User Reviews of Harmonic Design Tele-Style Pickups
'54 SPECIAL VINTAGE PLUS SUPER 90 MINI-STRAT
ii
'54 SPECIAL TELE
HOLLYSHITBATMAN
What a nice match Scotty, you have beamed them up! Wow, they sound great. It's a perfect match for that guitar, I love 'em both. I played last weekend with that guitar and it ROCKS, I played it through a 67' Black Twin , a 58' Tweed Twin, and a custom made Tweed Twin with reverb and D120's, I like the sound best thru the 67', COUNTRYSASS! So thanks once more Scott, that's the second guitar you've saved for my big country-ass.

Thanks Again Scott,

Redd Volkaert

Scott-
I installed the 54 specials in my G & L Skyhawk last Friday. What a fantastic difference. I was going to sell this guitar but now I am keeping it permanently. Thanks for such an excellent product. As soon as I can, I will order the super 90 for my Tele. Thanks,
Tom Stanger
You know, it seems that guitarists are really fickle when it comes to pickups.
And it seems like some new guy's pickups are always becoming the latest fad.
I have 2 Tele-type guitars. I've had both of them for more than 10 years.
Both guitars are on their third (and last) set of pickups.
About 5 or 6 years ago, I put Harmonic Design pickups in both guitars, and I have had no interest in using anything else ever since.
I've got a Mini-Strat neck paired with a '54 Special bridge in one guitar and a pair of Vintage+'s in the other --- dead solid perfect!
Just wanted to let you know and to wish you continued good luck.
Tom /TKO productions.
Scott,
Thanks for your prompt delivery of my order. The pickup arrived today (Thursday), and I immediately took my guitar out to the shop as I was not at work today. I installed it and proceeded to check it out. I've been reading your posts as well as the descriptions on your web site, and the remarks about clear highs and lows without the "icepick" effect now mean something tangible to me. I am pleased beyond words, it is EXACTLY the tone I wanted for that particular guitar. I recall my younger years when I first heard Jeff Beck in "Having a Rave-up with the Yardbirds" and truly was amazed at the tone of the Esquire he was using, kind of a dark & bright simultaneously -- the solo ending line of "Mr.You're a Better Man than I". if you're familiar with the song, has permanently etched itself into my brain as a tonal benchmark. So even though now I'm doing more rockabilly, western & your town Bakersfiled-tinged music, it's still the sound I'm after. I now feel like I have the Cadillac of Tele pickups.
Take care,
John Subik
Posted by Russinator:
I decided to try Harmonic Design's '54 Specials.   I'm impressed!  The neck pup is the best sounding… very creamy rich and smooth. The bridge is a tad better than the Texas Special in that it's not as shrill and smoother.   Those of you wanting a vintage sound and think the Texas Specials may be too biting may want to try the HD '54 Specials.
Russ
Hi Scott,
Just got the pickups put in the relic, and played it through my old Bassman for awhile... your PUs sound real good.  First of all, your PUs seemed to "fix" some of the stuff that bugged me about the relic Nocaster, it was overly bright and thin in the bridge position and a little dark and "dead" sounding in the neck posistion. Your neck PU out-classes the Rio Tall-boy by a long shot, and the bridge PU compared very favorably to my real '52 Telecaster, I was pretty impressed. It's actually a little louder than the old PU but no mid-range "honk" like on some of the hotter Seymour Duncan stuff.. Enough highs, but not too sharp -- smooooth. I especially like the sound of the neck PU as it's got some transparency and detailed high end -- thus, the in-between position is also real nice and snappy.
Anyway I'm just happy...
Al
Posted by Gary Banke:
I just finished installing a a pair of Harmonic Design '54 Specials(Strat middle, Tele bridge) in my Nashville Tele last night. Here's my preliminary findings. They are marvelous pickups. There's enough tone colors in the mid pup alone that you could probably build an entire guitar around it. Even with the tone control rolled to full treble it was nice and smooth, not harsh or biting. Plenty of output. Way more HUGE sounding than the Tex-Mex. The bridge pickup is more of the same. Great gobs of twang, but not piercing at all. 'Balanced' is the operative word for these HD offerings.
-----
My impressions from using the ‘54 Special Tele set on the gigs...  The first night when I started warming up our sax player immediately commented on my clean tone sounding especially good. The second night with a different band while jamming at the soundcheck the band leader (who is also a sax player) made a similar remark "hey that's great sound". Both these guys have heard me play many times, so this was kind of interesting that they noticed something. 
The bridge pickup -- loved it! Plenty of twannnng, but with a smoother, less harsh top end and fuller lows than other single-coil PUs of this type that I have tried, including real vintage ones. When cranked and overdriven this PU sounded really great, and with the tone knob backed off about 1/4 turn it had a wonderful  smoothness -- fatter and "creamier" sounding than my '52 -- very cool!  Turning the tone down this way on my stock '52 does not have quite the same effect. With the tone full up the HD nails the traditional Tele sound but with a bit more body and a little less upper-midrange bite. 
The neck PU: It was great for comping and soloing with a clean tone, previously I had a Rio Grande Tall-boy in this position. The HD sounds more refined and "bigger", and the Rio was much noisier. While the HD is louder than the Rio, with extended lows and highs, it is also smoother and less strat-like - more like a stock Tele neck PU on steriods. Even though I actually like a more "stratty" type of sound in the neck postition, I still prefered the HD to the Rio.
The middle position puts both PUs on together in humbucking mode and was a great sound, real chirpy, clear and loud for both rhythm and funky solos. Real solid low end and crisp-but-not-piercing highs.
Compared to other pickups: I certainly haven't tried everything that's out there, but for replacing stock new Fender Tele pickups, there was no contest, the HDs won by a mile in my book. I had a pair of Bardens earlier this year and I like the HDs better, especially the bridge PU.
Al
Posted by Timbo In Reply to: Pick- ups? Any recommendations? posted by Lefty
I've said it once and I'll say it again... especially tonight (news to follow): after years and years of searchuing and trying and soldering and searching, every thing from Fralin rewinds to Lipstick tubes to Bardens (which I loved!) to Seymours to Di Marzios to Rio Grandes, Harmonic Designs are the best, most sonically pleasing and complex pickups I've ever heard in my life. They've absolutely stunned participants in done-for-fun A/B tests, in which a team of crack local guitar hotshots compare the HD's against various brands. The HD's always come out on top to all who paticipate. The most frequent comment, after hearing Scott's pickups and then trying some other brand of pickups in another guitar: "these (other) pickups sound dead!" We've run three A/B's with various players, using some very nice boutique pickups, and the Harmonics always get the highest scores, any style of music, through any amp.
Timbo
I have both the Seymour Duncan Nashville Studio pickups and HD '54 Specials. The Duncans are in my MIM Std. Tele, while the HD's are in my Nashville Deluxe Tele. I love 'em both, but if I were forced to choose, the HD's would get the nod. Why? The just sound smoother, better balance string-to-string and have plenty of punch. The Tele 'twang' is retained in all its splendor. All in all they are a great choice for what I think you looking for.
Best regards,
Gman.....
Model of guitar or bass: '52 Reissue Tele
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fender Vintage
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jazz, blues, rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted upgrade


