Middle Pos. Mini-Humbucker on a Tele?

[jalane]

So a month back or so i snagged a beat-to-crap Koa lefty Tele body on Fleabay for dirt cheap.  Getting her fixed up and doing a nice tele build will be a good winter project.

I'm definitely going to use the standard tele bridge/neck p'up scheme, but i was wondering if anyone has used either a firebird or mini-hum for a middle position p'up before on a tele.  Was it a sound you found useful?  I think the outputs would more or less be in line, I'm more just curious what others think about how much sonic value a mid-position p'up adds to a tele, especially if you've had experience with a mini-hum in that spot.

Thoughts?

 

[jalane]

Ok, so it looks like no one's gone the middle humbucker route on a tele before.

Let's try this, does this seem like a good idea?  Does Tele-Bridge/Mini-Hum/Tele-Neck sound like a good combo, or would they likely not go well together?

I'd love to hear any thoughts.  :icon_thumright:

 

[JaySwear]

i'm interested too, since i'm thinking of doing something VERY similar. my idea is a p-90 sized humbucker in the middle position with standard telecaster neck and bridge pickups. so i'm interested to see what people have to say!

 

[rockskate4x]

hehe, this is getting me thinking of doing a completely normal looking tele with a "secret weapon" active humbucker under the pickguard in the middle position. Go from tele to  arty07: in .1 seconds

 

[Rickgrxbass]

Ok, I'll bite, it sounds like a good idea.  There are the "vintage-modified" squiers (and presumably historical use in "actual" fenders) with a mini-bucker in the neck and a regular tele bridge, and I don't think mounting it back an inch or two will adversely affect the tone (a bit more high-end to be sure, but also a lower string amplitude and therefore (slightly) lower output to better blend with the other pups).  There are also of course three-pickup teles (eg, the Nashville), so it certainly isn't unheard of in that regard.  I personally tend to lean towards the "more pickups = better" thought process.

I won't get into the dilemma of the proper way to switch the pickups to retain the signature tele "in-between" tone while still being able to utilize the middle pup at-will... :doh:

 

[rockskate4x]

From what I understand, I think that you can still get a good "in between tone" if you used a neck mini hum, especially if it is a firebird pickup, cuz those tend to be more trebley. I played a fender hot rod '52 (something like that) that had one of the ugly seymour duncan mini hums in the neck position. I liked the middle sound just fine, but that's just me, and I don't know what you would like. Bottom line, I think you just have to TRY IT. If you haven't built this tele yet, and you are planning to use a pickguard, I'd route the mid and neck positions for p-90's (big routs good for many types of pickups) and start with a Mh-X-T pickup setup. If the in between sound isn't quite what you want, try it again with a coil tap to brighten up the mini hum's sound some more. If you still aren't satisfied then, i think it's time to talk about a T-Mh-T setup.

 

[JaySwear]

hehe, this is getting me thinking of doing a completely normal looking tele with a "secret weapon" active humbucker under the pickguard in the middle position. Go from tele to  arty07: in .1 seconds

haha well i didn't want to officially spill the beans, but thats my idea for my next project too. dimarzio area T bridge and neck pickups with a super distortion p-90 in the middle hidden underneath the pickguard.

 

[jalane]

Cool.  I'm really adamant about having a normal T-bridge & neck setup & a normal "in-between" option because I effing love all three of those sounds a normal tele does, so if i do use a 3rd p'up i would need to wire it in a way that doesn't mess with those core options. 

So, correct me if i'm wrong, but a normal in-between sound means that means the neck will have to be RWRP respective to the bridge.  So if that's the case, having a mid. position p'up of any kind it would be in-phase with one p'up and out-of-phase with the other p'up, right? 

If so, I'd be willing to make that concession though just because i don't want to mess up the normal neck/bridge "In Between" sound.  It's too good.

 

[Jusatele]

King Arther's Nights launch out on the quest for the Holy Grail.

 

[B3Guy]

how well do "hidden" pups work? I've heard of folks doing this, but have been wary of putting a pup so low below the strings.

 

[jalane]

King Arther's Nights launch out on the quest for the Holy Grail.

:laughing7:

Ok, what about something along these lines:
I could maybe have the mini-hum go to a 3-way switch, where middle position was off, one side turns the pickup on, and the other side turns it on and also acts as a kill switch for the neck & Bridge???
Is that even possible?  Or just crazy talk?
If something like that idea is possible, then i could have some options to work with:
Bridge
Neck
Bridge + Neck
Mini Hum
Bridge + Mini Hum
Mini Hum + Neck (out of phase)
All three

I'm fully confident that there is probably some really obvious reason why this would never work, so enlighten me...

 

[dNA]

you could do two 3-way switches. The neck and middle could go to one, and then that switch and the bridge would go to the 2nd. That'd give you:
bridge
bridge + middle
bridge + middle + neck
bridge + neck
middle
middle + neck
neck

 

[JaySwear]

i don't use my tone really. i've found it really just turns your guitar tone to mud. there are a few exceptions, but i've really never been a fan :-\ so i'll have a normal tele 3 way with the "tone" pot being a volume for the second pickup. simple, will look stock, and perfect for my needs!

how well do "hidden" pups work? I've heard of folks doing this, but have been wary of putting a pup so low below the strings.

i've wondered the same thing. my plan is that if the hidden pickup sounds bad i'll just swap it for a single coil and have a nashville style telecaster (which wouldn't be a bad thing for me). but the pickup i picked should be powerful enough to match the output of the telecaster pickups. if anything hopefully i'll just have to raise the telecaster pickups a little bit

 

[jalane]

:icon_thumright: I think this is happening

And yes, I'm painting the tele coral pink.  Deal with it.

 

[drewfx]

:icon_thumright: I think this is happening

And yes, I'm painting the tele coral pink.  Deal with it.

I can deal with the body.  :icon_smile:

Not so sure about the pink headstock. Are you going to do pink on the back of the neck as well?

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Never done a mini-hum on a Tele, but it does work well.  The mid-position hum sounds more like a neck position than a bridge position due to the location, obviously.  I would guess it would be there more for use with the other two p'ups.

 

[jalane]

:icon_thumright: I think this is happening

And yes, I'm painting the tele coral pink.  Deal with it.

I can deal with the body.   :icon_smile:

Not so sure about the pink headstock. Are you going to do pink on the back of the neck as well?

No, the back of the neck will likely be slightly amber'd maple.  Most of the time when Fender does one of their custom colors, they have a matching headstock as well.  I suppose i'm not 100% sure i'll do a matching headstock, but that's how i'm currently leaning.

 

[JaySwear]

i love the matching headstock! perfect. i think it needs a bright white pickguard though. unless that one is white and i can't tell, looks kind of mint to me though

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

He's a Vintagey type o guy.  Do the Mint.

 

[jalane]

He's a Vintagey type o guy.  Do the Mint.

:icon_thumright: You have me pegged.  I've never really cared for white 'guards on Fender guitars, except for the single-ply ones in certain situations. 

I have, however, also been kicking around the idea of a blackguard:

I generally think black 'guards on tele's are The Business, but with this color it should probably be mint.  Decisions, decisions...