Seymour Duncan Broadcaster Bridge

you're reading this so you already know...

Replacing the original bridge pickup of a black '87 japanese Fender Telecaster. There are currently no ther pups on this guitar, in fact I used to have a pair of EMG 89 humbuckers and a SA single coil with coil-splitting switches and a phase coil switch installed in this same guitar, however I wanted to take a stripped down approach to setting up this guitar. I sanded all of the finish off the guitar and removed the pickguard, installed a wilkinson stainless steel bridge with 3 brass compensated saddles, and an esquire-wired control plate to control this pickup.

Lots of balls, only using a Boss ME50 effects unit into a Peavey Studio Pro 112 Transtube amp. I play lots of stuff, ranging from Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, as well as lots of twangy old roadhouse and outlaw country stuff like Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, etc. etc. Wicked sound for old rock and country, really cuts thru the mix. Really clear chords as well as individual notes all around, as well as lots of sustain and harmonics. Wicked pickup-sounds the way a tele should sound. I didn't even mess with the height of my saddles or the pup height a whole lot, I just left all of the pup height adjustment screws as loose as possible and tightened the middle screw which faces the neck as much as possible. I also lowered the action as much as possible, until the strings were just beginning to buzz a little-a little buzz doesn't hurt when you're going after a twangy sound.

I'd buy this one again without a doubt, the only other one I'd try would be the Antiquity model tele pup. I've been playing for maybe 17-18 years. I've got a heavily modified '99 Les Paul Standard with a Vintage Vibes humbucker sized P90 pup in the bridge and a Bigsby vibrato, as well as many other upgraded parts. I love everything about the nasally biting midrange of this pup, sounded good right out of the box and blows away every other tele I've ever played, especially with esquire sounds I get, has some very great acoustic qualities to it. I hate nothing about it. I read everything I could about these pups, compared them to all of the other usual brands everyone talks about. This one just seemed to be the right choice, sure glad I made it. I'm plenty satisfied with this one and don't need anything else out of a single coil pup. Totally satisfied. If you're looking for "that" sound and that sound is great old raw biting tele twang, whether it be country or old rock and roll, this is the one you want, especially if you combine it with a Gregg Rogers esquire control plate. This is it! Get it! You won't regret it!

passive single coil pickup.

SD's website specs it at 7.6 K in output.

alnico V flush poles, slighly broader in diameter than the average tele pickup. Fiber bobbin, vintage-like braided wire, rubber washers, brass plate on the bottom.

The guitar is a 2001 Fender Classic Series 60's Telecaster. The bridge position pu was changed of course. Neck will remain stock.

The original pu sounded ok for rock and clean 60's jangly pop, like Byrds, Beatles and even some Hendrix stuff, but just lacked depth and personality. Little to no twang at all out of it. It also lacked the bottom plate, like many other fender tele models.

Bridge also sounded very ice-picky and harsh on the highs, specially when played loud on a clean to mildly overdriven tube amp.

Definitely louder than stock. I never did a proper measurement, but I think the stock one was around 6k.

A brazilian made 50W tube (2 6L6s+ 2 12AX7+ 1 AY7) Fender-like based amp + custom made booster. Can sound way dark with a TS style overdrive, so take good care of your highs.

The tone is darker than stock, a lot more lower mids and bass, so I had to crook the pu a bit more upward on the treble strings side and lower it on the bass side, as compared to the way the stock one was set. The highs are slightly compressed, never harsh or icepicky. A night to day difference over the stock one. My guitar has a much thicker-country twangy tone when clean and more beef, mid growl and sustain when overdriven now.

Mostly 60's and 70's rock blues. I also play in a pop-rock band much influenced by 60's UK pop rock. This pickup will do it all: from Roy Buchanan to Stones to Zeppelin's fist album to Rory Gallagher.. and the most important, your guitar still sounds like a tele. You won't get a humbucker sound when overdriving it. Well maybe you can.. if you're into that...

Overall, it's really versatile, so you don't have to worry about this being a "twang-only" tele pu. It can cover anything.

I don't even want to think about my guitar being stolen! So, let's pass to the next one..

I've been playing since Feb. 2001. I have a strat-copy (my first guitar, retired its been years) and a Fender Mustang 69RI (sold last year) I own this tele since June 2006.

Nothing to hate about it. I think installing this pickup was a 100% improvement over the stock. The pickup has been on my guitar since August 2007.

Didn't compare to anything at all before.. unless you count for 3 or 4 teles I played in stores way before buying mine. The Seymour Duncan Broadcaster is the first aftermarket pickup I bought for any guitar, and it was chosen after reading tons of reviews here and on foruns like the TDPRI. I was looking for something versatile and with vintage looks and tone, twangy but not extremely trebly. The rosewood fingerboard also helps with that.

Another big point was affordability, since I didn't want to spend US$200,00 on a set of "boutique" pickups for a guitar I paied US$ 315,00(and sincerely, I don't think I ever will, for any guitar in any price range).

So I'm completely satisfied, but no 1-10 rating.. rates are stoopid :)

Single coil passive

The is the first PU i put in my personal custom ash tele built from handpicked parts. It's also the only one since i built this as a broadcaster.

the output is somewhere in the middle of the road, relative to humbuckers and low output single coils. i run through a fender blues deville and it really has a darker twangy tele sound that stock pu's. the sound is good, but not as balanced as i would like.

i'd like to experiment with other pickups, but this one isn't bad. at high volumes, it screams. it sounds like a relative to a tele, but is more middy with an atypical character.

