Tele Pickup Comparisons | Lollar | Murray | Fender | Mojotone
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- Опубліковано 22 тра 2024
- Thanks again to Steve Selvidge and Hal Hawkins for their time, talents, and Teles.
A comparison of Murray Blackguard Bridge and Vintage Neck pickups to Lollar Special Ts, Mojotone Quiet Coil '52s, and Fender Yosemites in fairly similar ash bodied Telecasters played through a restored '66 Super Reverb.
murrayguitarpickups.com/tele-...
Timeline:
00:00 Intro
00:20 My “Tele”
01:02 Murray Pickups
01:36 Blackguard Bridge and Vintage Neck
02:54 Good Compared to What?
03:37 Super Reverb speaker issue?
04:13 A bit more before the real playing starts
05:28 The Real Playing Tests
05:45 Lollar Neck
06:04 Murray Neck
06:22 Fender Neck
06:39 Mojotone Neck
06:58 Lollar Neck + Bridge
07:14 Murray Neck + Bridge
07:29 Fender Neck + Bridge
07:44 Mojotone Neck + Bridge
08:03 Lollar Bridge
08:23 Murray Bridge
08:43 Fender Bridge
09:02 Mojotone Bridge
09:22 Lollar Bridge
09:35 Murray Bridge
09:44 Fender Bridge
09:52 Mojotone Bridge
10:05 Lollar Neck
10:17 Murray Neck
10:31 Fender Neck
10:44 Mojotone Neck
10:57 Lollar Bridge
11:11 Murray Bridge
11:22 Fender Bridge
11:36 Mojotone Bridge
11:48 Lollar Neck
11:58 Lollar Neck + Bridge
12:15 Murray Neck
12:32 Murray Bridge
12:46 Fender Neck
13:00 Fender Neck + Bridge
13:10 Fender Bridge
13:28 Mojotone Neck
13:51 Lollar Neck
14:13 Mojotone Bridge
14:50 Murray Bridge
15:24 Fender Bridge
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
These are things I get asked about a lot :
Amp Tech Gear Used :
Hakko FX-951 soldering station
Weller SPG 80L soldering iron (chassis work)
Rigol DS1054Z digital oscilloscope
Thsinde 18B+ digital multimeters
Kester 60/40 solder
Techspray #4 No-Clean Desoldering Braid
Below are things that make this channel possible that people don’t usually think about. If any of these companies want to send me new and wonderful toys, I’m open to that. I can’t take free stuff when it comes to the amps I review, etc, but for the stuff below, bribe away!
Microphones/Audio Equipment :
Guitar Amps : Royer R-10 Hot Rod and/or Shure SM57 (noted in videos)
Voiceover Bench : sE Audio sE8 (small diaphragm condenser)
Voiceover Streaming : Shure SM57 with shockmount and windscreen
Voiceover Mic Arms : Elgato Wave Mic arms
Guitar Mic Stand : Gator Frameworks short weighted base stand with boom
Mic Cables and Guitar Cables : Mogami/Neutrik
Mic pre : MOTU M2
DAW : Logic Pro X on MacBook Pro 16 running Sonoma 14
Plugins : No effects other than level matching/normalization unless a recording
specifically has reverb etc added in post (rare, various Waves plugins)
Monitors : Yamaha HS7s
Monitor Stands : Gator Frameworks Desktop Clamp-On Stands
Monitor Isolation Mounts : IsoAcoustics Iso-Puck Minis
Headphones : Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (main)
Headphones : Sony MDR-7506 (alternate)
Video Equipment :
Camera : Sony ZVE-10 with SmallRig Cage (main)
Lens : Sigma f2.8 18-50mm (main)
Lens : Sony ZVE10 kit lens (rarely used)
B Camera : Apple iPhone 13 Pro (rarely used)
Tripod : SmallRig 71” with SmallRig Fluid Video Head
Streaming Mount : Elgato Master Mount S with SmallRig Ballhead
Bench Light : SmallRig RC 120D
Bench Light Diffusor : SmallRig Lantern Softbox
Bench C-Stands (light and overhead camera) : Neewer Pro SS Heavy Duty
Streaming Light : SmallRig RC 120B
Streaming Diffusor : SmallRig Parabolic Softbox
Streaming Light Mount : SmallRig 148CM Wall Mount Boom with Triangle Base
Various Other Lights : Neewer LED Panels with Neewer Softboxes
Video Software :
Davinci Resolve 18
Paul Leeming LUTs
Adobe Illustrator 28
Adobe Photoshop 25
Ecamm Live (streaming software)
I forgot to mention in the video that all four “Teles” are ash bodied partscasters from MJT, All Parts, and MusicKraft. Three have Fender bridges - the white one has a Rutters bridge. Three have Rutters brass saddles - the red one has Callaham brass saddles. Mine has NY XL 10s, the red one has EB 9.5s, and the other two have Webstrings 9s (and lower action than mine and the red one).
