Texas Specials in Tele?

[Bernie Fitz]

Anyone using , or have used, Texas Special pickups in a Tele? I'm thinking of upgrading the pickups in my MIM Tele. I've had it about 6 years now and haven't had to do anything with it except change strings. I'm pretty happy with it overall and it is the guitar I play most. The only thing is I'm thinking I might get a bit more "life" in the tone with different pickups? The bridge, in particular, I don't care for much. I basically never play with just the bridge alone as it seems kind of dull and toneless. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who's put these in a Tele, especially negative reviews from someone who installed these and then thought better of it. I would want to keep any upgrades below $200.
Thanks, Bernie

 

[mountain man]

I didn't install them in a Tele. The American Special Tele I owned (and sold) had them stock in the guitar. That particular guitar had the most noise of any guitar I've ever owned. That and the barrel bridge was why I sold the guitar. If you want to exchange pups I'd suggest that you don't mess around with basic Texas Specials, I'd get the Custom Shop pups and make sure that the body chamber is properly shielded and the electronics are A OK. I bet Mr. Tele (@paparaptor) might have a great idea for you!!

 

[PapaBear]

I have two Texas Specials and a Duncan Pearly Gates in my Strat, I like the Texas Specials, but no experience with them in a Tele

 

[PapaRaptor]

I didn't install them in a Tele. The American Special Tele I owned (and sold) had them stock in the guitar. That particular guitar had the most noise of any guitar I've ever owned. That and the barrel bridge was why I sold the guitar. If you want to exchange pups I'd suggest that you don't mess around with basic Texas Specials, I'd get the Custom Shop pups and make sure that the body chamber is properly shielded and the electronics are A OK. I bet Mr. Tele (@paparaptor) might have a great idea for you!!

I have a set of Texas Specials in my 2010 Tele American Special, just as they left the factory. You must have gotten a bummer, because mine sounds like just about any other SC guitar I have (and I have several). When I got this guitar, I called customer service at Fender for a couple other reasons (the guitar was purchased used). They sent me a bill of materials for this particular guitar. I asked what the difference was between Texas Specials in my guitar and the aftermarket Texas Specials Fender sells. The rep said the only difference is one set comes in a box and the other set comes in a guitar.

As for a recommendation, I like Seymour Duncan Quarterpounders for Telecaster, so much that I have them on two Tele-partscasters I built. The bridge has a little more bass content than a stock Telecaster and not quite as much bite on the high end as a Tex bridge. The neck pickup has a more pronounced low to midrange than a standard Tele neck pickup that opens up to some really clean highs with the tone knob wide open. The QPs are also a much hotter pickup than most and can put a preamp into saturation pretty easily, but with judicious use of the volume control, they clean up very nicely below about 70%.

I also reverse the control plates on my Telecasters so the pickup switch is on the right. It significantly improves the tone....

Honest....

 

[mountain man]

I have a set of Texas Specials in my 2010 Tele American Special, just as they left the factory. You must have gotten a bummer, because mine sounds like just about any other SC guitar I have (and I have several). When I got this guitar, I called customer service at Fender for a couple other reasons (the guitar was purchased used). They sent me a bill of materials for this particular guitar. I asked what the difference was between Texas Specials in my guitar and the aftermarket Texas Specials Fender sells. The rep said the only difference is one set comes in a box and the other set comes in a guitar.

As for a recommendation, I like Seymour Duncan Quarterpounders for Telecaster, so much that I have them on two Tele-partscasters I built. The bridge has a little more bass content than a stock Telecaster and not quite as much bite on the high end as a Tex bridge. The neck pickup has a more pronounced low to midrange than a standard Tele neck pickup that opens up to some really clean highs with the tone knob wide open. The QPs are also a much hotter pickup than most and can put a preamp into saturation pretty easily, but with judicious use of the volume control, they clean up very nicely below about 70%.

I also reverse the control plates on my Telecasters so the pickup switch is on the right. It significantly improves the tone....

Honest....

Huh, I thought I saw two distinct packaging for Texas Specials and Texas Special Custom Shop? Oh well, my entire point is to make sure to get good pups. Your recommendation of the Seymour Duncan might be the good pups then!

 

[PapaRaptor]

Huh, I thought I saw two distinct packaging for Texas Specials and Texas Special Custom Shop?

