year to show off your mad skills to your girlfriend who would tell you how great you are. Lol. What are you thinking?!
Luv the Tele neck p/u. I would describe the tone as a tight, warm, smooth, and well rounded (but not fat).. Kinda like running well lubricated set of ball bearings in your skateboard.. Just feels perfect! ..if that makes any sense. Also luv the middle position.. A little quacky, but versatile, nice & balanced. And lastly the bridge p/u is always there if you need that Tele bite.
The question for most standard tele players is: do you set the amp up for the bridge or the neck pickup? If, like most players you set it up for the more linear bridge pickup, when switching yr neck becomes very muddy and too thick. I think that's why people often change the neck pickup. But an EQ pedal fixes that or a resistor between the hot wire and pot..
I've got the Lollar Vintage T pickups on my tele and the neck pickup on it is so sweet. It is THE tone I've been looking for. Add a little dirt to it and I could play it all day. In fact, imma go play it right now.
I have a Squier Paranormal Offset Tele. The stock pickups were OK, especially the bridge, bright and it delivered. However the neck pickup was blah, very muddy, no personality. I made two changes. I replaced the Tuning Machines with Gotoh Locking Tuners and slapped a set of Tex-Mex pickups in. For the Neck Pickup I set the clearance 6/64" on the Low E Side, and 4/64" on the High E Side. I'm loving it now. I might add, I have Daddario Flatwound 10's on it.
My Tele has Fender SCN Noiseless pickups , has a thick tiger maple neck with Fender locking tuners ( which are heavy and affect tone ) my neck pickup is very much a rich strat style tone but with a full spank the Strat neck pickup doesn't have .
Try out the Ultra Tele with the noiseless pickups. The neck pickup tone is just a smidge different and its right there! And that S1 switch give it a whole nother sound. I was chasing that sound with different guitars and amp settings forever. Plugged in an Ultra in a guitar store and bought it on the spot.
Nice! I haven't played the new ultras yet, but I've spent quite a bit of time with the older American Deluxe's and Elites which the Ultra (I believe) is the next generation of, essentially.
Jeff Buckley was known for staying on the neck pickup most of the time and got an amazing sound. On my current Tele, the neck pickup is night and bright, glassy but no harsh. I'm using it 50% of the time (and middle position about 30% of the time) until I can get a new bridge pickup.
I think that you have to dial in a fair bit of treble to voice the neck pickup to cut through then when you switch over to the bridge pickup use the guitar's tone control to take the treble down. I know that a popular mod is to disconnect the tone on the neck pickup so you can balance the treble between both pickups.
I have a Seymour Duncan antiquity in the bridge position. I thought about changing out the neck pickup but it sounds so good I can't see any reason to. The both of them together sound really sweet.
You’re absolutely correct that saddles significantly affect the tone, however in this case they don’t seem to be linked. These both have steel saddles, but the blonde tele has had three different saddle types and all pretty much retained the tone. I will say, however, I think steel almost accentuates it.
@@musicplaylists59 I think most likely it has to do with a combination of things but most significantly the pickup wind. Probably a lot of factors are more important in how noticeable it is
that makes sense, i once heard two pickups with the same design and number of winds but one was wound tighter than the other and they sounded noticeably different ( i preferred the one that was wound looser) so there are so many small variables that can add up to a different sound with guitars.
I put fender original vintage in my squier, I personally love the neck pickup it definitely has a very open sound to it. I am just now discovering how good the bridge pickup can sound though.
That magic tone you described is the same tone I love and chase. It's similar to a mini humbucker but a bit leaner. The "magic " is the resonance peak at roughly 2Khz--that's what gives it the snap but also woody and pleasantly warm without being muddy like on some humbuckers, while also not as thin and shrill as it might get on some Strats.
Jack, did you not get the neck pick up tone you wanted from the PV64 neck in the AO60 tele? I think the PV64 neck is the best pick up I've ever heard...
Hi jack, I just returned to this video and was wondering if you've had a chance to try out the latest Fender noiseless singles (on the Player Plus...) and if they still deliver that special Tele neck tone?
I’ve only just begun to explore the Tele. I bought the first one I’ve ever had this year. But I haven’t played much of anything this year as I’ve had some health issues that have kept me from doing much of anything. But I can kind of hear what you’re talking about. There is some real estate where the Tele lives and nothing else like it is even in the neighborhood. I wouldn’t mine a good Tele pickup for the neck, but I don’t see the need to do so until I get good playing it. Then either the guy you just mentioned, Vaughn Skows pickups or something made by somebody who under stands the Telecaster. I don’t want to replace it with a humbucker, Filtertron or anything like that. I can do that on any other guitar. I want a Tele for having a Tele. Strats are ok, but everybody had one. It’s kind of like the Big Mac of guitars, or the Small block Chevy of the Hot Rodder’s world. It’s not any better or worse than any other guitar, it’s just what there was in the wall. I prefer a Humbucker guitar like a Les Paul or SG to a Strat. To get into Fender a clean territory I would prefer that tone you just played. Thanks!
May I offer something from my own doings? My own tele is somewhat unusual and modern in some respects, with EMG pick-ups. Not really my cup of tea but it was a great playing Tele at a great price. Yes, I want to change my pickups. But, I won't, at least, not yet. I want to play these ones inside out, know every micro-detail of their tonality. They dont look like old tele, but to be honest, it still SOUNDS like old tele, even if I have to look at things like 9v battery life... So I shall stick with it until I can for certain be bothered by some weakness. As it stands, it is MY tele, and preference be damned, it does its job. Good luck in both your playing and your health. We can but live in the surest hope of better times. Bless you and yours, UK
Thanks for the video. Loved the tone first up on the Butterscotch. Are you able to direct me to Andrew Robinson pickups? Can't find anything via my search engine. Cheers.
With the right amp, that kind of neck pickup can sound right as well. I found myself always stuck to the wooly dark sound, which something I'm okay with, I enjoy the contrast tonality between neck and bridge pickup. Really useful versatility in different situations, especially if you are the type of player that utilize the tone knob. I modded my pots and wiring just to give me that versatility, very ice picky with fully open tone, quite right tone with the knob halfway down. Very useful tricks when you're hitting the amp with powerful drive pedals.
