Tele Bridge Pickups

[JD01]

What is it that gives Tele bridge pickups their sound? For some reason they seem to really have quite a cutting aggressive sound that strat bridge pickups just don't.

I'm actually gonna get myself a decent soldering iron, practice a lot and build myself a Strelecaster.

[Greg_L]

Wait what? You think a Tele bridge pickup is more cutting and aggressive than a Strat bridge pickup? I think it's the other way around.

[JD01]

Wait what? You think a Tele bridge pickup is more cutting and aggressive than a Strat bridge pickup? I think it's the other way around.

Yeah, well, maybe that's not the right term. I think Tele bridge pickups sound better.
They seem to be quite gainy too.

[Greg_L]

Yeah, well, maybe that's not the right term. I think Tele bridge pickups sound better.
They seem to be quite gainy too.

Ok I would agree with that. Teles do sound better than Strats if you're playing them for more aggressive music. Teles have a smoother sound than Strats and that works better for higher gain stuff.

They both suck ass though.

[JD01]

Yeah, well, maybe that's not the right term. I think Tele bridge pickups sound better.
They seem to be quite gainy too.

Ok I would agree with that. Teles do sound better than Strats if you're playing them for more aggressive music. Teles have a smoother sound than Strats and that works better for higher gain stuff.

They both suck ass though.

OK, so what's the difference?
I thought you liked the sound of Teles (when other people play them)

[Lt. Bob]

Tele bobbins are taller so the windings are spaced out a bit more resulting in lower capacitance in the p'up itself plus they have that large baseplate which is in contact with the big bridge plate .... that makes a big part of the difference ... to me a start bridge p'up is very thin and spikey sounding while the tele is less so

[Greg_L]

That ^^^^^

Tele bridge pickups are much beefier in construction than Strat pickups.

I thought you liked the sound of Teles (when other people play them)

Most of the time, yes. But in the rare instance that I'd reach for any Fender guitar, it'd be a Strat before a Tele because Teles don't surf.

[Armistice]

Think it depends somewhat on which version of Tele you have and which pickups it has. My version has the N4s which, apparently, get a lot of bad press from diehard Tele users as not being "bitey" enough, but they sound quite bitey to me, whatever that means exactly.

I'm always trying to dial the EQ down a bit to make it usable with what I do.

We've had this discussion before here, but the thing about the Tele is that it's got just the basic unadorned electric guitar sound that can fit into most mixes pretty well - genre dependent, of course.

[WhiskeyJack]

Teles do sound better than Strats

We got it guys. We got it out of him. We can all just go home now.

Shutting down the site here this week. Grab your belongings. Our work here is done.

[Armistice]

I feel like my life has had a purpose now. See you all...

[Greg_L]

We got it guys. We got it out of him. We can all just go home now.

Shutting down the site here this week. Grab your belongings. Our work here is done.

Lol I always always said I like the sound of Teles and lots of music made with Teles. I just hate the way they look and hate playing them myself.

[Tadpui]

I'm actually going to be building a Tele from scratch! I enrolled in a class from a local luthier, and our first weekly class is this Saturday. I'm going in on Friday to select the wood and nail down some hardware requirements. I think he said that they use Lollar pickups so I assume that their take on the Tele style pickup is what'll end up in mine.

I've always thought that the bridge and saddles had something to do with that unmistakable Tele twang, but I could be wrong. I watched Jim Lill's video where he strung strings between two benches and put a pickup underneath and it was remarkably similar to the same sound as his Tele. I'll have to go watch that one again.

[WhiskeyJack]

I'm actually going to be building a Tele from scratch! I enrolled in a class from a local luthier, and our first weekly class is this Saturday. I'm going in on Friday to select the wood and nail down some hardware requirements. I think he said that they use Lollar pickups so I assume that their take on the Tele style pickup is what'll end up in mine.

I've always thought that the bridge and saddles had something to do with that unmistakable Tele twang, but I could be wrong. I watched Jim Lill's video where he strung strings between two benches and put a pickup underneath and it was remarkably similar to the same sound as his Tele. I'll have to go watch that one again.

Lollar make outstanding tele pick ups!!!

Congrats on that course man i am super stoked for you. I am really excited to see how road trip thru making a neck. That is super badass Tad.

[Armistice]

I'm actually going to be building a Tele from scratch! I enrolled in a class from a local luthier, and our first weekly class is this Saturday. I'm going in on Friday to select the wood and nail down some hardware requirements. I think he said that they use Lollar pickups so I assume that their take on the Tele style pickup is what'll end up in mine.

I've always thought that the bridge and saddles had something to do with that unmistakable Tele twang, but I could be wrong. I watched Jim Lill's video where he strung strings between two benches and put a pickup underneath and it was remarkably similar to the same sound as his Tele. I'll have to go watch that one again.

The thing that stopped me buying one, or even touching one, for decades was that unmistakeable Tele twang, and the fact that pretty much all country music guitarist played them and I detest country music with a passion. And then I played my mate's basic tele one day and I thought, "This is actually the perfect basic electric guitar sound." Didn't like the feel of them because of the thickness and the lack of body cut, but then they made one with a body cut and it was like the guitar gods were speaking to me...

Good luck with your tele build. I wouldn't mind getting more into that sort of stuff but I wouldn't want to build a copy of something. I guess a Tele's probably at the simpler end of construction though. Good place to start and build your skills before you do a twin neck monstrosity.

[WhiskeyJack]

We got it guys. We got it out of him. We can all just go home now.

Shutting down the site here this week. Grab your belongings. Our work here is done.

Lol I always always said I like the sound of Teles and lots of music made with Teles. I just hate the way they look and hate playing them myself.

I feel pretty confident you finger bang tele's when no one is looking and you half assed like it. You put up a good front but we all know how much you value good tone.

[Greg_L]

I'm actually going to be building a Tele from scratch! I enrolled in a class from a local luthier, and our first weekly class is this Saturday. I'm going in on Friday to select the wood and nail down some hardware requirements. I think he said that they use Lollar pickups so I assume that their take on the Tele style pickup is what'll end up in mine.

Texas Toast?

[Greg_L]

I feel pretty confident you finger bang tele's when no one is looking and you half assed like it. You put up a good front but we all know how much you value good tone.

While we were freezing in Texas and the power was out I did wish I had a Tele in that moment to set on fire for warmth. That's the only time I've ever wanted a Tele.

[WhiskeyJack]

I feel pretty confident you finger bang tele's when no one is looking and you half assed like it. You put up a good front but we all know how much you value good tone.

While we were freezing in Texas and the power was out I did wish I had a Tele in that moment to set on fire for warmth. That's the only time I've ever wanted a Tele.

[JD01]

The thing that stopped me buying one, or even touching one, for decades was that unmistakeable Tele twang, and the fact that pretty much all country music guitarist played them and I detest country music with a passion.

This is what put me off them too... but then it occurred to me that loads of my favorite music is played on them too... whatever it is to do with the pickup design that gives you the Tele twang also sounds great for rock if the amp is right... I also like that they're really utilitarian.

[Lt. Bob]

The thing that stopped me buying one, or even touching one, for decades was that unmistakeable Tele twang, and the fact that pretty much all country music guitarist played them and I detest country music with a passion.

This is what put me off them too... but then it occurred to me that loads of my favorite music is played on them too... whatever it is to do with the pickup design that gives you the Tele twang also sounds great for rock if the amp is right... I also like that they're really utilitarian.

I have 3 teles ..... I hate the sharp edges of the body against my right arm and rarely play them.