IMHO Keith'had the switch re-wired in order to have the neck pick-up selected in position 3.
Why?
Easy, as he strums a lot over on the humbucker he'd end up switching by accident at position three, so why don't just keep the switch down in a position it's quite hard to be changed by accident while strumming.
It's a practical re-wiring, I think on a Custom Tele he's even moved the switch in place of a tone knob, harder to move it there by accident.
Also, why placing an humbucker on all of his Teles if you guys say he hardly ever uses it?

I have a Tele with a humbucker in the neck position. For me, to get the "Start Me Up" sound use the middle position. For "Honky Tonk Women" use the humbucker position. The single coil position gives the standard Tele twang.

If Keith never uses humbuckers, why they are on different sides on his two main open-g telecasters - micawber and the other one. I can't remember on which guitar, but on one of them humbucker is on reverse side. Why?

Borna Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If Keith never uses humbuckers, why they are on
> different sides on his two main open-g telecasters
> - micawber and the other one. I can't remember on
> which guitar, but on one of them humbucker is on
> reverse side. Why?

Because you put a humbucker in a tele for the in betwene setting, i.e. with both pickups on.

Mathijs

dunhill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> IMHO Keith'had the switch re-wired in order to
> have the neck pick-up selected in position 3.
> Why?
> Easy, as he strums a lot over on the humbucker
> he'd end up switching by accident at position
> three, so why don't just keep the switch down in a
> position it's quite hard to be changed by accident
> while strumming.
> It's a practical re-wiring, I think on a Custom
> Tele he's even moved the switch in place of a tone
> knob, harder to move it there by accident.
> Also, why placing an humbucker on all of his Teles
> if you guys say he hardly ever uses it?

As the switch on a Tele is switched side-ways, it's almost impossible to accidentaly flip it while playing. Switches that work up and own you can flip by accident, and that's the reason why the switch is relocated on the Custom Tele.

Mathijs

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a Tele with a humbucker in the neck
> position. For me, to get the "Start Me Up" sound
> use the middle position. For "Honky Tonk Women"
> use the humbucker position. The single coil
> position gives the standard Tele twang.

Start Me Up was recorded with the Zemaitis five-string, and HTW most probably with a P90-equipped guitar, either a junior or a ES-300.

Mathijs

Mathijs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am thinking about buying a Japanese '62 Custom
> with bigsby and install some really good Lollar or
> Fralin pickups.

How are these different from standard Tele pickups or other ones? I have a Japanese Tele (a little under 20 years old), and am also thinking about replacing the pickups, but I have never heard of Lollar or Fralin before.

Koen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> How are these different from standard Tele pickups
> or other ones? I have a Japanese Tele (a little
> under 20 years old), and am also thinking about
> replacing the pickups, but I have never heard of
> Lollar or Fralin before.

I once played a NASH TL-62 which is a Telecaster 1962 style, modified with a HB in the neck position and a SC in bridge, both made by Jason Lollar. I don't want to go into detail too much, BUT the sounds you get from that guitar are absolutely breathtaking. Not too biting in the bridge position, yet incredibly strong and clear, pure R&R heaven in the neck position, well and the combination of both is instant Keef, ringing out like a church bell...

Koen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mathijs Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I am thinking about buying a Japanese '62
> Custom
> > with bigsby and install some really good Lollar
> or
> > Fralin pickups.
>
> How are these different from standard Tele pickups
> or other ones? I have a Japanese Tele (a little
> under 20 years old), and am also thinking about
> replacing the pickups, but I have never heard of
> Lollar or Fralin before.

Fender Japan puts pickups worth $20 in their guitars, Fender USA puts pickups in of about $40. So, any pickup builder making pickups in the $100 - $200 range must offer something the original pickups don't have. Putting a $150 pickup in your Tele is something like puting a Ferrari engine in your Volkswagen Polo. The choice for a maker is completely personal, but if you summarise I think most peopla agree that Seymour Duncan has the best PAF's and Tele pickups (Antiquity's), Lollar the best P90, and Fralin the best Strat pickups. But a lot of people swere by Lollar's Tele pickups, and Fralin's PAF's are supposed to bever good as well...

In the end, as long as you do not have a genuine '55 Tele, the pickup is more important than the guitar.

