I forgot to mention in the video that all four “Teles” are ash bodied partscasters from MJT, All Parts, and MusicKraft. Three have Fender bridges - the white one has a Rutters bridge. Three have Rutters brass saddles - the red one has Callaham brass saddles. Mine has NY XL 10s, the red one has EB 9.5s, and the other two have Webstrings 9s (and lower action than mine and the red one).
I'd really like to get a bridge milled like your guitar (I have a G&L that's not compatible with replacement bridges I've seen online). Who would do something like that? It seems more like blacksmith work than a guitar repair job...
Thankyou for the review and the fantastic audio Lyle, its a real pleasure to hear my work in this context, and kudos to Steve and Hal for some fantastic playing.
@@plantpotpeople Thankyou, the Lollar bridge pickup seems to be rated highly in the comments too, I think I will take note and tweak my EQ accordingly, plenty of clarity in the upper mids
I've got a set of P90s that Ben built for me, and I can say that he builds amazing pickups! I'm a little late in seeing this demonstration, but I'm not surprised at the outcome. Get yourself a set, you'll be forever grateful...
Good comparison. I simply love Lollars and use their 52's in my tele and their '64's in my strat. And think my bias got me, I like the Special T pickups best in your demo. Thank you!
Lollar overall, withe the Murray set a very close second. Each have their qualities. All are VERY Tele and have great tone. But the Fenders are thin, to brittle sounding (especially the Mojotone's are very bright and shrill). This was a great shootout and comparison! Thx for making this!
The Fender Yosemite is what I'd expect the ideal tone to be in an off the shelf tele. That said, the Murray set really sung to me. And you could tell these players really responded to them. Truthfully, each set was really nice.
I had one in my Tele judging by the great sound i heared in some videos. The Special T is supposed to be stratty. It is, sorta, kinda but for me it fell in the cracks trying it out in 2 teles. Not quite as i hoped, especially in a live setting..
Those Murray pickups sound absolutely killer. There's a natural clarity to them and they're unmistakably nailing that tele tone. Might have to check those out.
I've had four sets of handwound tele pickups, and The ones that had a really good tone and "musical" quality to them clean were what I liked. Of course a distorted sound is another thing. What I had were Twang Kings, Lollar 52's, Antiquities, and Fender CS Nocasters. I liked the Lollars best, then Nocasers, then Twang Kings, then the Antiquities. Videos like this help us to make that decision of how to spend our hard earned money, so thanks to you guys for sharing the experience.
Very well done, thank you for the time and effort. For me, it's the Murray in the neck and the Lollar in the bridge position. I think the Fenders just lack some output compared to the others and the bridge was a tad too thin for my liking. The Mojos are still ok and i'd consider that set for a touring guitar. But he's been right about the strat characteristics. Thank you for that comparison again.
Great video as always. I’m sure you’ll get 100’s of recommendations or “what about..” but the Cavalier pick ups have always been my favorite! But those Murray’s sound awesome!
Can’t lose with any of these choices. Just boils down to personal taste. For me Fender, Lollar, Murray, Mojotone in that order. Thanks again for the video
there is just so much to take in here! I'm going to be listening to this video over and over. Is Hal playing with just fingers? So Awesome. At first I was in awe over the murray pickups but as the video progressed It really depended on how they played as to what kind of pickup to use. Interesting stuff. Thanks
I think they all sounded good. However, the Yosemite pickups would probably be my first preference if I was forced to pick just one. They sounded a bit clearer and pronounced. But then, what do I know?
Fender Yosemite #1 . They really have that proper Tele open clear sound . Its how a proper Tele should sound , for me anyway . I have Fender Tex-Mex set in my Tele and they are great . Great cleans and glorious growl in overdrive with amazing touch response . I'm good with those .
Nice comparison Lyle! The Murray and Lollar pickups sounded best to my ear. The Fenders were pretty bright and got overly stingy at times. Mojotone were good, kinda in the middle to me.
shocker!!! the fender sounded the best to me. i certainly didn't expect that as i've not been a fan of the noiseless pickups! and, thanks for the info on saddles, strings and woods. those do make a difference.
Very, very interesting. Re: context, it's hard for me to know what I'm "hearing" when I prefer one or another. Is it the pickups? Or is it the guitar being built "better" or resonating more sympathetically with a particular playing style or pickups? I never really thought about it through various Teles until I finally found a good one where the sum is greater than the parts. Anyway, I'm biased toward the Lollar sound. They sound like they are pushing the amp harder than the others, which is a relatively good thing with a Tele. Ride the volume pot to happiness. The Murrays sound really good, especially so with the second player. Each position sounded good... full and musical, with great balance among the positions. I was surprised that the Mojos sounded pretty good, especially when plucked or finger picked. Plectrum attack wasn't as pleasant, chich is the same objection I have to other noiseless pickups. The Fenders did not impress me, lacking bottom end and "warmth", and sounding just sort of generic. They remind me why so many "decent" Teles eventually bore me. Give me some meat on those bones. Otherwise, give me a Strat or Jazzmaster. Good video. I like the change of pace!
