Tele pickups(Humbuckers)

Manfred-Klose

I'm thinking of slamming a humbucker into the bridge position of my maple fretboard tele with alder tonewood, the i can wire it up to switch between single coil and humbucker.

I have experimented with the Seymour Duncan Hot Rails before on 2 tele's and this is my conclusion:

*Hot Rails on Rosewood fretboard tele with Ash tonewood
I found that it works great on a rosewood fretboard, and can cover a wide range of styles, does clean and distorted sound very good.

*Hot Rails on Maple fretboard with Alder tonewood(Exactly like the tele i have now)
I found that it really shines on hi gain tones with a maple fretboard, the only downside is that the output is a bit to hot for clean sounds due to the maple.

So i am looking for something that can do distortion and clean on a maple fretboard, and also one that will sound great if you wire it up to use as a single coil as well.

Any suggestions?

The ones Seymour duncan has:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/telecaster/

I'm thinking the " little 59' " or the " hot lead stack " ?

Or Dimarzio:
http://www.dimarzio.com/site/#/pickups/

I'm thinking the Tonezone T?

Is there anything else i can go look at?

AlanRatcliffe

It's the hotter pickups that are a bit lacking for clean rather than the maple, IMO.

There is always a bit of a trade-off with a hotter pickup, but on the bright side, they split better than the lower powered humbuckers. So if you like the Hot Rails in full mode, you might like it split for clean. The Lil '59 doesn't split well in my experience (although not on a Tele - the Strat version). I don't know the Tone Zone T split.

Manfred-Klose

thanks i'll go look into it and read some reviews.

Banditman

Why not look at something different like the Duncan P-Rails? Definitely would give you some different options while sitting within your criteria.

Manfred-Klose

Wont fit in the tele bridge position.

But it looks like a cool pickup.

Banditman

Sorry - wrote before thinking!

I suppose you could - with some serious surgery - adapt an aftermarket Tele bridge plate to fit - though you'd then have to rout the body as well, and I'm guessing you want a simple switch & not open-heart surgery.

Pity that Bare Knuckle don't make something suitable - their Tele pickups are only single coil models. Lovely 'buckers though, I'm looking at putting a set of Mules into my Les Paul.

It might make for an interesting neck option - think along the lines of the Albert Collins Tele with more versatility.

Manfred-Klose

I have decided to go with the "Dimarzio Tone Zone T".

Called my local shop who called the suppliers, they dont have any stock.
Anyone know of a shop in cape town that stocks dimarzio's?

Maby they still have some old stock left.

AlanRatcliffe

Speak to Gareth at Marshall Music Cape Town - they are the distributors and he is the in-house tech. They have only had two shipments so far (new agency) so I don't think they'll have "old" stock, but he may have something in store stock that isn't available wholesale. At the very least, he should know when they are due.

Manfred-Klose

Thanks alan.

I gave him a call, and they have one left in stock that he is keeping for me.
Seems like its my lucky day.