Telecaster: neck or bidge?

Thundergod · 09-20-2008, 11:53 AM

Which pickup do you guys preffer? I recently (a month ago) bought an American Ash Tele... and even though I am a long Gibson lover, I am in love with this damn thing... is the only guitar I have taken home in a while (my guitars stay at the studio most of the year).

I have her here and play her at every chance I get... I really love her and like both pickups a lot (vintage modern, with delta tone switch), the difference in tone between both is huge... so I am a little curious as to which pickup you preffer on a tele (neck or bridge) and for what...

Thundergod · 09-20-2008, 11:54 AM

Oh... I'm voting for the neck pickup just because Im in love with that slappy sound... but the bridge pickup soounds so good too... it's really hard to choose, one of the best guitar designs ever IMO.

JasonC · 09-20-2008, 12:05 PM

I don't own one myself, but had one over at my house for a couple months and I have to agree, they are great sounding guitars. I think I was using the bridge pickup for most of what we were doing at the time.

Have you tried coil tapping a LP? The results can give you a tone pretty damn close to Tele.

overdriver · 09-20-2008, 02:56 PM

IMO the bridge pup is

, well for me, its what a tele is all about , thats why I only have an Esquire. I got Strats for the neck pup thang!

coldsteal2 · 09-20-2008, 06:09 PM

If i had one i would get a hotter
bridge pickup thier neck pickups are
ok as they are though

stefan volta · 09-21-2008, 04:36 AM

neck for jazz and blues.
bridge for the occasional rock.

Thundergod · 09-21-2008, 10:59 AM

Doing some research (some books I got around and on the internet) I found the trademark Tele tone is the middle position... with both pickups on... oddly enough I like that tone the least (I like it a lot anyway, but the neck alone or bridge alone tones are awsome). It feels like when you are using both pickups you loose the best of both instead of combining the best of both.

Anyone else experience this?

StrangerNY · 09-23-2008, 03:38 PM

I use both.

I love the classic Buchanan sound out of the bridge, but the neck pickup has that warmth that comes in real handy at times.

And there are some clubs I play where I have to go with the middle switch position, because their electric service is so screwy that the guitar hums like a bastard if I use one or the other.

- D

arcanis494 · 09-23-2008, 11:05 PM

Bridge

I love that twangy sound

st.bede · 09-23-2008, 11:32 PM

for me it is the middle PU selection that made me fall in love with teles but the neck can be so usefull so, I end up playing in that pu selection the most

Skynyrdpicker · 09-23-2008, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thundergod

Doing some research (some books I got around and on the internet) I found the trademark Tele tone is the middle position... with both pickups on... oddly enough I like that tone the least (I like it a lot anyway, but the neck alone or bridge alone tones are awsome). It feels like when you are using both pickups you loose the best of both instead of combining the best of both.

Anyone else experience this?

I agree with that. I love my Tele, but when I play with both pups, it just isn't the same. Not twangy enough, but not bluesy enough either. I'd say bridge pup is where it's at, with the tone rolled down a bit

myspace.com/jessenoah · 09-23-2008, 11:39 PM

wow lots of diff veiws on this one
i went middle because idk how to maniuplate te bridge Pup without it sounding top thin, and i dont care for the neck tone that much, but the middle with the tone rolled back just a lil works well for me

Rico · 09-23-2008, 11:43 PM

Bridge for the bite.

st.bede · 09-24-2008, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thundergod

Doing some research (some books I got around and on the internet) I found the trademark Tele tone is the middle position... with both pickups on... oddly enough I like that tone the least (I like it a lot anyway, but the neck alone or bridge alone tones are awsome). It feels like when you are using both pickups you loose the best of both instead of combining the best of both.

Anyone else experience this?

I think of it as there different tones...

neck (roll off a little high) good warm sound with enough difinition for jazz, blues, rock or country (for the best tone I like the PU raised up a little closer to the strings)...

bridge a lot of bite good for blues, rock and country..

and the mid just gets a sparkely tone that I think is great but not as usefull...I like for (certian) blues, new age and country... I kind of think of it as a acoustic like thing

and I have found that the swamp ash bodies do not work (FOR ME) as well as the alder and always maple neck (for me)

ES350 · 09-25-2008, 11:26 AM

I love the neck pu; it goes from Jimmy Bryant to Jimmy Vaughn.
The middle setting; Steve Cropper/Gatemouth Brown/Roy Nichols/Don Rich...nuff said.
Bridge; James Burton/Jerry Donahue/Albert Lee/BB King (early 50's).

I put my Tele (an early MIA '52 RI) away for a few years, but it's out and getting a lot of play lately.

st.bede · 09-26-2008, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ES350

I love the neck pu; it goes from Jimmy Bryant to Jimmy Vaughn.
The middle setting; Steve Cropper/Gatemouth Brown/Roy Nichols/Don Rich...nuff said.
Bridge; James Burton/Jerry Donahue/Albert Lee/BB King (early 50's).

I put my Tele (an early MIA '52 RI) away for a few years, but it's out and getting a lot of play lately.

well explained

Bizarro · 09-26-2008, 11:55 AM

I do not own a Tele.

djwilbanks · 09-26-2008, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bizarro

I do not own a Tele.