Thanks for the video Lyle. You can really hear the differences. I love Lolar Vintage Ts. They sound they way I like a tele to sound. The Fenders leaned into the brighter side of things. The Murrays sounded a little more modern if that makes sense. I liked the sound of the Mojotone neck pickup for its clarity. But I'm going to have to get another set of those Vintage Ts since I let that other set get away in a 1985 Japan Squier Tele that I had for a while. I appreciate your use of the Super Reverb. Great reference point.
Great review Lyle, lot of editing went into that, so thankyou!! All were good, but ld go for Murray's (that neck pickup!).. or Lollar's (lve got a great underwound p90)... And... Ben, Ill be in touch when time/money permit for a set of buckers for my Custom mate..its only been 3yrs (kids!).
This answered many concerns I had regarding tele replacement sets. I am inclined to agree that the Murray's were the most musical of the test subjects. The Lollar's had more bite, and a controlled, howling midrange. The Mojotone set had great articulation for hum-cancelling tele sized set. They possessed good balance and great touch sensitivity. They all made the Fender entrant sound anemic, and syrupy; which is okay for legato lines, but lacks note separation during double stops. Thanks for posting, Lyle.
That's some great playing you captured Lyle. I liked all the pickups, I was most surprised that the Yosemites held their own in this demonstration. If I were just listening without seeing what the labels were, I could obviously tell a difference, but I don't think I would consistently pick a 'best' set.
Thank you Lyle! I listened to this on my iPad first - just don’t. Then listened 3 or 4 times on a speaker. I think that you could alternate between the Lollard and the Murray’s and get exactly what you want with a little bit of EQ tweaking. I liked the Lollars a little more with the first player but preferred the Murray’s with the second. Is it pick vs. fingers? I don’t know. The Fenders sounded OK with fingers but too thin with the pick. Put a couple of pedals between the guitar and the amp and I’m not sure it matters that much. Kudos to all 3 of you for the work that went into this. Oh and that amp is glorious!
My favorite way to setup a Tele bridge pickup is to reverse the angle, so the low E string pickup is closer to the bridge and the high E string pickup is further from the bridge.
Great shootout and I appreciate the attention to detail making the playing field as level as possible. As with all pickup choices, some will work better depending on the "chemistry" of the all the parts of the guitar itself but your choices made it easy to recognize what each set of pickups was doing. Both the Lollars and the Murrays had a shine and clarity that was missing in the Fenders and Mojotones. I felt the Fender neck was a little thinner than the others with the Murray edging out all of them. It just had a nice full tone with clarity in the highs that beat the rest. Both the Fender and Mojotone bridge pickups seem to have a veil over the highs. They just didn't sparkle like the Lollars or the Murrays. Given that the Lollars were in a guitar with a rosewood neck vs. the Murrays with a maple, I think either one would be ideal choices. I would love to hear them reversed (in the opposite guitar) but I realize that isn't likely to happen. Nevertheless, they both sound amazing. Lastly, the middle position with both pickups on was interesting. I thought the Fender set sounded pretty good. Perhaps Fender was going for a matched set more than trying to build one or the other to stand out on its own. However, I thought the Murray's actually took the prize. Very much what I expect to hear from a black guard tele in the middle position. The Lollars were nice but with the rosewood, it is a different middle sound in general, being a little less chimey and more mellow and sweet sounding. Overall winner was the Murray set. Thanks for the link to his website. Great video as always! Very much appreciate your insights and professionalism!!!
Red with the Lollars has a bit of of extra mids and warmth and a more controlled top end, but, could it be due in part to the rosewood fretboard mellowing things out a little?
For me it's the Murray and the Fenders that have that Tele sound. The Lollar's sound like a blanket has been thrown over them and the Monotone's are too quiet and tame. The Murray's are best overall but I wouldn't be unhappy with the Fender Yosemitie's.
Thanks for sharing. Would’ve loved to see some frailin pickups in there which I have in a couple guitars. P 90’s in an sg and a les Paul special. Just got a tele. I actually preferred the Yosemite pickups. Thanks again. Great playing.
The Murray pickups sound fantastic. I hear the unpleasant artifacts you were talking about Lyle. I think you are on the right track on solving it too. If it were my tele I would go with the Murray’s and never look back.
Wow, great comparison and great amp and playing. I'm moving up the ranks as an sort of just beyond entry-level audio engineer but it's so easy to judge the differences in this video. The noiseless pickups has a little bit of what you don't like from piezo pickups or something. It was quite clear what I didn't like about them in the bridge. But I was surprised that I thought all neck pickups was good (with expected Murray win) because I who care for strat neck pickups think that those are hard to get right. I like my ordinary 59 Mojotones in strat and actually think I have started to trust them blind for ballpark of great speakers and pickups actually. For teles I like bridge leads that cracks the sky that only teles can do in Stairway To Heaven or Hotell California, so I have trouble on choosing between Lollar and Murray bridge before hearing that thing.
