Here are some Affiliate Links to gear In the order it appears in this video What is on my headstock???? It is a pick holder that mutes the G&D from ringing amzn.to/3b0Dsti Golden Age Tele Pickups www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickups/golden-age-pickup-set-for-tele.html Dimarzio DP240 mini humbucker reverb.grsm.io/dimarzio The $65 Set of Filtertron pickups I used in this video reverb.grsm.io/filtertrons Golden Age P90 Street Original www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickups/golden-age-p-90-pickups.html PRS 57/08 Neck Humbucker reverb.grsm.io/5708 Somnium Guitar somniumguitars.com/collections/all Video about my Somnium guitar ua-cam.com/video/Vj2uJBeSHt4/v-deo.html Lindy Fralin Tele S,H wiring mod www.fralinpickups.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Humbucker-Neck-Tele-Bridge.pdf 500k Resistor www.fralinpickups.com/product/resistors/ Herco Picks? This is the pick I ended up switching back to amzn.to/3e3NhH5 Marshall 2061 Head reverb.grsm.io/marshall8421 Klotz 15ft Cable with breaker ( You will never go back) amzn.to/2YilLQS Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb imp.i114863.net/o1QPW The Reverb I use imp.i114863.net/JDZ9Q String Swing Wall Hangers. The only Stands and Hanger I use imp.i114863.net/aErjN You can become a Patreon and support more videos like this www.patreon.com/home Send photos of you in your shirt here or ask questions askknowyourgear@gmail.com PODCAST knowyourgear.buzzsprout.com Facebook facebook.com/Knowyourgear/ Instagram instagram.com/phillip_mcknight/ Know Your Gear T shirts teespring.com/stores/know-your-gear-shop-2 Here are some other products from a dealer I trust and buy from online imp.i114863.net/c/2224555/791999/11319 The straps I use are Dimarzio straps and I've been using them since 1992 imp.i114863.net/NMYAV D Addario Fret Polish Kit imp.i114863.net/LMYvY
Taking a break from my playing to watch you. Because you're interesting, and know your shit. Which is a LOT more thyan I can say for many toobers! Bless you and stay healthy, love and regards from the UK
Probably why Joe Bonamassa says his favorite guitar (by a long shot) is his 51' Fender Nocaster. Hot tele bridge pickup and a PAF in the neck. I don't know about you, but for me that carries some substantial weight. Great video as always and thanks for the demos. KYG
Unpopular opinion: They are all good enough and it doesn't matter which you use. Very few people in an audience will be able to identify any difference between any of them in a live setting. This is especially true if you play around with the EQ or use any pedals. As far as the best, I really like the 2019 MIJ Fender pickups.
If it sounds good to you and makes you feel/hear an increase in tone/playability, then it absolutely does matter, and even more so, if that increase inspires you to create music. Regardless of how miniscule that change is, it almost doesn't matter. So long as it matters to you and that it inspires you! The devil's in the details. However, that's does not mean that there are hard limitations to gear that is only of an average/basic degree of functionality. Sometimes having nice things is nice and sometimes there are people who do more with less. Both are equally respectable in my opinion as having more also means having a larger amount of ground you have to cover to in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to use your gear effectively and deliberately. Doing more with less is impressive in the sense that you find other means of achieving the same effect but through mastery of technique you're able to conjure sounds that make playing seem simple and fluid.
If the player is using ultra high gain, you have a bit of a point. In any other type of tone, the average listener wouldn't hear much difference in a mix. But a musician can. At least we can hear the difference between single coil and buckers. Maybe some minor tonal shifts. But that's about it.
@@mariushebnes5951 Yup! The issue with Relish in my opinion is that you're limited to two passive humbuckers (I don't remember if you can use single-coils other than p-90s), so Somnium just seems a lot better for modular pickup swapping. Plus, a Relish guitar is a bit more pricey anyway.
I've always kind of thought stock was the best tele sound for a tele, but that mini humbucker blew me away, especially when you split it! Really opened my eyes to the kind of potential a mini humbucker can have in a tele.
From Leo: That is really a great demo tool. I really like a Filtertron on a tele. I have one with a regular tele bridge and another with two Filtertrons. Love the tones they give me.
I have a Filtertron in my Tele in my pic. It's pretty warm, I had to swap out the GFS Lipstick with a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound bridge pickup. The Lipstick acted as a cut because Filtertron pickups are loud. Its actually a great combo in the guitar now. I'm very happy with the middle position. My pickup is an actual Gretsch Filtertron so it required a bit more routing than a TV Jones footprint.
He'll yeah I had put a humbucker in the neck of my mim tele and I like it but I bought a Gretsch recently and I fuckin fell in love with the filtertron tv jones style pick ups. It's kinda funny that this popped up this morning because I planned on ordering one today.
@Bryan Charles Try them both out! I would say the Filtertrons have a bit more sparkle to their tone. That said the Gretschbuckers that came in my Electromatic originally sound even better in the Ibanez in my pic than they ever did in my Gretsch. Go figure. I will tell you that the DeArmonds do sound a bit warmer and fuller than Filtertrons. A bit smoother and closer to P90s minus the growl. That's my experience at least.
I have a used Squier CV 50s Tele that someone put a GFS mini humbucker in. They also wired it with two “interactive” volume knobs. Set the selector to the middle position and you can blend the pickups by adjusting each one’s volume individually. It took some getting used to, but now I really love this odd setup. I can brighten the neck pickup by adding some of the bridge, or set the bridge volume for rhythm, and switch the bridge for solos with a boost in volume and treble as well. For such simple setup, it’s amazingly versatile.
My best tele has a lollar mini Humbucker in the neck and a TV Jones Humbucker sized Classic Filtertron in the bridge, with just a 3 way switch. Gives me twang, bite and warmth. Cuts through the mix and is a joy to play.
I really enjoyed hearing the filtertron in the neck. Jeff Baxter used a filtertron neck pickup, in his tele, back in the early 70's, when he played with Steely Dan.
