Telecaster - Single Coil or Humbucker?

[Hep To The Jive]

With cleaner jazz tones, usually not an issue?

It very much depends. There are some venues where it will be an issue even clean. In NYC there were plenty of those. And here in China, what can I say, even humbuckers hum, you got the idea.

If you gig in different places, with different people, different styles, I just don't see how single coils would work without causing problems. I worked with singers who would bug me about the noise. I don't need these issues. Of course there are tricks, special pedals or whatever, but why bother? Not worth it. I used the noiseless singles though, for a long time. But it's kinda humbucker in disguise anyway!

Honestly, why humbuckers exist in the first place? The working musicians complained about the noise, right?!

[Doctor Jeff]

My Tele (which I just donated to an auction) had a Seymour Duncan Alnico 2 in the neck, which I thought gave a perfect, fat, warm tone with pure nickel roundwounds. It had a Quarter Pounder at the bridge, which I rarely used.

The Tele cavities were shielded, and I never had any noise problems with mine--despite living in an older house with knob and tube wiring.

So yeah, unless I were going for a heavily overdriven sound ala Denny Diaz in early Steely Dan, I'd go with single coils.

I have a Hum Debugger which was necessary for a Godin Kingpin, but I haven't had to use it for my current guitars. It does work like a charm though when there's ground level hum in single coils.

[omphalopsychos]

I took this last night for a funk gig. And have also played it for jazz. Absolutely killer. The neck pickup is all mid push, the bridge pickup is all scratch, and the middle is a big scoopy squishy tone, perfect for funk comping. Three positions and you got everything you need. And in all three positions it cuts right through a dense mix.

I'm not saying you need a p90 tele as your only tele, but I do think having a tele with high output, in your face pickups, is fun as hell to play.

[vernon]

Okay… I admit I’m an old man and a purist, but, in my opinion, a telecaster isn’t a telecaster without single coil pickups. It may LOOK like a tele, but, to me, it’s just another solid body with humbuckers.

[omphalopsychos]

Okay… I admit I’m an old man and a purist, but, in my opinion, a telecaster isn’t a telecaster without single coil pickups. It may LOOK like a tele, but, to me, it’s just another solid body with humbuckers.

I appreciate your perspective as a purist. However, I think the choice of pickups, while important, doesn’t fundamentally change the character of a Telecaster. Swapping out the neck pickup mainly affects the EQ and dynamic range, but it doesn’t really alter the core identity of the guitar.


What really defines a Telecaster is a mix of structural and design features that shape its unique feel and sound. The ashtray bridge and string-through-body design, for example, are huge in terms of the guitar's sustain, twang, and overall resonance. The standard 25.5-inch scale length also plays a big role in its bright, articulate tone by impacting string tension and playability.


So, while changing pickups can give you different tonal qualities, the essence of a Telecaster remains largely the same because of these core features. A Telecaster with humbuckers might sound a bit different, but it still keeps about 95% of its true character.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

If I had to choose one, then single coil.

What I think would be cool: a single coil pickup right next to a humbucker, both in the "neck" position. I haven't found a HB pickup that works well when spilt.

[Prof Silverhair]

This is a really timely post, thank OP!

I have a '52 reissue Tele from '99 that I discovered sounded and felt fantastic for jazz. Yes, I know. Famous players have been making great jazz music with Teles for years. I'm just late to figure it out.

This recent epiphany got me thinking about a '52 Tele w/ a humbucker in the neck. Curious if there are any strong preferences or opinions out there.

[garybaldy]

I guess the purists would say it's not really a tele without the single coils.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

I guess the purists would say it's not really a tele without the single coils.

Purists are tiresome:

"Beans in it?! That aint TEXAS CHILI!!!"

Fine. I don't care what you think. If need be, I'll say it's not chili, it's "chili".

So, it's not a Telecaster, it's a "Telecaster".

[Blkat]

This is a really timely post, thank OP!

I have a '52 reissue Tele from '99 that I discovered sounded and felt fantastic for jazz. Yes, I know. Famous players have been making great jazz music with Teles for years. I'm just late to figure it out.

This recent epiphany got me thinking about a '52 Tele w/ a humbucker in the neck. Curious if there are any strong preferences or opinions out there.

Thanks.

I don't know that there's a definitive answer to that.

I look at a lot of jazz Telecaster players (Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, Ed Bickert, Ted Greene, etc.) and they seemed to migrate away from a single coil in the neck. It doesn't mean they don't return to that variation now and again. But they clearly decided to branch out while keeping the core instrument.

That said, a single coil in the neck is very adaptable in its own right. Watch any of Tim Lerch's videos with a single coil and I don't think you can get jazzier.

[Kirk Garrett]

The ashtray bridge and string-through-body design, for example, are huge in terms of the guitar's sustain, twang, and overall resonance. The standard 25.5-inch scale length also plays a big role in its bright, articulate tone by impacting string tension and playability.

Really? What about a telecaster that doesn’t have the string through the body design?

Does this really make more of a difference than the pick ups?

[Blkat]

Purists are tiresome:

"Beans in it?! That aint TEXAS CHILI!!!"

Fine. I don't care what you think. If need be, I'll say it's not chili, it's "chili".

So, it's not a Telecaster, it's a "Telecaster".

And if it's not made by the Fender factory, it's not even a "Telecaster."

[Bobby Timmons]

I routed both a tele pup and a hum form P90 in the neck spot. I then wired them in series with a spin a split and a phase switch. So you have the choice of 2 different neck pickups and you can roll in the other pickup in series for a boost.

[omphalopsychos]

Really? What about a telecaster that doesn’t have the string through the body design?

Does this really make more of a difference than the pick ups?