Thanks mate, I want to point out the Lollar Special Ts are actually a later whiteguard model, the neck pickup is the same recipe (A5 magnets 43 gauge wire) but the bridge pickup uses A5 magnets instead of A3s so that is why your hearing more upper mids and less lower mids, as well as a sharper attack.
Great video review! I have been on a Tele pickup tone quest for 30+ years! I've tried 9 different sets some priced high and some low, and gone full circle back to my favorites. None of the pickups I've tried, including my favorites were reviewed in your video! My favorites sound most like the Lollar Special T's, but 1/3 the cost. Thank you for going down the rabbit hole so I don't have to! Love the Tele chops and your videos.
None of us had any to use for this, but Lindy also makes great pickups. I’d love to do an exhaustive comparison of more pickups, in the same guitar, played to a backing track for consistency, etc. But that’s a very expensive proposition.
I have two CV50s...one with Lollar Special Ts....the other with Fralin Blues Special. Lollars have more fullness in the neck..great. Love BOTH brands! I also remove neck pup from tone pot...that seems to improve clarity and output in a great way.
Nice Andy Summers quote. Lollars first, Fenders second. Sadly impossible to compare on different guitars. All need to be done on the same guitar, but all the soldering could be rather messy.
Following demo on the different pickups with Lyle. As he plays the pickups by builders names I really cannot discern where (you can't see) in the video (when switching positions) to the brands of pickups. Can you put them up on a screen someplace that allows the viewers to be the brand comparisons and switching. Thanks, Gary B (Denver, CO)
I’m listening on my iPhone while cooking so, yada yada, but I think the players were the biggest variable. I liked the Yosemites the most with the first player and the least with the second player. Going to listen again with cans later. Thanks for the video.
I'm not saying there aren't any crappy pickups because there are..... But once you reach a certain quality of of pick up.. The tonal variations or shortcomings between all of them can be erased or circumvented by tweaking the tone knobs on the amplifier or the guitar. It's like comparing capacitors on plate load resistor coupling circuits.... A simple tweak of a knob levels the playing field between cheap or expensive.
For me, I think that Murray neck pickup is my favorite. The bridge…might be the Lollar. It sounds the most different of the four to me. It seems richer and less treble centric (which I realize some people really like). I read somewhere that your aural memory - how long you can remember what something sounds like - is really short. These videos really hit that home.
Cool. I love Musikraft necks. It kind of blows me away that Musikraft isn't more popular or well-known. I've got a few basses, 2 PBs and 1 JB, built with those and MJT bodies. One of the bodies though was an ultrlight ash PB I bought unfinished from MJT that I did the lacquer trans blond finish on.
I have the Area T in a Tele but I swapped to Chopper T and Twang King, and I love them but it depends on what your playing as they say but you are right the Area T have some issues but I am hoping to find some Evans pickups which great sounds but they haven't been made in a while so it's going to be a little difficult but I am hoping to find a decent classic rock sound for my second, I like different pickups in different guitars and I am trying to avoid using the same in both to be happy.. I will admit using the switch for the Chopper T and Twang King for parallel and series make a huge difference... So let's see what you got for my second one ... Watching the video I have to give props to the player because Murray had a feel to it, even listening to it I felt like I could feel the tone to it , might replace the Area T with Murray here soon but I will be keeping my quest tho for Evans from the old days ... Thanks for the video
Thought the Murray was the best balance between warmth and clarity. The Fenders were cold and exactly what I expected from them. I seem to like A3 a bit over wound in the bridge. Most of the time I use Esquires with modified Eldred wiring.
There's some meat on the Lollar and the Murray necks that just isn't there on the fender or Quiet Coil. The Quiet Coil has a bit of a weird top end. Maybe your intro biased me, but the Murray really sounds full and balanced and very good. The bridge pickups sounded pretty similar, except the Quiet coil. Preffered the slightly higher gain of the Lollar, which may come down to pickup height. I think Lollar is the winner for me, if I was a teleplayer I would probably never think of switching them. And yeah, there's something really audibly weird about that amp, speaker or otherwise...
Me, I’m relocating the bridge pickup position and slant forward. With relatively low output alnico V’s from China. One need only to observe the physical movement of the vibrating strings to gain a idea of where the pole pieces should be, to then relate this to your ears & what you’d like to have them deal with lol
As others have said. lollars, Murray, mojo then fender. Personally speaking I would have liked to see fralin in lieu of the fender pickups. Creamery pickups would be another option. Great presentation and I enjoyed the video. Awesome pickers too. Thanks.