Sound
Perceived output level: Noticeably louder than stock
Tone: Great
Sonic evaluation: Using a JCM 900 through 2 Weber P12N's, occasional Klon

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Country-lickin' good


Overall Rating
Comments: I don't know any country licks, but man, I want to learn some now! I've had these for a full week and have finally got the bead on the tone of them, which is astounding. It is very important to know that I put DR Pure Blues 11's on this tele for the first time, and they make a huge difference as well. Pure nickel round wound = warm vintage twang! So the tele I'm using has Gotoh tuners and Stew-Mac intonated saddles, ash, maple, you know the drill. The pickups are just great! ALL of the best tele tones are in these, though I would hesitate to say that it's STRICTLY a vintage vibe. There IS more output than stock, yet the tone is more vintage-sounding, so it's like the best of both worlds. The peakiness in the bridge pu is gone, and the word of the day is balanced. The neck gives equal output to the bridge, but the tone is slightly different. It's a P90 design, meaning there's two ceramic bar magnets on either side of the steel pole pieces at the bottom. And the tone does sound a little different, but this is NOT a complaint. The sound is big, warm, and round! Both pu's have the vintage vibe down pat, both are ridiculously well balanced with each other, and both have superb string-to-string definition. Most importantly, both twang. Don't forget that the DR set I have on is MUCH more balanced than any other string I have tried (Dean Markley: Blue Steel, Vintage electric, and Fret Blasters, D'Addario: Stainless Half-round, X30(?)round wound, GHS Boomers). I'm very surprised that no one is raving about these pickups. The V+ and Z-90 get alot of attention, but these are super nice! It's my second experiment with boutique pickups, (I have Van Zandts on my strat) and I'd have to say that it's worth the bucks if you really want the stand-out tone. I've been playing for 5 years, in music college for 31&Mac218;2. I own a strat ultra, a goldtop reissue, and a Gretsch hollow body and a stat deluxe, both of which I'll be selling soon. Yikes, I would hate for anyone to steal my tele, because I can't imagine a tele sounding better than this, so I'd only replace these pickups if I could afford another '52 reissue to put them in. I'm going to give them a 10 because I really could not ask for anything more in a pickup. They're that good.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: MAS
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: 1993 G&L ASAT Classic, ash body, maple neck
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Original G&L MFD pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Harmonic Design mini-strat for Tele
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): 70's rock, blues, country
Reason for pickup change: I like vintage type tone and the G&L pickups were too hot and dark sounding for me.


Sound
Perceived output level: Slightly hotter than typical vintage tele, not nearly as hot as the G&Ls
Tone: Very well balanced, strong mids, strong tele treble bite but not painful!
Sonic evaluation: So far I've tried it with my SF Fender Dual Showman and my little Trace Elliot Velocette. The bridge tone is wonderfully raw yet smooth--great bite with strong treble yet not too stinging. Gives all the benefits of traditional tele sounds without pain. And great dynamics!

The neck pickup, which is also from Harmonic Design, has very pretty midrange and good raw bite. What I like most about this choice of pickups is that the same amp and tone control settings work well for both pickups, unlike the usual tele setup with a much darker tone from the neck pickup than the bridge pickup. I have a 4-way switch installed, giving me both the typical series combination and the added parallel combination of both pickups. The combinations produce distinct and interesting tones, close to the bridge in character but fuller. The usual series combination is similar to a traditional tele but more focused. The added parallel combination is quite close in character to the bridge alone but is a bit hotter and fuller with stronger low frequencies.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup has great Tele growl and is great for anything a traditional tele bridge pickup would be used for.