I'd really like to get a bridge milled like your guitar (I have a G&L that's not compatible with replacement bridges I've seen online). Who would do something like that? It seems more like blacksmith work than a guitar repair job...
can a detailed guitar build be provided for each?
I know first hand how time consuming and difficult these type of videos are, bravo to you sir well done.
Thankyou for the review and the fantastic audio Lyle, its a real pleasure to hear my work in this context, and kudos to Steve and Hal for some fantastic playing.
Loved the sound of your pickups.Best overall for me.
@@plantpotpeople Thankyou, the Lollar bridge pickup seems to be rated highly in the comments too, I think I will take note and tweak my EQ accordingly, plenty of clarity in the upper mids
Well, for my money and old ears I would choose either Jason’s or Murray’s! .❤
Good work, mate!
And guess what I'm building next?
Michelle's Tele!
I'll be in touch.
@@BradsGuitarGaragelooking forward to it champion
Lollar overall, withe the Murray set a very close second. Each have their qualities. All are VERY Tele and have great tone. But the Fenders are thin, to brittle sounding (especially the Mojotone's are very bright and shrill). This was a great shootout and comparison! Thx for making this!
That's it !
Same here, Lollar then the Murray. Good ear brother !
Same. Those Lollar tele bridge pickups in particular are magnificent (I have a set of 52Ts in mine), There's a special kind of bite to 'em.
Ditto. IMO back n forth between Lollar and Murray. Both superb. Fenders were meh to shite. Great comparisons. Thx.
The Lollar Special T neck won for me. The Lollar and Murray bridge pickups were a toss-up but clearly fuller and better than the others.
Those Murray pickups are outstanding, I may have to pick up a set. Thanks for the wonderful comparison.
Murray and Lollar all day. Great video comparison with some fantastic playing
The Fender Yosemite is what I'd expect the ideal tone to be in an off the shelf tele. That said, the Murray set really sung to me. And you could tell these players really responded to them. Truthfully, each set was really nice.
Good comparison. I simply love Lollars and use their 52's in my tele and their '64's in my strat. And think my bias got me, I like the Special T pickups best in your demo. Thank you!
They are all good, but the Murry's are an all day everyday choice.
Through my hearing aids the Noiseless pickup sounded muddy. The Murray’s sounded the best to my old deaf ears. Thanks to the players for a nice video.
This comparison was very well thought out and assembled.
Aloha Lyle! Mahalo very informative. Good selection of pickups. Great comparison.
AWESOME! Thanks for letting me be a part! PS---Teles rule.
I wanted to hate them, but the Fender pickups surprised me.
Nice work Lyle! AND timely too; I have a one piece ash body and one piece maple squire neck on my work bench trying to assemble the hardware list.
Murray neck and Lollar bridge 💯
I’m just glad you keep making videos about gear , love being able to see inside stuff that I’m to afraid to open up also lol
Thanks.
That lollar bridge is the one for me.
Great work, L. I quit pickup swapping when a set of Lollar Blondes went into my partscaster.
Killer video Lyle!!!! Thank you 🙏
Lollar Special T is my favorite neck pickup. I have one paired with a Lollar Gold Foil in the bridge. Good stuff.