Fenders sounded the most tele twangy . Liked them Lollars sounded good but slightly over wound With added mids and output. I like the combined settings of Lollars
@@eriksantana7249 yeah I feel the same way, the wind pattern is quite complex, I try to make the coil quite varied so that its sensitive to a range of frequencies but avoids the harsh ones.
@@murrayguitarpickups9545 yeah, single coils particularly can have some really annoying frequencies and your pickups seemed to just round off at all the annoying spots and sounded sweet. Still had percussion too but spikey clacky sounds
The Lollars appear much hotter than the others. The Murray pickups have a very well-balanced sound, while the Fenders seem a little brighter. I have a pair of Tonerider Hot Classics in my Tele, and try not to worry about whether there's something "better" available. I can usually dial in a satisfactory tone, although sometimes it takes several songs during a gig before I get there. I expect this would be the same no matter how many different pickups I tried!
I have a 2018 fender player telecaster with stock pickups playing through a fender champion 40 amp and I get very little buzzing. As for the pickups here, I think the Yosemite.... but they all sounded good.... the only way is me playing...
I had a hard time having a favorite amongst any of the bridge pickups. I liked the Murray and Yosemite neck pickups the best out of the necks. Given the number of pedals I use, any would do the job for me.
They all sounded good, but a bit different from each other. Just depends what you want or need for your sound. I like Quick Connect Pickups or swappable Pickguards to get around the need for multiple guitars. Thanks
Really impressed with the Murray in the neck. I slightly prefer loller in the bridge but I think that boils down to a matter of taste. A set of Murrays seems like a no-brainer for a 50s tele build.
![Let's Talk About Fender Telecasters [And T-Shaped Objects £139 - £Thousands] - That Pedal Show](/img/n.gif)
I forgot to mention in the video that all four “Teles” are ash bodied partscasters from MJT, All Parts, and MusicKraft. Three have Fender bridges - the white one has a Rutters bridge. Three have Rutters brass saddles - the red one has Callaham brass saddles. Mine has NY XL 10s, the red one has EB 9.5s, and the other two have Webstrings 9s (and lower action than mine and the red one).
I'd really like to get a bridge milled like your guitar (I have a G&L that's not compatible with replacement bridges I've seen online). Who would do something like that? It seems more like blacksmith work than a guitar repair job...
can a detailed guitar build be provided for each?
All sound nice. Lots of pluck.
I know first hand how time consuming and difficult these type of videos are, bravo to you sir well done.
Thankyou for the review and the fantastic audio Lyle, its a real pleasure to hear my work in this context, and kudos to Steve and Hal for some fantastic playing.
Loved the sound of your pickups.Best overall for me.
@@plantpotpeople Thankyou, the Lollar bridge pickup seems to be rated highly in the comments too, I think I will take note and tweak my EQ accordingly, plenty of clarity in the upper mids
Well, for my money and old ears I would choose either Jason’s or Murray’s! .❤
Good work, mate!
And guess what I'm building next?
Michelle's Tele!
I'll be in touch.
@@BradsGuitarGaragelooking forward to it champion
Those Murray pickups are outstanding, I may have to pick up a set. Thanks for the wonderful comparison.
I've got a set of P90s that Ben built for me, and I can say that he builds amazing pickups! I'm a little late in seeing this demonstration, but I'm not surprised at the outcome.
Get yourself a set, you'll be forever grateful...
Murray and Lollar all day. Great video comparison with some fantastic playing
Good comparison. I simply love Lollars and use their 52's in my tele and their '64's in my strat. And think my bias got me, I like the Special T pickups best in your demo. Thank you!
Lollar overall, withe the Murray set a very close second. Each have their qualities. All are VERY Tele and have great tone. But the Fenders are thin, to brittle sounding (especially the Mojotone's are very bright and shrill). This was a great shootout and comparison! Thx for making this!
That's it !
Same here, Lollar then the Murray. Good ear brother !
Same. Those Lollar tele bridge pickups in particular are magnificent (I have a set of 52Ts in mine), There's a special kind of bite to 'em.
Ditto. IMO back n forth between Lollar and Murray. Both superb. Fenders were meh to shite. Great comparisons. Thx.
Easy Nocasters are the winner.
The Fender Yosemite is what I'd expect the ideal tone to be in an off the shelf tele. That said, the Murray set really sung to me. And you could tell these players really responded to them. Truthfully, each set was really nice.
The Lollar Special T neck won for me. The Lollar and Murray bridge pickups were a toss-up but clearly fuller and better than the others.
I had one in my Tele judging by the great sound i heared in some videos. The Special T is supposed to be stratty. It is, sorta, kinda but for me it fell in the cracks trying it out in 2 teles. Not quite as i hoped, especially in a live setting..
I mean the neck..