And mine's not finished, but I'll probably prefer the neck, cuz it's a p90. But the bridge is a vintage wound custom pup..

View Poll Results: Fender Telecaster: Which pickup?
Neck	10	41.67%
Bridge	8	33.33%
Both	6	25.00%
Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll

09-20-2008, 11:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
Thundergod Banned Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 93 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Telecaster: neck or bidge? Which pickup do you guys preffer? I recently (a month ago) bought an American Ash Tele... and even though I am a long Gibson lover, I am in love with this damn thing... is the only guitar I have taken home in a while (my guitars stay at the studio most of the year). I have her here and play her at every chance I get... I really love her and like both pickups a lot (vintage modern, with delta tone switch), the difference in tone between both is huge... so I am a little curious as to which pickup you preffer on a tele (neck or bridge) and for what...

09-20-2008, 11:54 AM	#2 (permalink)
Thundergod Banned Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 93 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? Oh... I'm voting for the neck pickup just because Im in love with that slappy sound... but the bridge pickup soounds so good too... it's really hard to choose, one of the best guitar designs ever IMO.

09-20-2008, 12:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
JasonC Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,339 Thanks: 24 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? I don't own one myself, but had one over at my house for a couple months and I have to agree, they are great sounding guitars. I think I was using the bridge pickup for most of what we were doing at the time. Have you tried coil tapping a LP? The results can give you a tone pretty damn close to Tele.

09-20-2008, 02:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
overdriver V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Brunswick Canada Posts: 3,258 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? IMO the bridge pup is , well for me, its what a tele is all about , thats why I only have an Esquire. I got Strats for the neck pup thang! __________________ Its done

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09-20-2008, 06:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
coldsteal2 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Chico, CA Posts: 9,312 Thanks: 28 Thanked 10 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? If i had one i would get a hotter bridge pickup thier neck pickups are ok as they are though __________________ http://www.myspace.com/coldstealii YouTubage Videos

09-21-2008, 04:36 AM	#6 (permalink)
stefan volta Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? neck for jazz and blues. bridge for the occasional rock.

09-21-2008, 10:59 AM	#7 (permalink)
Thundergod Banned Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 93 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? Doing some research (some books I got around and on the internet) I found the trademark Tele tone is the middle position... with both pickups on... oddly enough I like that tone the least (I like it a lot anyway, but the neck alone or bridge alone tones are awsome). It feels like when you are using both pickups you loose the best of both instead of combining the best of both. Anyone else experience this?

09-23-2008, 03:38 PM	#8 (permalink)
StrangerNY Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: New York Posts: 1,005 Thanks: 5 Thanked 12 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? I use both. I love the classic Buchanan sound out of the bridge, but the neck pickup has that warmth that comes in real handy at times. And there are some clubs I play where I have to go with the middle switch position, because their electric service is so screwy that the guitar hums like a bastard if I use one or the other. - D __________________ Guitars: Gibson/Fender/Epiphone/Squier/Ibanez/Dot On Shaft/Turser/Line 6/Takamine/MSA/Washburn Amps: Marshall/Crate/Laney/Line 6/Guitar Research

09-23-2008, 11:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
arcanis494 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,010 Thanks: 47 Thanked 7 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? Bridge I love that twangy sound __________________ http://www.geartalk.com "Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth" -Picasso

09-23-2008, 11:32 PM	#10 (permalink)
st.bede V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Fresno Ca Posts: 1,664 Thanks: 19 Thanked 8 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? for me it is the middle PU selection that made me fall in love with teles but the neck can be so usefull so, I end up playing in that pu selection the most __________________ Peace: is not the lack of dischord but an active process that transforms the present dischord into harmony through reverence "to criticize without vision is to be complicitious with dominance" Carolyn Casey "Go easy and, if you can't go easy, go as easy as you can" Jennifer Stone.... (from KPFA Cover to Cover) for me ORANGE IS THE CHANGE thank you 5F6-A

09-23-2008, 11:39 PM	#12 (permalink)
myspace.com/jessenoah Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: CA Posts: 295 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? wow lots of diff veiws on this one i went middle because idk how to maniuplate te bridge Pup without it sounding top thin, and i dont care for the neck tone that much, but the middle with the tone rolled back just a lil works well for me

09-23-2008, 11:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
Rico Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Henryville, PA Posts: 513 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? Bridge for the bite. __________________ And so Castles made of sand, slip into the sea eventually.

09-25-2008, 11:26 AM	#15 (permalink)
ES350 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 213 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? I love the neck pu; it goes from Jimmy Bryant to Jimmy Vaughn. The middle setting; Steve Cropper/Gatemouth Brown/Roy Nichols/Don Rich...nuff said. Bridge; James Burton/Jerry Donahue/Albert Lee/BB King (early 50's). I put my Tele (an early MIA '52 RI) away for a few years, but it's out and getting a lot of play lately.

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09-26-2008, 11:55 AM	#17 (permalink)
Bizarro Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,038 Thanks: 83 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Telecaster: neck or bidge? I do not own a Tele.

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