My favorites were the filtertron and the p90. Most versatile is the mini hum for sure. Split it sounds almost exactly like the stock pickup plus you get a fatter sound for leads.
Like you, I love the classic tele neck pickup, but in the clean demo section, I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked that mini! Food for thought.
JD McPherson has a Tele with a Charlie Christensen pickup. It's pretty warm and a lower output pickup by design. Check out the Rig Rundown on JD to hear it. The goldfoil will be pretty mellow too compared to stock Tele pickups.
I ended up with a gold-foil neck pickup in my Tele when a guy in my neighborhood put it up for sale (already mounted in the pickguard!) Really like it - just balances really nicely with the bridge pickup and stands out a bit more than the stock pickup when played solo. Definitely recommended, if you can find one.
@@johna6502 Is the gold foil warmer than the stock Tele neck pickup? Also is there a volume drop between the neck and bridge pickups? Gold foils are one of the few pickups I have not tried yet. Thanks for any info.😊👍✨
@@gringogreen4719 If anything it's actually brighter - not _bright_ if you were to map it on a spectrum with other pickups, but clearer; it isn't all muddy in the high end like the stock Tele neck pickup, which is what I like about it. Volume-wise, it's actually quite a bit louder than the bridge pickup; I need to redo the mounting arrangement on mine so I can drop it down and balance the two a bit better.
Thanks Philip! I've enjoyed many of your videos over the last couple of years. I'm a professional guitarist (Jill & Kevin), and I also build very high end Tele & Jazzmaster style guitars (Turbocaster Guitars). For reference, I play 95% clean with on my own Tele style and Jazzmaster styles, and use Blackface Deluxe Reverbs and a cremeboard (Mexican) Blues Junior. I use my neck pickup about 90% of the time on my Tele style guitar. I've used many different pickups, but I have absolutely fallen in love with EMG T-Set and EMG Retro-Active T-52's. they give me the best complex tones I've ever played. So much so that I actually convinced Rob Turner (owner CEO & founder of EMG) to develop Jazzmaster pickups, which are in prototype form as I write this. They are active, but I'm not at all sure how they work for high gain stuff. The T pickups are a little less aggressive, while the T-52 have a bit more. Since we play some jazz (among lots of other stuff) in our shows, I stick with the T-sets, but when building guitars for people who want them a bit more edgy stuff, I put T-52's in their guitars. (which also work very well for me, but the T-sets are a little better for our stuff). Rob developed the T-52's with a very well known Nashville player (with a higher voice), and patterned the sound with his '52 Tele. Try them, you might just love them!!
Great video. I agree the mini is the best sounding. The coil split is an added bonus. I guess that's why Brent Mason has the mini in his Tele. The FilterTron would be #2.
I've tried them all and my favorites have been the traditional neck and a mini humbucker. I just love them both, if you only have one guitar coil split the mini with a good Vintage style bridge.
I built a thin line tele with minis in the neck and middle pos. with a dual blade tele in the bridge. That is a combo I really loved gave it my nephew who had his guitar stolen. Very versatile tele I would love to make another one day.
I'm getting ready to build my first tele shaped partscaster and this is the perfect video to help me decide between a humbucker or P90 for my neck pickup. Big thanks
Have a set of traditional tele pickups in mine. They are Fender custom shop and I LOVE the neck pickup sound, the middle is real sweet too. Bridge is fat n sparkley...like a telecaster should be.
I've just rewired my Vintera 50's modified Tele. It now has a standard three way switch and the S1 switch disconnects the tone pot from the neck pick. This is now my perfect Tele. I get to use the original mellow neck PU for jazz and, with tone lifted the more strat like neck tone works for blues and rock. This is everything I want a Tele to be, without changing the pickup 👍.
The 500k pots w/ 500k parallel resistor tip is a really good one! Did this on my T a while back and having the 500k pots really improved the clarity of my neck humbucker without significant change to the bridge sound. I like the middle position even more now!
Switching out the tone capacitors to a .015 µF or .022µF can make a massive difference for bringing out more clarity. My .015 µF tone cap that cost 50 cents completely transformed my cheap tele.
I recently put an Artec TFC65 pickup with ceramic magnet and 1/4" pole pieces in my partscaster tele. Its the best sounding tele neck pickup I've ever played. 8K DC resistance, and it has a strong, clear output. sounds more like a hot strat pup. and only about $15-20.
Just finished my Squier 'Noventa' project, first real encounter with P90 soapbar and man, the best sound I have ever had beating my the signature Ibanez guitars. For me P90 rulez!😊
I love the sound of the tele neck pickup so much that I put one on my SG. If you play a melodic tapping style then it is perfect for that. So it really depends on your genre. The clarity of those little taps is just amazing on a tele pickup.
This is a bit embarrassing to admit: I always thought mini humbuckers where completely the same thing as a full size humbucker. I've totally been missing out! What could be cool is having either two mini humbuckers, or a coil-splittable Filtertron in the bridge for something a bit different and parallel/series and phase switch for the middle position sounds
Minihums are the way to go. Another great neck pickup for the tele is the Firebird mini humbucker. Have it on one of my teles and I ordered a second one now.
I put a Firebird Pup in the neck of my partscaster with a Tele bridge. It is so Rad, super clear and articulate but with more output, like a really girthy strat neck pickup
"Best Type" is a qualitative phrase in this case. All are best quality. What one likes to hear translates to "which do you like like best?". I have Seymour Duncan Broadcasters on my Tele and love them and love essential Telecaster sounds. Any non-regular pickups, I use on my Stratocasters, and that is rare.
I have tried them all trust me now I'm on the p90 neck pickup and I think I found it. The p90 works with the mostly clean sound you use with a tele with a little grid over it.
Since, like me, you really love the Tele middle position, I kind of wish you had spent more time on how some of these neck pickup alternatives blend with the bridge pickup. I think I'd stay away from any upgrade to my Tele's neck pickup that messes with my mid-position tone.