After owning a bunch of "shred guitars", I never thought my Baja reissue Telecaster would be my favorite guitar, but here we are! After a bit of proper set up & adjusting, it's so comfortable to play! Not sure if anyone could shed some light, but it's the one that was discontinued a couple of years ago, the phase/parallel options are to die for, & upon reading the specs, it says there's a "Twisted Tele" in the neck position. Not sure if that would fit in this elite category of pickups, but it sure sounds beautiful to me! ❤️
Mine does that with a Seymour Duncan STR-1 "vintage". It's a mutt of a guitar too. IYV rosewood looking body (full thickness), a neck that came off a cheap pawn shop guitar, but somehow is flamed front and back from heel to headstock. Rosewood fretboard. Had some weird headstock design that I cut down to MIM shape. CTS pots, full hand soldered rewire with a nice cap.
Hello. God bless. I tried to put a Humbucker on my neck pickup but is very difficult at least in my experience to match the difference in output. Everytime I switch from neck to bridge the difference in volume was to much for my taste.
Hey Jack , I'm putting Texas Specials in my 93 American Standard Tele. Please let me know if you changed your pots - caps - switch when you put the Texas Specials in ?? If you did would you let me know what you used ex. 250k or 500k pots , etc. Or did you keep the old pots etc. & use them ? Thanks ....
I love Tele neck tone. I’ve an Am Special with Texas Specials and the neck tone is absolutely beautiful. I don’t think it can be bettered. You describe the neck tone perfectly well. I know my Am Special has it. I’ve two Highway One models and the necks are not as good, they’re nice but not as stunning as the Texas Special. The bass is deep (woody) the mid is a slight bark (hollow) and the treble silky (chimey) It’s fantastic for jazz. The Fender Vintera 50s Teles are pretty good too. The Wide Range sounds amazing too.
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Hi Jack,... what you are describing is what you get when you use an alnico III vintage wound tele neck pup.... like in a Custom Shop Nocaster 51 set... the magic is the A3 and wound to that spec !! :-)
Mark Koher actually I’ve found it in a number of magnets. In fact the 60s style pickup in this video has an Alnico 5 and really nails the tone.
I totally agree with Mark Koher, I've just installed a set of '52 Vintage AlNiCo 3 pickups in my Pine Tele and love, love, love the tone.
Smooth and fairly pronounced mids. Almost like the presence is turned up on the mids, yet they are louder volume but the speaker is farther away. As if the mids are part of the wet signal over-mixed into the dry signal!
Anyway, try the AlNiCo III pickups, smooth and strong/firm.
I'm also amazed that the AlNiCo III magnets are the weakest of the AlNiCo, however their higher iron content gives them a different tonal profile (more iron = lower peak resonant frequency).
HK Guitar the 53 set in this video has Alnico 3s. The 60s set has Alnico 5s. Alnico 3s are very special, but not exclusive to the tone I’m discussing in the video.
@@JackFossett Yes indeed.
This is just great. I am a Tele guy. Never try to buy pickups to try and make the Tele beck pickup sound like a Strat neck pickup. You wil end up spending huge amounts of money and won’t be able to find it. Just let it be what it is. IT’S OWN THING!!! God bless all.
If folks want a Strat tone, they need to buy a Stratocaster.
You can be like me and have both! Best of both worlds
I prefer neck telecaster pickups to sound twangy - distinctly "telecaster" sounding, not like a strat. Some people like a strat tone in tele neck - not me.
I'm a Tele and a coffee addict and I'm sure there's a link between the two. The Tele bridge pickup can be like a strong espresso - a short, sharp bite that delivers immediately. You know what it is straight away and it isn't difficult to find it and be satisfied. The Tele neck pickup is a smooth blend of beans with just the right amount of milk/cream (we all have our preferences) but a distinct, clear flavour must cut through the mellow experience. I actually like the Fender twisted Tele neck pickups (I know many don't). And the Fender modern vintage pickups in my America Ash Series "8502" would be hard to beat. On a budget (or even not), the Ironstone (UK) Tele pickups are worth checking out for a good neck tone and overall balance. It's hard to find what you like. Especially when all you can do is buy them and try them. Adjusting the pickup height is the first (and cheapest) tip to try to improve your tone. It can make a massive difference though is a pain if the neck pickup is screwed direct to the body rather than the pickguard - but can be well worth the effort. Now for a good cup of coffee.
damn! great synopsis.. I cosign ALL OF IT! strangley, I make a silimar comparison between a es 335 and bourbon, on a rainy night, in jazz club... yes the entire image hit me all at once :)
The tele is the black coffee of guitars.
American Standard, '63 reissue, and twisted tels pickups all sound great to me. I tried a Squier classic vibe that played terrific, but in comparison, it sounded like it had a blanket over it compared with the aforementioned pickups, which are all great.
Before you run out and buy new pickups, try one thing. Every time I try telecasters in stores, this seems true. Neck pickups set really up close and high. Crank it down always...opens right up. There are lots of setups at my house, 43 after a buddy sold me his affinity tele. 45 bucks. 2 weeks later, he came by to record some stuff, said wtf pickup you put in...said no change. Back it up some and see, also sustains better
I’ve always been a firm believer in lowering pickups too. I do it in nearly all of my guitars.
@@berlymahn term for Dollars ($$ US currency), he's talking about how much it cost in that particular sentence.
@@berlymahn american slang for the dollar. Currency,money or cash if you will. :)
The tele neck pups are much better in terms of moving it closer to the strings compared to strats. I have my 51 nocaster neck very close to the strings and still sounds amazing. Strats behave a different way so do not be afraid to break that rule and move that neck pup closer till you get that sweet spot. Take into consideration that there actually is that pup cover in between which means that the top of the poles might be farther than you think. I have a vintage-style 52 Tele with 51 nocaster pups and a 60's Strat with hand wound Josefina fat 60's pups but the strat can never come close to the tone I can achieve with my Tele even though the nocasters are not even handwound. I really don't get it why others replace the neck with humbuckers when the Tele neck single coils are the best neck pickups out there.
I'm pretty much a newbie to the Tele world.... I'll try this on my '50s Baja series... I love that thing....