Mathijs

@ Mathijs,

I ain't gettin' your analogy here. You're sayin' that putting a $150 PU in a stock guitar is like a Ferrari engine in a VW. Now as far as I know that ain't workin' cause it will rip the VW to pieces...
BUT you also say that the PU is far more important than the guitar unless you have a very dear vintage instrument. Now that would mean to me, that the Ferrari engine would do just fine in a say 1960's VW Beetle (to use your analogy). That's a contradiction to me.
The question however is: Can a handwound $150 PU improve the sound of a stock instrument or do you have to have also a CUSTOM instrument to build it in?
(or to put it that way: do you have to have a Ferrari chassis to put your Ferrari engine in...)
Maybe that's what you meant, Mathijs, and I'd be interested to hear your opinion 'cause I know that some people think that a decent neck of a guitar makes 70% of the sound. Well, that doesn't leave much for the rest - that is the body (wood), the electronics and the hardware (tuners, bridge etc.)...

Well as it's always in life - a good combination of all parameters - will bring the best results I suppose...
So you don't necessarily have to have a vintage body and neck to put your Lollars, Fralins (you name 'em) in, but you also shouldn't try your Squier Made in Indonesia either and expect overwhelming results...

What do ya think?

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a Tele with a humbucker in the neck
> position. For me, to get the "Start Me Up" sound
> use the middle position. For "Honky Tonk Women"
> use the humbucker position. The single coil
> position gives the standard Tele twang.

Start Me Up was recorded with the Zemaitis five-string, and HTW most probably with a P90-equipped guitar, either a junior or a ES-300.

Mathijs


That's nice, but like most I'm on a limited budget. I have to stick with using what I've got. The Tele equipped with a humbucker sounds pretty close to even the most discriminating ear (especially when tuned to Open-G).

donnywas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @ Mathijs,
>
> I ain't gettin' your analogy here. You're sayin'
> that putting a $150 PU in a stock guitar is like a
> Ferrari engine in a VW. Now as far as I know that
> ain't workin' cause it will rip the VW to
> pieces...
> BUT you also say that the PU is far more important
> than the guitar unless you have a very dear
> vintage instrument. Now that would mean to me,
> that the Ferrari engine would do just fine in a
> say 1960's VW Beetle (to use your analogy). That's
> a contradiction to me.
> The question however is: Can a handwound $150 PU
> improve the sound of a stock instrument or do you
> have to have also a CUSTOM instrument to build it
> in?
> (or to put it that way: do you have to have a
> Ferrari chassis to put your Ferrari engine in...)
> Maybe that's what you meant, Mathijs, and I'd be
> interested to hear your opinion 'cause I know that
> some people think that a decent neck of a guitar
> makes 70% of the sound. Well, that doesn't leave
> much for the rest - that is the body (wood), the
> electronics and the hardware (tuners, bridge
> etc.)...
>
> Well as it's always in life - a good combination
> of all parameters - will bring the best results I
> suppose...
> So you don't necessarily have to have a vintage
> body and neck to put your Lollars, Fralins (you
> name 'em) in, but you also shouldn't try your
> Squier Made in Indonesia either and expect
> overwhelming results...
>
> What do ya think?


Of course it was just a figure of speach. Puting a Ferrari engine in a VW means that you can drive 300 km an hour with the it. Theoretically speaking of course.

If you have a decent guitar made out of some decent wood, and you put in a $200 hand wired pickup you will have a million dollar guitar. I have various Custom Shop guitars, I have had some vintage guitar, but my number one gutar is a Japanese Tele Custom with a Seymour Duncan Antiquity in the bridge and an original FWRH in the neck. Personally (IMHO) I believe 60% of the sound is in your fingers, 20% in the pickup, and 10% in the speakers. The other 10% is all other things like amps, valves, strings and what more.