Overall Rating
Comments: I've been palying guitar for 35 yrs and electric for 10 yrs. I've had lots of Strat and Tele style guitars, including some Fenders. This G&L, with Harmonic Design pickups, is a real winner. The bridge pickup is similar to a SD Broadcaster in character but with smoother highs.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Kris Thorarinsson
As reviewed by "ark" on the Fender Telecaster Discussion Page:
My first impression of these is that they are really nice!  My relic Nocaster has always been a brighter guitar than my older Tele, but installing Scott's pickups really helped smooth that out.   The stock relic PU and the Rio Grande tall-boy neck PU had never matched up that well in this guitar and I had't been that happy with the sounds I was getting. Being vintage-style models these PUs aren't super hot, but they are louder than most stock, traditional-style Tele PUs. There's plenty of highs but they aren't tinny like the stock relic PU tended to be. The balance from string to string is also much better than most flat-pole PUs I've played. (how do you do that, Scott?)
I compared the HD bridge PU side by side to my original 1952 Telecaster and the sound was very, very close, I was real impressed by that. In fact the HD pickup is a hair louder than my old one, but there is no midrange EQ "hump" there, just nice even tone. The HD maybe is more even sounding that my real '52, but with a hair less "grind" or grit to the tone.
The neck PU is almost more impressive, it sounds like a good vintage neck PU, but loud enough to be useful. The Rio Tall-boy was in comparison more noisy, and I think the HD is more detailed, and warmer sounding. The two PUs blend real well -- the middle position tone is nice and spanky. And unlike with the Rio Grande, there's absolutely no magnetic "Strat syndrome" on the low strings -- the guitar now intonates and plays well all the way up the bass side!  Another plus -- both PUs are pretty quiet for single coils.
My general take on these is that their strong suit is a quality of smoothness and eveness of response. They are not compressed-sounding like a humbucker, and they are not sterile sounding. There's plenty of "snap", and a certain musicality, for lack of a better word. They also look very well made. Although they are fairly loud there is no compromise in the tone that is sometimes associated with overwound pickups. Any of you guys on a tone search should give some of these a try, I think you'd be impressed.
Al
VINTAGE PLUS TELE
...those pickups that I put in my tele KILL -- they totally transformed that guitar.
Bill Frisel
Hi Scott;
Just a note to let you know I installed the V+ pups in my 52'ri this weekend. Simply put, these are by far the best single coil pickups I've ever heard, period. Easily as quiet as my DiMarzio HS-2 stacked humbuckers I have in a strat. Great balance and tone and all the other nice things everyone says about them. But the thing that I like the most is the pups allow the natural tonality and resonance of the guitar to come through. Anyway, great pickups, and well worth it. Look real purty too!
Thanks,
Bob McLeod
Hi Scott!
I have installed the pickups in my guitars, and I’m very pleased. The Vintage Plus have a very clear sound, and sounds tremendous when distorted. Not at all thin, and is by far the best sound I have heard from any bridge pickup (I’m a neck man).
Again, thank you for the pickups. It’s a big pleasure to have them in my guitars!
Best regards, Sven Wickström
HUARÖD, SWEDEN
'til then. ~TB
Thanks! I got the vintage + tele set Saturday morning and used them live with my 6 pc band Sat night at a bar gig. They did everything you said they would and more! I just posted a review on harmony central but it is not up yet. I'm just sorry I didn't hear of your pickups before I threw a full set of 3 Van Zandts in my strat!
Thanks again
Paul Livoti, NY
Posted by Jim:
Hi Guys,
Today I installed the Harmonic Design Vintage Plus pu set in my American Standard Tele. Before I tell you my opinions let me tell you that I am a chronic PU changer until I get the exact tone I am looking for. I have used Duncan Broadcasters, Quarterpounders, Hot rails, Vintage Stacks, Dimarzio Pre-B1 and Chopper, and a "Old Style" set of Bardens.
The HD PUPs are amazing. Excellent note definition, pretty high output, lots of snarl on the bridge but no ear bleeding tinny tone. The neck PUP is the best I have ever heard period. The in between setting is SO MUCH BETTER. These PUPs are very dynamic. There are more tones to be had by varying your picking location than there were with the stock pups. So thanks to ARK, Timbo, etc.. on this list who gave me their reviews. BTW the pearloid neck pup looks great against the WD pickguard I had laying around.
Bottom line, I will buy more pups from Scott at Harmonic Design
Thanks, Jim
Scott, Hope Namm went well for you.
I got the pickups- in less than thirty minutes they were in my telecaster wailin' away. I spent about an hour settin the pickup height for maximum tone and volume. Man this thing really screams now. There is NO comparison to the weak, noisy sound I got before and the way it sounds now. This is the single most important investment in making a good guitar a great guitar!  I played Friday night in a small club using the new pickups - everybody in the band asked about my sound, they said I was playin better n' ever- but, IT was the pickups. The neck pickup is so sweet, mellow and loud.. we're talkin' real tone (harmonics I never new this guitar was capable of). When I switched to the bridge (Super-90) for solos I was really heard over the horn section.   I knew you guys made good pickups but that is an understatment. I'm talkin' great pickups! I have two other Telecasters with an array of Duncans- Hot tele stacks, hot rails for teles, I even tried the Famous Antiquities ( what a bunch of hype- My stock re-issue fenders were just as good). This is the first time I am very, very happy about my sound.
I also play a PRS and an EC strat through either a black face deluxe or Mesa/ Boogie Heartbreaker- This thinline Telecaster with your pickups is now my main axe!
Thanks guys- again Thank you very much.
Tony D
Posted by GuitarJonz:
The V+ give me all the tone, output and expressiveness I could ever ask for, and just make me want to play that tele all the time, I don't have to fiddle with the amp to get them to sound good, they always sound just great despite the guy behind the guitar! :-)
I installed a set of Scott's Vintage + in my '52 RI Tele, and I have to say all the raves I've read here. The bridge pickup is fuller sounding, more output with lower noise, smoother highs with plenty of twang. The neck pickup does exactly what I was hoping for. Less mush in the bass and lower mids, better upper mids and highs, better string balance and better balance with the neck pickup. The black cover looks dang cool with the '52 RI black pickguard, too.  These pickups would be a significant improvement on any Tele, and a major improvement on a Tele with cheap pickups. You pay a steeper price for them compared to other brands, but they are well worth it. Thanks to all those who brought these pickups to my attention, via the Telecaster Discussion Page
Go forth and twang,
Dave
In Reply to: Opinions wanted about Harmonic Design pups
Flat out some of the best pickups I've had the chance to play. Okay the best! The response with each string is very strong. I have the Vintage Plus in my 77 tele. I love the way you can really push the sound. A very wide range of tone. I play mostly blues and rarely pick up the strat anymore. I've also had many compliments on the sound. Dealing with Scott is no hassle and he is extremely helpful.
In Reply to: Opinions wanted about Harmonic Design pups
I just installed these last week, and I'm very pleased with them.  If you want a great, basic Tele sound, I don't think you'll go wrong with the V+. The Bardens I've heard seemed like a variation on the Tele sound. Not in a bad way, just different. I play in a honky tonk country band, and wanted to stay closer to the cliche Tele sound, and the HD V+ are dead on the money for the tone I'm after.
If you want a hotter sound, the S90, based on the P90 pickups, has recieved great reviews here. A friend of mine has a HD S90 equivalent in his Strat, and it rocks big time.
Scott just introduced a Strat pickup for the neck position of the Tele. One more option to consider...
Dave
Subject: Re: Another unsolicited testimonial
Scott - You would not believe the range of tone I'm getting now with the bridge Vintage Plus thru a BF Super Reverb with CTS Alnicos and a Vibrolux with Jensens – Harmonic is the correct term indeed, and using a Klon Centaur with a bit of overdrive throws in some of that controllable, bendable/shapable harmonic feedback when you want it, but with NO squeal -- just pure layers of lush harmonic chime.
Well, there you are, another satisfied customer.
David@Tonequest Magazine
n Reply to: HD Vintage Plus pickup review, Pt II -- the gig. posted by
ark on January 05, 1999 at 16:10:14:
>  I played the Harmonic Design "Vintage Plus" pickups on my New Year's Eve gig. This particular gig perfectly matched my set-up (Relic Nocaster with the Vintage Plus PUs into a VHT .45 amp) as it was mostly roots-rock music with a little blues, and the occasional country flavor.  I set the VHT for lower gain, like I would for humbuckers, as I wanted to be able to get loud, clean sounds and it worked fine. I still got plenty of crunch when I needed it using the VHT's overdrive channel and occasionally an overdrive pedal.
> I had some reservations about these PUs but as it turned out I really loved 'em on the gig.  I was getting these really BIG sounds live -- the other guitarist on this job had a  Les Paul with "hotter" pickups, some stomp boxes and a SS amp - this guy can play pretty good and gets a decent sound, but my Tele just sounded bigger, and it cut more, less dull and less muffled... amazing. HUGE twang! And, it still sounded like a Telecaster. I had a lot of fun...
> I hate to sound like a paid shill for Scott and just keep gushing about these pickups but folks, this guy is really on to something here with these designs. These pickups just aren't like regular PUs ala Duncans, Fralins, Van Zandts etc. which are basically just small variations on Fender's original designs -- they are a new design and are a different thing but in a really good way, it's a significant improvement. It's like the PUs take the best part of the sound and make it louder without screwing it up or adding noise, I don't know how else to describe it. Although the Vintage Plus' are higher output PUs, they way they stay clear at higher volumes is just very impressive, and the tone remains really full.
> Anyway, anyone wanting to experiment with different PUs on a Tele, I don't see how you could possibly be disappointed with the V+ models.
> Al
Well, I can't resist following up on this one. I installed a Vintage Plus bridge pu on a '54 tele I was restoring and I'm convinced that HD Vintage Plus pu's are the absolute best sounding pu's I've ever heard in a tele, period. HARMONIC is an apt description, as in total harmonic range that far surpasses original 50's vintage tele pickups, Duncans, etc. I don't know what Scott's done technically, but he's nailed it pure and simple.
Dave
I can't tell you how pleased with Scott's pickups I am. I have 2 sets now— a Strat Set and a Tele Set. Wonderful. All my other guitars sound dead as doornails to me now. New Doorways of sonic perception have been opened by Scott, the Pickup Guru. Savin' up to buy more-- and more-- and more...
Timbo
Posted by ark :
In Reply to: Bardens vs. Harmonic Design Vintage Plus pickups posted by GuitarJonz
> Has anyone compared these 2 pickups side by side? I'd love to hear an opinion of that. They are both high power pickups, but the Bardens are $250 a set, the HDs are $150. The Bardens are obviously more well known, probably mostly due to Danny Gatton. Anyone played both and can offer a comparison??
OK, I volunteer... I've tried a set of the Bardens, and the Harmonic Designs, (both the '54 Specials and the Vintage Plus).
First, I didn't like the Bardens all that much, this was before I before even I knew about the HDs. I tried and then removed the Bardens from my old '52 Tele early last year. I didn't care for the bridge PU, too "clean & perfect" sounding for my tastes... not enough personality, kind of "flat" -- the neck PU I liked a little better, I kept it in the guitar for awhile along with the stock bridge PU as it was a pretty good match, but it still was too compressed sounding, typical of humbuckers and I eventually took it out and sold it.
I'm a single-coil guy at heart, especially with Fender-style guitars. I liked the HD pickups a lot better for my style, the '54 Specials are really a nice, slightly improved Fender sound and they are very quiet and smooth for single coils. I much prefered them to the Bardens when I installed them some months later, I liked the way they reacted to my touch. I also like the Vintage Plus set a lot which are more powerful and thicker-sounding but still retain the single-coil quality and dynamic range. In spite of my last V+ review, I think I'm still on the fence about which I prefer, the '54s or the V+, but I liked them both better than the Bardens.
A lot of players say they like Joe B's PUs a lot, they just didn't work out for me. Both brands are well made, but they really differ in sound, construction and philosophy of tone...
Al
Well, I took the plunge, and last week received a set of HD V+ tele pups. The '52 RI with HDs thru my BF princeton reverb is just an incredible vintage tone. I have to say they are the best sounding tele pups I've ever had (I've had many)...very expressive with great string to string balance. They make me just want to keep playing and enjoying all the the great sounds. All 3 positions very useable, just plain killer tone, with more power and volume, but no middy-muddy tones that many overwound pups have. I wanted to wait a few days to assemble my thoughts, but can honestly say that these are just outstanding pups. Everything I've read on them is on the mark; there are a few reviews on Harmony Central, if you want to read more about them. I think that the pup search is finally over, and that's quite a testemonial from a confirmed gearhead. Highly recommended. Nice job Scott!!
> Posted by ark: In Reply to: Question for Scott and other HD owners posted by Craig Lyons
> I'm looking for a Tom Petty/Keith Richards type of sound, kind of a no-nonsense rock sound, with some country thrown in here and there.
Craig, I've tried both sets of pickups, both at home and on gigs and they are both good -- but from what you are saying, I'm pretty sure you'd prefer the Vintage Plus set over the '54 Specials. They have a meatier, thicker more rock n roll sound than the '54s, but still retain the Tele character and brightness -- they definitely don't sound dull or anything like that.
The 54's don't sound thin by traditional Tele standards, but they don't have as big of a sound as the V+ do. The V+ are a nice middle ground in between more traditional Tele twang and heavily overwound, high output humbuckers & the like.
All of Scott's PUs are very high quality and they are a little different (in a good way) from the other stuff that's out there. I reviewed these pickups on the TDP last year and would be glad to email you a copy if you want to read them.
Al
I just got a set of HD Vintage Plus pickups for my Schecter SPT tele a few days ago and I must say I really really like 'em. I'd tried a bunch of bridge pickups in this guitar before: the original Schecters (too dull), SD Broadcaster (harsh in this guitar), SD Alnico II pro (sweet but no meat), SD Nashville studio (more like it, but still a strange hollowness to the tone in this guitar). The HD Vintage plus has more output than old-style tele pickups, more similar to the SD Nashville Studios. It is quite bright enough, thank you, for my taste. And it's great for both clean and rock and blues overdrive. The neck pickup has similar output and strong midrange emphasis. The pickups combined (both series and parallel) sound fantastic too. The tonal variety provided by these pickups is just fantastic.
I really like these pickups, and from what you say I think you'll like 'em too. My quest is over: these pickups stay in my guitar.
Good luck!
Greetings from Iceland!
Kris
------------------------------------------------------------------
In Reply to: Question for Scott and other HD owners posted by Craig Lyons on
:
Craig,
I think maybe I can help out a little here. I feel like I know what you mean tone wise because I was looking for the same thing.  The Vintage Plus Pickups are the best pickups I have ever heard and I Couldn’t be happier. The sound is exactly what Scott says they are; 100% beefed up tele. Not too skinny, not too fat.....Man, I wish you could come over and play my guitar, Craig.  If you want no nonsense singing rock and roll tele that can still turn around and do the old tele TWANG THANG; I think you'll be happy....If you want the same old crap and the same old hype(IMHO); you wont be happy.
As far as who they sound like....I don't think i can name anyone off hand that this pick up nails because I think it can nail anything in the rock category (and beyond) but I will say this....The minute I plugged 'em in, they just sounded like me...and that's more than I have gotten from any other pickup. I put em in last Friday, had band practice Sunday, ordered another set for Guitar 2 on Monday. One last thing....I recommend getting the whole set (bridge & neck), the tonal possibilities are incredible. Scott Peterson is a cool guy and really seems to love and stand behind his stuff.
A Harmonic Design customer for life, Cj3
Model of guitar or bass: 51 Nocaster Re Issue
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fender Stock Pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Fender lipstick neck
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): all
Reason for pickup change: original pickup was microfonic plus read articles and heard the pickup in a friends gtr.