The neck pickup is a matter of find the sweet spot on the height, for mine 1,5mm and 2,5mm is the sweet spot for the neck and brigde pickups, 1,5mm on treble side and 2,5 on the low E... the pickups is about 5k to 7k
you always can disconect the tone knowb from the neck pickup to get more highs if you want...
I’m also a telly player and I got to say I experienced the same magic that you explained: exact same way. I always feel like the neck tone gives some ‘hollowness’ or airyness you mentioned. And it’s really sweet on clean tones or low gain overdrives. Like it’s ‘breathing’ when you hit the notes. And especially if I’m picking it dynamically, the response is so fucking amazing dude. Btw mine is Fender Telecaster Japan, I think its a reissue, bought it from a friend
The neck pickup has always been my go to tone on every guitar I've ever owned. The single coil Tele neck is so pure and tonally balanced, with crisp attack, and plenty of sustain, and free of the ice pick piercing treble that the bridge pu produces.
I agree - the use the neck pickup more than I used to, it’s so pleasant
Yeah, I always wondered why single pickup guitars put their pickup in the bridge position, rather than the neck. The bridge position is way too tinny. Too much treble and not enough mids and bass. The neck position on the other hand gives you the perfect "guitar tone".
The tone knob helps reduce some of the ice pick.
@@NostalgiaforInfinity Because the bridge is the business-end of the electric guitar.
When driven and compressed it sounds amazing. Roll off some treble. Clean sounds great for chicken pickin and what not but not for a ton of other genres. But the bridge pup on a Tele rules. So does the neck and middle.
Hi I literally bought a fender mim telecaster yesterday, and I am over the moon with it... The tone of it in all three positions of pick up is powerful and has that distinctive sound that only a tele can make... Its factory standard and I have been playing it in all three positions, like you said jack the bridge is a teles bread and butter sound, but the neck sounds really beautiful too. I'm playing it through my fender blue's junior tweed both clean and with a tubescreaner and man it sounds amazing... Thanks for another fantastic informative video.. Really enjoyed it and great playing too 😎🎸👍
Woody. That's a good description. Somewhere between a Strat and Les Paul. Not as muddy as an LP and not as liquid or glassy as a Strat. I've got an Affinity that I string with acoustic 10 gauge strings. Stock pickups. The tone sounds way above its pay grade.
You use acoustic strings on your electric guitar with passive pickups?? Are you a beginner or was that a typo? Maybe you just dont understand how passive pickups or pickups in general work. Or even how acoustic and electric string alloys differ and why its important? I'm just smh over here frustrated at the notion that your comment wasnt a typo.
@@michaelinglis8516 they work. I'm going for jazz tone. Clean. They sound similar to flat wounds ( which I find uncomfortable ) to my ears. I've had other guitarists at a few of my gigs tell me they liked my tone. I'm sure you know as well as I do that to be complimented on your tone by another guitarist is pretty special. They stay in tune very well, but it's not for everybody. I'm 65 , been playing since I'm 8. Actually opened for Leslie West in 1976. If you care to , Google my name and add Squier Affinity Starcaster and see what I mean. Thanks. Keep on jammin'!
@@kennybluet5527 You'll have to excuse my initial speculation. The answer you gave is actually what I was honestly hoping to hear. I've been playing 21 years give or take 6 months and I build guitars and pedals(although at this point the guitar building is still a hobby if you could call it anything). Anyways point being that in the time I've been playing I havent heard of putting acoustic strings of any kind on an electric guitar (other than in an extreame pinch of course lol). With that said if it's going to work for any general "style" I imagine jazz would be it(and the flat wound comparison makes a lot of sense. I would imagine they attenuate the same frequencies but possibly without the inherent downsides of flat wounds) so maybe you are indeed on to something. I'm thoroughly pleased to know that your choice to use acoustic 10s is out of experience rather than ignorance. Is it my business what other players choose to do even when out of ignorance?...Probably not, but again I'm thrilled that it's working for you an if it gets you closer to the sound your after than that's all that matters. Thanks for taking the time to clear that up for me brother!
I would describe it as having glassy tone. Love it ❤
That’s some beautiful playing right there. I’ve put my tele to the side for the time being and have mostly been using my strat. But this video is inspiring me to pull it back out.
Jack, I’ve heard it on my 2013 Telecaster neck pickup. I’m listening and hearing you as I write this. It’s magical. My Tele has a 4 way switch, the position one away from the neck has the bridge and neck pickups wired in series. It is the most magical ‘neck’ sound I’ve ever heard. Thanks for your video.
What year is that natural American standard Tele? It looks a lot like my 2003.
Anyway, I'm so glad someone did a video on this. I've long been in love with my Tele's neck pickup, and I've always said there's something magical about the sound. Thankful you were able to articulate it so well.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it - that tele is right from around that time so I imagine it’s from the same run. It was a short lived butterscotch blonde finish on an American standard
Hey Jack, just ran across this video and became a new subscriber. Your playing is awesome, and the blonde Tele sounds great.
I’m going to have to be critical on one point however; this particular video was like watching and “doodle infomercial” you had me completely hooked with anticipation for a resolution that never came. Possibility have one Tele with Mojo, and one without in order to showcase your point. I do believe I know exactly what you referring too, but a side by side comparison with the same amp, both clean and dirty back to back.
I will continue to subscribe, because like I mentioned, your playing and equipment is top notch.
I’m pretty sure i play my neck pickup 90% of the time on my American professional tele. My favorite guitar behind my LP. Great playing man, sounds amazing
Awesome! The American Pro series are great. I love the new bridges they're using too.
Texas Special tele pick ups are by far some of the best sounding ones ive ever heard
Nice tones for sure. That blue Telecaster with the binding is beautiful.
Yes! I have an American Original 60s Tele with stock pickups. The neck pickup is straight up amazing. Clean or overdriven it’s tight, clear, hollow, and woody with nice sustain. I probably use the neck or both 75% of the time. It’s a beautiful thing
I have a '66 Tele with the original pickups, and I love the its neck pickup; it's warm and a bit dark, but it can bite, too.
You are so bang on, I’ve always loved the tele neck pickup...I hardly ever use the bridge pickup to be honest. It’s too bright for my liking, but the neck is so nice and smooth and warm.