@@G_Demolished To my mind that *is* the telecaster sound. The bridge always sounds too bright, the neck completely aenemic, but the middle is where you get that signature spank and twang
After acquiring a Legacy Tele over the summer as a belated birthday present to myself, I was reminded of how much I missed the sound of a traditional Tele neck pickup. Both pickups were good but not so good because they were microphonically irritating (they really just need wax potting) so i ordered a set of Thompson T-Bucket PU's. With A5 and DC resistances of 6.4K (bridge) & 7.4K (neck), their outputs remind me of late 50s/early 60s Telecaster PU's. However, I'm thinking of trying out mini humbuckers for a change... but not in my Tele!
I think you're a genius. I use a Lindy Fralin Split Blade at the bridge (no 60 Cycle hum), and the Fralin mini-humbucker (Firebird) at the neck. My Tele came stock with usual Tele S coils, so had to route out neck cavity to fit the mini. The bridge cavity is stock. Utterly a stunning combination.
Thanks for demo. I feel like keeping the original tele neck pick up in US made Fender , while I have a G&L Tele with an alnico 2 humbucker much more clear than the one you tested. The great late Rory Gallagher used to fit a Strat pick up in neck position for punchier louder tones of his slide play. He even added a Strat pickup in middle position to get the neck-middle tone in position 4. In your demo, I prefered the original tele neck pick up for overdriven. tones
I just modded a Harley Benton Tele by putting a GFS Modern tele pickup at the bridge (their vintage was too shrill for my tastes) and a Seymor Duncan mini humbucker at the neck. Still playing with the settings to get the optimal sound but overall I like it very much. Played it this weekend at church and got all the chime that I need for that particular venue.
Awesome video! I’ve never liked the tele neck pick up. Removing the cover helps, but I’ve always wanted more. I settle on a mini humbucker years ago and never looked back. The All Parts one is fantastic. I have my pole pieces flipped towards the bridge and it’s detached from the tone pot. I love it! It just felt like more of everything without overpowering the bridge pick up. The in between sound is perfect still.
The P90 get's my vote. On the best tele I ever owned (a parts guitar I built) a friend gave me a custom bridge pup that a friend of his had wound to emulate a p90 that fits a tele bridge slot. The combination of that with a luck of the draw stock fender neck pup was absolutely magical. My big beef with standard tele's is bridge pup harshness, which is pretty easy to get from a stock Fender. For me, the whole point of a tele is to have that bridge pup bite on deck when you need to cut through, but cutting thru with tone that sounds like you're playing razor wire doesn't always work. I mostly live on the neck when I'm playing tele's, so having something really nice in that slot is perfection.
I know it's 2 months old...amazing I was just thinking earlier today what a p90 would be like in a telly...it made me a sub ...thanks thanks for the video
I’m digging the way a full size humbucker sounds in the neck. I’m doing a Tele build, and I plan on putting a Dimarzio Eric Johnson pup in the neck, with a Dimarzio True Velvet in the bridge. I think it will be a great combination.
I own one of the ‘52 Hot rod Tele’s with a mini humbucker in the neck position. I’ll never sell it. I love it, combine the great sound with the chunky U neck and it’s a an absolute joy. Never found anything like it since, and despite owning quite a few guitars there’s something special about it
I think each pickup has a distinct context and application in which each is the best. Pickup sector is just one of many ways to change EQ without a pedal, or touching the amp or tone knob.
I've had a P90 in the neck position of my tele for years... Never really digged it. Didn't want to put a humbuckers because I already have a Paul. I think you've convinced me to go with a mini humbucker.
I've been playing with a firebird pu ( sort of mini humbucker) with a four conductor cable - and instead of splitting it use series/parallel switching - I like the result.
@@paulcowart3174 Well I guess you really need to check this: ua-cam.com/video/vx_YfO5N3gM/v-deo.html It was Mexican an relatively affordable - even the shop in my country had one some years ago. ;)
I don't care what anybody says, over the years of listening to him and what he can get out of that thing is amazing, Andy Summers has the best pickup setup on a Telecaster - IMHO Adding that humbucker as he did when he first got it, according to what he says he paid $200 for that guitar. And I will be making a plan to eventually piecemeal a 61' Tele deluxe like his...
I like what you've done here for fast comparrison. Lots of guys even SRV have what I call "quack" tone which I don't 'like. I have no talent, but I have a brand X tele with a P-90 bridge and a jap strat neck pup. I run it on both all the time, and I have 9 volt compressor/expander. Oh, I glued the neck pup to the body on a piece of balsa wood. I used to like experimenting like you are here, but I finally settle into "vintage" tone. I was fascinated by "harmonics" and high output pups for a while. To each their own.
I'm currently using G&B pickups in my Tradition CAB10 Tele: a factory-installed Alnico 5 bridge PU (8.5K) and fattened the neck with a Golden Age A5 Strat PU (6.6K) after the Tele A5 neck pickup (8.8K) shorted out; actually the tone's much noticeably fatter in series with the 4-way switch more so than the Tele pickup. Now I'm in a totally tonal bliss with a P90 i recently swapped the Strat PU out. The estimated DC resistance of this Bootstrap Screwdriver's a warm 7.6K; mine's a scorchin' hot 9.4K w/A2's but I didn't want to overpower the bridge pickup so it sits flush to the pickguard resting on wooden shims in the cavity with the polepiece screws 1/4 inch under the strings and so far it reminds me of the Strat pickup until i raise the P90 closer to the string itself to which the sound will become much fuller and fatter. I've swapped in another P90 in the form of a G&B/Thompson T90 w/A5's now matching the retained bridge PU perfectly...informative vid Phil!
I have a Lollar “Royal T” on my neck & a TV Jones “Classic +” for my bridge pup. Really fun combo. I’m a real fan of the strat neck tones so I like the versatility I get with the Neck pup & the punchy tones from the bridge pup.