Mathijs

Mathijs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> donnywas Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > @ Mathijs,
> >
> > I ain't gettin' your analogy here. You're
> sayin'
> > that putting a $150 PU in a stock guitar is like
> a
> > Ferrari engine in a VW. Now as far as I know
> that
> > ain't workin' cause it will rip the VW to
> > pieces...
> > BUT you also say that the PU is far more
> important
> > than the guitar unless you have a very dear
> > vintage instrument. Now that would mean to me,
> > that the Ferrari engine would do just fine in a
> > say 1960's VW Beetle (to use your analogy).
> That's
> > a contradiction to me.
> > The question however is: Can a handwound $150
> PU
> > improve the sound of a stock instrument or do
> you
> > have to have also a CUSTOM instrument to build
> it
> > in?
> > (or to put it that way: do you have to have a
> > Ferrari chassis to put your Ferrari engine
> in...)
> > Maybe that's what you meant, Mathijs, and I'd
> be
> > interested to hear your opinion 'cause I know
> that
> > some people think that a decent neck of a
> guitar
> > makes 70% of the sound. Well, that doesn't
> leave
> > much for the rest - that is the body (wood),
> the
> > electronics and the hardware (tuners, bridge
> > etc.)...
> >
> > Well as it's always in life - a good
> combination
> > of all parameters - will bring the best results
> I
> > suppose...
> > So you don't necessarily have to have a vintage
> > body and neck to put your Lollars, Fralins (you
> > name 'em) in, but you also shouldn't try your
> > Squier Made in Indonesia either and expect
> > overwhelming results...
> >
> > What do ya think?
>
>
> Of course it was just a figure of speach. Puting a
> Ferrari engine in a VW means that you can drive
> 300 km an hour with the it. Theoretically speaking
> of course.
>
> If you have a decent guitar made out of some
> decent wood, and you put in a $200 hand wired
> pickup you will have a million dollar guitar. I
> have various Custom Shop guitars, I have had some
> vintage guitar, but my number one gutar is a
> Japanese Tele Custom with a Seymour Duncan
> Antiquity in the bridge and an original FWRH in
> the neck. Personally (IMHO) I believe 60% of the
> sound is in your fingers, 20% in the pickup, and
> 10% in the speakers. The other 10% is all other
> things like amps, valves, strings and what more.
>
> Mathijs


Mathijs,i hope that what more is wood,lol.

To get back to basics ;^)

The bottom line is that you need a good Tele with a good pickup...through the right amp...and the right playing technique.

It's also worth mentioning that with Tele's... probably more than with any other guitar...you don't get most of the best sounds with the volume and tone wide open.
Back the volume off a little and use the tone pot !
Knocking the guitar volume back a bit will often the restore the bounce and sweetness to an overly dry and bright Tele sound.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-02-05 18:56 by Spud.

Spud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The bottom line is that you need a good Tele
> with a good pickup...through the right amp...and
> the right playing technique.

I guess that's exactly what I was Tryin' to say... ;-)

@ Mathijs:

60% in the fingers is a lot. But you may be right since players like Hendrix wrenched the most amazing sounds out of fairly normal, stock guitars. (although the Fender line at his time was quite decent as well...)

Great info everyone, a good read.

I play a Japanese Fender Tele through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and am overall very pleased with the sound. However I’ve noticed when I play a riff that uses the open high E string, it always dies out quicker than other notes I play. In other words it's not 'ringing through' nicely.

I am wondering if this is an issue because of my playing style, or a hardware issue. Maybe the standard saddle or plastic (?) nut just doesn’t give enough sustain?

Koen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great info everyone, a good read.
>
> I play a Japanese Fender Tele through a Fender Hot
> Rod Deluxe and am overall very pleased with the
> sound. However I’ve noticed when I play a riff
> that uses the open high E string, it always dies
> out quicker than other notes I play. In other
> words it's not 'ringing through' nicely.
>
> I am wondering if this is an issue because of my
> playing style, or a hardware issue. Maybe the
> standard saddle or plastic (?) nut just doesn’t
> give enough sustain?


If you are missing sustain, good saddles and a bone nut will improve the situation, although not dramatically. Its more a matter of pick-ups (and amp).

At least this is what I experienced with my strato (that is a different guitar, but what the hell ...)

C

The humbucker position can really get that Taylor Les Paul sound with enough volume.

Mathijs Wrote:
Putting a $150 pickup in your
> Tele is something like puting a Ferrari engine in
> your Volkswagen Polo. The choice for a maker is
> completely personal, but if you summarise I think
> most peopla agree that Seymour Duncan has the best
> PAF's and Tele pickups (Antiquity's), Lollar the
> best P90, and Fralin the best Strat pickups. But a
> lot of people swere by Lollar's Tele pickups, and
> Fralin's PAF's are supposed to bever good as
> well...
>
i was to Lollar's workshop on Vashon Island a few times last summer, and had his techs do some adjustments on some guitars...lollar plays & jams at the local bar on Vashon, 'bishops', quite frequently. it as an amazing place...with amazing instruments...a real downhome but also very high tech environment...
fascinating to see those hundreds of pickups, and the reels of various wire for the pickup line at his little woodsy factory...he has some beauties there, guitars he's rescued and set up beautifully with his pickups...i was surprised to hear of him here...i didn't know his rep was that wide...nice mellow approachable genius that guy...and his few workers are so sweet and dedicated and knowledgable. I have used EMG's humbucks for years...and a sunrise in my acoustic...but i am interested in fishman's 'aura' acoustic setup for my next acoustic...martin has them; i don't know about taylor....

