Baja Telecaster Pickup Outputs

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 7:54 pm

My Baja Tele build is progressing to the point where I need to start thinking about pickups.

The Baja Telecaster has Twisted Tele Neck Custom pickup and a Broadcaster Custom Bridge pickup. I have a lead on 2 Twisted neck pups on the Bay, but the Broadcaster Bridge pups are rare. Does anyone know the output level of the Broadcaster Custom Bridge pickup on the Baja Telecaster? I know we have a couple of Shortscalers with Baja Teles.

I have been checking out some other companies Broadcaster pickups, and it would be helpful to know what the original pup output is so I can buy pickup with a similiar output.

Twisted Tele Neck Custom pickup : 5.90 Ohm (from the eBay auction)
Broadcaster Custom Bridge pickup: ?

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 8:36 pm

The Seymour Duncan is meant to be near as dammit, the main difference being staggered polepieces.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 8:46 pm

i have one in one of my telecasters, i'm heading out the door now but i'll be sure and measure it for you tonight when i get home.
Good pickups they are

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 8:52 pm

Haze wrote:i have one in one of my telecasters, i'm heading out the door now but i'll be sure and measure it for you tonight when i get home.
Good pickups they are

You have the twisted neck or broadcaster Bridge?

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:39 pm

Nocaster bridge pickup yo

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:25 am

Typically they are 7.3k, mine reads 7.17k. Neck is a little above 7k as well

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:05 pm

I am currently bidding on a Twisted Tele pickup on Ebay. I am in the lead so we will see what happens. If I loose it, the seller has another one. I am hoping people will give up on this one and start bidding on the next one.

I found a Lindy Fralin Broadcaster pickup (42 gauge vintage style dark enamel coil wire wound to approximately 6.6K (8,800 turns)). Any idea if that would be a good match for the twisted Tele pickup? The magnet wire on the Twisted Tele is 42 gauge heavy Formvar coated (like on a Stratocaster) with a 5.9 ohm reading.

The main thing I am looking for is to match the pickups so they not only sound good individually, but will blend well together. The Baja Tele's best features are when the two pickups are together (series/parallel and in/out of phase). If the bridge is too weak or too strong it will throw off the balance. I talked with Lindy Fralin about the Broadcaster and he said he could wind me a hotter pickup if I needed it.

How close is the Nocaster to the Broadcaster? I have seen lots of comparison on youtube about it.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:06 pm

Got sniped at the last minute on the twisted tele pup. I will now go after the other one.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon May 03, 2010 4:59 pm

I got a set of Baja pickups from eBay. Here are the output levels for each pickup:

Custom Shop Twisted Tele Neck : 6K
Custom Shop Broadcaster Bridge Pickup: 8.8K

I am glad I got an actual set since the broadcaster I was looking at was much lower output.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Mon May 03, 2010 5:39 pm

Mind if I ask how much these set you back? I was playing mine this afternoon, and especially considering I was going to buy an Esquire just a few short weeks ago, I love the neck pickup. It's about the most shooby-dooby-doo-jaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... pickup I've played. And I love the silly position four out of phase sound too.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Mon May 03, 2010 6:13 pm

That broadcaster is HOT! Make sure you fine tune the heights between the two pickups so you gt the ost out of those 2 and 4 positions

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon May 03, 2010 6:15 pm

benecol wrote:Mind if I ask how much these set you back? I was playing mine this afternoon, and especially considering I was going to buy an Esquire just a few short weeks ago, I love the neck pickup. It's about the most shooby-dooby-doo-jaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... pickup I've played. And I love the silly position four out of phase sound too.

Lots of people love the Twisted tele neck pickup. They use a magnet form a bass pickup and it has a more strat like tone. I got lucky and found both pickups from one seller. He listed the TT neck for $120 and Broacaster Bridge at $95 with Make me an offer option on both. I offered him $85 for the TT neck and let him know I was interested in the bridge pickup as well. He accepted my $85 offer on the neck and dropped the bridge to $75. $160 for both. I have been bidding on the neck pickups and they are running around $80 - $100 range. My pickups are out of an actual Baja Tele. Lots of people are parsing these out. Search for "twisted tele" and you should find some available. I love out of phase as well. Building a Mustang after this guitar is done.

Benecol, do you have a Baja Tele as well?

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Mon May 03, 2010 6:49 pm

Yep, I picked one up a couple of weeks ago - needed a setup to come to life (it was stiff as a board with 11s on it before I filed and lubed the nut) but it's lovely now. I'm surprised the bridge pickup came up so hot - mine is actually quite polite, and set to Fender standard specs, maybe a little quieter than (or at least, not as full as) the neck.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon May 03, 2010 7:05 pm

benecol wrote:Yep, I picked one up a couple of weeks ago - needed a setup to come to life (it was stiff as a board with 11s on it before I filed and lubed the nut) but it's lovely now. I'm surprised the bridge pickup came up so hot - mine is actually quite polite, and set to Fender standard specs, maybe a little quieter than (or at least, not as full as) the neck.

I have been wanting a Baja tele ever since I saw Mike demo his on youtube. I loved all the sounds and I knew once I decided that a telecaster was going to be my first "from scratch " build it would be a Baja. What color is yours? I love that new blue model they came out with. I am planning on doing a Fiesta Red on mine.

Would someone mind doing a proper demo of how to check the output levels of pickups? (both installed and not installed in a guitar) . It would be really invaluable.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Mon May 03, 2010 7:08 pm

Mine's the blonde one, which is about my only gripe: bit of a generic tele colour (almost a 'burst in 'lack of originality' terms...). But one day it'll be shell pink.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Mon May 03, 2010 7:27 pm

benecol wrote:But one day it'll be shell pink.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon May 03, 2010 7:32 pm

Reranch.com sells the shell pink paint. My daughter wants pink guitar pretty bad.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon May 03, 2010 8:11 pm

This Baja tele in Lake Placid blue is hot. I hope mine sounds this good. I can't wait to paint and get mine together.

[youtube][/youtube]

My Baja Tele right now.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Mon May 03, 2010 8:46 pm

Did you buy a Baja neck? I only ask because I've a yen for an Allparts ridiculous V neck (my words, not theirs...). Meant to be about the biggest tele neck you can (reasonably) buy.

Not sure if Reranch would ship to the UK. Manchester Guitar Tech sell shell pink paint, but I'd want to do it right and strip the finish completely first. Or rather, pay someone else to do it...

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon May 03, 2010 8:51 pm

benecol wrote:Did you buy a Baja neck? I only ask because I've you a yen for an Allparts ridiculous V neck (my words, not theirs...). Meant to be about the biggest tele neck you can (reasonably) buy.

Not sure if Reranch would ship to the UK. Manchester Guitar Tech sell shell pink paint, but I'd want to do it right and strip the finish completely first. Or rather, pay someone else to do it...

Mine is an Allparts Vintage spec neck with Nitro finish. I went to Guitar center and played every Tele neck they had and I loved the feel of the 52 RI. It feels so smooth like my AVRI Jag. I live in the same town as Reranch and I am going to order some paint soon. If he won't ship to you, I could order it for you and try to send it out to you. I don't know what the cost or restriction on chemicals is.