What Is The Best Type Of Telecaster Neck Pickup? 

Here are some Affiliate Links to gear In the order it appears in this video What is on my headstock???? It is a pick holder that mutes the G&D from ringing amzn.to/3b0Dsti Golden Age Tele Pickups www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickups/golden-age-pickup-set-for-tele.html Dimarzio DP240 mini humbucker reverb.grsm.io/dimarzio The $65 Set of Filtertron pickups I used in this video reverb.grsm.io/filtertrons Golden Age P90 Street Original www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickups/golden-age-p-90-pickups.html PRS 57/08 Neck Humbucker reverb.grsm.io/5708 Somnium Guitar somniumguitars.com/collections/all Video about my Somnium guitar ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Vj2uJBeSHt4.html Lindy Fralin Tele S,H wiring mod www.fralinpickups.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Humbucker-Neck-Tele-Bridge.pdf 500k Resistor www.fralinpickups.com/product/resistors/ Herco Picks? This is the pick I ended up switching back to amzn.to/3e3NhH5 Marshall 2061 Head reverb.grsm.io/marshall8421 Klotz 15ft Cable with breaker ( You will never go back) amzn.to/2YilLQS Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb imp.i114863.net/o1QPW The Reverb I use imp.i114863.net/JDZ9Q String Swing Wall Hangers. The only Stands and Hanger I use imp.i114863.net/aErjN You can become a Patreon and support more videos like this www.patreon.com/home Send photos of you in your shirt here or ask questions askknowyourgear@gmail.com PODCAST knowyourgear.buzzsprout.com Facebook facebook.com/Knowyourgear/ Instagram instagram.com/phillip_mcknight/ Know Your Gear T shirts teespring.com/stores/know-your-gear-shop-2 Here are some other products from a dealer I trust and buy from online imp.i114863.net/c/2224555/791999/11319 The straps I use are Dimarzio straps and I've been using them since 1992 imp.i114863.net/NMYAV D Addario Fret Polish Kit imp.i114863.net/LMYvY

Unpopular opinion: They are all good enough and it doesn't matter which you use. Very few people in an audience will be able to identify any difference between any of them in a live setting. This is especially true if you play around with the EQ or use any pedals. As far as the best, I really like the 2019 MIJ Fender pickups.

I love the idea of being able to swap out pups on the fly. That's pretty damn cool!!

From Leo: That is really a great demo tool. I really like a Filtertron on a tele. I have one with a regular tele bridge and another with two Filtertrons. Love the tones they give me.

Thanks for the video, Phil. I know this project's been a hassle due to covid, but man, we really appreciate it.

I really like the sound of the Mini Humbucker, never even thought of a Mini Humbucker for a Tele I'm surprised.

I've been waiting for this video all weekend, thanks Phil, great content as always

I was hoping to learn something but was hypnotized watching him run through magazines and reload..cool video thanks for the times!

This just absolutely confirms it for me. I am an absolute, utter sucker for a filtertron. Easily my favourite in every situation.

Glad to see that you're back at the pickup videos again!

I’m actually really digging that filtertron with this setup

Hi, Phillip! Been watching your channel for almost two years and man... love your approach! I've been testing the classic Humbucker and a the classic Tele neck pickup and tottally loved that mini humbucker, looking forward to it. Thanks for this, you rock man.