I don’t usually use it either, but the bridge pickup comes in really handy when you’re playing with a band and the other positions aren’t cutting through the mix.
My telecaster does that! I knew what you were talking about even before you described it. I changes my pickups to 51’ no caster pickups tho, so it’s not stock. It does sound woody and hallow. Especially with new strings, it’s awesome
I have a 2013 Fender Corona Us Tele. It has a pickup in it called a twisted tele neck and I love it.
I’m primarily a neck pickup guy with both guitars and basses. Also a big fan of the Tele neck pup for all the ways you described it. In my experience, there are some different factors that contribute to that sound. The fact that they are unpotted and have metal covers. This means there is some degree of microphonics, varying pickup to pickup, but definitely there, and that lends to that airy tone you described.. Also, not being a hot overwound pickup adds clarity and airy tone. Third, the not having it too close to the strings, that you mentioned.
I agree with overwound - I generally (although there are exceptions) don’t care for hot pickups. They usually lack character
Agree 100%. Tele neck pickup is easy on the ears and sounds great all-around: clean, edge of breakup, and overdriven. A great contrast to the gnarly, raw bridge pickup. Best neck pickup sound of all, by far.
Nice tone indeed Jack. I just discovered you and this channel. TH-cam is kind enough to show me all things Telecaster. I am something of a 58-year old FanBoy (fan old man?). I just got a new Squier Affinity Tele in Race Red to use as a partscaster. I have other Fender Teles, but none with the traditional Tele thang. One custom shop I own has a nice neck pickup but it happens to be a Seymour Duncan humbuckers and bears little resemblance to traditional Tele on either PUP. I researched things and was hearing that the Affinity Teles were pretty decent so I bought one sight unseen on Sweetwater. I bought Fender Vintage '64 Tele re-issue PUPs and upgraded electronics, pick guard, etc. Well the Squier arrived with a nice setup by Sweetwater and right out of the box it blew my mind! Primary that was the bridge pickup. I had read that people thought the Affinity Teles of late were missing the proper sound in the neck. I have not put the vintage PUPs on just yet as I am having a lot of fun with it with all Chinese parts. But the upgrade electronics are ready to go next string change. I do not have that tone on any of my teles. It reminds me a little of Clapton's "Woman Tone" (many others beyond EC have used the term and the tone). I saw the idea of lowering the PUP. I might try that with the Chinese PUP even before putting in the Vintage '64 genuine Fender PUPs. It would whipped cream on top of the icing on the cake if I could get that type of tone out of this Squier! One other thing is for sure: Now that I realize how much I do love the good ole single coil Tele, I am going to buy a new or used American-made Tele. The Tele single coil bridge PUP explodes out of my Celestion. I can just imagine what a hand selected model made in Fullerton will sound like. I had a ES-335 next up but the Tele has stolen the show for the time being. Besides, I can't really afford a nice 335, but maybe I'll find joy in some of the Epis or other clones given my positive experience with Squier. I have never had a Tele, strat, or Gibson give me the exact tone you are getting. Now I am going to chase it. On Strats I often play on neck or is position 4. Thanks for this video. I will check out others. I've already brought the like count to 888 even. I hope 888 isn't simply 666 + 222!
There is a real magic to a good tele neck pickup. The best tele neck pickup tone I have ever heard is from jazz guitarist, Tim Lerch. He seems to have the science of it figured out, too. He has some great videos discussing this.
Tim Lerch also seems to have many Telecasters with a vast spectrum of different pickup combinations in them. Wonderful player. Jack’s playing is also pretty great. 👍🏽
Ted Greene as well.
JUst subscribed and am hoping for a video on the middle switch position on the Telecaster!
That’s an excellent idea - another killer Tele tone.
totally agree regarding neck pick up. I am using all the time and it's awsome. I am mesmerised by that tone since I got my tele player .
I don’t know what I did, but the neck pickup in my Tele never sounded right. I never played with the heights until I watched this video. The screw on the bass side was loose. I screwed it in and leveled out the pickup to sound better with the bridge pickup. It sounds so much better on its own now as well. Thank you.
Not in same range but I love both my squier tele pickups and don't use one more than the other. Really pleased with them, never thought of changing them and all.
Squier makes some great guitars
I personally fell in love with the double bound telecaster custom too, which is why I got one too! I have texas special pickups (for hum cancelling in in between positions), four way switch and an S-1 switch in mine, so I can get series and out of phase sounds, and I love it
The double bound telecaster does look wicked shahp. WICKED shahp. Dappah.
Did you have have the Tele modified yourself how much is s1 switching cost
@@duanemarshall7612 I got a wiring harness I bought off reverb. I think it’s labeled as a baja tele wiring harness but I can’t remember, just try looking that up
@@Steadman711 yes I'm familiar with that they on Mexican teles I have a Japanese 62 custom Reissue and not pleased with the weak pickups too thin any suggestions?
@@duanemarshall7612 I’ve currently got a set of Texas special tele pick ups and they’re definitely not thin, they’ve got some bite to them. The stock pick ups I had were good too, I just wanted the option for hum canceling when running in series, and they happen to do that
i really love the neck pickup of my tele baja ! round, woody, open and brilliant at the same time .. so sweet !
I’d like to get my hands on a Baja Tele - Fenders MIM classic series are some of the best bang for the buck guitars I’ve ever played
I have a '52 CS reissue
Lowered the barrels at the bridge & neck pickup. Playing it at home, thru a THR10.
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
My telecaster has a really cool overtone-thing going on with the neck pickup. I hear it in some telecasters but not all.
Thanks for your high quality and informative video! As crazy as it sounds, I have a Duo-sonic neck pickup in a 3/4 size tele project I was messing around with. The neck tone is very full and clear and as enjoyable to play as the same position in my CV 60's strat. Each to his own eh?
Lovely! I have two telecasters . One has got a wide range pickup which can be split. When on single pickup mode it is unique too but of course not the sound you are talking about
Also a great tone though! The wide range pickups are a unique sound all unto themselves.
Bill Frisell's tone is what comes to mind when I think of lovely neck pickup tone on a Telecaster. For me, that is THE tele tone.
Absolutely - he’s probably the best example. His tone is surreal.