I've had four sets of handwound tele pickups, and The ones that had a really good tone and "musical" quality to them clean were what I liked. Of course a distorted sound is another thing. What I had were Twang Kings, Lollar 52's, Antiquities, and Fender CS Nocasters. I liked the Lollars best, then Nocasers, then Twang Kings, then the Antiquities. Videos like this help us to make that decision of how to spend our hard earned money, so thanks to you guys for sharing the experience.
I love Steve's work in The Hold Steady, such a great exciting band!
Thanks for the video Lyle. You can really hear the differences. I love Lolar Vintage Ts. They sound they way I like a tele to sound. The Fenders leaned into the brighter side of things. The Murrays sounded a little more modern if that makes sense. I liked the sound of the Mojotone neck pickup for its clarity. But I'm going to have to get another set of those Vintage Ts since I let that other set get away in a 1985 Japan Squier Tele that I had for a while. I appreciate your use of the Super Reverb. Great reference point.
Great review, fantastic playing.
Great video as always. I’m sure you’ll get 100’s of recommendations or “what about..” but the Cavalier pick ups have always been my favorite! But those Murray’s sound awesome!
Great video review! I have been on a Tele pickup tone quest for 30+ years! I've tried 9 different sets some priced high and some low, and gone full circle back to my favorites. None of the pickups I've tried, including my favorites were reviewed in your video! My favorites sound most like the Lollar Special T's, but 1/3 the cost. Thank you for going down the rabbit hole so I don't have to! Love the Tele chops and your videos.
Pray tell what these pickups are that sound like the Lollars at a third the cost?
Nothing beats the Lollar Special Ts! :D I love mine! But I like those Murrey too!
Very well done, thank you for the time and effort. For me, it's the Murray in the neck and the Lollar in the bridge position. I think the Fenders just lack some output compared to the others and the bridge was a tad too thin for my liking. The Mojos are still ok and i'd consider that set for a touring guitar. But he's been right about the strat characteristics. Thank you for that comparison again.
This is very timely as I’m trying to figure out which pickups to buy for my new tele build.
Preferred the Lollar neck and Murray bridge. Nice playing.
Those Murray pickups sound absolutely killer. There's a natural clarity to them and they're unmistakably nailing that tele tone. Might have to check those out.
Nice video. I’m enjoying the Analogman Big T’s.
I need context.
Also this is funny you posted this when I was talking to my friend about the pickups in my Teles.
I like the Murray's. They sound like how a Tele should sound.
Great review Lyle, lot of editing went into that, so thankyou!!
All were good, but ld go for Murray's (that neck pickup!).. or Lollar's (lve got a great underwound p90)...
And... Ben, Ill be in touch when time/money permit for a set of buckers for my Custom mate..its only been 3yrs (kids!).
12 years with Special T Lollar on my Tele. Crazy pu.
there is just so much to take in here! I'm going to be listening to this video over and over. Is Hal playing with just fingers? So Awesome.
At first I was in awe over the murray pickups but as the video progressed It really depended on how they played as to what kind of pickup to use. Interesting stuff. Thanks
Fun video. Lollar neck and Murray Bridge for me. :)
Well done, I have Lollars in my 82 Tele. And it might be my best sounding guitar.
I like the lollar neck and the Murray bridge the best. Lovely
Nice to witness integrity. Thanks Lyle.
Just discovered your channel. Very cool ! Subbed.
This answered many concerns I had regarding tele replacement sets. I am inclined to agree that the Murray's were the most musical of the test subjects. The Lollar's had more bite, and a controlled, howling midrange. The Mojotone set had great articulation for hum-cancelling tele sized set. They possessed good balance and great touch sensitivity. They all made the Fender entrant sound anemic, and syrupy; which is okay for legato lines, but lacks note separation during double stops. Thanks for posting, Lyle.
Thanks for posting this. I like the Murray's and the Fender's. They are different in good ways. Guess I would just need two Tele's!
shocker!!! the fender sounded the best to me. i certainly didn't expect that as i've not been a fan of the noiseless pickups! and, thanks for the info on saddles, strings and woods. those do make a difference.