Those Murray pickups sound absolutely killer. There's a natural clarity to them and they're unmistakably nailing that tele tone. Might have to check those out.
I've had four sets of handwound tele pickups, and The ones that had a really good tone and "musical" quality to them clean were what I liked. Of course a distorted sound is another thing. What I had were Twang Kings, Lollar 52's, Antiquities, and Fender CS Nocasters. I liked the Lollars best, then Nocasers, then Twang Kings, then the Antiquities. Videos like this help us to make that decision of how to spend our hard earned money, so thanks to you guys for sharing the experience.
Great video . Exactly what I was looking for .
Lollar was first , which is great because those are what I’m looking at lol
Very well done, thank you for the time and effort. For me, it's the Murray in the neck and the Lollar in the bridge position. I think the Fenders just lack some output compared to the others and the bridge was a tad too thin for my liking. The Mojos are still ok and i'd consider that set for a touring guitar. But he's been right about the strat characteristics. Thank you for that comparison again.
Through my hearing aids the Noiseless pickup sounded muddy. The Murray’s sounded the best to my old deaf ears. Thanks to the players for a nice video.
Agreed. I haven't found a set of Noisless that feel or sound good to me.
AWESOME! Thanks for letting me be a part! PS---Teles rule.
This comparison was very well thought out and assembled.
I love Steve's work in The Hold Steady, such a great exciting band!
Great work, L. I quit pickup swapping when a set of Lollar Blondes went into my partscaster.
Honestly it’s amazing how great they all sound. We’re in a new golden age.
Great video as always. I’m sure you’ll get 100’s of recommendations or “what about..” but the Cavalier pick ups have always been my favorite! But those Murray’s sound awesome!
Nice work Lyle! AND timely too; I have a one piece ash body and one piece maple squire neck on my work bench trying to assemble the hardware list.
Can’t lose with any of these choices. Just boils down to personal taste. For me Fender, Lollar, Murray, Mojotone in that order. Thanks again for the video
I’m just glad you keep making videos about gear , love being able to see inside stuff that I’m to afraid to open up also lol
there is just so much to take in here! I'm going to be listening to this video over and over. Is Hal playing with just fingers? So Awesome.
At first I was in awe over the murray pickups but as the video progressed It really depended on how they played as to what kind of pickup to use. Interesting stuff. Thanks
I think they all sounded good. However, the Yosemite pickups would probably be my first preference if I was forced to pick just one. They sounded a bit clearer and pronounced. But then, what do I know?
Fender Yosemite #1 . They really have that proper Tele open clear sound . Its how a proper Tele should sound , for me anyway . I have Fender Tex-Mex set in my Tele and they are great . Great cleans and glorious growl in overdrive with amazing touch response . I'm good with those .
You got my vote!@@tonedriverss8629
Nice comparison Lyle! The Murray and Lollar pickups sounded best to my ear. The Fenders were pretty bright and got overly stingy at times. Mojotone were good, kinda in the middle to me.
shocker!!! the fender sounded the best to me. i certainly didn't expect that as i've not been a fan of the noiseless pickups! and, thanks for the info on saddles, strings and woods. those do make a difference.
The Fenders aren’t noiseless.
i thought you indicated they were? seems i heard the word, noiseless somewhere in the video. well, then i'm even more impressed.
@michaelbutler2312 the Mojotones are "quiet coil." I assumed the same thing as you as far as there being a Noiseless set being demonstrated.
I need context.
Also this is funny you posted this when I was talking to my friend about the pickups in my Teles.
Very, very interesting. Re: context, it's hard for me to know what I'm "hearing" when I prefer one or another. Is it the pickups? Or is it the guitar being built "better" or resonating more sympathetically with a particular playing style or pickups? I never really thought about it through various Teles until I finally found a good one where the sum is greater than the parts.
Anyway, I'm biased toward the Lollar sound. They sound like they are pushing the amp harder than the others, which is a relatively good thing with a Tele. Ride the volume pot to happiness. The Murrays sound really good, especially so with the second player. Each position sounded good... full and musical, with great balance among the positions. I was surprised that the Mojos sounded pretty good, especially when plucked or finger picked. Plectrum attack wasn't as pleasant, chich is the same objection I have to other noiseless pickups. The Fenders did not impress me, lacking bottom end and "warmth", and sounding just sort of generic. They remind me why so many "decent" Teles eventually bore me. Give me some meat on those bones. Otherwise, give me a Strat or Jazzmaster.
Good video. I like the change of pace!
Thanks for the video Lyle. You can really hear the differences. I love Lolar Vintage Ts. They sound they way I like a tele to sound. The Fenders leaned into the brighter side of things. The Murrays sounded a little more modern if that makes sense. I liked the sound of the Mojotone neck pickup for its clarity. But I'm going to have to get another set of those Vintage Ts since I let that other set get away in a 1985 Japan Squier Tele that I had for a while. I appreciate your use of the Super Reverb. Great reference point.