Exactly! I was thinking the same!
Great tone, great playing. The Telecaster neck pickup is my favorite sound.
I'm curious, have you ever compared a P90 to the "tone" you are describing?
I play Tele a lot. My favorite pups are Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials. I will sometimes place a Strat middle pup between the Texas Specials for that "Nashville" tone. Usually though, I stay with Nocaster or Texas Specials for my Teles.
Best Tele neck I used was a "Texas special" on a 52 re-issue through a Marshall 50watt Valve combo, epic sound at low and max vol. Now I found a 1 pickup Esquire and can't put it down, forgot all about the neck pickup cos just by flicking the selector towards the neck it engages a cap and resistor that lowers the vol a touch and warms up the tone but not too much az to get boomy. I believe it's a 5000pf cap on all the time? Petfect!
I have this type of pickup. It is the stock pickup in my Fender 96 Art Esparza Masterbuilt Relic. I found this video because I'm looking for another pickup that sounds similar. I would describe it as half way between a normal Tele and a Lipstick. Bright and hollow, yes. The clean sound is beautiful and playing it through a driven plexi is incredible. I don't have a good camera but I'll see if I can post a video.
Hi Jack. Excellent video. I was very sceptical on what you were about to say regarding the tele neck pick up tone until you talked about the ‘airy hollowness’ - at which point I said ‘yes!’ quite loudly and was asked by people around me if I had just won the lottery. The tone you describe is exactly why I love the neck pickup on mine - a frankentele I put together with high quality electrics and pots but a cheap set of Tone Rider vintage plus pickups - and why it gets as much use as the bridge and middle settings. I also wired the pickups for the fourth neck and bridge in series setting It’s like a fattened neck sound with that softer, clear top from the middle postion.
I had to hear Roy Buchanan (live from austin tx) before I knew how to use my telecaster. I always thought the bridge was harsh, but when you use it in the right context it cuts through with an angst like no other. I agree the neck pickup has a hefty bass with a certain sparkle on top. I originally felt it was muddy, and from I heard of strats I thought it lacked attack. But now the neck pickup for me is the most soulful sound ever. It has a weary earthiness. With the right amount of gain on a slow/soft song you can play the most beautiful solos.
I'd really want to try Alnico 5 Neck and Alnico 3 bridge to get a more balanced sound !
I've been describing that neck sound as "woody" but have always had trouble elaborating what I meant by "woody" when asked. I'd say woody in a particular percussive, punchy, hollow way that reminds me of a spruce top and cypress back/sides flamenco guitar, but the people I've tried describing it to didn't seem to completely get what I was trying to get at. Love it though, and the middle position which makes for some really twinkly, midwest emo tones
Beyond your demo of the neck pickup, I am curious if your amp tone was set brighter than if you were using the bridge pickup. When my amp is dialed in to highlight the bridge pickup, the neck pickup will by darker.
My Tele neck pick up is my “jazz pickup”.
But what is it really?
@@jayfender4486 talking about sounds is somewhat strange, because u try to describe one medium with another - just doesn't work out. very similar to when ppl say something about wine, it always sounds terrible. In fact there is nothing worth saying about it: listen, drink, smell and look for yourself
@@deadcatforcutie9349 some famous person once said that talking about music is like dancing about architecture
@@musicplaylists59 that's a good one. A lot of us guitar geeks like to talk gear and tone endlessly. Or maybe I'll just speak for myself. Obsessed. That's the word.
My 2020 Affinity Tele sounds amazing fot the money, i love it just as much as my Les Paul, which is a 1000$ more lol.. After a good setup, it really shines, and I've always loved a good neck pu.
That intro tone up to around 2:00 was pretty sublime. I'm coming from Ibanez shredville and I'm just learning about the nuances of Teletone with an actually very nice, dirt cheap Chinese copy that I massaged the frets on. Apparently it's an accurate copy dimension-wise, and I just love the neck! A little baseball-batty but doesn't interfere with speed at all, and the sound is really nice but I haven't got it dialled in yet on my HD500X. I live in an apartment so unfortunately I can't do an amp.
I would characterize the classic Tele neck pickup sound, among other things, as a little "glassy" or "crystalline". I really like it.
Good words, I dig it
You described the tone perfectly. It’s hollow and woody bordering on boomy at certain pitches (in a good way). Great playing btw 🤘
Airy hollowness is exactly how I describe it too. I love the neck pickup and find it more usable than the bridge, though the bridge is more iconic. Mine is an unmodded American custom.
I have a Tele copy, but I'm more a Les Paul guy, and what you're saying about Tele neck pickups is exactly how I feel about LP neck pickups -all the bridge ones are fine with me, but I'd tried a few sets (T-top, SD '59, Tim Shaw, SD WLH) and not found a neck pickup I like. The sound I wanted is the "Tele on Steroids" sound, which you'd think is easy to find since pretty much everyone says that's what makes the '59 Burst magic. I finally got some from Australia, and am really pleased with them. Great video and playing!
I sometimes think that we as musicians, - guitarists and bassists alike, - are dwelling too much into pickups, mods, types of wood on the instrument, strings, etc. (I'm guilty myself, believe me). Back in the 1960's thru the mid-1970's there was virtually no musical instrument parts & components industry. Yet, the musicians who played a Tele, Strat, Les Paul or a Precision or Rick bass left their mark w/o a hotter pickup, a hi-mass bridge or active electronics. I believe that it will always be the musician who "gets" the sound or tone that defines his style and reputation on a recording or live performance. Jack, you're a perfect example of what I'm saying; - you're a superb player with taste, style and chops. I bet that if I handed U a Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster, U would sound just as good as the Butterscotch and blue Tele Custom featured in this video. With all the advancements in music tech today, - countless players world wide are still trying to get those sounds that happened 40 and 50 plus years ago. The so called "magic" is within the player. Case in point: I saw several videos of Carlos Santana on a Tele; - did he sound like Albert Lee or James Burton? No, - he sounded like Santana . . . BTW, - thank you for the time and effort U put into your presentation, - well done.
Very cool video and I completely get where you are coming from.
I think your description of the highs sitting on top of an airy mid-range hit the nail on the head.
I have never been a Tele guy, but 2 weeks ago I went into GC with cash in hand and ended up walking out with my first Tele.