Sound
Perceived output level: Output is high but musical
Tone: Harmonically balanced
Sonic evaluation: Its in a 51 Nocaster reissue played through AC/30, 61 Vibrolux & a 59 Basman Reissue

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: All styles the pickup holds up like a champ


Overall Rating
Comments: Hands down it sounds like the best Tele or Broadcaster pickup I ever played or heard.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Anthony
Model of guitar or bass: mutt Telecaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: standard tele types, manufacturer unknown
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): blues, country, rocknroll
Reason for pickup change: wanted better tone


Sound
Perceived output level: much higher output than stock
Tone: perfectly balanced
Sonic evaluation: The guitar's a mutt. Started out life as a copy of a '52 RI tele, so a copy of a copy, unknown body wood but probably hard ash or alder, pretty heavy but not a rock. Now has Warmoth neck with rosewood board, heavy truss rod, six steel saddle bridge, strings through body. Standard tele wiring. I felt this guitar had potential as its loud unplugged and has good sustain, you can really feel the body vibrate. It was very limited tonally with the original pups however. It had a nice spanky tone in the middle position but the bridge alone was shrill and the neck by itself muddy. You could not eq around these basic characteristics. Put in the Harmonic Design V+ set and what a transformation! (Amps are Cage 18/30 head w/2X12 V30 cab, '64 Princeton with Weber C10Q) The guitar is now warm, punchy and loud, but still a tele, with three distinct and very usable tones. The neck pup has some bite but its smooth and transparent - great for melodic chording, lyrical soloing, rhythm work. No hint of the mud. Middle position is classic tele spank, just fatter. Bridge, and this where there may be a negative for some tele people, lots of bite but not shrill, a little gritty, more mids than vintage type - so if you want pure clear twang a la the Baron of Bakersfield you'd probably prefer Scott's '54 model (but he'll tell you that himself - give him a call). The V+ model's for a more 'modern' country tone, or blues, or rock, or ? In short, these pups just give you great tonal quality and flexibility, what you do with it is up to your hands and imagination.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The manufacturer says 'these'll turn any decent tele into a tone machine', or some such. I agree. The guitar is far more flexible, suitable for many styles.