Thanks Philip! I've enjoyed many of your videos over the last couple of years. I'm a professional guitarist (Jill & Kevin), and I also build very high end Tele & Jazzmaster style guitars (Turbocaster Guitars). For reference, I play 95% clean with on my own Tele style and Jazzmaster styles, and use Blackface Deluxe Reverbs and a cremeboard (Mexican) Blues Junior. I use my neck pickup about 90% of the time on my Tele style guitar. I've used many different pickups, but I have absolutely fallen in love with EMG T-Set and EMG Retro-Active T-52's. they give me the best complex tones I've ever played. So much so that I actually convinced Rob Turner (owner CEO & founder of EMG) to develop Jazzmaster pickups, which are in prototype form as I write this. They are active, but I'm not at all sure how they work for high gain stuff. The T pickups are a little less aggressive, while the T-52 have a bit more. Since we play some jazz (among lots of other stuff) in our shows, I stick with the T-sets, but when building guitars for people who want them a bit more edgy stuff, I put T-52's in their guitars. (which also work very well for me, but the T-sets are a little better for our stuff). Rob developed the T-52's with a very well known Nashville player (with a higher voice), and patterned the sound with his '52 Tele. Try them, you might just love them!!

Awesome video! I’ve never liked the tele neck pick up. Removing the cover helps, but I’ve always wanted more. I settle on a mini humbucker years ago and never looked back. The All Parts one is fantastic. I have my pole pieces flipped towards the bridge and it’s detached from the tone pot. I love it! It just felt like more of everything without overpowering the bridge pick up. The in between sound is perfect still.

Charlie Christian pickup sounds just incredible in teles.

Oh man...Best video of 2020 so far. I really enjoy it, thanks. I would like to see test the DiMarzio true velvet set for tele

The 500k pots w/ 500k parallel resistor tip is a really good one! Did this on my T a while back and having the 500k pots really improved the clarity of my neck humbucker without significant change to the bridge sound. I like the middle position even more now!

Single coil: 3:53 10:03 Mini Hum: 2:11 10:06 Filtertron: 4:07 10:11 P90: 5:33 10:22 Humbucker: 7:05 10:17

I really enjoyed hearing the filtertron in the neck. Jeff Baxter used a filtertron neck pickup, in his tele, back in the early 70's, when he played with Steely Dan.

I love how that guitar gives you the convenience in comparing pups Bridge and neck. I was thinking someday someone will invent that kind of guitar. Love your demos. Cheers!

I love the sound of the tele neck pickup so much that I put one on my SG. If you play a melodic tapping style then it is perfect for that. So it really depends on your genre. The clarity of those little taps is just amazing on a tele pickup.

I've always kind of thought stock was the best tele sound for a tele, but that mini humbucker blew me away, especially when you split it! Really opened my eyes to the kind of potential a mini humbucker can have in a tele.

I know it's 2 months old...amazing I was just thinking earlier today what a p90 would be like in a telly...it made me a sub ...thanks thanks for the video

Love my SD Quarter Pound in the neck! Its like the classic tele neck with more oomph.

Thanks, Phil. I liked the Filtertron and the P90. Also the Tele pickup because it's perfect.

Thank you for this video. I was thinking about swapping one of my Tele's neck position pickup to a different type- and this made me realize to just leave it as it is.

Thanks god I watched this video before buying a Tele. Absolutely agree with you about the minihumbucker

I've said it before, but the Somnium guitar is an absolute game changer for pickup demos.

That mini humbucker was boss. I was hoping for more out of the P90

Thinking about a Warmoth tele build and this video was extremely helpful deciding what I want. That mini-hum is where it's at.

That guitar you built (I assume you built it) satisfies so many people's curiosities. Great work man.

I'm getting ready to build my first tele shaped partscaster and this is the perfect video to help me decide between a humbucker or P90 for my neck pickup. Big thanks

Cool video! I agree on the mini-humbucker. I think it fit the role well. I really like the Tele neck pickup sound, even if it is light on power. So the coil split mini seems to give both options. Also, I'm a sucker for 'Trons, so I liked that one too.

The mini humbucker and P90 are both great options. I also found the Filtertron really unique and cool sounding too. Really dug that one.

TV Jones Filtertrons - the best I ever played in a tele since 40 years, unbeatable. Absolutely cool guitar to try out pu´s , Mr Genius !