You could be right. It was 6 years ago when I contacted Fender.

 

[cowboy]

The only thing is I'm thinking I might get a bit more "life" in the tone with different pickups? The bridge, in particular, I don't care for much. I basically never play with just the bridge alone as it seems kind of dull and toneless.

Bernie...I'd do a check on that bridge pickup...most tele bridge pickups are anything but dull and lifeless...my friend, Eric Brown, builds tele's and right now he's using some custom pickup stuff built in Texas....very, very nice and very reasonable in cost...

I've got the SD Broadcaster in mine but have been thinking about a change...it sounds good and no real reason to change but...

...later.

cowboy

 

[mountain man]

I was looking at this company when I had my Tele. It looks like they have nothing but quality parts!

http://www.texascustoms.us/index.html

 

[tommytubetone]

I have a Classic Vibe tele that I put them in only because the American Standard came with them.They sound great and I've gotten positive feedback from other guitar players.

 

[DannyB]

I have a set of Texas Specials in my 2010 Tele American Special, just as they left the factory. You must have gotten a bummer, because mine sounds like just about any other SC guitar I have (and I have several). When I got this guitar, I called customer service at Fender for a couple other reasons (the guitar was purchased used). They sent me a bill of materials for this particular guitar. I asked what the difference was between Texas Specials in my guitar and the aftermarket Texas Specials Fender sells. The rep said the only difference is one set comes in a box and the other set comes in a guitar.

As for a recommendation, I like Seymour Duncan Quarterpounders for Telecaster, so much that I have them on two Tele-partscasters I built. The bridge has a little more bass content than a stock Telecaster and not quite as much bite on the high end as a Tex bridge. The neck pickup has a more pronounced low to midrange than a standard Tele neck pickup that opens up to some really clean highs with the tone knob wide open. The QPs are also a much hotter pickup than most and can put a preamp into saturation pretty easily, but with judicious use of the volume control, they clean up very nicely below about 70%.

I also reverse the control plates on my Telecasters so the pickup switch is on the right. It significantly improves the tone....

Honest....

Have you tried the SD CS BG1400 set? I'd love to hear what you think of them.

 

[PapaRaptor]

Have you tried the SD CS BG1400 set? I'd love to hear what you think of them.

I'm not really a tone chaser and the BG1400 is a little rich for my blood. Just that pickup alone is more than I paid for a bridge/neck pair of QPs.
I don't have the ear for tone that you and RR appear to have. I'm relatively easily satisfied in that department. Although the idea of a stack setup like that is kind of intriguing, such a pickup would probably be wasted on me.

I've been wanting to do an Esquire-partscaster build for quite some time. Maybe the BG would be a good candidate for that. (My first electric guitar was an Esquire. I've always wanted another one).

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

I dunno about that, Papa. I tried a set of quarter pounders in a Strat about a decade ago and really liked them. They were powerful, punchy and very "full" sounding. And the bridge DEFINITELY did not have ANY of that "ice pick in the ear" quality. They were notably darker sounding than a Strat pickup, but in a good way. To "fatten up" a Tele I can't think of anything better. If Bernie puts one in his bridge it definitely won't be "dull and toneless"! But it might over-power his neck pickup.

 

[PapaRaptor]

But it might over-power his neck pickup.

I agree. I certainly wouldn't leave a stock Tele neck pickup in with a QP bridge, unless you really like fooling with your volume knob a lot.

 

[Chuck]

I have the the Texas Specials in my new Tele. I love them.

I also have the Quarter Pounders in another Tele that I installed on Lloyd’s recommendation. I love these things too.

I don’t think you can go wrong with either and I do agree with Lloyd’s description of the Tone on the Quarter pounders and I would add that I almost get a Humbucker like tone out of mine.

 

[tommytubetone]

I have a set of Texas Specials in my 2010 Tele American Special, just as they left the factory. You must have gotten a bummer, because mine sounds like just about any other SC guitar I have (and I have several). When I got this guitar, I called customer service at Fender for a couple other reasons (the guitar was purchased used). They sent me a bill of materials for this particular guitar. I asked what the difference was between Texas Specials in my guitar and the aftermarket Texas Specials Fender sells. The rep said the only difference is one set comes in a box and the other set comes in a guitar.

