Recommendations for an acoustic sounding pickup for my telecaster

[bananafist]

My most played guitar, as I age, is my custom built tele. Arthritis in my hands means flat-top acoustics are getting harder to play despite lighter strings, ditto my archtops.
I would like to fit an alternative or additional magnetic pickup to my tele to get an acoustic flat-top type sound. I've had Krivo, Surdo and the more widely known Fishman,Dimarzio and Baggs pickups recommended, but have not settled on one yet. I've tried most of the Fishman, Baggs and Dimarzio pickups but not totally happy with them. Any comments on the other two, or any other makes? T K Smith? Wiring, switching, etc can be sorted so not concerned about that. Also not interested in using simulator pedals or graphic EQ as already been down that route.
Thanks

[Filmosound 621]

my vote goes on TK Smith, there is another recent vid. from a member here, that I can not find.

[darkwaters]

IMO , the answer is a low wind A2 magnet and no wax potting so that the pickup includes some of the natural woody sound of the guitar. If we’re talking humbuckers, I’d go with a Seth Lover or a Vineham Telepaf.

[Cunamara]

Or a GraphTech Ghost system with a good preamp? I find that piezo pickups deliver a more natural sound on a solidbody than on an actual acoustic.

[Peter C]

Oh man, this tone is just too beautiful. I have seen Tim posting here on occasion.

[darkwaters]

Or a GraphTech Ghost system with a good preamp? I find that piezo pickups deliver a more natural sound on a solidbody than on an actual acoustic.

Interesting. I’d never heard that idea before. I love the idea of repurposing something and, in the process, causing it to manifest itself in new and better ways than it was intended.

[bananafist]

Interesting, I wondered if the piezo idea might work, I'll maybe try it. Really looking for a magnetic pickup though. Keep 'em coming guys.
I've seen the T K Smith vid before, its the nearest so far, but not quite there for me. Anybody tried a Krivo in a tele?

[Cunamara]

Tim Lerch put a DeArmond Rhythm Chief into a Tele...

[Cunamara]

Interesting. I’d never heard that idea before. I love the idea of repurposing something and, in the process, causing it to manifest itself in new and better ways than it was intended.

Can't take credit, Rick Turner developed that with the Renaissance series of semi-hollow "acoustic" guitars. Godin has done something similar. Putting the piezo pickup into an acoustic guitar seems to just create all sorts of problems because the strings are moving, the top is moving, things are bouncing all over the place and the pick up is sending all of that to the amp. Not having a vibrating top, bridge, etc., apparently improves the pickup's response to the strings. And the output from the pickup may be sending too much voltage to the preamp and overwhelming its headroom (apparently a piezo pickup can produce about 10V on the attack transient of a note, exceeding the 9V that most preamps operate on), so RT had an 18V preamp developed. Some of the dreaded "piezo quack" is apparently the preamp distorting on the attack.

I have always wondered whether or not it would be helpful to build a preamp that ran on 48V phantom power just to go straight to the board rather than through an amplifier.

[maxiim]

Low Output
Alnico 2 Pickup
with
Pure Nickel or Halfround Strings

[David B]

It's more expensive than a pickup, but I think you should take a look at the Fender Acoustasonic Telecaster. The Mexican-made Player version is £949 at Anderson's, with the US-made version at £1549.

Looks and feels like a Tele but combines a bridge pickup, piezo system and some clever electronics to give you a range of acoustic guitar sounds, an electric Tele sound or various blends of the two.

The only major difference between the Mexican and the US versions is that the Mexican doesn't include the body resonance electronics.