I had a 52 Hot Rod and loved the mini HB. For 2 of my custom build Tele types I used the same Seymour mini HB in the neck positions. I also added a Seymour strat center blade in my Tele types and Twisted Tele bridge PUs

the best demo comparisons! you could make living doing this.....

I've just rewired my Vintera 50's modified Tele. It now has a standard three way switch and the S1 switch disconnects the tone pot from the neck pick. This is now my perfect Tele. I get to use the original mellow neck PU for jazz and, with tone lifted the more strat like neck tone works for blues and rock. This is everything I want a Tele to be, without changing the pickup 👍.

I've got Lollars, classic '52 in the bridge and p90 in the neck. I love the sound of the middle position and use it most of the time.

Great review and comparison of different pickups. Thanks for posting.

I have a used Squier CV 50s Tele that someone put a GFS mini humbucker in. They also wired it with two “interactive” volume knobs. Set the selector to the middle position and you can blend the pickups by adjusting each one’s volume individually. It took some getting used to, but now I really love this odd setup. I can brighten the neck pickup by adding some of the bridge, or set the bridge volume for rhythm, and switch the bridge for solos with a boost in volume and treble as well. For such simple setup, it’s amazingly versatile.

For me personally, the reason I want to add a Tele to my arsenal at some point is the tones Jerry Donahue got, and he used a strat pickup in the neck position. But the mini humbucker really does seem to complement the tele bridge pickup well.

So this is my second real viewing of this and I gotta say. Though I'm still a huge fan of the sound of the mini, the filtertron is incredible. So it would be a toss up for me now. As for the content, man I really dig how thorough you are and your videos always keep me going. I appreciate you. 🙏 🎶🤘

My favorites were the filtertron and the p90. Most versatile is the mini hum for sure. Split it sounds almost exactly like the stock pickup plus you get a fatter sound for leads.

I have a Lollar “Royal T” on my neck & a TV Jones “Classic +” for my bridge pup. Really fun combo. I’m a real fan of the strat neck tones so I like the versatility I get with the Neck pup & the punchy tones from the bridge pup.

I’m digging the way a full size humbucker sounds in the neck. I’m doing a Tele build, and I plan on putting a Dimarzio Eric Johnson pup in the neck, with a Dimarzio True Velvet in the bridge. I think it will be a great combination.

I REALLY liked the mini humbucker and the filtertron pu’s! Enjoyed the comparisons

The Fender Hot Rod '52 Tele was what prompted me to build something similar for myself. I loved the SD Mini Humbucker in that guitar too. However, I ended up with a SD Psyclone (Filtertron) Vintage in my build. Bridge pickup wired as normal, and no tone control on the neck. It's the guitar I play the most these days, even my McCarty struggles to get a look in!

This might be the coolest guitar vid I’ve ever seen

This is a bit embarrassing to admit: I always thought mini humbuckers where completely the same thing as a full size humbucker. I've totally been missing out! What could be cool is having either two mini humbuckers, or a coil-splittable Filtertron in the bridge for something a bit different and parallel/series and phase switch for the middle position sounds

Missed two likely candidates: Charlie Christian and Gold Foil. Of the ones, you covered, I like the Filtertron and the mini.

I'm currently using G&B pickups in my Tradition CAB10 Tele: a factory-installed Alnico 5 bridge PU (8.5K) and fattened the neck with a Golden Age A5 Strat PU (6.6K) after the Tele A5 neck pickup (8.8K) shorted out; actually the tone's much noticeably fatter in series with the 4-way switch more so than the Tele pickup. Now I'm in a totally tonal bliss with a P90 i recently swapped the Strat PU out. The estimated DC resistance of this Bootstrap Screwdriver's a warm 7.6K; mine's a scorchin' hot 9.4K w/A2's but I didn't want to overpower the bridge pickup so it sits flush to the pickguard resting on wooden shims in the cavity with the polepiece screws 1/4 inch under the strings and so far it reminds me of the Strat pickup until i raise the P90 closer to the string itself to which the sound will become much fuller and fatter. I've swapped in another P90 in the form of a G&B/Thompson T90 w/A5's now matching the retained bridge PU perfectly...informative vid Phil!