As for a recommendation, I like Seymour Duncan Quarterpounders for Telecaster, so much that I have them on two Tele-partscasters I built. The bridge has a little more bass content than a stock Telecaster and not quite as much bite on the high end as a Tex bridge. The neck pickup has a more pronounced low to midrange than a standard Tele neck pickup that opens up to some really clean highs with the tone knob wide open. The QPs are also a much hotter pickup than most and can put a preamp into saturation pretty easily, but with judicious use of the volume control, they clean up very nicely below about 70%.

I also reverse the control plates on my Telecasters so the pickup switch is on the right. It significantly improves the tone....

Honest....

That's crazy talk around here.

 

[gpower]

I have TS in my Nashville Tele with the Strat mid pup.. sounds awesome. The difference between the reg TS and CS is the CS's are hand wound. I had one of the early sets in a Strat I kick myself for not keeping. They were wound and signed by Abbygail Ybarra. The pups are really rare and would be worth more than the guitar. Whoever has it now, likely has no idea.

 

[EJG]

My main guitar is a 98 Am Std tele, completely stock. Every now and then I consider replacing the pups just because... But then I realize I'm happy with it the way it is and I leave it alone.

My second most used guitar (and it's a very distant second) is my Agile LP-copy. I planned on replacing the pups in that one when I got it, but discovered I like the stock ones. On the Agile forum, there is actually a little fan club for the stock pups. I may yet change them out for Gibson 57 Classics... just because.

I have Texas Specials in my strat (came stock that way) and I like them. In fact, the only guitar I've ever changed the pups in in my Ibanez 335 knock-off. I put some Duncans in that and it really improved the tone. But that guitar came stock with some awful pups.

YMMV.

 

[Bernie Fitz]

Thanks for all the replies. I wasn't familiar with the Quarter Pounders but after hearing them mentioned here I looked them up and it sounds like they may be more what I'm looking for. The local guitar shop has an American Special strat for sure but I don't know if they have a Tele with Texas Specials to test drive. I'm sure they don't have a Tele with Quarter Pounders so I don't know if I would be able to get a chance to try those out. This is a MIM tele with whatever pickups came standard. It's by far my favorite guitar but I'm hoping to get a little something more out of it.

 

[HotLks]

My main guitar is a 98 Am Std tele, completely stock. Every now and then I consider replacing the pups just because... But then I realize I'm happy with it the way it is and I leave it alone.

My second most used guitar (and it's a very distant second) is my Agile LP-copy. I planned on replacing the pups in that one when I got it, but discovered I like the stock ones. On the Agile forum, there is actually a little fan club for the stock pups. I may yet change them out for Gibson 57 Classics... just because.

I have Texas Specials in my strat (came stock that way) and I like them. In fact, the only guitar I've ever changed the pups in in my Ibanez 335 knock-off. I put some Duncans in that and it really improved the tone. But that guitar came stock with some awful pups.

YMMV.

The Agile LP copy is on my radar. Just don't know if it's significantly different from my Epi SG to warrant a purchase. The Agile has some features that really appeal to me.

I'd be really interested in anything you have to say about it EJG. Either in this thread or another.

See you down the road!

 

[EJG]

The Agile LP copy is on my radar. Just don't know if it's significantly different from my Epi SG to warrant a purchase. The Agile has some features that really appeal to me.

I'd be really interested in anything you have to say about it EJG. Either in this thread or another.

See you down the road!

Agiles seem to generate very divergent opinions. Some people (typically people who own them) love them, while people who don't hate them. Of course the latter group may well include former owners. I like mine, just not as much as my tele. The wood and finish on the Agile is top notch. I have the 3125. The 3000 series is (or was) the top of their line and the 3125 is the weight relieved one. My guitar is exceptionally light, which I love. It has a tone pros bridge and graph tech saddles, so no complaints there. I changed the pots in it (Thanks Cowboy!), but kept the Agile pups because they sound fine to me.

It's a good enough guitar that it certainly isn't the limiting factor in my playing (I am). So buying a Gibson LP wouldn't improve anything for me. OTOH, my son is a real player so when he wanted an LP I got him a Gibson LP Std. But he can really play and has done hundreds of gigs with it.