The string-through-body design really makes a difference in how a Telecaster handles string vibrations. When the strings run through the body, they anchor more firmly, which helps transfer vibrations more efficiently. This setup usually means longer sustain and a specific resonance because the strings and the body interact more directly.


Also, the traditional Telecaster bridge plate works closely with the bridge pickup. This setup can affect the magnetic field and the electrical signal from the pickup, contributing to the sharp attack and clarity that Telecasters are known for.


If you compare this to a Tune-o-matic bridge, that one anchors the strings differently, typically with posts on the guitar top. This setup can change how vibrations transfer and might alter the sustain and resonance. Also, the Tune-o-matic saddles don’t have the same relationship with the pickup as the Telecaster’s steel bridge plate.


Adding a Bigsby tremolo system brings in more moving parts and a different anchoring mechanism. This can affect overall string tension and how the strings and body interact, leading to different vibration behaviors compared to the string-through-body design.


So, while pickups do play a big role in the sound, the original Telecaster’s string-through-body design and bridge plate create specific physical interactions and acoustic behaviors. These elements are a big part of what gives the Telecaster its unique character.

[andrew]

Telecasters should be strung through the body you say?

[Hep To The Jive]

The string-through-body design really makes a difference in how a Telecaster handles string vibrations. When the strings run through the body, they anchor more firmly, which helps transfer vibrations more efficiently. This setup usually means longer sustain and a specific resonance because the strings and the body interact more directly.


Also, the traditional Telecaster bridge plate works closely with the bridge pickup. This setup can affect the magnetic field and the electrical signal from the pickup, contributing to the sharp attack and clarity that Telecasters are known for.


If you compare this to a Tune-o-matic bridge, that one anchors the strings differently, typically with posts on the guitar top. This setup can change how vibrations transfer and might alter the sustain and resonance. Also, the Tune-o-matic saddles don’t have the same relationship with the pickup as the Telecaster’s steel bridge plate.


Adding a Bigsby tremolo system brings in more moving parts and a different anchoring mechanism. This can affect overall string tension and how the strings and body interact, leading to different vibration behaviors compared to the string-through-body design.


So, while pickups do play a big role in the sound, the original Telecaster’s string-through-body design and bridge plate create specific physical interactions and acoustic behaviors. These elements are a big part of what gives the Telecaster its unique character.

This is true. I added Bigsby to my tele, it worked ok, only with 11's. When I needed to go down to 10's I discovered the issues with tension and break angles. The guitar didn't feel right. I took the Bigsby off. But now I put in Filtertrons I just had to have a Bigsby again lol. Man, it's a lot of work to make it work on a tele! Experimenting with neck shims and stuff, but I made it work this time... kinda. It is still a different feel, but for now I like it. I might take it off again in a future....

Tele with Bigsby looks badass though! I can't risk to post a pic though, I'm afraid the purists will find me.

[palindrome]

I know the Tele is well established in jazz realms. But how many are purists and stick with the classic single coils? Or do you swap out the neck pickup for a humbucker? Or maybe you're an outlier and use a P-90?

Opinions? Thoughts?

I currently have three T-style guitars, all cobbled together from parts and with different pickup configurations (SS, HH, HH splittable).

Actually, I find seven out of eight pickup positions (one exception being the split bridge HH, and I never use both pickups on) to be really enjoyable in different ways.

For some reason, this is diametrally opposed to my experiences with any of the other electrics I have personally owned, where I usually took eight pickup positions to find _one_ that I _really_ enjoyed...

[Blkat]

Tele with Bigsby looks badass though! I can't risk to post a pic though, I'm afraid the purists will find me.

If the purists come for you, just call this guy.

[garybaldy]

So is a tele a great guitar for jazz once you've modded it?
BTW this is a tongue in cheek question and for amusement purposes only.
I don't want anyone to become to passionate or emotional.

[Hep To The Jive]

If the purists come for you, just call this guy.

He's fine, he still got the original coils, just a slap on the wrist (for bigsby).

Btw I had to shim the neck AND the bridge, because the legs on the barrels almost maxed out when i had to raise it. But now the tension feels right, and weirdly the sustain has improved noticeably. Should be the opposite, you supposed to lose sustain with bigsbys... Makes me think the guitar wasn't set up right from the get go, it's a partcaster so could be. Either way, the bigsby stays.

[Hep To The Jive]

So is a tele a great guitar for jazz once you've modded it?
BTW this is a tongue in cheek question and for amusement purposes only.
I don't want anyone to become to passionate or emotional.

No, it's great for jazz without modding too. If you don't mind the noise it's fine as is.

[NewNewcastleBud]

I put a humbucker in the neck position on my Tele many years ago, mostly out of necessity, the original neck pickup broke and I was going on the road in a couple of days, so I just used what I had, which was an early SD Pearly Gates.
Sounded great and never missed the thin sounding original single coil .

[stevo58]

Regarding string-through-body: Fender Telecasters made in 1958 ARE NOT string-through. Jim Campilongo famously plays one.

[ruger9]

I took this last night for a funk gig. And have also played it for jazz. Absolutely killer. The neck pickup is all mid push, the bridge pickup is all scratch, and the middle is a big scoopy squishy tone, perfect for funk comping. Three positions and you got everything you need. And in all three positions it cuts right through a dense mix.

I'm not saying you need a p90 tele as your only tele, but I do think having a tele with high output, in your face pickups, is fun as hell to play.

I agree, and I get great jazz tones out of it!!

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

As far as anchoring the strings, vibrations etc... I don't know if I can claim anything, but the G&L "SaddleLock" bridge is top-loading, on one hand, but extends into the body and anchors there. All I know is that I like it, and it doesn't have any of the sharp edges of a traditional Tele bridge. (I'm not looking to "sound like a Tele", btw)