A G&L ASAT Classic in solid Ash with Alnico V pickups.
I played literally every Fender Tele/Strat on the wall.
Oddly...none of them had that "magic" in the pickups, and especially the neck.
Throughout the full pickup range they just all sounded really "thin" to my ears. They didn't seem to have that warmth sitting below the treble.
I kept picking up that G&L (cheaper than the Fenders I was prepared to buy) and it just had something different in the pickups that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
Needless to say, I took that guitar home and have been loving every minute of playing it. The neck is saucy and every pickup position has usable tones. It's the first guitar that I have not avoided a position on.
Now that I have seen this video, that's exactly the way I would describe the neck. Good low end with glassy treble sitting on top of airy mids.
I have a 1993 American standard tele w/ a rosewood board and hand wound set of tele pickups made by a friend of a friend of mine. The bridge pickup is amazing and versatile and was made with alnico 5 magnets. The neck pickup is pretty unique sounding and was wound with alnico 2 pickups and doesn’t have a pickup cover on it. Although I love the neck pickup, it has just a tiny bit less presence in the high end than other tele neck pickups I’ve played.The guitar also has a custom cut aluminum pickguard made by the same guy, which I’m sure affects the tone in some way, if not just the sustain. The pickups were wound a bit hotter than other single coils I have, so there’s a bit more volume, but it still stays very clean. All in all it’s one of the best guitars I own, alongside my 84 es 335 studio, and 65 reissue jazzmaster. I could pretty much cover all the ground I need with those guitars. Would I sell all my others? ... never.
Set of Twisted Tele pups from The Custom Shop. Love em. Does that blues thing in the front, and that angry rock in the back. Fantastic set. 🤘🏼
I bought myself a custom shop 59 telecaster with a white ash body, bought it because I fell in love with the neck pickup. Never use the bridge.
Nice!
I enjoyed this video. I'm a long time Strat player. The main reason I didn't consider a Tele was the fact that, on a Strat, I'm on the neck pickup 80% of the time. But when I finally got a Tele 10 years ago, I was amazed how much I liked the neck sound. I had always read that the Tele neck pickup was close to useless. Not so! I bought a Tele primarily due to watching videos of Guthrie Trapp, who gets a beautiful sound from his Tele neck pickups. Now I find I'm on the neck pickup 80% of the time on the Tele like on my Strats, although I use and love all three switch positions. I've used many Tele neck pickups, but tend to gravitate towards those with a little extra mids and output, but not what you'd call hot. I reach for a Tele first these days.
Neck pick up of the Blue Tele sound heaven to my ear.
Which pick up was it?
Just a bit of EQ from any standard EQ pedal and I take my MIM Tele neck pickup to a P90 or Humbucker ish zone. Good video, Thanks✨
Cool, thanks!
@@JackFossett Thanks to you!✨
I’ve got a modern player telecaster plus that sounds similar to what you’re describing to my ears. I’m local to New Hampshire, I’ll have to check out those pick ups.
The pretty melody at 1:45. Is that "All" by Skycycle?
Hi Jack, I would like your opinion on a '72 Fender Telecaster (Vintera series) - because that's what I have, humbucker pick - up with an ordinary Telecaster pick - up, however it's not my number 1 guitar; but my 70's Fender Stratocaster also Vintera too, thank you.
Tele neck pickup is my second favorite tele tone (I love tele neck tone, but the guitar has to be wide open and the pickup has to have enough clear treble in it) . My favorite and most under rated tone is neck and bridge together. That's what I use 80-90% of the time. Imho It's the best tone for funk and soul
I very much agree. The Tele middle setting is a whole different kind of special.
And of course bridge alone for rock.
@@VIDS2013 Yeah, the bridge pickup is great for overdriven sounds, and clean palm muted reggae stuck lines an stuff like that
I have a G&L ASAT Classic thinline and I definitely love the neck pickup sound it has. Stock MFD neck pickups designed by Leo himself are more on the hotter side (a sort of p-90 touch) but still true to tele character. And, even more important, well balanced in output with the bridge counterpart. Love them also when gain goes up and they clean very musically when you roll off the volume pot. Maybe not true to vintage specs (ceramics, oh my...) but I love them.
I have a Fullerton and a Tribute with classic MFDs . I am stuck on treb passes.
I put a .002 in the Tribute. The Fullerton Thinline came (yesterday!) with one installed.
Treb passes are game changers, especially with the neck pickup.
I have 11 Telecasters. One has Duncan Phat Cats, which are his attempt to squeeze P 90s into a standard humbucker configuration. The classic MFDs do not approach the power of the Phat Cats.
I no longer have P90s to do an A:B with.
My #1 and my attempt to build a road copy both have Texas Specials.
With out a treb pass the neck pu would leave me flat.
Enter the Tribute with MFDs and it is closer to #1 than my build.
G&L only makes one build of their pick ups.
Of note, I sold my earlier pair of USA ASAT specials over the pickups. I liked P90s but not those MFD Specials, they hurt.
I did not have the heart to hack the guitars.
Currently, I am hooked on thinlines!
Good Luck with yours!
In addition to the way you describe the neck pup tone I would add "round" to the adjectives. I've always loved that tone. All three of my T-style guitars exhibit it.
I agree - round is actually a great way to describe a lot of fender tones.
I have 2 Les Pauls which are so versatile. However when I play my Telecaster, it is so easily distinguishable from ANY other guitar that’s playing. Love it.
Yeah they just have their own totally unique thing going
That's the problem with buying electric guitars, it has to look and feel right, has to be inspiring in hand - you have to want to run around the neck. AND it has to sound sweet and right. That is a box full of options to balance. That's why you can audition 10 guitars and walk out of the store with nothing ... Or plug in at a pawn shop and start grinning. It's hard to get the right one. I have been building up parts casters over the years because I can't buy what I want ...