The Fenders aren’t noiseless.
i thought you indicated they were? seems i heard the word, noiseless somewhere in the video. well, then i'm even more impressed.
That's some great playing you captured Lyle. I liked all the pickups, I was most surprised that the Yosemites held their own in this demonstration. If I were just listening without seeing what the labels were, I could obviously tell a difference, but I don't think I would consistently pick a 'best' set.
Fender best to me
Love Musikraft; beautiful axe.
I don't think I'd ever heard Murray before, but those sound killer. Thanks.
Honestly it’s amazing how great they all sound. We’re in a new golden age.
Great shootout and I appreciate the attention to detail making the playing field as level as possible. As with all pickup choices, some will work better depending on the "chemistry" of the all the parts of the guitar itself but your choices made it easy to recognize what each set of pickups was doing. Both the Lollars and the Murrays had a shine and clarity that was missing in the Fenders and Mojotones. I felt the Fender neck was a little thinner than the others with the Murray edging out all of them. It just had a nice full tone with clarity in the highs that beat the rest. Both the Fender and Mojotone bridge pickups seem to have a veil over the highs. They just didn't sparkle like the Lollars or the Murrays. Given that the Lollars were in a guitar with a rosewood neck vs. the Murrays with a maple, I think either one would be ideal choices. I would love to hear them reversed (in the opposite guitar) but I realize that isn't likely to happen. Nevertheless, they both sound amazing. Lastly, the middle position with both pickups on was interesting. I thought the Fender set sounded pretty good. Perhaps Fender was going for a matched set more than trying to build one or the other to stand out on its own. However, I thought the Murray's actually took the prize. Very much what I expect to hear from a black guard tele in the middle position. The Lollars were nice but with the rosewood, it is a different middle sound in general, being a little less chimey and more mellow and sweet sounding. Overall winner was the Murray set. Thanks for the link to his website. Great video as always! Very much appreciate your insights and professionalism!!!
For me it's the Murray and the Fenders that have that Tele sound. The Lollar's sound like a blanket has been thrown over them and the Monotone's are too quiet and tame. The Murray's are best overall but I wouldn't be unhappy with the Fender Yosemitie's.
The Murray pickups sound fantastic. I hear the unpleasant artifacts you were talking about Lyle. I think you are on the right track on solving it too. If it were my tele I would go with the Murray’s and never look back.
Nice comparison Lyle! The Murray and Lollar pickups sounded best to my ear. The Fenders were pretty bright and got overly stingy at times. Mojotone were good, kinda in the middle to me.
I think they all sounded good. However, the Yosemite pickups would probably be my first preference if I was forced to pick just one. They sounded a bit clearer and pronounced. But then, what do I know?
Fender Yosemite #1 . They really have that proper Tele open clear sound . Its how a proper Tele should sound , for me anyway . I have Fender Tex-Mex set in my Tele and they are great . Great cleans and glorious growl in overdrive with amazing touch response . I'm good with those .
You got my vote!@@tonedriverss8629
Thank you Lyle! I listened to this on my iPad first - just don’t. Then listened 3 or 4 times on a speaker. I think that you could alternate between the Lollard and the Murray’s and get exactly what you want with a little bit of EQ tweaking. I liked the Lollars a little more with the first player but preferred the Murray’s with the second. Is it pick vs. fingers? I don’t know. The Fenders sounded OK with fingers but too thin with the pick. Put a couple of pedals between the guitar and the amp and I’m not sure it matters that much.
Kudos to all 3 of you for the work that went into this. Oh and that amp is glorious!
Nice Andy Summers quote. Lollars first, Fenders second. Sadly impossible to compare on different guitars. All need to be done on the same guitar, but all the soldering could be rather messy.
Can’t lose with any of these choices. Just boils down to personal taste. For me Fender, Lollar, Murray, Mojotone in that order. Thanks again for the video
Lollar neck and Murray bridge!
