Product: Gretsch Super 90 for Telecaster
Price Paid: US $95
Submitted
05/17/1999
at
10:04pm
by
Simon
Email: simonree<at>iinet dot net dot au
Features
:
Pickup features: Single coil Telecaster bridge replacement
Impedence or other specs:
Instrument
:
Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster 1962 Reissue
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fender brisge pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Harmonic Design Vintage Plus (neck)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Hard Rock, Alternative
Reason for pickup change: This pickup advertised P-90 tone in a single coil sized pickup. I wanted to beef up the sound of my Tele - give it a more "Gibsonesque" tone for rock songs.
Sound
:
No Opinion
Perceived output level: Output is much hotter than the stock pickup - at least 2x louder. The pickup does not sound overwound though. It is a musical pickup.
Tone: This pickup does a pretty admirable job of copping a P90 tone. It doesn't sound exactly like a p90, but it certainly captures the character and does a better job than I would have believed. The pickup is big, warm, brash and ballsy. The midrange is rawer, the lows are tight but pronounced and the highs are somewhat attenuated compared with a stock Tele bridge pickup.
Sonic evaluation: This pickup rocks! In fact, it kicks butt! Its brash, fat tone will has given my Tele a new lease on life. It still retains some characteristic Telecaster twang, but is way less edgy than the stock pickup. It excells when used with overdrive, where compared to the stock pickup, overdrive is easy to obtain, sustain is greatly improved and squeeling pinch harmonics are much easier to obtain.
Backing off the tone control yields a tone that approaches that of a humbucker.
The clean tone is very useable and musical, but different from the traditional clean Tele tone. More midrange, less highs.
Each individual pole piece is adjustable on the Super 90, allowing for better string-to-string balance (min you, mine sounded just fine straight out of the box!).
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: People seeking traditional Tele twang would probably be better off with a Harmonic Design Vintage Plus or '54 Special. Those wanting to beef up their Tele tone to make it sound more like a P-90 equipped Gibson should buy one now!
Overall Rating
:
10
Comments: I can't see myself ever chaning this pickup. Not unless Scott comes up with something even more special in the future.
I have been playing for around 10 years (semi-professionally for about 4) and my search is now over as far as Telecaster tone is concerned. Combined with the Vintage Plus in the neck, I'm just where I want to be tonewise on this guitar.