Another pickup idea... wacky wacky... tell me if I'm wrong or not...

[Pietro]

I have a Classic T.

Love it, but I end up on the bridge tone ALL the time...

It currently has a standard tele single coil in the neck and a TM2 in the bridge.

I love the tele neck sound, but in a real band situation, almost never use it except on quiet stuff.

a little beefy in the neck would be okay. I recently heard a youtube video with a PQ in the neck position and kinda liked it (I despise bridge P90s, though...).

Here's what I'm thinking... I don't think a PQ will fit the guitar rout. It's an 07. But isn't there a PQ that is in a humbucker sized pickup that would fit?

So...

What about this...

TM2 bridge

SF1 (do I need an R?) in the middle.

PG - whatever (1- I think) in the neck.

I don't need super quacky quiet in-between sounds, but would I still get a little quacky?

Simple 5-way switching, no splitting, no kickback, no extra switches (I like it simple).

THoughts?

[Tom Gross]

Not sure on your specific PU choices, but I have a tele with a mini-hum from a Les Paul in the neck and it is great. I also really dug the old VA Brent Mason Teles I've played with a mini-hum in the neck and a blade in the middle.

[gibson5413]

The PH is the pickup that fits a humbucker route. I have it in my Raven and love it.

[tom]

i always start with what's not working and why. you don't use the neck single coil because?

if it's because it isn't a cutting enough sound, then the ph or any other big pickup probably won't get used either.

i personally seldom use my neck pickup alone whether it's a pq, m1 or even a single coil. i set my rig to work well with the bridge pickup and also spend a huge amount of time in the middle position. so when i get to the neck position it's almost always too dark except for really clean stuff. i recently added a separate parallel switch for the neck pickup to see if i'll use it more that way.

to make it even more of a quandary, i always use a much weaker neck pickup since i know my tendencies to not do well with fat neck pickup sounds. perhaps it's just what i play, i don't need stevie ray vaughn or slash neck tones.

i went round and round with 3 pickup t styles and came to the conclusion that i'm not a bridge/middle quack tone guy and having that option there made me feel obligated to try and use it and all that did was get in the way of playing the sounds i enjoy.

so this has been the long way around to saying that i think the best approach is to get the sounds you REALLY use and focus on playing your best. i have learned that for me 2 great sounds can do more than i would have ever expected. that doesn't mean YOU won't enjoy lots of sounds, just that for me it was wasted time chasing what i don't need.

so peter, if you could answer my original question and then ponder the last statement i'd be happy to advise.

[Pietro]

I think that I just need a little more "beef" in that pickup, and balance with the bridge. To the point, I use way more positions on my Atom CT (mainly full hum bridge alone, full hum neck alone, but also the in-between sounds).

I've briefly had a guitar with a Phat Cat in the neck and liked it a LOT. I figure a PQ would be similar.

But more to the point, I don't use the in-between tele sound either... at all... When I record, sometimes, but when I'm playing with the band (my major concern) it feels like it's ALL bridge.

but I am pretty sure I'd use in-between "2 and 4" sounds.

Years ago I outfitted a G&L Legacy with 3 hum cancelling "singles", including a Hot Rails in the bridge and two Anderson stacks of some kind (can not remember, that was 20 years ago!) in the neck and middle.

LOVED that. Noiseless, quacky but full... worked well for me at every position (except middle pickup only. Never have liked that pickup by itself).

What does THAT tell you.

PS, for what it's worth, normally I'd start looking for a trade, but the neck shape and everything about this T is really way too special.

[tom]

i think i'd be more inclined to do a weak humbucker like the HF or HC1-, then an SF1 or SC1 in the middle.

i love, love, love the ph's, but i think they work best together instead of mixed with other things.

[Pietro]

I'll continue to think on it, then. Just not sure what I want to do enough to do anything...

[Pietro]

Stepping back a moment...

"What's wrong", Tom, is that I want the 2 and 4 position sounds of a strat (-ish) rather than the in-between tele position (which I don't use much/at all).