Biased from the start but I definitely still agree by the end. That's pretty well the pairing I settled on for my Fire-caster build. Firebird body, Nocaster bridge pup, Gibson mini PAF up top with a maple neck. Went back and fourth between p90 and a mini humbucker for a long while but the decision ended up being made when I happened to find a '69 Mini Humbucker for a very reasonable price. Probably the best choice I could have made.
That looks like a Firebird pickup. Though a mini-humbucker in footprint, the Firebird is kind of entirely different beast. Its construction with blade coils just gives a totally different response to a mini-humbucker with one row of pole pieces. A Firebird pickup is more sounds more like a pissed off single coil while a mini-humbucker sounds like a thinner humbucker. I have no idea if DiMarzio is doing a lower output Firebird pickup with coil split...just checked and the DP-240 looks to be a Firebird pickup The Firebird pickup was one I preferred with the stock Tele neck pickup & Filtertron in 2nd and 3rd. My first choice for a Tele neck pickup is a 70's Wide Range Humbucker though. That system with changeable pickup blocks is totally cool.
I love how that guitar gives you the convenience in comparing pups Bridge and neck. I was thinking someday someone will invent that kind of guitar. Love your demos. Cheers!
The Telecaster is my go to guitar, I have a SubZero tele type with Vanson P90 pickups with an extra 5 position vaitone switch, awesome. No need to swap pickups just dial it in. Really.
i like the standard tele neck pickup best out of those. just sounds right. and i appreciate the warm blanket sound it has compared to the bright clear bridge. adding another bright or clear pickup to the neck just removes tonal variety and options.
I totally agree with the mini humbucker. I am searching for a neck pup solution to balance out with my little 59 in the bridge. I think that may be it. I thought the full humbucker was a bit overpowering.
If you must change out the neck Tele pickup, I think that mini-humbucker with coil split is the way to go. Although, I really liked that filtertron too, gave it a nice jangle. Would love to hear the mini humbucker in parallel mode as opposed to coil split, wonder what that would sound like.
Thanks, Phillip. The mini had the most caressing tone. And I have a good sound system: Boston/mid; Bose/sub; Linaeum/tweeter for my iMac. I could hear the mini all day brother, w/no fatigue.
I love your scientific approach Phil. Personal view - I think a Tele needs to sound like a Tele, so anything with two sets of coils at the neck is not going to sound quite right, unless you go for a coil split. You need the twang!
I actually like the p90 as a neck pickup in a Tele. I have the Schecter PT Special with the p90 at the neck and the middle position sounds great. It also has the option to switch the wiring to series by pulling on the tone knob to *simulate a more humbucker sound. The filtertron sounded good also to me.
So this is my second real viewing of this and I gotta say. Though I'm still a huge fan of the sound of the mini, the filtertron is incredible. So it would be a toss up for me now. As for the content, man I really dig how thorough you are and your videos always keep me going. I appreciate you. 🙏 🎶🤘
Here are some Affiliate Links to gear In the order it appears in this video
What is on my headstock???? It is a pick holder that mutes the G&D from ringing
amzn.to/3b0Dsti
Golden Age Tele Pickups
www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickups/golden-age-pickup-set-for-tele.html
Dimarzio DP240 mini humbucker
reverb.grsm.io/dimarzio
The $65 Set of Filtertron pickups I used in this video
reverb.grsm.io/filtertrons
Golden Age P90 Street Original
www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickups/golden-age-p-90-pickups.html
PRS 57/08 Neck Humbucker
reverb.grsm.io/5708
Somnium Guitar
somniumguitars.com/collections/all
Video about my Somnium guitar
ua-cam.com/video/Vj2uJBeSHt4/v-deo.html
Lindy Fralin Tele S,H wiring mod
www.fralinpickups.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Humbucker-Neck-Tele-Bridge.pdf
500k Resistor
www.fralinpickups.com/product/resistors/
Herco Picks? This is the pick I ended up switching back to
amzn.to/3e3NhH5
Marshall 2061 Head
reverb.grsm.io/marshall8421
Klotz 15ft Cable with breaker ( You will never go back)
amzn.to/2YilLQS
Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb
imp.i114863.net/o1QPW
The Reverb I use
imp.i114863.net/JDZ9Q
String Swing Wall Hangers. The only Stands and Hanger I use
imp.i114863.net/aErjN
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Taking a break from my playing to watch you. Because you're interesting, and know your shit. Which is a LOT more thyan I can say for many toobers! Bless you and stay healthy, love and regards from the UK
Probably why Joe Bonamassa says his favorite guitar (by a long shot) is his 51' Fender Nocaster. Hot tele bridge pickup and a PAF in the neck.
I don't know about you, but for me that carries some substantial weight.
Great video as always and thanks for the demos.
KYG
Can you imagine someone 50 years ago seeing someone swap out pickups that quickly. I'm still amazed in 2020.
Just placed a Sweetwater order for a couple hundred dollars using your affiliate link. Thanks for another great video!
I like watching your videos
Unpopular opinion: They are all good enough and it doesn't matter which you use. Very few people in an audience will be able to identify any difference between any of them in a live setting. This is especially true if you play around with the EQ or use any pedals. As far as the best, I really like the 2019 MIJ Fender pickups.
You're right, I liked humbucker
Amen
If it sounds good to you and makes you feel/hear an increase in tone/playability, then it absolutely does matter, and even more so, if that increase inspires you to create music.
Regardless of how miniscule that change is, it almost doesn't matter.
So long as it matters to you and that it inspires you!
The devil's in the details.
However, that's does not mean that there are hard limitations to gear that is only of an average/basic degree of functionality.
Sometimes having nice things is nice and sometimes there are people who do more with less.
Both are equally respectable in my opinion as having more also means having a larger amount of ground you have to cover to in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to use your gear effectively and deliberately.
Doing more with less is impressive in the sense that you find other means of achieving the same effect but through mastery of technique you're able to conjure sounds that make playing seem simple and fluid.