Overall Rating
Comments: These are the bomb, no doubt. I'm thinking about putting together another tele with the '54s from HD for a pure vintage vibe. I'm thinking about changing all my other guitars over to HD pups too. My strat sounds weak to me now, it must need HD pups. I've been playing gitter since the Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan show. I've played lots of different instruments, different pups. I won't claim to have tried everything else out there, but now I don't need to! One more thing - when I got the shipment the packing list bore the motto 'Free parking - Great Pickups - Cold Beer'. Now there's a guy after my own heart.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster 66´ with body of oak
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: SD Quarter Pounder
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson Mini humbucker (from a Les Paul Deluxe 70`)
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Blues
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a full sound of the bridge pickup, capable of matching the neck humbucker.


Sound
Perceived output level: Hot, perfect match for neck humbucker
Tone: Full, balanced.
Sonic evaluation: I was looking for THE bridge pickup, and found it! It has a full sound, that gets even better distorted. Very balanced, not thin at all, not to trebly, and not boomy, just great.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, could play some country too with this pickup.


Overall Rating
Comments: I would not replace this one!

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Sven Wickström
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: '78 Fender telecaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan classic stack & duncan Hot tele rhythm
Artists using this pickup: See their website!http://www.harmonicdesign.net
You musical style(s): blues & rock
Reason for pickup change: Had these duncans for a few years and needed a change. Real glad I did!


Sound
Perceived output level: Fatter, louder, juicier than any tele pickup I've heard so far
Tone: Well balanced, very articulate, lots of overtones when used with a overdrive pedal
Sonic evaluation: I use a 73 Fender deluxe reverb with a celestion vintage 30 speaker loaded in it. For my gig this past saturday night, the stage was too small for my pedalboard (and the 5 other guys I play with) so I plugged the tele right into my original ibanez tube screamer and then into the amp with a little reverb. First I thought the pickups were really noisy with the tube screamer turned up, but it was due to the shitty wiring in the club. The ground switch on the amp helped a bit. When I used the middle position, there was no hum-due to the hum cancelling wiring of the 2 pickups together.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play classic & contemporary rock in a cover band


Overall Rating
Comments: I would recommend these to other tone fanatics like myself who strive for the best sound you can get. I have been playing over 20 yrs. My tele neck pickup covered sounds from SRV, Clapton, Kenny Wayne. The middle position was great for "I know a little" from Skynyrd and for "Green River" by Creedence. The bridge pickup was great for "Dixie Chicken", "House is Rockin'", "Southbound". Plus you can get close Gibson Humbucking sounds by rolling back the tone control a bit. I never thought my tele could be so versatile! All due to the pickups...it never sounded this good before. Completely satisified with these..they will never be removed and made a ho-hum tele KICK-ASS! One downside..there are no dealers discounting retail prices so you have to buy them direct from the mfg. They are expensive, so I cant give them the Fantastic Value, but what the @#$%! I will anyway. Scott was a big help getting my order to me in time for my gig, which is the only way to evaluate a new pickup, I feel. I bought these purely on the reviews below, and guess what..they were right.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Paul
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: Telecaster (home-built from Warmoth parts)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Rio Grande Muy Grande (neck) / Lindy Fralin (bridge)
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, R&B, Rock, C&W, Pop, Jazz
Reason for pickup change: Looking for sweeter clean sounds and improved middle position (both pickups)


Sound
Perceived output level: Louder than stock or reissue Fender, and louder than Van Zandt; Less distorted than Muy Grande or Lindy Fralin
Tone: Balanced with very wide frequency response - almost hi-fi.
Sonic evaluation: Swamp Ash Tele in nitrocellulose lacquer, std. Am. Tele wiring, Fender 1965 Deluxe Reverb Reissue with RCA Blackplate tubes, Ibanez TS-10 TubeScreamer with brown mod + Vox Valve-Tone 810 + Boss CH5 Chorus-Ensemble + Ibanez EM5 Echo Machine.

The Harmonic Design Vintage Plus pickups were clear yet rich. Every note remained distinct. Clean tones blossomed and rang. Honk and Twang remained only bigger and louder. Sounds like a Tele in perfect health! Drove my pedals with more juice. Gorgeous sound - rich, transparent, chimey with honk, twang and power.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, Rock, R&B, Pop, C&W, Jazz. These pickups would provide improvements anywhere single-coils are desired.


Overall Rating
Comments: I am completely satisfied. The sound is wonderful. The pickups appear to be very well-made. I can get all the sounds I was missing while still getting the ones I had and liked. I plan on replacing my Strat pickups with the Strat Vintage Plus. These are aimed at professionals.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Brian Metelits
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: G&L ASAT Classic
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, country, blues
Reason for pickup change: Original pickup went microphonic


Sound
Perceived output level: About the same as the stock G&L MFD pickups, which are stronger than regular Tele pickups
Tone: Full and harmonically rich
Sonic evaluation: Played through Roland JC 120, Peavey Classic 30 and Fender Pro Jr., these pickups are louder and richer than anything I've heard. They are "hot" in terms of output, but they do not push to distortion like some high-putput pickups.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The V+ neck will turn your head around if you're used to regular Tele neck pickups. It can do about everyting - from rhythm work to jazzy leads. The bridge pickup offers twang-plus. Not nearly as harsh as regular teles, but still plenty of twang to cut through on country leads. About the only thing you can't do with these is ultra-high-gain Korn noises.


Overall Rating
Comments: Definitely worth the price. In fact, as money comes in, I'd like to put HDs on all my guitars.

It's also worth noting that I needed these pickups for a gig and on short notice. Scott was very accommodating, promptly answered e-mails and phone calls, and was a pleasure to deal with.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: TeleJim
Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster 1962 Reissue
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fender pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Harmonic Design Super 90 (bridge)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Hard Rock, Alternative
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup sounded kinda dull and uninspiring. Wanted a hotter bridge pickup (the Super 90) and knew that I would need a louder neck pickup to match.