What do you think would be the best solution if I...

1. Keep the single in the neck (It DOES work well for recording)

2. Add a pickup to the middle and a 5-way, which means I will...

3. have to balance THAT pickup with a TM2 one direction, and the single coil in the neck in the other... (remember... I pretty much NEVER use that middle pickup).

Should I put a hum canceling SC (like an SF) in the middle? Can I split it when combining with the neck but not when combining with the bridge, yielding "noiseless" positions in all but the neck position?

Thanks, all.

[brokenvail]

You have gone back and forth on this topic a lot (I have enjoyed the reads). What Tom seems to be saying it to think about what you ultimately want. Adding a middle single coil won't give you more beef in the neck position though. I love position 2 on a T personally but I don't have that sound because I have an HC1- in the neck of my T with a TM2 in the bridge. They are on a 5 way with a VA boost and I use every position but full neck humbucker alot. It is to fat for what I would need it for most of the time but if I wants a singing lead a go there and OMG all I can say is TONE!

A PH sounds like a cool idea too

[tom]

peter,

so if you want the quacky 2 and 4, yes you need a middle pickup, sf or sc are the likely choices.

if you really want the neck humbucker, then the hc1- will do fine and you can make position 2 split the hc and the middle sf for humcancelling. if you never want the neck and bridge, you make the middle position be the split humbucker alone.

or you might find you enjoy the tm2 with the full humbucker.

[Pietro]

Well, I'm thinkin' 3-pickup, for the 2 and 4 sounds.

So...

maybe when I'm ready to do this (probably in a week or two), I'll call you and figure it all out.

I really think I should keep the single in the neck.

I know I want the TM2 to stay in the bridge. I adore it.

so I need a middle pickup that will balance with the single in the neck position one way, and the humbucking TM2 in the bridge the other.

[tom]

you could do sf1r in the middle. when split with your tv1 it will humcancel, then run it full with the tm2.

[Pietro]

That is IT!

Will it sound "right" split with the TV1? I assume that's what was happening on the similar guitar that I tried with that neck/bridge config not too far back. I also am guessing that the bridge/middle might be a little louder than the neck/middle. I ride the volume control a lot so it's no biggie.

I assume you'd like me to order the pickup from Jack.

Can I contact you next week about the switch and a tortoise pickguard for that?

And I assume you or Roy or someone can help me to know which connectors go where for that split to happen right.

This is really gonna rawk...

[Briggs]

after all this, you'd better post some clips when you get it all wired up! oooh! or maybe a before and after...

[tom]

yes,yes,yes,yes,yes, and most certainly, yes.

[Pietro]

I will post pics and clips.

And Tom... you're such a "yes" man... (hee hee).

[tom]

it's a much more pleasant word but it does get us into trouble here from time to time.

[Pietro]

new pickup, pickguard, switch coming soon... can't WAIT.

I've been talking about this long enough, right? Now I'm actually doing something...

full tone report will follow.

[brokenvail]

is there anything you'd like to tell us?

[Pietro]

is there anything you'd like to tell us?

As soon as I have time to record some clips and post them...

but for now...

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z209/Pietro_gtr/before_after_both_zps2ade3dc9.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/user/Pietro_gtr/media/before_after_both_zps2ade3dc9.jpg.html)

[pipedwho]

I really like the new look with the shell pick guard and middle pickup!

[Pietro]

Used it for practice last night at church. Sounds better than it looks now.

Hoping to do my regular comparison video at some point, but so so busy...

[gibson5413]

Used it for practice last night at church. Sounds better than it looks now.

Hoping to do my regular comparison video at some point, but so so busy...


Looks great! Can't wait to hear it. Always loved your clips.

[RVA]

Sweet to sweeter - nice work!

[Pietro]

Sorry, still don't have time to post... suffice it to say...

used the guitar for all songs this weekend... the in-between position at neck/middle is awesome, but the stronger one between the TM2 and the SF1R (bridge middle) I could live on for everything. MAN.

This guitar is going to get a LOT more playing time...