Pickup Question For a Special Tele

[Pablo1234]

I'm buying A Fender Tele - Alder Body, Maple Neck, 2 Humbuckers, Strat style Hard tail Bridge.

I am Going to be rewiring it using a PRS Style wiring, rotary switch replacing the tone knob. Putting in a mini pot in the spot where the blade selector was. I am going for unique tones with this one, Any suggestions on Pickups to start with? Dimarzio or Seamore Duncan's only please.

 

[yettoblaster]

I'm having lots of fun with a similiar guitar (except has a superstrat shape, but a humbucker Tele-style back loaded bridge).

Dimarzio Evolution (F-spaced) is hot for the bridge but still has good crisp highs. Not thin either. Lots of chirps and harmonics.

I like Telecasters, but this Evolution pickup, while it doesn't sound like a Tele bridge pickup, doesn't dissappoint me on Country sounds either.

Previously I was running a Rio Grande BBQ in the bridge, but it was too dark. Good sound generally though. It was an overwound PAF type.

I also like DiMarzio Super Distortion. Not quite as hot and crispy as the Evolution, but still lots of classic sounds. I have used them in other positions besides bridge too (like neck and middle).

I liked a PRS guitar I had for its sounds, but have gotten the same sounds with DiMarzio pickups in my guitar (alder body bolt-neck superstrat).

I like the sound of DiMarzios over most others for some reason. Everybody has their approach, and I really liked Burstbuckers (Gibsons), but DiMarzio has lots of models I'd like to try. Their descriptions make sense to me, and I think more than Seymour Duncan descriptions which always sound like sales pitches to me.

I had a two-wire DiMarzio "Paf" once too (in the bridge of another guitar). Also a good classic sound.

A lot of humbuckers sound muddy to me, but not DiMarzio. They do something (I forget what they call it) that I think is a bit like Burstbuckers, like making slight differences in the coils for more highs or something.

I once had a metal-neck Kramer with a Dimarzio Super Distortion (and series/parallel switch) in the NECK, and a DiMarzio PAF in the bridge. It would actually TWANG with the neck pu in parallel coils, combined with the bridge!

A pretty hot DiMarzio humbucker in parallel coils will still have good output and blend good with a hotter bridge pu. Naturally I set 'em lower into the body to keep them better balanced when in normal series coil.

So my present guitar is somewhat similiar: Evolution - bridge; SuperDistortion with switch - middle; and an old Bartolini - neck. Plenty versatile with a five-way strat switch and the series/parallel switch for the middle pu.

 

[Pablo1234]

Interesting, I am thinking of starting with the FRED in the Bridge and an Air Norton in the Neck.

 

[yettoblaster]

Sounds like a good place to start.

I don't think I've heard any of the DiMarzio "Air" models. Makes sense though, from what I've read.

 

[Pablo1234]

For some reason I have it in my mind that the FRED and Air Norton will sound interesting together in the PRS Selector system. I think the single coil selections should be interesting together. Hopefully I will get a really hollow sound out of 2 or 3 combinations. We shall see though.

I also Agree on the Super Distortion over the Evo. Never liked it much, I've tried it in a few of my guitars and it just seems sterile in my systems.