Nice playing by the way. You do dynamic range nicely : D
Hey Jack, I just finished assembling a modded Esquire. I added a Fender CS Nocaster pickup in the neck position and it's awesome: smooth, airy, full presence. You can play bluesy, even Jazz if you want, which is usually totally ignored on a Tele. The bridge PU is a Peter Florance TE-50: superb tones ! I wired the pickups out of phase, so that I have an additional "hollow" tone in the intermediate position, just like "Greeny". Cheers from France 🇫🇷🎸
To me the Telecaster neck pickup is like this Woody sound. It’s like the mids are coming though a large speaker that is gently covered by like this wood board, but not completely covered. And the wood is vibrating very gently to the sound of the speaker giving off its own interesting sound that’s unique and not quite muffled, but compressed. To me that what the pickups sound like, compressed sound. Like the Telecaster knows the exact tonal sounds it wants to give off, and it leaves all the rest in the background. It’s not giving you every harmonic sound, but what it’s giving you is gold. That’s the only way I can describe it. I know, sounds crazy right? Lol
I never played a telecaster until I found one at a thrift store, paid 39.54 for it and it quickly became my favourite player guitar
Sorry 39 dollars? Two sec ima hit up my local saint johns
I am saving for my first guitar and a Telecaster, here, AM built ofc, costs 2-3k USD(14-20 000 NOK).
A used one you can get for 1.5k USD, or around 10 000 NOK..
40 bucks for a guitar, not sure I would trust that.
@@OriginalPuro You don't understand. He went in person to the thrift store , saw the Tele and purchased it for only $39. Thrift stores sell donated items so he's telling the truth. I paid @ $25 for an entire Golf set w/bag. 7 or 8 clubs were included.
@@PeterDad60 I used to work at a Goodwill thrift store, as an electrical processor (aka processed electrical items, ect)
The truth is.....I dont know how anyone could come up on a $39 dollar guitar because
1. I, or someone like myself, definitely already stole it
2. Quota. Everyday a certain amount, i believe 200, items needed to be processed. 75 - $2 dollar items, 25 - $10 dollar items, 10 - $50 dollar items or something along those lines
A processor must find the right balance between making quota, with insufficient items, flushing the quota stickers down the toilet and trying their best to help out the community
Basically, either i steal it, or more likely drop it in a random customers cart for a dollar and say "shhh". Otherwise the item becomes known and nobodys getting away with putting it on a shelf for 39 dollars. If the manager were to see an item that could be sold for more than labeled, theres a chance of them actually trying to sell it for real money, which is not very Robinhood
I did come up on a 400 dollar Ibanez working that job but there was no better feeling than wheeling a nice ass flat screen out to an absolutely thrilled costumer because I slapped a "broken" sticker on it and sold it for a dollar like Santa Claus lmao
@@OriginalPuro Lol smh. There is absolutely no reason you should ever spend that kind of money on your first guitar unless you're buying it to show it off rather than play it. The fastest way to loose respect from other guitar players is to have a $1,000+ guitar that you can only use to play smoke on the water and out of tune chords. Also if it takes such an expensive guitar to get you excited at first you'll NEVER EVER be a guitar player. Save your money and let someone who's earned it buy that guitar so it doesnt spend its life never getting played sitting up against a wall like a $20 thrift store guitar in a teenagers room. Of course youd pull it out once a year to show off your mad skills to your girlfriend who would tell you how great you are. Lol. What are you thinking?!
Luv the Tele neck p/u. I would describe the tone as a tight, warm, smooth, and well rounded (but not fat).. Kinda like running well lubricated set of ball bearings in your skateboard.. Just feels perfect! ..if that makes any sense.
Also luv the middle position.. A little quacky, but versatile, nice & balanced.
And lastly the bridge p/u is always there if you need that Tele bite.
Well rounded is a good description
The question for most standard tele players is: do you set the amp up for the bridge or the neck pickup? If, like most players you set it up for the more linear bridge pickup, when switching yr neck becomes very muddy and too thick. I think that's why people often change the neck pickup. But an EQ pedal fixes that or a resistor between the hot wire and pot..
I've got the Lollar Vintage T pickups on my tele and the neck pickup on it is so sweet. It is THE tone I've been looking for. Add a little dirt to it and I could play it all day. In fact, imma go play it right now.
If these videos inspire someone to pick up their guitar, then my work here is finished.
I never use the Bridge pickup on my Tele. The neck pickup has that huge tube tone that I just love
I have a Squier Paranormal Offset Tele. The stock pickups were OK, especially the bridge, bright and it delivered. However the neck pickup was blah, very muddy, no personality. I made two changes. I replaced the Tuning Machines with Gotoh Locking Tuners and slapped a set of Tex-Mex pickups in. For the Neck Pickup I set the clearance 6/64" on the Low E Side, and 4/64" on the High E Side. I'm loving it now. I might add, I have Daddario Flatwound 10's on it.
Great playing!
I'm a newb and recently bought my first telecaster.
My Tele has Fender SCN Noiseless pickups , has a thick tiger maple neck with Fender locking tuners ( which are heavy and affect tone ) my neck pickup is very much a rich strat style tone but with a full spank the Strat neck pickup doesn't have .
Try out the Ultra Tele with the noiseless pickups. The neck pickup tone is just a smidge different and its right there! And that S1 switch give it a whole nother sound. I was chasing that sound with different guitars and amp settings forever. Plugged in an Ultra in a guitar store and bought it on the spot.
Nice! I haven't played the new ultras yet, but I've spent quite a bit of time with the older American Deluxe's and Elites which the Ultra (I believe) is the next generation of, essentially.
Jeff Buckley was known for staying on the neck pickup most of the time and got an amazing sound. On my current Tele, the neck pickup is night and bright, glassy but no harsh. I'm using it 50% of the time (and middle position about 30% of the time) until I can get a new bridge pickup.
I think that you have to dial in a fair bit of treble to voice the neck pickup to cut through then when you switch over to the bridge pickup use the guitar's tone control to take the treble down. I know that a popular mod is to disconnect the tone on the neck pickup so you can balance the treble between both pickups.
That mod is a good idea I think regardless of what the neck pickup is. The bridge pickup can get VERY biting, especially at stage volume.
Twisted Tele neck pickup in my Custom Shop 60s Tele....very happy with tone through my Princeton Reverb:)
Tele and a Princeton is a great match
Twisted Tele is not a traditional Tele pup. It is to make a Tele sound more Stratty. Not my thing.