Sound
Perceived output level: The output level of the Vinatge Plus is significantly more than that of the stock pickup (at least 50% - 100% higher). Despite this increased output, the pickup has no "overwound" tone, i.e. is not muddy.
Tone: The midrange is sweeter and a little more pronounced than on the stock Tele pickup. The bass id definitely more prominant and better defined - not dark or "flabby". This pickup retains the sweet, high end twang of a traditional Tele pickup. The overall tone is well balanced and very musical. The sound is more "open", transparent and has a little more sparkle.
Sonic evaluation: This is easily the best sounding neck pickup I've ever heard in a Telecaster. The most striking aspect of this pickup is its output. It is much louder than a standard Tele pickup, yet retains a transparent, well balanced tone. None of that midrange "honk" one would normally expect with a high output pickup is evident. It is possible to get beutiful, liquid clean tones from the pickup, as well as rockin' overdrive tones. The pickup provides great clarity and excellent articulation of individual notes. You can hear each note ring out when you strum a chord and your notes don't get lost during fast pfrases.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I think there is no musical style this pickup would not be ideal for. Great for clean sounds, soloing, chording etc. The Vintage Plus still retains the character of a Tele neck pickup, but imrpoves on it condsierably.


Overall Rating
Comments: I doubt I will ever change pickups in this guitar again. I'm so impressed with the Harmonci Design Tele pickups that I'm going to investigate what their Strat pickups and humbuckers are like also.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Simon
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: Fender "Relic Nocaster"
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock Fenders
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Don't know, don't care
You musical style(s): American roots, funk, blues, R & B, etc
Reason for pickup change: Original pickups sounded real weeny and stiff


Sound
Perceived output level: Hotter than stock, but with no compromise in tone
Tone: balanced, full, loud, even response
Sonic evaluation: I use a VHT amp and a 1960 Tweed Bassman. These pickups are amazing, they sound loud and huge, with extended top and bottom compared to most Fender-style PUs. Unlike Fralins, Duncans, Rio Grands, Van Zandts, etc. these PUs are actually a new design, not just tinkering around with the original Fenders. The magnets and pole pieces are different... they are loud but somehow stay remarkably clear even when cranked, big and twangy. For perspective, I've been playing professionally since the early 70s, and I've owned a bunch of vitage Fender guitars '52 Tele which I still have. The tone of these PUs is killer compared to any other Tele replacement PUs I've heard. I got them direct form Scott Petersen, the manufacturer, for a cheaper than normal price as they were used demo models. But I'd buy them again in a second for full price ($75 each). The bridge PU is especially fine sounding, and the middle position with both PUs on is huge. The neck PU is very smooth and mellow, but still cuts, it keeps up with the bridge PU no problem, unlike the weak stock Tele neck PUs. These things sound very even from string to string, and as a plus there is NO magnetic pull on the low strings to mess up your intonation on the low strings, and they are also the quietest single coils I've ever used.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a lot of different stuff, I don't always use a Tele but for rock n roll, blues and other classic American style such as country, R & B etc. these will work great.


Overall Rating
Comments: I've never been happier with a Tele sound than with these PUs. It's like a Tele that's been pumping iron, and taking Viagra and Steroids. Even though they are higher output pickups, the Tele character is still retained. I'm pretty much satisfied with these PUs on this particular guitar, I think my search is over. My one small gripe is that the neck PU can be unclear on the lower strings, this has always been a problem on this guitar though... the HD pickups reproduce the low end almost TOO well for this guitar in the neck postition. However Scott from Harmonic Design tells me that he is tweaking the 1999 version of the V+ neck pickup to make the lower three stringt sound clearer. So I will probalby end up with one of those redesigned ones eventually. I was motivated to write this review because Harmonic Design is not as well know as Seymour Duncan, Fralin, and the others, but this is undeserved as their pickups are tops in my opinion. They sound much better that the more well-known stuff which more or less copies Fender's old designs but don't really improve on them.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Al Kaatz
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: '54 Telecaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: '67 tele bridge and original '54 neck pu
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Don't care
You musical style(s): Rock, blues
Reason for pickup change: Tele neck pickups are useless and the non-original '67 on my '54 lacked the range and depth I wanted. Both are in the case, however.


Sound
Perceived output level: Stronger output than the older tele pu's, particularly the neck pu.
Tone: The tonal possibilities with these pick ups far exceeds those of the originals without losing the classic telecaster tone. Deeper, richer bass, balanced mids and brilliant highs without those pesky shrill harmonic overtones and feedback problems that tele pickups are known for. Still sounds like a telecaster should, but BETTER in every regard.
Sonic evaluation: I'm playing through a '66 Vibrolux with Jensens, a '67 Super Reverb with CTS Alnicos, Klon Centaur overdrive and a Roland Chorus/Echo unit from the early '80s. The tone controls on amps generally are underused IMHO, and the Super in particular can be an unforgiving amp if you don't take the time to dial in your tone. The Harmonic Design pickups have made a huge difference in my ability to quickly establish the perfect blend of rich, subtle overdriven tone that's simply FAT.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play rock and blues and I'm usually running my amps just at the breakup point, 5-6 with the Centaur set for clean boost and barely a hint of echo and the reverb set at 2. These pickups can do it all -- country, Alberttone, anything but jazz, but then you wouldn't be playing that with a telecaster, would you.


Overall Rating
Comments: I'd buy these again, and if I ever had to replace the pickups in my '50s Strat, I'd go with Harmonic Design as replacements. I've been playing for 30 years and owned several Telecasters -- I love them, but they are somewhat limited in tone, and as I said, the neck pickups are worthless. Tried a Seymour Duncan Nashville Studio neck pu -- its OK for what it is, but it couldn't match up with the Harmonic Design bridge pu -- wimpy unless you're playing "Burnin' Ring of Fahr" every night.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Burst
SUPER 90 TELE
Model of guitar or bass: MIJ Fender 50's reissue Telecaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock Japanese Tele bridge pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Rio Grande Bastard
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): pop/rock
Reason for pickup change: weak and thin sound from stock pickup


Sound
Perceived output level: This is a Telecaster bridge pickup that's designed to sound like a P-90. I don't know if it does exactly since I've never heard a real P-90 in a Tele's bridge position, but it sure sounds like what I imagine that would sound like. I replaced the stock pickup because I wanted a pickup that would match the output and volume of the P-90's in my Epiphone Casino. I think the Super 90 is even a tiny bit louder, but not as noisy! It matches well with the nickel covered Rio Grande Bastard in the neck position. The output is very similar and they sound great together.
Tone: It's hard to put into words how a pickup sounds, but I think it definitely has that characteristic P-90 sound. It's very fat and kinda percussive with a nice chimey high end when clean, then punchy and raw at low gain, and then that smooth midrangey grind at higher gain. The pickup even has adjustable pole pieces like a P-90 so you can set the string balance just right.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using the pickup in a Japanese 50's reissue Tele with a Bigsby and nitro lacquer refinish through a Fulldrive 2, Rat, Fuzzrite clone, and a Vox AC15. The P-90 type pickups with the Tele are a nice marriage of Fender and Gibson sound. It doesn't really completely change the sound and make it sound like Les Paul Special or Jr, but really like a Tele with P-90's. There's still some of the Tele twang and feel, just fuller, stonger, louder, and more dynamic. The sustain is amazing too, especially when clean.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play 60s/70's/90's pop and rock including Beatles, Big Star, Elliott Smith, and Matthew Sweet type stuff. The pickup really made my Tele come alive for this style. The tone of the stock pickup was thin and trebley in comparison.