Love the mini humbucker and the filtertron. I might have to pick up a mini humbucker to put into my Tele's neck.

My best tele has a lollar mini Humbucker in the neck and a TV Jones Humbucker sized Classic Filtertron in the bridge, with just a 3 way switch. Gives me twang, bite and warmth. Cuts through the mix and is a joy to play.

I have changed all my guitars neck pickups to bridge pickups. Makes a HUGE difference in overall tone quality and versatility. I have one Strat with 3 humbucking bridge pickups, and the highest output is in the neck position. Awesome sounding guitar.

I own one of the ‘52 Hot rod Tele’s with a mini humbucker in the neck position. I’ll never sell it. I love it, combine the great sound with the chunky U neck and it’s a an absolute joy. Never found anything like it since, and despite owning quite a few guitars there’s something special about it

Thank you for the comparison. I'm actually right now building 2 telecasters. One with mini humbucker or if it is a Firebird in the neck, and one with a P94 in neck position as I've always been thinking these sounds good in combination with the tele bridge. They will be the complement to my standard telecaster.

I built a thin line tele with minis in the neck and middle pos. with a dual blade tele in the bridge. That is a combo I really loved gave it my nephew who had his guitar stolen. Very versatile tele I would love to make another one day.

I love that Dimarzio mini bucker! I would have liked to hear it in the middle switch position with the P90 in the bridge.

The MINI HB nailed it like you said!!! I play aValley Arts Brent Mason for years and it is still everytime: WOW!!!

i keep coming back to this video , man. so pertinent. useful. cool. thanks so much cheers from Portugal

Nice video, well done! At present on my Telly I have a Di Marzio mini humbucker at the neck, and this is my preferred configuration.

Thanks for demo. I feel like keeping the original tele neck pick up in US made Fender , while I have a G&L Tele with an alnico 2 humbucker much more clear than the one you tested. The great late Rory Gallagher used to fit a Strat pick up in neck position for punchier louder tones of his slide play. He even added a Strat pickup in middle position to get the neck-middle tone in position 4. In your demo, I prefered the original tele neck pick up for overdriven. tones

Fascinating since I just bought a G&L Bluesboy as my "do-it-all" guitar (for now, anyway). I also liked the mini and the P90. I think the mini would be the most versatile. Great video as always

I actually like the p90 as a neck pickup in a Tele. I have the Schecter PT Special with the p90 at the neck and the middle position sounds great. It also has the option to switch the wiring to series by pulling on the tone knob to *simulate a more humbucker sound. The filtertron sounded good also to me.

Good demo - thanks. Mini hum bucker all the way. Had a Fender Hot rod Tele - - let it go - drat!!

Thanks, Phillip. The mini had the most caressing tone. And I have a good sound system: Boston/mid; Bose/sub; Linaeum/tweeter for my iMac. I could hear the mini all day brother, w/no fatigue.

The P90 get's my vote. On the best tele I ever owned (a parts guitar I built) a friend gave me a custom bridge pup that a friend of his had wound to emulate a p90 that fits a tele bridge slot. The combination of that with a luck of the draw stock fender neck pup was absolutely magical. My big beef with standard tele's is bridge pup harshness, which is pretty easy to get from a stock Fender. For me, the whole point of a tele is to have that bridge pup bite on deck when you need to cut through, but cutting thru with tone that sounds like you're playing razor wire doesn't always work. I mostly live on the neck when I'm playing tele's, so having something really nice in that slot is perfection.

The video I was waiting for 😍

Hi I'm over here in England & have a Texas Customs Tele with their mini humbucker in neck & there standard bridge pick up. As you say this makes a great combination. I have had no end of Teles with all combinations & like this the best. Keep up the great work.