Pickup features: Single coil, passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Custom-made telecaster blackguard
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: Fender '52 RI (Original Vintage) neck pickup
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): classic rock, blues
Reason for pickup change: Was building a Broadcaster/Nocaster/early Telecaster replica and wanted the best pup possible

Perceived output level: Average for Tele single coil, hotter than a typical strat bridge pup
Tone: Awesome! More ballsy than a stock Fender 52 RI, with more mids. No icepick-y sounds...
Sonic evaluation: This is a terrific tele pickup. It's not noiseless like the Kinmans, but it gives a great vintage tele sound. The bassplate adds a lot of spank to the sound that you don't get with the standard American or Mexican Fender guitars. To get the baseplate on a stock guitar, you have to go with either a Custom Shop model, or get one of the Vintage series... And, I've already compared this pup to the stock Fender 52 RI....
Oh, yeah, I run my guitar through into a Peavey Classic 30....

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly rock and blues. Of course, this pup is great for country -- hey, it's a telecaster -- but it works well for most types of music. The sound's in your hands, anyway.

Comments: Been playing for over 20 years. This is my favorite tele pup. I've had several teles and always use this bridge pup...

Pickup features: single coil, passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Custom made Telecaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: SD Custom Humbucker/Neck
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock & Blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: A little hotter than the average ld. tele p/u
Tone: cuts thru anything
Sonic evaluation: I love this p/u!!!
Clean it responds very well to picking nuances and with distortion
it gets as nasty a neil young sound as you could want.
I use the tele thru a Fender Blues Deville with a TS9 & a DOD classic
Fuzz.Thru the tube screamer it cuts thru the biggest racket. With the fuzz I can get that fat Jimmy Page sound (ie: with enough distortion
even a tele can sound like a Les Paul)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock and Blues. With different picking styles it's good for anything except maybe jazz

Comments: Definatly buy it again

Pickup features: Passive Tele single coil bridge p/u
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fender tele pickup
Other pickups on guitar: stock tele neck pickup
Artists using this pickup: N/A
You musical style(s): Blues, rock.
Reason for pickup change: I wanted to upgrade this pickup because the guitar was made
in Mexico and the pickup was real cheesey

Perceived output level: Hot and more output than the stock pickup
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I'm still using the Fender Princeton Chours amp. It sounds cut throat
thru the amp with the gain on 6 and the master on 5

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play blues and rock and this p/u can kick ass

Comments: I sold my tele with the pickup installed back in '95. And if I bought
another tele, I would have the stock replaced with that same p/u.
I'm considering picking up a 52 tele reissue.
I have the stock tele p/u still.

Pickup features: SINGLE
Impedence or other specs: 7.9K

Model of guitar or bass: VARIOUS TELES
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: STANDARD
Other pickups on guitar: VINTAGE RYTHMN
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): COUNTRY,VARIETY AND SOUTHERN ROCK
Reason for pickup change: STANDARD PICKUPS WERE ALWAYS TOO THIN AND HARSH.

Perceived output level: GOOD BALANCE.STRAT LIKE MIDS AND HIGHS
Tone: GOOD BALANCE.THE MIDS ARE THERE,BUT NOT EXAGGERATED.STRONG CLEAR HIGHS
Sonic evaluation: I VE USED THEM FOR 15 YEARS.MAKES A TELE MORE VERSATILE.THE 54 TELES
HAVE THAT TWANGY,THIN,BANJO LIKE TELE SPANK,BUT LIMIT THE GUITAR TO JUST THAT.
IN A SOUTHERN ROCK JAM WITH TWO LES PAULS MY TELE SCREAMED FOR ATTENTION WHILE THE LES PAULS GOT STUCK IN THE MUD.ON COUNTRY GIGS I SOUND LIKE KEITH
RICHARDS GOES TO THE OPRY.MAKES THE TELE A BETTER ALL ROUND GUITAR. NOT JUST TWANG TWANG TWANG.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: WOULDNT REALLY USE IT BEYOND ZZ,STEVIE RAY,SKYNARD,ETC.

Comments: I'D LIKE TO HEAR IT WITH A LITTLE SMOOTHER HIGH END BUT IT DEFINITELY
RIPS FOR A CLEAN PICKUP.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '91 Fender Standard Tele
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fender
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan vintage Tele neck
Artists using this pickup: Me...
You musical style(s): Blues, R&B, alternative
Reason for pickup change: The Stock Bridge pickup died after the guitar got knocked
off a stand. I decided to replace the neck pickup also
since the stock Fender one sounded very muddy(Not Waters.)

Perceived output level: A tad hotter than the stock pickup, but not much. Overall these are rather low output.
Tone: Trebly, but with a very tight bottom and even mids. Not very warm, but not harsh.
Sonic evaluation: These Duncan pickups are a great improvement over the stock Fender
ones that came with my Tele. They sound great when playing clean
and fast rhythms. The Broadcaster Bridge pickup is great for clean
soloing or Chuck Berry, Keith Richards style riffing. The Duncan
Vintage Tele neck pickup has a wonderful warm sweet sound and lends
itself well to Jazzy chord melody stuff. However, these are not the
greatist pickups for heavy distortion.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Heavy Metal, Thrash

Comments: I would recomend these pickups and would buy them again. They are a
real deal.