@@taiyoutamaki1872 OK
If the player is using ultra high gain, you have a bit of a point. In any other type of tone, the average listener wouldn't hear much difference in a mix. But a musician can. At least we can hear the difference between single coil and buckers. Maybe some minor tonal shifts. But that's about it.
I love the idea of being able to swap out pups on the fly. That's pretty damn cool!!
Had to double take!
Dude swapping them out like lego bricks.
My mind is blown….
I had to pause and come to the comments as soon as I noticed. Wild!
yes no soldering or anything
@@metatron333ascension yea its a somnium guitar. I just picked one up
I really like the sound of the Mini Humbucker, never even thought of a Mini Humbucker for a Tele I'm surprised.
This was my thought exactly, the coil split makes it imo.
This just absolutely confirms it for me. I am an absolute, utter sucker for a filtertron. Easily my favourite in every situation.
me too. love the filtertron in the neck
Single coil: 3:53 10:03
Mini Hum: 2:11 10:06
Filtertron: 4:07 10:11
P90: 5:33 10:22
Humbucker: 7:05 10:17
I was hoping to learn something but was hypnotized watching him run through magazines and reload..cool video thanks for the times!
I've said it before, but the Somnium guitar is an absolute game changer for pickup demos.
Have you heard about relish guitars?
@@mariushebnes5951 Yup! The issue with Relish in my opinion is that you're limited to two passive humbuckers (I don't remember if you can use single-coils other than p-90s), so Somnium just seems a lot better for modular pickup swapping. Plus, a Relish guitar is a bit more pricey anyway.
I've always kind of thought stock was the best tele sound for a tele, but that mini humbucker blew me away, especially when you split it! Really opened my eyes to the kind of potential a mini humbucker can have in a tele.
I have a mini in neck position and it's great
Firebirds say hello
Charlie Christian pickup sounds just incredible in teles.
From Leo: That is really a great demo tool. I really like a Filtertron on a tele. I have one with a regular tele bridge and another with two Filtertrons. Love the tones they give me.
I’m actually really digging that filtertron with this setup
I have a Filtertron in my Tele in my pic. It's pretty warm, I had to swap out the GFS Lipstick with a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound bridge pickup. The Lipstick acted as a cut because Filtertron pickups are loud. Its actually a great combo in the guitar now. I'm very happy with the middle position. My pickup is an actual Gretsch Filtertron so it required a bit more routing than a TV Jones footprint.
He'll yeah I had put a humbucker in the neck of my mim tele and I like it but I bought a Gretsch recently and I fuckin fell in love with the filtertron tv jones style pick ups. It's kinda funny that this popped up this morning because I planned on ordering one today.
@@mma1st105
Got those in my Gretsch. Love em!😎👍✨
Love teles
@Bryan Charles
Try them both out! I would say the Filtertrons have a bit more sparkle to their tone. That said the Gretschbuckers that came in my Electromatic originally sound even better in the Ibanez in my pic than they ever did in my Gretsch. Go figure.
I will tell you that the DeArmonds do sound a bit warmer and fuller than Filtertrons. A bit smoother and closer to P90s minus the growl. That's my experience at least.
I have a used Squier CV 50s Tele that someone put a GFS mini humbucker in. They also wired it with two “interactive” volume knobs. Set the selector to the middle position and you can blend the pickups by adjusting each one’s volume individually.
It took some getting used to, but now I really love this odd setup. I can brighten the neck pickup by adding some of the bridge, or set the bridge volume for rhythm, and switch the bridge for solos with a boost in volume and treble as well.
For such simple setup, it’s amazingly versatile.
My best tele has a lollar mini Humbucker in the neck and a TV Jones Humbucker sized Classic Filtertron in the bridge, with just a 3 way switch. Gives me twang, bite and warmth. Cuts through the mix and is a joy to play.
I really enjoyed hearing the filtertron in the neck. Jeff Baxter used a filtertron neck pickup, in his tele, back in the early 70's, when he played with Steely Dan.
The MINI HB nailed it like you said!!! I play aValley Arts Brent Mason for years and it is still everytime: WOW!!!
Thinking about a Warmoth tele build and this video was extremely helpful deciding what I want. That mini-hum is where it's at.
That guitar you built (I assume you built it) satisfies so many people's curiosities. Great work man.
My favorites were the filtertron and the p90. Most versatile is the mini hum for sure. Split it sounds almost exactly like the stock pickup plus you get a fatter sound for leads.
I recently equipped my Squier Telecaster with some Wilkinsons at both ends, truly amazing without breaking the bank!
Like you, I love the classic tele neck pickup, but in the clean demo section, I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked that mini! Food for thought.
Missed two likely candidates: Charlie Christian and Gold Foil. Of the ones, you covered, I like the Filtertron and the mini.
JD McPherson has a Tele with a Charlie Christensen pickup. It's pretty warm and a lower output pickup by design. Check out the Rig Rundown on JD to hear it.
The goldfoil will be pretty mellow too compared to stock Tele pickups.
Joe Barden?
I ended up with a gold-foil neck pickup in my Tele when a guy in my neighborhood put it up for sale (already mounted in the pickguard!) Really like it - just balances really nicely with the bridge pickup and stands out a bit more than the stock pickup when played solo. Definitely recommended, if you can find one.
@@johna6502
Is the gold foil warmer than the stock Tele neck pickup? Also is there a volume drop between the neck and bridge pickups?
Gold foils are one of the few pickups I have not tried yet. Thanks for any info.😊👍✨
@@gringogreen4719 If anything it's actually brighter - not _bright_ if you were to map it on a spectrum with other pickups, but clearer; it isn't all muddy in the high end like the stock Tele neck pickup, which is what I like about it. Volume-wise, it's actually quite a bit louder than the bridge pickup; I need to redo the mounting arrangement on mine so I can drop it down and balance the two a bit better.