I wanted to hate them, but the Fender pickups surprised me.
You should do one of those 'I wanted to hate them videos.
They are all good, but the Murry's are an all day everyday choice.
Thanks.
That lollar bridge is the one for me.
I like the lollar neck and the Murray bridge the best. Lovely
Great review Lyle, lot of editing went into that, so thankyou!!
All were good, but ld go for Murray's (that neck pickup!).. or Lollar's (lve got a great underwound p90)...
And... Ben, Ill be in touch when time/money permit for a set of buckers for my Custom mate..its only been 3yrs (kids!).
This is very timely as I’m trying to figure out which pickups to buy for my new tele build.
This answered many concerns I had regarding tele replacement sets. I am inclined to agree that the Murray's were the most musical of the test subjects. The Lollar's had more bite, and a controlled, howling midrange. The Mojotone set had great articulation for hum-cancelling tele sized set. They possessed good balance and great touch sensitivity. They all made the Fender entrant sound anemic, and syrupy; which is okay for legato lines, but lacks note separation during double stops. Thanks for posting, Lyle.
That's some great playing you captured Lyle. I liked all the pickups, I was most surprised that the Yosemites held their own in this demonstration. If I were just listening without seeing what the labels were, I could obviously tell a difference, but I don't think I would consistently pick a 'best' set.
Thank you Lyle! I listened to this on my iPad first - just don’t. Then listened 3 or 4 times on a speaker. I think that you could alternate between the Lollard and the Murray’s and get exactly what you want with a little bit of EQ tweaking. I liked the Lollars a little more with the first player but preferred the Murray’s with the second. Is it pick vs. fingers? I don’t know. The Fenders sounded OK with fingers but too thin with the pick. Put a couple of pedals between the guitar and the amp and I’m not sure it matters that much.
Kudos to all 3 of you for the work that went into this. Oh and that amp is glorious!
Killer video Lyle!!!! Thank you 🙏
Murray neck and Lollar bridge 💯
Great review, fantastic playing.
I like the Murray's. They sound like how a Tele should sound.
Murray Pickups just happens to be located in same the Australian city I live in. Might have to check out a set of those Black Guards.
Treat yourself to a set of Ben's pickups. My custom Strat (in my picture) has his P90'S, and they're absolutely amazing!
@@jorge-_-reza wow, never seen a P90 Strat before. Very cool. Do you mean Ben Brierly?
Lollar Special T is my favorite neck pickup. I have one paired with a Lollar Gold Foil in the bridge. Good stuff.
My favorite way to setup a Tele bridge pickup is to reverse the angle, so the low E string pickup is closer to the bridge and the high E string pickup is further from the bridge.
Like Jimi Hendrix on his Stratocaster?
Great shootout and I appreciate the attention to detail making the playing field as level as possible. As with all pickup choices, some will work better depending on the "chemistry" of the all the parts of the guitar itself but your choices made it easy to recognize what each set of pickups was doing. Both the Lollars and the Murrays had a shine and clarity that was missing in the Fenders and Mojotones. I felt the Fender neck was a little thinner than the others with the Murray edging out all of them. It just had a nice full tone with clarity in the highs that beat the rest. Both the Fender and Mojotone bridge pickups seem to have a veil over the highs. They just didn't sparkle like the Lollars or the Murrays. Given that the Lollars were in a guitar with a rosewood neck vs. the Murrays with a maple, I think either one would be ideal choices. I would love to hear them reversed (in the opposite guitar) but I realize that isn't likely to happen. Nevertheless, they both sound amazing. Lastly, the middle position with both pickups on was interesting. I thought the Fender set sounded pretty good. Perhaps Fender was going for a matched set more than trying to build one or the other to stand out on its own. However, I thought the Murray's actually took the prize. Very much what I expect to hear from a black guard tele in the middle position. The Lollars were nice but with the rosewood, it is a different middle sound in general, being a little less chimey and more mellow and sweet sounding. Overall winner was the Murray set. Thanks for the link to his website. Great video as always! Very much appreciate your insights and professionalism!!!
Well done, I have Lollars in my 82 Tele. And it might be my best sounding guitar.
Red with the Lollars has a bit of of extra mids and warmth and a more controlled top end, but, could it be due in part to the rosewood fretboard mellowing things out a little?
Thanks for posting this. I like the Murray's and the Fender's. They are different in good ways. Guess I would just need two Tele's!
For me it's the Murray and the Fenders that have that Tele sound. The Lollar's sound like a blanket has been thrown over them and the Monotone's are too quiet and tame. The Murray's are best overall but I wouldn't be unhappy with the Fender Yosemitie's.
Thanks for sharing. Would’ve loved to see some frailin pickups in there which I have in a couple guitars. P 90’s in an sg and a les Paul special. Just got a tele. I actually preferred the Yosemite pickups. Thanks again. Great playing.
