Product: Jon Moore Telecaster Lead
Price Paid: $CDN 65
Submitted
11/20/2007
at
12:19am
by
Jeff
Email: jeff_rawk at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:
Standard-type telecaster lead pickup. I requested this pickup be wound just slightly hot - specifically, I asked that it be matched to a P90 I was having a partial rewind done on. Staggered poles, with classic-style string wrap to protect the windings. Basic two-lead wiring.
Instrument
:
This is actually installed in a Fender Aerodyne telecaster (basswood body, P90 neck). The P90 it sits with was a Fralin that was wound too hot originally (my fault, I asked for it that was) but sounds quite nice now that Jon removed some windings from it.
It replaces both a Duncan Little '59, as well as the original Japanese Fender pickup that was in the guitar. The original Fender pickup was OK, but unexeptional, and the Little '59 just wasn't a good thing.
Sound
:
9
Output is slightly hot, but not exeptionally so. It still retains a very distinct brightness to the pickup. It does not have some of the mid or low-mid "growl" that many production "hot" lead pickups have.
I use this with either a model 2203 Marshall (100w, 6 knobs, don't worry I have an attenuator), or a Lonestar Special (Mesa/Boogie). Varying levels of gain are employed - but mostly my focus for the pickup is in a rhythm setting - I often use the middle position mixed with the neck pup. Once I got the positioning settled (nice and flat) I found the response to be bright, but not harsh.
When I do push the gain up it can handle fair volumes without squeal issues, but high gain isn't really what this is for . . .
Overall Rating
:
10
As with any pickup custom wound to request, the largest criterion is how close the pickup comes to what was asked - and here, that is basically bang-on. A slightly hot bridge pickup with output matched to the neck, without the loss of brightness that comes with hot pickups. I'm not sure if the end result is very different from what would normally be offered as his 'standard' tele lead - but I'm satisfied.
The pricing was very good. While no pickup can overcome the limitations of the guitar it is in, this pickup does a good job of complementing/compensating for some of the unusual (for a tele) tonal characteristics of my guitar - and Jon's offer to rewind it if it's not exactly what you want is unbeatable (though I won't need to take him up on it, of course).
A '10' for unbeatable overall value.