Thanks Philip! I've enjoyed many of your videos over the last couple of years.
I'm a professional guitarist (Jill & Kevin), and I also build very high end Tele & Jazzmaster style guitars (Turbocaster Guitars).
For reference, I play 95% clean with on my own Tele style and Jazzmaster styles, and use Blackface Deluxe Reverbs and a cremeboard (Mexican) Blues Junior.
I use my neck pickup about 90% of the time on my Tele style guitar.
I've used many different pickups, but I have absolutely fallen in love with EMG T-Set and EMG Retro-Active T-52's. they give me the best complex tones I've ever played. So much so that I actually convinced Rob Turner (owner CEO & founder of EMG) to develop Jazzmaster pickups, which are in prototype form as I write this.
They are active, but I'm not at all sure how they work for high gain stuff. The T pickups are a little less aggressive, while the T-52 have a bit more. Since we play some jazz (among lots of other stuff) in our shows, I stick with the T-sets, but when building guitars for people who want them a bit more edgy stuff, I put T-52's in their guitars. (which also work very well for me, but the T-sets are a little better for our stuff).
Rob developed the T-52's with a very well known Nashville player (with a higher voice), and patterned the sound with his '52 Tele.
Try them, you might just love them!!
Thanks for the video, Phil. I know this project's been a hassle due to covid, but man, we really appreciate it.
Thank you
Great video. I agree the mini is the best sounding. The coil split is an added bonus. I guess that's why Brent Mason has the mini in his Tele. The FilterTron would be #2.
Dimarzio twang king neck pickup is the cleanest tele neck pickup i ever heard. Never gets muddy ever, and i mean ever!!!!
I've tried them all and my favorites have been the traditional neck and a mini humbucker. I just love them both, if you only have one guitar coil split the mini with a good Vintage style bridge.
TV Jones Filtertrons - the best I ever played in a tele since 40 years, unbeatable. Absolutely cool guitar to try out pu´s , Mr Genius !
I built a thin line tele with minis in the neck and middle pos. with a dual blade tele in the bridge. That is a combo I really loved gave it my nephew who had his guitar stolen. Very versatile tele I would love to make another one day.
I'm getting ready to build my first tele shaped partscaster and this is the perfect video to help me decide between a humbucker or P90 for my neck pickup. Big thanks
Have a set of traditional tele pickups in mine.
They are Fender custom shop and I LOVE the neck pickup sound, the middle is real sweet too. Bridge is fat n sparkley...like a telecaster should be.
I've just rewired my Vintera 50's modified Tele. It now has a standard three way switch and the S1 switch disconnects the tone pot from the neck pick. This is now my perfect Tele. I get to use the original mellow neck PU for jazz and, with tone lifted the more strat like neck tone works for blues and rock. This is everything I want a Tele to be, without changing the pickup 👍.
The 500k pots w/ 500k parallel resistor tip is a really good one! Did this on my T a while back and having the 500k pots really improved the clarity of my neck humbucker without significant change to the bridge sound. I like the middle position even more now!
Switching out the tone capacitors to a .015 µF or .022µF can make a massive difference for bringing out more clarity. My .015 µF tone cap that cost 50 cents completely transformed my cheap tele.
I recently put an Artec TFC65 pickup with ceramic magnet and 1/4" pole pieces in my partscaster tele. Its the best sounding tele neck pickup I've ever played. 8K DC resistance, and it has a strong, clear output. sounds more like a hot strat pup. and only about $15-20.
Just finished my Squier 'Noventa' project, first real encounter with P90 soapbar and man, the best sound I have ever had beating my the signature Ibanez guitars. For me P90 rulez!😊
Filtertron for me too. Had the clarity I want from a Tele.
I have one in my Tele in the pic. Its actually jazzy and articulate.
I love the sound of the tele neck pickup so much that I put one on my SG. If you play a melodic tapping style then it is perfect for that. So it really depends on your genre. The clarity of those little taps is just amazing on a tele pickup.
Agreed, I love a regular tele neck pickup. Really versatile and great for jazz and clean stuff.
This is a bit embarrassing to admit: I always thought mini humbuckers where completely the same thing as a full size humbucker. I've totally been missing out! What could be cool is having either two mini humbuckers, or a coil-splittable Filtertron in the bridge for something a bit different and parallel/series and phase switch for the middle position sounds
Check out a Firebird guitar. Or go to Sweetwater & check out Don Carr's demo of the Epiphone Firebird 😀
The Squier Contemporary Jaguar has both coil split and series parallel capabilities.
WHY can't all videos be this good?
Minihums are the way to go. Another great neck pickup for the tele is the Firebird mini humbucker. Have it on one of my teles and I ordered a second one now.
Great. An almost scientifically controlled comparison. Best I've ever seen.
That mini humbucker was boss. I was hoping for more out of the P90
I own an Esquire. I think that answers your question pretty well.
The mini humbucker and P90 are both great options. I also found the Filtertron really unique and cool sounding too. Really dug that one.
Thanks god I watched this video before buying a Tele. Absolutely agree with you about the minihumbucker
I put a Firebird Pup in the neck of my partscaster with a Tele bridge. It is so Rad, super clear and articulate but with more output, like a really girthy strat neck pickup
Mini humbuckers always which is why I have been using Gibson Les Paul deluxe guitars for decades. Good video thankyou, 😁👍
"Best Type" is a qualitative phrase in this case. All are best quality. What one likes to hear translates to "which do you like like best?". I have Seymour Duncan Broadcasters on my Tele and love them and love essential Telecaster sounds. Any non-regular pickups, I use on my Stratocasters, and that is rare.
Wide Range humbucker is my favorite, it's got such a warm tone but will get nice and fuzzy without being muddy when overdriven
I have tried them all trust me now I'm on the p90 neck pickup and I think I found it. The p90 works with the mostly clean sound you use with a tele with a little grid over it.