I just stuck the fender nocaster custom shops into my classic vibe tele to go with my new tone king goblin. They sound great
As others have said. lollars, Murray, mojo then fender. Personally speaking I would have liked to see fralin in lieu of the fender pickups. Creamery pickups would be another option. Great presentation and I enjoyed the video. Awesome pickers too. Thanks.
I’m listening on my iPhone while cooking so, yada yada, but I think the players were the biggest variable. I liked the Yosemites the most with the first player and the least with the second player. Going to listen again with cans later. Thanks for the video.
I have the same Pho Binh shirt Selvidge is wearing. RIP, Pho Binh! (Memphis people know).
Love the Murray, definitely the winner in my ears. Lollars #2, Fender #3, Poor ole mojotone mud.
G'day Joe,
Yeah, I also thought the Murray's were killer.
The Fender Yosemite were nice
Wow, great comparison and great amp and playing. I'm moving up the ranks as an sort of just beyond entry-level audio engineer but it's so easy to judge the differences in this video. The noiseless pickups has a little bit of what you don't like from piezo pickups or something. It was quite clear what I didn't like about them in the bridge. But I was surprised that I thought all neck pickups was good (with expected Murray win) because I who care for strat neck pickups think that those are hard to get right. I like my ordinary 59 Mojotones in strat and actually think I have started to trust them blind for ballpark of great speakers and pickups actually.
For teles I like bridge leads that cracks the sky that only teles can do in Stairway To Heaven or Hotell California, so I have trouble on choosing between Lollar and Murray bridge before hearing that thing.
Thanks mate, I want to point out the Lollar Special Ts are actually a later whiteguard model, the neck pickup is the same recipe (A5 magnets 43 gauge wire) but the bridge pickup uses A5 magnets instead of A3s so that is why your hearing more upper mids and less lower mids, as well as a sharper attack.
Very, very interesting. Re: context, it's hard for me to know what I'm "hearing" when I prefer one or another. Is it the pickups? Or is it the guitar being built "better" or resonating more sympathetically with a particular playing style or pickups? I never really thought about it through various Teles until I finally found a good one where the sum is greater than the parts.
Anyway, I'm biased toward the Lollar sound. They sound like they are pushing the amp harder than the others, which is a relatively good thing with a Tele. Ride the volume pot to happiness. The Murrays sound really good, especially so with the second player. Each position sounded good... full and musical, with great balance among the positions. I was surprised that the Mojos sounded pretty good, especially when plucked or finger picked. Plectrum attack wasn't as pleasant, chich is the same objection I have to other noiseless pickups. The Fenders did not impress me, lacking bottom end and "warmth", and sounding just sort of generic. They remind me why so many "decent" Teles eventually bore me. Give me some meat on those bones. Otherwise, give me a Strat or Jazzmaster.
Good video. I like the change of pace!
Those Lollars are unbelievable! They sound like a Tele should. The Mojotones are really flat to my ear.
Cool. I love Musikraft necks. It kind of blows me away that Musikraft isn't more popular or well-known. I've got a few basses, 2 PBs and 1 JB, built with those and MJT bodies. One of the bodies though was an ultrlight ash PB I bought unfinished from MJT that I did the lacquer trans blond finish on.
The Murray are more open sounding and most likely slightly lower DC Resistance value. I like the Murray and Lollars.
Lollars and the Murrays have everything you'd want from a Tele..
Murray then everything else.
For me, I think that Murray neck pickup is my favorite. The bridge…might be the Lollar. It sounds the most different of the four to me. It seems richer and less treble centric (which I realize some people really like). I read somewhere that your aural memory - how long you can remember what something sounds like - is really short. These videos really hit that home.
sweet pikkin guys!
i bet j-man from canada woulda loved getting in on this!
to me the lollars and the murrays were the best sounding....
cheers!
Like the "Midrange" on the Murray set, the Fenders still have that zingy tone that I dig.
The Lollar Tele pickups I have are too polite for my taste. Nothing I've tried have beat my Ron Ellis set, same for my Strat, the Ron Ellis set won.
Red with the Lollars has a bit of of extra mids and warmth and a more controlled top end, but, could it be due in part to the rosewood fretboard mellowing things out a little?