I really like the sound of that P-90 -- they always seem bigger and more range in tone.

Since, like me, you really love the Tele middle position, I kind of wish you had spent more time on how some of these neck pickup alternatives blend with the bridge pickup. I think I'd stay away from any upgrade to my Tele's neck pickup that messes with my mid-position tone.

Loved that, thanks. I'm just about to change my Squire Fat Telecaster Pro Tone neck pup, so great timing for me 👍🏻

I'm a big fan of the stock Tele neck sound, but I really enjoyed the sound of all these pickups in your demo except the humbucker.

Oh wow, that mini sounded so good and clear.

Great comparison. I actually liked the tele bridge pu in the neck tones.

Mini Humbucker - original sound, plus if you want it some real punch when required. Thanks Phil, Good Luck!

I'm so surprise To find the TV Jones/filtron was my absolute favourite. Honestly I love this guitar and all the pickups you can put into it

Mini was my favorite. Liked both split and full.

Wide Range humbucker is my favorite, it's got such a warm tone but will get nice and fuzzy without being muddy when overdriven

I love the mini for all rounder and the filterton for what the the filerton does. If y'all like the mini humbucker look at fralin pickups.

I have an ASAT classic with a Duncan P-Rail in the neck. Love it.

Thanks for doing this comparison with neck pups! Interesting! Enjoy watching your chats! Great for guitar players! ?.thanks!

this was great, just what I've been curious about!

Have a set of traditional tele pickups in mine. They are Fender custom shop and I LOVE the neck pickup sound, the middle is real sweet too. Bridge is fat n sparkley...like a telecaster should be.

Wow! Philip, this is probably the best pickup-test-system-platform applied to a guitar. Sure needs some pre-work when making all the connections inside the blocks, but anyways, this truly gives you possibility to hot-swap the pickups and making the review on-the-fly. Gives much extra for the review. I have to say it once more - WOW! I have to agree, the mini humbucker was the most versatile if one likes to have the "best from the both worlds".

This is exactly the video I'm looking for

I have a FGN Illiad with a Donahue in bridge and a 59 in neck. I love it ! So, now, I dig the SH config, and I ordered 2 Dominger : a Rebel in bridge and a custom 58 in neck for my little Classic vibe 60. They should arrive soon.

The Filtertron sounds GREAT, the miniHB has its veryown character too

I was just about to put a P90 in my Tele…until I heard that mini humbucker. Now you got me thinking again 🤔

If you must change out the neck Tele pickup, I think that mini-humbucker with coil split is the way to go. Although, I really liked that filtertron too, gave it a nice jangle. Would love to hear the mini humbucker in parallel mode as opposed to coil split, wonder what that would sound like.

The mini humbucker sounds amazing.

Very informative - thanks for that!

After acquiring a Legacy Tele over the summer as a belated birthday present to myself, I was reminded of how much I missed the sound of a traditional Tele neck pickup. Both pickups were good but not so good because they were microphonically irritating (they really just need wax potting) so i ordered a set of Thompson T-Bucket PU's. With A5 and DC resistances of 6.4K (bridge) & 7.4K (neck), their outputs remind me of late 50s/early 60s Telecaster PU's. However, I'm thinking of trying out mini humbuckers for a change... but not in my Tele!

Love the detachable device!

I've had a P90 in the neck position of my tele for years... Never really digged it. Didn't want to put a humbuckers because I already have a Paul. I think you've convinced me to go with a mini humbucker.

Came in here trying to figure out if I should get a tele with a conventional neck pickup or a P90 . Great demo, solved my dilemma.

thanks for this post, been considering hot rails for my bridge. might pick up the mini humbuckers for the neck pickup. should make a fiery telecaster

I liked all of them. I like the beauty of all pickups even though I have my favorites.

love the lipstick tele neck pickup that came with my thinline. Sounds super bluesy