Since, like me, you really love the Tele middle position, I kind of wish you had spent more time on how some of these neck pickup alternatives blend with the bridge pickup. I think I'd stay away from any upgrade to my Tele's neck pickup that messes with my mid-position tone.
You said it. My tele is probably in middle position about 90% of the time. That’s the butter tone.
They say the great Steve Cropper played pretty much everything in the middle position
Yeah would have been good to see a comparison of a middle strat pickup in the neck vs a Tele pickup
@@G_Demolished To my mind that *is* the telecaster sound. The bridge always sounds too bright, the neck completely aenemic, but the middle is where you get that signature spank and twang
Thanks, Phil. I liked the Filtertron and the P90. Also the Tele pickup because it's perfect.
After acquiring a Legacy Tele over the summer as a belated birthday present to myself, I was reminded of how much I missed the sound of a traditional Tele neck pickup. Both pickups were good but not so good because they were microphonically irritating (they really just need wax potting) so i ordered a set of Thompson T-Bucket PU's. With A5 and DC resistances of 6.4K (bridge) & 7.4K (neck), their outputs remind me of late 50s/early 60s Telecaster PU's. However, I'm thinking of trying out mini humbuckers for a change... but not in my Tele!
I'm a big fan of the stock Tele neck sound, but I really enjoyed the sound of all these pickups in your demo except the humbucker.
The right Tele neck pup is magic
I think you're a genius. I use a Lindy Fralin Split Blade at the bridge (no 60 Cycle hum), and the Fralin mini-humbucker (Firebird) at the neck.
My Tele came stock with usual Tele S coils, so had to route out neck cavity to fit the mini. The bridge cavity is stock. Utterly a stunning combination.
Thanks for demo. I feel like keeping the original tele neck pick up in US made Fender , while I have a G&L Tele with an alnico 2 humbucker much more clear than the one you tested. The great late Rory Gallagher used to fit a Strat pick up in neck position for punchier louder tones of his slide play. He even added a Strat pickup in middle position to get the neck-middle tone in position 4. In your demo, I prefered the original tele neck pick up for overdriven. tones
the best demo comparisons! you could make living doing this.....
I just modded a Harley Benton Tele by putting a GFS Modern tele pickup at the bridge (their vintage was too shrill for my tastes) and a Seymor Duncan mini humbucker at the neck. Still playing with the settings to get the optimal sound but overall I like it very much. Played it this weekend at church and got all the chime that I need for that particular venue.
I like a jazzmaster neck pickup in the neck position of a telecaster.
Yes! 👍🏽
Awesome video! I’ve never liked the tele neck pick up. Removing the cover helps, but I’ve always wanted more. I settle on a mini humbucker years ago and never looked back. The All Parts one is fantastic. I have my pole pieces flipped towards the bridge and it’s detached from the tone pot. I love it! It just felt like more of everything without overpowering the bridge pick up. The in between sound is perfect still.
The P90 get's my vote. On the best tele I ever owned (a parts guitar I built) a friend gave me a custom bridge pup that a friend of his had wound to emulate a p90 that fits a tele bridge slot. The combination of that with a luck of the draw stock fender neck pup was absolutely magical. My big beef with standard tele's is bridge pup harshness, which is pretty easy to get from a stock Fender. For me, the whole point of a tele is to have that bridge pup bite on deck when you need to cut through, but cutting thru with tone that sounds like you're playing razor wire doesn't always work. I mostly live on the neck when I'm playing tele's, so having something really nice in that slot is perfection.
I know it's 2 months old...amazing I was just thinking earlier today what a p90 would be like in a telly...it made me a sub ...thanks thanks for the video
I’m digging the way a full size humbucker sounds in the neck. I’m doing a Tele build, and I plan on putting a Dimarzio Eric Johnson pup in the neck, with a Dimarzio True Velvet in the bridge. I think it will be a great combination.
I own one of the ‘52 Hot rod Tele’s with a mini humbucker in the neck position. I’ll never sell it. I love it, combine the great sound with the chunky U neck and it’s a an absolute joy. Never found anything like it since, and despite owning quite a few guitars there’s something special about it
I think each pickup has a distinct context and application in which each is the best. Pickup sector is just one of many ways to change EQ without a pedal, or touching the amp or tone knob.
I've had a P90 in the neck position of my tele for years... Never really digged it. Didn't want to put a humbuckers because I already have a Paul. I think you've convinced me to go with a mini humbucker.
Mini was my favorite. Liked both split and full.
Came in here trying to figure out if I should get a tele with a conventional neck pickup or a P90 . Great demo, solved my dilemma.
I've been playing with a firebird pu ( sort of mini humbucker) with a four conductor cable - and instead of splitting it use series/parallel switching - I like the result.
My favorite neck pickup on a tele is a bright strat neck pickup - you should try it it's amazing! :)
I have a Lace Sensor gold on my tele and I love it! Kinda sucks that it’s a little bit more difficult to find a pickguard though
I wonder why nobody has ever run two Tele bridge pups Hmmmm
@@paulcowart3174 Well I guess you really need to check this: ua-cam.com/video/vx_YfO5N3gM/v-deo.html
It was Mexican an relatively affordable - even the shop in my country had one some years ago. ;)
@@paulcowart3174 I put Lil 59s in my Tele and I am fixing to add a Strat SD middle pickup. ;)
I don't care what anybody says, over the years of listening to him and what he can get out of that thing is amazing, Andy Summers has the best pickup setup on a Telecaster - IMHO
Adding that humbucker as he did when he first got it, according to what he says he paid $200 for that guitar.
And I will be making a plan to eventually piecemeal a 61' Tele deluxe like his...
Filtertron for sure... Clear, warm but not mushy. I have one in mine... A Hot Rod Filtertron. Tonal perfection for a Tele
The Filter-tron sounds great for me, almost like you took a Tele bridge pickup and put it in the neck position.