Ehhmm.... What's a nice guitar like you doing in a place like this?

"Your phase or mine?"

"What's your sine?"



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-01 23:47 by Jed Clever.

A guy on a guitar board stated that Keith has a Van Zandt bridge pick-up on Micawber.

could there be any truth to that?

A friend of mine has a set on his '68 Telecaster - and yeah, they sound pretty good from what I heared.

Is it only me or...

I just love these discussions, as a guy with zero knowless of guitar playing other than having a few top 10 sounds from keith and ronnie. I have over the last years learned more about Tele's, Gibson's than any will pick up through a guitar mag.
BTW: Got a Gibson so deep into the basement that it will never see light again.

Thanks to Open-G, Mathijs, etc. You are all priceless. See you at opening night in, was it Brussels?

TE
Oslo

open-g Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A guy on a guitar board stated that Keith has a
> Van Zandt bridge pick-up on Micawber.
>
> could there be any truth to that?
>

No, the pickup in Micawber is original to the guitar.

Mathijs

Mathijs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> open-g Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > A guy on a guitar board stated that Keith has a
> > Van Zandt bridge pick-up on Micawber.
> >
> > could there be any truth to that?
> >
>
> No, the pickup in Micawber is original to the
> guitar.
>
> Mathijs

My belief that Mathijs real name is Pierre DeBeauport is getting stronger and stronger.
Anyway, regarding the Duncans, i heard from a lot of people lately that the quality is not very consistent nowadays. If anyone considers getting them one should make sure to get a good one.
Have you ever heard of LeoSounds pickups? It's a german one man company that makes 100% handmade pickups. He starts making them after you ordered so you can have the pickups customized to your liking. I have them in all my singlecoil guitars now and they are really great. Plus they are very low priced. I have a complete set of slightly overwound 62s in my strat for only 119 Euro and it made the guitar 100% better (stock pickups have been from Fender Custom Shop!).

"Bare Knuckle" pickups are pretty tasty.
[There's a even a "Brown Sugar" Tele set ;^) ]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-02 15:28 by Spud.

Beelyboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> i was to Lollar's workshop on Vashon Island a few
> times last summer, and had his techs do some
> adjustments on some guitars...lollar plays & jams
> at the local bar on Vashon, 'bishops', quite
> frequently. it as an amazing place...with amazing
> instruments...a real downhome but also very high
> tech environment...
> fascinating to see those hundreds of pickups, and
> the reels of various wire for the pickup line at
> his little woodsy factory...he has some beauties
> there, guitars he's rescued and set up beautifully
> with his pickups...i was surprised to hear of him
> here...i didn't know his rep was that wide...nice
> mellow approachable genius that guy...and his few
> workers are so sweet and dedicated and
> knowledgable.

Hey Beely, if you ever get back to Lollar's workshop. please ask Jason Lollar if this quote from another forum is true:

>>"Isn't the neck pickup backwards? Anyway, I have a friend who says he emailed Jason Lollar to try to get some Keef type pickups. Jason says he does all of Keith's so he just wind him a pair to the same specs. I dunno what it cost him tho and have not heard them yet."<<

It's quite possible as Keith is listed as Customer.
[lollarguitars.com]

It´s probably been posted here many times before but i´m still not sure of what bridge pickup to buy to get that Keef micawber sound...someone suggested a 51 nocaster pickup...it has to be something that sounds lika a fender lapsteel pickup..maybe a real one is what to look for?

Quote
Mathijs
Spud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mathijs,
> You mean you don't like the sweet liquid voice of
> a good standard Tele neck pickup either ? .
> It's hardly a Rock N Roll voice...but it has a
> beautiful sound of its own for certain things. A
> little Jazzier than that wide open Strat neck
> voicing.

I must admit I never fully liked it (I thought it was o.k., but not something special), but lately I am thinking about buying a Japanese '62 Custom with bigsby and install some really good Lollar or Fralin pickups. I guess any guitarist just must have at least one stock Tele!

Mathijs

Mathijs,may i suggest the fender custom shop texas special tele pickups(i have these in my 52 reissue us butterscotch tele ,these pickups sound great esp.the bridge pickups with the staggered pole pieces)

Quote
malcolm
I've mounted a pre-CBS PAF at the neck and I've left a fender stock '52 reissue and I think it works and sounds very very close
marco

Pre CBS PAF? Fender never produced PAFs. Gibson did though...