Love the Murray, definitely the winner in my ears. Lollars #2, Fender #3, Poor ole mojotone mud.
G'day Joe,
Yeah, I also thought the Murray's were killer.
The Murray pickups sound fantastic. I hear the unpleasant artifacts you were talking about Lyle. I think you are on the right track on solving it too. If it were my tele I would go with the Murray’s and never look back.
Nice to witness integrity. Thanks Lyle.
Ill take the fenders
Aloha Lyle! Mahalo very informative. Good selection of pickups. Great comparison.
Please tell me whats the cleanest almost subdued single coil telecaster pickup Thanks
Wow, great comparison and great amp and playing. I'm moving up the ranks as an sort of just beyond entry-level audio engineer but it's so easy to judge the differences in this video. The noiseless pickups has a little bit of what you don't like from piezo pickups or something. It was quite clear what I didn't like about them in the bridge. But I was surprised that I thought all neck pickups was good (with expected Murray win) because I who care for strat neck pickups think that those are hard to get right. I like my ordinary 59 Mojotones in strat and actually think I have started to trust them blind for ballpark of great speakers and pickups actually.
For teles I like bridge leads that cracks the sky that only teles can do in Stairway To Heaven or Hotell California, so I have trouble on choosing between Lollar and Murray bridge before hearing that thing.
Thanks mate, I want to point out the Lollar Special Ts are actually a later whiteguard model, the neck pickup is the same recipe (A5 magnets 43 gauge wire) but the bridge pickup uses A5 magnets instead of A3s so that is why your hearing more upper mids and less lower mids, as well as a sharper attack.
Could you post a link for the exact pick up that you're using in the bridge position
Nothing beats the Lollar Special Ts! :D I love mine! But I like those Murrey too!
I liked Murray pups the most. Good comparison, thanks.
Great video review! I have been on a Tele pickup tone quest for 30+ years! I've tried 9 different sets some priced high and some low, and gone full circle back to my favorites. None of the pickups I've tried, including my favorites were reviewed in your video! My favorites sound most like the Lollar Special T's, but 1/3 the cost. Thank you for going down the rabbit hole so I don't have to! Love the Tele chops and your videos.
Pray tell what these pickups are that sound like the Lollars at a third the cost?
What about Seymore Duncan?
Dunno how much you can tell which is the pickup and which is the guitar
Not sure which I like best but I thought the Fender bridge pup sounded brittle and too bright. Too many bubbles popping at the surface.
Yes that last part sounded clean but also sounded sustain. I wonder if there’s a compressor in the mix if there isn’t !
it’s got great sustain.
Does Murray still make the blackguard bridge pickup?
Link for murray in the description is broken.
what about Fralin ?
None of us had any to use for this, but Lindy also makes great pickups.
I’d love to do an exhaustive comparison of more pickups, in the same guitar, played to a backing track for consistency, etc. But that’s a very expensive proposition.
I have two CV50s...one with Lollar Special Ts....the other with Fralin Blues Special. Lollars have more fullness in the neck..great. Love BOTH brands! I also remove neck pup from tone pot...that seems to improve clarity and output in a great way.
Fun video. Lollar neck and Murray Bridge for me. :)
Nice Andy Summers quote. Lollars first, Fenders second. Sadly impossible to compare on different guitars. All need to be done on the same guitar, but all the soldering could be rather messy.
You can add headphone jacks for easy changing.
I don't think I'd ever heard Murray before, but those sound killer. Thanks.
Following demo on the different pickups with Lyle.
As he plays the pickups by builders names I really cannot discern where (you can't see) in the video (when switching positions) to the brands of pickups.
Can you put them up on a screen someplace that allows the viewers to be the brand comparisons and switching.
Thanks, Gary B (Denver, CO)
I’m listening on my iPhone while cooking so, yada yada, but I think the players were the biggest variable. I liked the Yosemites the most with the first player and the least with the second player. Going to listen again with cans later. Thanks for the video.
The Fender Yosemite were nice
I have a sweet spot for the Yosemites. But i would be plenty happy with the Murray's. They're great sounding pup's 👍
Would be interesting to hear them compared to the Kinmans that I've seen on here before- I have a set in a Tele and they're pretty great.
I'm not saying there aren't any crappy pickups because there are..... But once you reach a certain quality of of pick up..
The tonal variations or shortcomings between all of them can be erased or circumvented by tweaking the tone knobs on the amplifier or the guitar. It's like comparing capacitors on plate load resistor coupling circuits.... A simple tweak of a knob levels the playing field between cheap or expensive.
For me, I think that Murray neck pickup is my favorite. The bridge…might be the Lollar. It sounds the most different of the four to me. It seems richer and less treble centric (which I realize some people really like). I read somewhere that your aural memory - how long you can remember what something sounds like - is really short. These videos really hit that home.