I've often wondered why that didn't cross Leo's mind
But if u alr have a bridge pickup sound in the bridge why would u want it in the neck too 😂
The solo on Reeling in the Years was on a humbucker in the neck position of a strat
this comment sent me on a gear history adventure, He did it all in one take even, thats pretty cool
All steely dan solos have a story man
I like what you've done here for fast comparrison. Lots of guys even SRV have what I call "quack" tone which I don't 'like. I have no talent, but I have a brand X tele with a P-90 bridge and a jap strat neck pup. I run it on both all the time, and I have 9 volt compressor/expander. Oh, I glued the neck pup to the body on a piece of balsa wood. I used to like experimenting like you are here, but I finally settle into "vintage" tone. I was fascinated by "harmonics" and high output pups for a while. To each their own.
I'm currently using G&B pickups in my Tradition CAB10 Tele: a factory-installed Alnico 5 bridge PU (8.5K) and fattened the neck with a Golden Age A5 Strat PU (6.6K) after the Tele A5 neck pickup (8.8K) shorted out; actually the tone's much noticeably fatter in series with the 4-way switch more so than the Tele pickup. Now I'm in a totally tonal bliss with a P90 i recently swapped the Strat PU out. The estimated DC resistance of this Bootstrap Screwdriver's a warm 7.6K; mine's a scorchin' hot 9.4K w/A2's but I didn't want to overpower the bridge pickup so it sits flush to the pickguard resting on wooden shims in the cavity with the polepiece screws 1/4 inch under the strings and so far it reminds me of the Strat pickup until i raise the P90 closer to the string itself to which the sound will become much fuller and fatter. I've swapped in another P90 in the form of a G&B/Thompson T90 w/A5's now matching the retained bridge PU perfectly...informative vid Phil!
SD 1 mini humbucker in my neck postion. Roll back tone and full size humbucker tone. Keith open g, early yardbirds and zep. Very versatile.
I have a Lollar “Royal T” on my neck & a TV Jones “Classic +” for my bridge pup. Really fun combo. I’m a real fan of the strat neck tones so I like the versatility I get with the Neck pup & the punchy tones from the bridge pup.
If you liked mini humbuckers, try firebirds. They are the best "minis" for a tele neck. Lolars, Antiquities especially
I like the Tele, mini humbucker and the Filtertron. They both have a nice clean tone. Dirty, I like the mini and Tele pickups best.
Biased from the start but I definitely still agree by the end. That's pretty well the pairing I settled on for my Fire-caster build. Firebird body, Nocaster bridge pup, Gibson mini PAF up top with a maple neck. Went back and fourth between p90 and a mini humbucker for a long while but the decision ended up being made when I happened to find a '69 Mini Humbucker for a very reasonable price. Probably the best choice I could have made.
That looks like a Firebird pickup. Though a mini-humbucker in footprint, the Firebird is kind of entirely different beast. Its construction with blade coils just gives a totally different response to a mini-humbucker with one row of pole pieces. A Firebird pickup is more sounds more like a pissed off single coil while a mini-humbucker sounds like a thinner humbucker. I have no idea if DiMarzio is doing a lower output Firebird pickup with coil split...just checked and the DP-240 looks to be a Firebird pickup
The Firebird pickup was one I preferred with the stock Tele neck pickup & Filtertron in 2nd and 3rd. My first choice for a Tele neck pickup is a 70's Wide Range Humbucker though. That system with changeable pickup blocks is totally cool.
I love how that guitar gives you the convenience in comparing pups Bridge and neck. I was thinking someday someone will invent that kind of guitar. Love your demos. Cheers!
The Telecaster is my go to guitar, I have a SubZero tele type with Vanson P90 pickups with an extra 5 position vaitone switch, awesome. No need to swap pickups just dial it in. Really.
Oh wow, that mini sounded so good and clear.
I ve played a tele with single coil on the bridge and a Charlie Christian on the neck and it was amazing!!!! Try it believe me ;)
i like the standard tele neck pickup best out of those. just sounds right. and i appreciate the warm blanket sound it has compared to the bright clear bridge. adding another bright or clear pickup to the neck just removes tonal variety and options.
I've got some Fender Custom Shop Nocasters in mine. The neck pickup is very clear, almost stratlike.
I totally agree with the mini humbucker. I am searching for a neck pup solution to balance out with my little 59 in the bridge. I think that may be it. I thought the full humbucker was a bit overpowering.
I was just about to put a P90 in my Tele…until I heard that mini humbucker. Now you got me thinking again 🤔
If you must change out the neck Tele pickup, I think that mini-humbucker with coil split is the way to go. Although, I really liked that filtertron too, gave it a nice jangle. Would love to hear the mini humbucker in parallel mode as opposed to coil split, wonder what that would sound like.
Love my SD Quarter Pound in the neck! Its like the classic tele neck with more oomph.
'Tron pups rock. I love my 'Tron guitars. I have 3 😀
I' m with you - the mini-humbucker sounds best!
Thanks, Phillip. The mini had the most caressing tone. And I have a good sound system: Boston/mid; Bose/sub; Linaeum/tweeter for my iMac. I could hear the mini all day brother, w/no fatigue.
I love your scientific approach Phil. Personal view - I think a Tele needs to sound like a Tele, so anything with two sets of coils at the neck is not going to sound quite right, unless you go for a coil split. You need the twang!
Swapping out pickups like that is the craziest thing I've ever seen. I had no idea that existed.
I actually like the p90 as a neck pickup in a Tele. I have the Schecter PT Special with the p90 at the neck and the middle position sounds great. It also has the option to switch the wiring to series by pulling on the tone knob to *simulate a more humbucker sound. The filtertron sounded good also to me.
Some of the neck p/ups.
The D chord...
Crazy little thing called love.
So this is my second real viewing of this and I gotta say. Though I'm still a huge fan of the sound of the mini, the filtertron is incredible. So it would be a toss up for me now. As for the content, man I really dig how thorough you are and your videos always keep me going. I appreciate you. 🙏 🎶🤘