I have a Seymour Duncan antiquity in the bridge position. I thought about changing out the neck pickup but it sounds so good I can't see any reason to. The both of them together sound really sweet.
does the blue Tele have brass saddles? maybe it could be that if so, the saddle material can effect the tone noticeably on some guitars.
You’re absolutely correct that saddles significantly affect the tone, however in this case they don’t seem to be linked. These both have steel saddles, but the blonde tele has had three different saddle types and all pretty much retained the tone. I will say, however, I think steel almost accentuates it.
ah ok, thats interesting. could it be the difference between old style ashtray bridge and the new style longer flat bridge plate?
@@musicplaylists59 I think most likely it has to do with a combination of things but most significantly the pickup wind. Probably a lot of factors are more important in how noticeable it is
that makes sense, i once heard two pickups with the same design and number of winds but one was wound tighter than the other and they sounded noticeably different ( i preferred the one that was wound looser) so there are so many small variables that can add up to a different sound with guitars.
I put fender original vintage in my squier, I personally love the neck pickup it definitely has a very open sound to it. I am just now discovering how good the bridge pickup can sound though.
That magic tone you described is the same tone I love and chase. It's similar to a mini humbucker but a bit leaner. The "magic " is the resonance peak at roughly 2Khz--that's what gives it the snap but also woody and pleasantly warm without being muddy like on some humbuckers, while also not as thin and shrill as it might get on some Strats.
Thanks! Great video and beautiful Tele!
I love my tele neck pickup. It is just standard fitment on my MIM Fender. It is lovely for country jazz.
Jack, did you not get the neck pick up tone you wanted from the PV64 neck in the AO60 tele? I think the PV64 neck is the best pick up I've ever heard...
I personally found it a little thin sounding. At least in my rig.
Hi jack, I just returned to this video and was wondering if you've had a chance to try out the latest Fender noiseless singles (on the Player Plus...) and if they still deliver that special Tele neck tone?
I hear it, I understand it. And I like it! Good video, excellent explanation.
I’ve only just begun to explore the Tele. I bought the first one I’ve ever had this year. But I haven’t played much of anything this year as I’ve had some health issues that have kept me from doing much of anything. But I can kind of hear what you’re talking about. There is some real estate where the Tele lives and nothing else like it is even in the neighborhood. I wouldn’t mine a good Tele pickup for the neck, but I don’t see the need to do so until I get good playing it. Then either the guy you just mentioned, Vaughn Skows pickups or something made by somebody who under stands the Telecaster. I don’t want to replace it with a humbucker, Filtertron or anything like that. I can do that on any other guitar. I want a Tele for having a Tele. Strats are ok, but everybody had one. It’s kind of like the Big Mac of guitars, or the Small block Chevy of the Hot Rodder’s world. It’s not any better or worse than any other guitar, it’s just what there was in the wall. I prefer a Humbucker guitar like a Les Paul or SG to a Strat. To get into Fender a clean territory I would prefer that tone you just played. Thanks!
May I offer something from my own doings?
My own tele is somewhat unusual and modern in some respects, with EMG pick-ups. Not really my cup of tea but it was a great playing Tele at a great price. Yes, I want to change my pickups.
But, I won't, at least, not yet.
I want to play these ones inside out, know every micro-detail of their tonality. They dont look like old tele, but to be honest, it still SOUNDS like old tele, even if I have to look at things like 9v battery life... So I shall stick with it until I can for certain be bothered by some weakness. As it stands, it is MY tele, and preference be damned, it does its job.
Good luck in both your playing and your health.
We can but live in the surest hope of better times.
Bless you and yours, UK
Thanks for the video. Loved the tone first up on the Butterscotch. Are you able to direct me to Andrew Robinson pickups? Can't find anything via my search engine. Cheers.
Sure thing - he’s I believe just on Facebook at the moment, if you look up Andrew Robertson Pickups on there it should come up.
@@JackFossett Thank you.
With the right amp, that kind of neck pickup can sound right as well. I found myself always stuck to the wooly dark sound, which something I'm okay with, I enjoy the contrast tonality between neck and bridge pickup. Really useful versatility in different situations, especially if you are the type of player that utilize the tone knob. I modded my pots and wiring just to give me that versatility, very ice picky with fully open tone, quite right tone with the knob halfway down. Very useful tricks when you're hitting the amp with powerful drive pedals.
After owning a bunch of "shred guitars", I never thought my Baja reissue Telecaster would be my favorite guitar, but here we are!
After a bit of proper set up & adjusting, it's so comfortable to play!
Not sure if anyone could shed some light, but it's the one that was discontinued a couple of years ago, the phase/parallel options are to die for, & upon reading the specs, it says there's a "Twisted Tele" in the neck position. Not sure if that would fit in this elite category of pickups, but it sure sounds beautiful to me! ❤️
Mine does that with a Seymour Duncan STR-1 "vintage". It's a mutt of a guitar too. IYV rosewood looking body (full thickness), a neck that came off a cheap pawn shop guitar, but somehow is flamed front and back from heel to headstock. Rosewood fretboard. Had some weird headstock design that I cut down to MIM shape. CTS pots, full hand soldered rewire with a nice cap.
Hello. God bless. I tried to put a Humbucker on my neck pickup but is very difficult at least in my experience to match the difference in output. Everytime I switch from neck to bridge the difference in volume was to much for my taste.
I can see how that would be an issue. I've had the same (but opposite) issues with HSS Strats. They just don't sit well together to my ear.
Hey Jack , I'm putting Texas Specials in my 93 American Standard Tele. Please let me know if you changed your pots - caps - switch when you put the Texas Specials in ?? If you did would you let me know what you used ex. 250k or 500k pots , etc. Or did you keep the old pots etc. & use them ? Thanks ....
I love Tele neck tone. I’ve an Am Special with Texas Specials and the neck tone is absolutely beautiful. I don’t think it can be bettered.
You describe the neck tone perfectly well. I know my Am Special has it. I’ve two Highway One models and the necks are not as good, they’re nice but not as stunning as the Texas Special. The bass is deep (woody) the mid is a slight bark (hollow) and the treble silky (chimey) It’s fantastic for jazz.
The Fender Vintera 50s Teles are pretty good too.
The Wide Range sounds amazing too.