Overall Rating
Comments: I don't think I'd get any other replacement pickup if this one died or the guitar was stolen. P-90's are my favorite pickups and I was very excited to find out about this pickup. It is slightly expensive and it I had to wait 4 weeks to get it, but it's worth it. The only gripes I have with it are that the pole pieces are extemely difficult to adjust. One of them I couldn't even get to turn at all for fear of breaking the pickup, but I was still able to get it sounding how I wanted with the height screws and the pole pieces that I could move. Also, the top bobbin had a little extra plastic around the edges, like it was punched or sawed out of a larger piece of plastic but not sanded smooth or something. That's no big deal, but for the price it should really look good too. If you're looking for a higher output bridge pickup for a Tele definitely give this one a shot before you buy one of those muddy quarter pounder type pickups. Harmonic Design has great customer support as well, emails are answered with hours
Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster (reissue)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock bridge pickup
Other pickups on guitar: stock neck lipstick tube
Artists using this pickup: Me
You musical style(s): American
Reason for pickup change: Dissatisfied with output and tone of original pickup.


Sound
Perceived output level: Slightly hotter than stock
Tone: More midrangey than stock
Sonic evaluation: I run all my guitars through a two-amp setup--a dr. z carmen ghia (with songworks spring reverb pedal) and an old boogie combo. I also have a Line6 POD which I enjoy for recording and practicing (and evaluating pickups!). I have a cheap tele reissue which was a gift from a friend, and though it's more low-end than my other guitars, I like playing it. I enjoy tele players, but my country chops are nearly non-existent. The guitar needed some tweaks to the set-up, as well as the electronics, so when a friend told me about harmonic design's drop-in P90 tele pickup, I was intrigued (I love LP Jr.'s, don't own one). I ordered the 4-way switch to replace the ultra-noisy and defective stock unit. I get the three typical positions plus the two wired in series.

Previously, it was very difficult to get the original pickup to break up nicely. It was fine for clean stuff, but did not have a satisfying tone for playing leads with any manner of overdrive. That has all changed. The big difference with the Super 90 is how easily it breaks up, with even the slightest bit of overdrive present. The best adjective for it is raunchier. Lovely overtones, and that sensual feedback harmonic that comes from a note sustaining through a good amp. It does sound a little thin in combination with the stock lipstick tube, but that's to be expected. They're miles apart in terms of output, though in the 4th position (series), it's a slightly tweaked bridge pu sound which is nice for rhythm playing.

Some tele purists might not like the extra low-end and midrange that this pup provides, but for my style it's wonderful. It's turned my tele into a very valuable third option that does not duplicate any of the tones already available on my strat and les paul. And, as a bonus, the new switch seems to have added new life to the neck pup....which I attribute to poor quality control from whoever did the soldering connections at the factory.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: great for all non-hair-band spandex music


Overall Rating
Comments: The heck with it, I give it a ten....pickup choice is so subjective and needs-based, that my ten might be someone else's one. Country tele purists would do well to stay away, but if you want something with an authentic gnarly rock n roll tone on a tele, without getting into the mushy territory of overwound pups, this is a good choice. And no pickup can make up for a bad amp. I'm running through top-notch gear, which adds to the value of my $85 purchase.

The Super 90 is almost-many things......on a very clean tube amp, it's almost-jazzmasterish.....with some power tube overdrive, it's almost-LP Jr., with high gain, it's almost-like a 60s SG (with soapbars) I used to play years ago..........very versatile, but in a different way than trad tele pups.......I suspect it would be a great match with a matchless, a vox, a deluxe or super reverb (it sounds great on the POD bassman setting!), or an old marshall. It really sings through EL84s. I'd like to match it with the vintage plus neck pup eventually, but for now I'm just enjoying turning up the amps and waking up the neighborhood with the bridge pup. It's a winner.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: MIJ '62 Tele RI
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan Hot Lead Stack
Other pickups on guitar: Harmonic Design Vintage Plus Neck
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic/ "Indie" Rock
Reason for pickup change: No Pickups I tried made the guitar sound the way it's supposed to!


Sound
Perceived output level: Let's just say I'd replace my SD JBjr if I didn't have to cut holes in my '65 Epi.
Tone: Seems perfectly balanced after tweaking the height of the PU and adjusting the pole pieces
Sonic evaluation: I like Les Pauls. I think I like Les Pauls a lot because of Jimmy Page. I've had Les Pauls I've loved, and have tried to get the image of the coolest picture of Jimmy Page playing a beat up white Tele, so I tried a lot of Teles, and they all sounded like...Teles. Along comes this cheap Telecaster and I decided to make it my "project" guitar. I tried the stock pups, tried the SD Stack thing, but nothing came close to that Super 90 (w/ the Vintage Plus in the neck). I think the only thing "tele-ish" about the sound of this guitar now is the bridge, the rest is Leslie West Circa 1970! One thing I should mention, is that I have the pup wired straight to the jack (no tone control for the bridge). To say it holds up to any of my Les Pauls in the "balls" department is an understatement. (My Les Pauls are a '59 Special W/ a hot rodded P-100 in the bridge, '71 Deluxe W/ hot rodded P-100s and a '98 '58 Historic W/ a SD JB in the bridge. I also mentioned my '65 Epi Olympic that has a JBjr (that doesn't have as much gain or tonal range)at the bridge, if I didn't have to take some wood out and enlarge the hole in the pickguard, there'd be a Super 90 Tele in there too) I run these thru a '78 Marshall 50w JMP and '77 Marshall 4x12 and occasionally a Gibson Falcon (19w 1x12) Sometimes I use a Boss DS-1 but more often a Boss SD-1 for extra gain. Back to the Super 90- it has just enough "balls" to throw the guitar out of Tele Territory, and not so hot that you lose any tone (kinda think Boss DS-1 vs. Big Muff). I guess I've had these pups in here for about 7-8 months, and still haven't lost my love affair with them. The two things I think I can say are that when I play out, the Tele is one of the 2 guitars that come with me. The second thing is something a total Metalhead soundman said to me when I pulled the Tele out next to my '59, 'you can't match those guitars- that Tele is way too girly for your sound (I've known him for many years).' My simple reply was: "This is no ordinary Telecaster- She's got Harmonic Designs in her!" (God, Scott, if you don't use that for some sort of slogan!) After soundcheck, he totally agreed with me. Mentioning Scott there for a moment, he ALWAYS promptly returned my every email, and helped me out of a problem, and sold me on a set of Killer pups! I can't imagine a Rock guitar player not being at least happy with the sound of these pickups. For those of you (like me) that don't like the hum associated with single coil pups, noise isn't as much of a factor as I thought it would be- yes it is noisier, but better than most other hot single coils. I guess, the proof is in the puddin' and I choose my $400 krylon coated wonder over my $1000 prizes for most any gig.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: this pickup is perfectly suited for any type of "rock" application and plenty of other uses


Overall Rating
Comments: If these pups were destroyed or stolen, I'd have to wait and get another Tele much like this one, and Harmonic Designs would DEFINATELY go in it. I hate to say I've been playing for about 20 years (and I still suck!) but I love guitars and love to play them. The pickup combination of the Super 90 and Vintage Plus Tele PUs has stopped the search for THAT sound. There are still songs that belong to the Les Pauls, but for the most part the Tele can do them all. I did heavily customize this guitar based on my love for the layout of my '59 Special. I drilled out for an up-down toggle switch, and ran the lead of the bridge to the volume pot and straight to the switch, the neck pup has a .001mf Cap between the 11:00 and 12:00 tabs on the volume pot and goes to a tone pot that I put between the two stock knobs, then to the switch.

