Tele Neck Pickup comparison - four different pickups

[Organic Sounds Select Guitars]

Hi folks!

I have a few cool tele style guitars in the shop and noticed that they all have different neck pickups...so I thought why not do a comparison video?!

I quickly found that comparisons among electric guitars is quite different than comparison videos of acoustic instruments - so much of their sound is manipulated in the amplification. So, even though if performing I would set amp/effect/guitar tone settings differently with each of these guitars, for this video every guitar has the same amp settings, the same mic placement and all are of the neck pickup with the guitars' volume and tone settings at full "10". All are "clean", no overdrive, but a little reverb on the amp (Fender Tone Master Super Reverb), recorded with a condenser microphone.

I realize that all of these guitars have different body woods, different hardware, etc. which also influences their tone. But I think there might be some value to direct comparisons, and hopefully this will be of interest to telecaster fans out there. (Unfortunately, I don't have a P-90 tele in the shop right now). Here are the guitars and the neck pickups on each:

1. Larrivee Baker-T Pro: custom Larrivee single coil neck pickup.
2. Shabat Lion GB: Lollar Charlie Christian neck pickup.
3. Shabat Lion Special: Lollar "Lollartron" neck pickup.
4. Fender American Deluxe Telecaster (2005): Fender SCN noiseless neck pickup.

[docwatsonfan]

Nice comparison!
I liked the Larrivee, then I liked the silver sparkly one, then the
'burst tele arrived....

I have big time tele fever, and that Fender is the " bomb "!

Thanks for the Demo!

oh...and nice playing

[rmp]

Cool comparison

for my ears that Fender pickup - no surprise - is my favorite

[Glennwillow]

Wow, Larry!

That was fun! Some very tasty playing there!

I love the sound of every one of them, but then you make them sound so good.

That Tonemaster Super Reverb amp sounds great and I have to agree with Ray, that when you got to the Fender Tele I found myself responding so positively to something that sounded so very familiar and classy.

I have a pretty nice Tele, but man! Every one of those guitars sounded great!

Well done Larry!

- Glenn

[rmp]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Wow, Larry!

That was fun! Some very tasty playing there!

I love the sound of every one of them, but then you make them sound so good.

That Tonemaster Super Reverb amp sounds great and I have to agree with Ray, that when you got to the Fender Tele I found myself responding so positively to something that sounded so very familiar and classy.

I have a pretty nice Tele, but man! Every one of those guitars sounded great!

Well done Larry!

- Glenn

Hey Glenn!
ya, the Fender config, (again no surprise) would be my choice all day long.

If you're gonna play a telecaster, then, play a telecaster.

Everything else to me is a "guitar shaped like a telecaster"

BTW the fender tone master series amps are brilliant.

I have a blonde deluxe, I love it.

[Charlie Bernstein]

My Tele partscaster has Fender Pure Vintage Tele pickups.

Sounds just like a Tele!

[Andyfreddy]

I put ToneRider Hot Classics in my Tele, and Inlove the neck pickup!

[printer2]

I like the Larrivee and the Fender the best. Love the playing.

[perttime]

Different guitars too, which must have some effect. Among these, I'm torn between the warmer sound of the Lollar Charlie Christian and the brighter and snappier Fender Noiseless.

Currently, I'm happy with the SD strat pickup on my telestrat partscaster.

[Organic Sounds Select Guitars]

Hi friends,

Nice surprise to see a bunch of comments - thanks everyone!

These kind of comparison videos are fun to make. Hopefully they can be helpful to some folks who are considering options in guitars to purchase.

Thanks again!