There's some meat on the Lollar and the Murray necks that just isn't there on the fender or Quiet Coil. The Quiet Coil has a bit of a weird top end. Maybe your intro biased me, but the Murray really sounds full and balanced and very good. The bridge pickups sounded pretty similar, except the Quiet coil. Preffered the slightly higher gain of the Lollar, which may come down to pickup height. I think Lollar is the winner for me, if I was a teleplayer I would probably never think of switching them.
And yeah, there's something really audibly weird about that amp, speaker or otherwise...
Yosemite bridge and Murray neck for me. Good comparison.
Really impressed with the Murray in the neck. I slightly prefer loller in the bridge but I think that boils down to a matter of taste. A set of Murrays seems like a no-brainer for a 50s tele build.
They really all sound good (through an iPad but a new one). I mostly play a Telecaster (sort of, a semi-hollow G&L ASAT with their bridge pickup and a Seymour Duncan PAF in the neck) and they all do the Tele thing really well. I guess I would lean towards the Lollars but maybe just because they sound the most like my guitar.
They all sounded good, but a bit different from each other. Just depends what you want or need for your sound. I like Quick Connect Pickups or swappable Pickguards to get around the need for multiple guitars. Thanks
My favorite way to setup a Tele bridge pickup is to reverse the angle, so the low E string pickup is closer to the bridge and the high E string pickup is further from the bridge.
Like Jimi Hendrix on his Stratocaster?
had lollar vintage T in my tele which I don't like. now I chanche to a 51 cs nocaster^s set and I love it ;)
The Lollars appear much hotter than the others. The Murray pickups have a very well-balanced sound, while the Fenders seem a little brighter. I have a pair of Tonerider Hot Classics in my Tele, and try not to worry about whether there's something "better" available. I can usually dial in a satisfactory tone, although sometimes it takes several songs during a gig before I get there. I expect this would be the same no matter how many different pickups I tried!
I have Chis Kinman AVN 60's blues pickups. I really like them
I have the Kinman Trads Mk IIs in my EJ Strat. Love them.
@@PsionicAudio I put them in a Mexican telecaster 20 years ago
Good Stuff
I liked the Yosemite....TBH...I have never even heard of them before. Dunno what came in my Mexican Vintera Tele.
I had a hard time having a favorite amongst any of the bridge pickups. I liked the Murray and Yosemite neck pickups the best out of the necks. Given the number of pedals I use, any would do the job for me.
Lollars sounded great but that may be because of the rosewood neck.
Murray’s are amazing as well.
The Murray's sound a bit hotter than the others with that mid-push. Hearing the lollars reminded me how much I love them (I have a set).
I loved the Yosemite neck pickup but middle and bridge let them down. Lollar Special Ts are, well, just that. Special.
The Lollars in the neck were a bit too woofy...I have those pups...GREAT... but I disconnected the neck from the tone pup to improve clarity and output. Lollar Special T's are perhaps the best production Tele pups...I prefer them over Fenders (all of them), Fralin, MFD's, McNelly, and Suhrs Classic Ts. Those Murray's are impressive.
Hmmm, springs on a vintage bridge, that's a damned good point, my man!
Murray's sound very smooth and in my opinion the overall best. The Lollars, are pleasant but with more bite, probably more like a telecaster should sound. The other two just sound small to me.
I know what a pain it is to have guitar player friends. I too had a custom build Tele, with Area Ts and my friend came over with a Fender logo JV Tele. I had those Dimarzios out the next day.
Imo the amps breakup sounded “trashy”. For pickup comparison, clean (like a twin) would have done more justice for all these pickups. That said, pickups choice is related to what style of music you play, and what is needed. For me it more comes down to either high output or low output. I have three American Telecasters. One has Lollar 52’s, the other Fender Telecaster Originals and then Yosemite. All low output. And when I eq the amp you would a tough time telling the difference. High output pickups don’t work for my sound. Cheers fellow guitarist’s!! Thank you for a great review!!
Mojotone sound really nice