Murray's are awesome. Very full!
Cool. I love Musikraft necks. It kind of blows me away that Musikraft isn't more popular or well-known. I've got a few basses, 2 PBs and 1 JB, built with those and MJT bodies. One of the bodies though was an ultrlight ash PB I bought unfinished from MJT that I did the lacquer trans blond finish on.
I have the Area T in a Tele but I swapped to Chopper T and Twang King, and I love them but it depends on what your playing as they say but you are right the Area T have some issues but I am hoping to find some Evans pickups which great sounds but they haven't been made in a while so it's going to be a little difficult but I am hoping to find a decent classic rock sound for my second, I like different pickups in different guitars and I am trying to avoid using the same in both to be happy.. I will admit using the switch for the Chopper T and Twang King for parallel and series make a huge difference... So let's see what you got for my second one ...
Watching the video I have to give props to the player because Murray had a feel to it, even listening to it I felt like I could feel the tone to it , might replace the Area T with Murray here soon but I will be keeping my quest tho for Evans from the old days ... Thanks for the video
Thought the Murray was the best balance between warmth and clarity. The Fenders were cold and exactly what I expected from them. I seem to like A3 a bit over wound in the bridge. Most of the time I use Esquires with modified Eldred wiring.
There's some meat on the Lollar and the Murray necks that just isn't there on the fender or Quiet Coil. The Quiet Coil has a bit of a weird top end. Maybe your intro biased me, but the Murray really sounds full and balanced and very good. The bridge pickups sounded pretty similar, except the Quiet coil. Preffered the slightly higher gain of the Lollar, which may come down to pickup height. I think Lollar is the winner for me, if I was a teleplayer I would probably never think of switching them.
And yeah, there's something really audibly weird about that amp, speaker or otherwise...
Fender best to me
Me, I’m relocating the bridge pickup position and slant forward. With relatively low output alnico V’s from China. One need only to observe the physical movement of the vibrating strings to gain a idea of where the pole pieces should be, to then relate this to your ears & what you’d like to have them deal with lol
Just discovered your channel. Very cool ! Subbed.
As others have said. lollars, Murray, mojo then fender. Personally speaking I would have liked to see fralin in lieu of the fender pickups. Creamery pickups would be another option. Great presentation and I enjoyed the video. Awesome pickers too. Thanks.
Fenders sounded the most tele twangy . Liked them
Lollars sounded good but slightly over wound
With added mids and output. I like the combined settings of Lollars
I liked the Yosemite....TBH...I have never even heard of them before. Dunno what came in my Mexican Vintera Tele.
The Murray’s slay it. Definitely has the sweetest tone. The lollars have a cool chirp to them but the rest are a bit sterile and pointy.
Thankyou, you're too kind
@@murrayguitarpickups9545 they immediately sounded more musical. More complex. Something I’ve noticed with good handwound stuff in general.
@@eriksantana7249 yeah I feel the same way, the wind pattern is quite complex, I try to make the coil quite varied so that its sensitive to a range of frequencies but avoids the harsh ones.
@@murrayguitarpickups9545 yeah, single coils particularly can have some really annoying frequencies and your pickups seemed to just round off at all the annoying spots and sounded sweet. Still had percussion too but spikey clacky sounds
@@eriksantana7249 thanks mate, I'm making another set as we speak
I have nashville tele with 3 pickups, what would be a good match middle PU when the lollars are used for the neck and bridge?
The Lollars appear much hotter than the others. The Murray pickups have a very well-balanced sound, while the Fenders seem a little brighter. I have a pair of Tonerider Hot Classics in my Tele, and try not to worry about whether there's something "better" available. I can usually dial in a satisfactory tone, although sometimes it takes several songs during a gig before I get there. I expect this would be the same no matter how many different pickups I tried!
I just stuck the fender nocaster custom shops into my classic vibe tele to go with my new tone king goblin. They sound great
I have a 2018 fender player telecaster with stock pickups playing through a fender champion 40 amp and I get very little buzzing. As for the pickups here, I think the Yosemite.... but they all sounded good.... the only way is me playing...
I had a hard time having a favorite amongst any of the bridge pickups. I liked the Murray and Yosemite neck pickups the best out of the necks. Given the number of pedals I use, any would do the job for me.
The Lollar Tele pickups I have are too polite for my taste. Nothing I've tried have beat my Ron Ellis set, same for my Strat, the Ron Ellis set won.
Thank you. Liked and subscribed ❤
They all sounded good, but a bit different from each other. Just depends what you want or need for your sound. I like Quick Connect Pickups or swappable Pickguards to get around the need for multiple guitars. Thanks
Really impressed with the Murray in the neck. I slightly prefer loller in the bridge but I think that boils down to a matter of taste. A set of Murrays seems like a no-brainer for a 50s tele build.