Fender noiseless telebridge pickup with no plate?

[DarkPenguin]

So,

Amazon had Fender's 4th gen noiseless tele set for $115. So, bought.

Is there generally a baseplate under the tele bridge pickup? Or is that a thing of the past? Even my ultra cheap pickup set I originally put in this guitar had a baseplate.

What am I missing without one? What do I gain with one?

Stewmac sells them so I could add one...

Thoughts?

 

[BigSteve22]

Is there generally a baseplate under the tele bridge pickup? Or is that a thing of the past? Even my ultra cheap pickup set I originally put in this guitar had a baseplate.

What am I missing without one? What do I gain with one?

Found this article:
http://www.theguitarmagazine.com/features/all-about-telecaster-bridge-pickups/
Hope it helps....

Just FYI, my Bill Lawrence NF Tele bridge pup came with a base plate.

 

[DarkPenguin]

Thanks for that. The response listed on the pickup's documentation sounds a lot like what you'd get with a copper plate. So maybe a steel plate. Also it is clearly used in grounding the bridge so I need to remember that.... I guess I'll just buy a lot of cheap strings and give all the options a try.

 

[BigSteve22]

....Also it is clearly used in grounding the bridge so I need to remember that....

Or you could just run a separate ground wire, there's plenty of room under the bridge...  :icon_thumright:

 

[stratamania]

I am not sure but a metal baseplate might not give the same effects with a noiseless pickup, possibly it could be counterproductive.

I would be inclined to install them as they are and if they sound good, just leave them as is.

Still, as long as nothing gets damaged while experimenting.

 

[BigSteve22]

I am not sure but a metal baseplate might not give the same effects with a noiseless pickup, possibly it could be counterproductive.

I can't speak to other manufacturers pups, but the noiseless Bill Lawrence L-298TL I used definitely has a base plate. It's copper plated something or other, but I didn't think to find out what.

 

[stratamania]

I am not sure but a metal baseplate might not give the same effects with a noiseless pickup, possibly it could be counterproductive.

I can't speak to other manufacturers pups, but the noiseless Bill Lawrence L-298TL I used definitely has a base plate. It's copper plated something or other, but I didn't think to find out what.

Oh, no doubt there may be some noiseless pickups that have features in the design that others do not have.  But what may work on one may be less desirable on another or may not be workable.  Caveat emptor may apply I think in doing such a mod, without knowing the mechanics and design of the pickup involved.

 

[bagman67]

Forgive me for asking what might be a basic question, but what effect is the base plate, whether brass, copper, or unobtainium, expected to have on the pickup's sound?

Is that effect expected to be mitigated or augmented when the baseplate is used in conjunction with a noiseless design?  Will that vary depending on the hum-cancelling/noiseless design chosen?  The obvious answer is of course "yes," but the more interesting question is therefore, "HOW will the effect be experienced, and to what degree, and in what context?"

My understanding is that the metal covers one sees on a lot of humbucking pickups take off some high-end.  For some folks that's a good thing; for others, it's the reason they use open-coil pickups.  By analogy, it seems to me if you know what the expected tendency is when you use the baseplate, you can probably answer some questions about why it may or may not be included on various formats of the Tele bridge pup.  I doubt whether it is a "thing of the past," but is instead just a design choice that's made case-by-case, depending on what the engineer or the marketing weenie or the DIY-pickup-winder is trying to achieve sonically and in the market.

 

[amigarobbo]

Forgive me for asking what might be a basic question, but what effect is the base plate, whether brass, copper, or unobtainium, expected to have on the pickup's sound?

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/beefing-up-single-coils-1

I've never tried adding/removing one, so I dunno. But I can understand how it could have an effect on the magnetic flow and sound.

Slight diversion, when I put the bridge cover/ashtray on my Telecaster style guitar the sound does seem to mellow out a bit. I've made sure I'm hitting the strings in the same place. Not night and day, but noticeable. To me anyway.  :cool01:

 

[DarkPenguin]

I should have a chance to install these this weekend. I'm going to install them without a plate. If I'm not happy I'll give a plate a try. If I'm still not happy I'll ebay them and try the mojotone ones.

Would be even happier if my new saddles arrived before all this.

 

[stratamania]

According to Callaham who sell a metal baseplate for Strat bridge pickups.

Boosts the lows and the midrange frequencies giving a fatter wider sound.

I think I actually have one in the reverse Strat body and pickups I got from Tonar, however, I have not finished the project yet. But even then I will just use it as is.