My only bitch is purely cosmetic, and is that the Vintage Plus doesn't come with a chrome cover. Scott told me the numerous reasons why, but I'd still like that "almost" stock look. But hey, that's not even supposed to be evaluated with this PU! By the way, I heard of Harmonic Design from someone on the OLD Gibson fan forum, I wish I could remember who- so I could thank them. If there was a way to rate above the 10- I would. Seriously, I love them, feel free to write and ask! I just wish I'd have known about this website a long time before!

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Dave Vegafria


Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: Fender Tele Plus (2 Tele pu, 1 Strat Pu)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Lace Sensor Gold Tele
Other pickups on guitar: Lace Gold Tele Neck, Lace Gold Strat Mid
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, Soul, Pop
Reason for pickup change: Was quite pleased with original PU, but was made an offer from dealer


Sound
Perceived output level: Hotter than original. Very open, clear sound. Fat,hot but NOT overwound.
Tone: Well Balanced, clear, pretty fat, with a nice treble bite
Sonic evaluation: Been playing for more than 20 years, had a lot of amps, now using Line 6 Flextone. I'm also using a Les Paul and a Strat. The TelePlus gives you all Tele sounds plus many Strat sounds, a real allround workhorse.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pu works for all kinds of music, maybe even Metal...


Overall Rating
Comments: This is it! My search for good Tele pickups is over. This pu gives you the clarity of a Tele and the fatness and mid punch of a P90. The Lace Sensor original was OK, Tele sounding without that extreme treble. But this is something else... Since I'm not a real Tele purist this works perfectly for me, you can still hear that the sound is coming from a Tele with that characteristic high biting but with so much more versatility and punch. Not humbucking but not very noisy. I would sure get one again if lost it.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: BBL
Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster 1962 Reissue
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan Vintage Broadcaster
Other pickups on guitar: Harmonic Design Vintage Plus (neck)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, indie
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a pickup with more drive, more of a "rock vibe". I was actually after less of a classic Tele, more of "Gibsoneqsue" sound.

(I should point out that the SD Broadcaster pickup is GREAT for vintage Tele tones)


Sound
Perceived output level: This pickup is much louder than vintage - probably 2x as loud. However it doesn't sound "overwound" in the least. Output is comparable to a full-sized P90.
Tone: The tone is well balanced. The bass is better defined, the treble slightly attenuatied and the mids are augmented compared to a vintage Tele pup. This pickup has a bold, brash, aggressive tone which I love. The overall tone is balanced and highly musical.
Sonic evaluation: The pickup is supposed to give you P90 tone from a single coil sized pickup - and I must say it comes very close to delivering on this promise! The clean tone is nice, although different to the clean tone of a vintage Tele pup. The sound is less twangy and more mid-rangey - less traditional. This pickup really shines when used with overdrive. It's very easy to get a fat, aggressive, ballsy rhythm sound as well as wailing, piercing lead tones. Pinch harmonics are easy to obtain. The overall tone is much fatter than that of a Tele - more akin to a p90 equipped LP.

One other thing. Despite the high output, this pickup is very QUIET. It 's not a hum-cancelling design, but is extremely quiet in operation anyway. Quiter than a cintage Tele pup - much quiter than a P90.
Scott,
I put the Super 90 in my Tele, using a steel plate, and it's rock and roll Valhalla around here. ...thanks for designing this great pickup.
Roger
Scott
Got my pickups installed in my Tele. Man do they sound great. They sound so good that I am thinking about installing some in my Strat. Thanks for some great sounding pups. I never knew that I could sound this good.
Tom Anderson
Hey Scott,
Sorry about the delay in writing back. The pickup sounds great. It's very balanced in how it reproduces the sound of all of the strings. Really fat with a smooth high end. I really couldn't be happier with it. I like a big thick clean sound from the bridge pickup (think Bill Frisell), and I considered going to a humbucking pickup but I didn't want to lose the subtleties of the single coil type pickup when I added more gain, so with your pickup I think I totally got the best of all worlds, and I didn't have to route out my guitar.
Thank you for the good deal on this great pickup.
Jim Estep (Kendrick Amplification)
HD's Super-90's are a German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix. They are all dog, and lots of it. When they bark, you pay attention and get a little scared. Their snarl is a thing of menace and beauty. HD 90's are not mean junk yard dogs. They are meticulously bred professionals made just for the job…
Timbo
Posted by Simon:
G'day everyone!
> I've been reading about a pickup called the "Super 90" by Harmonic Design. Apparently it delivers a P-90 (ish) tone but fits in a single coil Tele bridge slot. Has anybody heard/tried one of these pickups? I was wondering if/how  the pickup coil could be made wide enough to raise the capacitance of the pickup to what is required to create a P-90 type of sound.
> Any feedback would be much appreciated!
I have one in my '82' 52 Re-Issue and love it. I also owed at one time a LP Special Re-Issue and had the opportunity to play the Super-90 beside a real P-90. Obviously there are construction differences between the two guitars that will affect tone but I was amazed how similar they sounded. I sold the LP because I didn't need two guitars with basically the same tone and I prefer the feel of the Tele. I've had a lot of pickups in my Tele's over the years and this is one of my favorites. I'm amazed how much this pickup sounds like a P-90. Scott was easy to deal with too, answered all my questions and got the pickup to me quickly.
Review of Harmonic Design Pickups posted by Simon on May
09, 1999 at 20:29:06:
I was in the US recently on my honeymoon, and purchased a pair of Harmonic Design pickups while there. I installed them a week ago in my Tele '62 RI and I am so impressed with them, I thought I'd share my enthusiasm with you all!  I installed a Super 90 in the bridge and a Vintage Plus in the neck.  The Vintage Plus neck pickup retains the character of a Vintage Tele pickup but IMHO it sounds more musical. It has less of a "covered" sound (more stratty perhaps?). The midrange is sweeter, the highs more buttery and the bass more pronounced. The overall effect is a well balanced, liquid tone. The really surprising aspect of this pickup it its output. It is much louder than a traditional Tele pickup, but it doesn't sound "overwound" or muddy. It really is very musical. The pickup also looks cool in a white pearloid plastic cover!
The Super 90 is quite a departure tonewise from a traditional Tele bridge pickup. The pickup is designed to provide P-90 type tone despite its single-coil size. I must say that the Super 90 does a damn good job of delivering on this promise. The tone is loud, brash, fat and crunchy. Like the V+, this pickups does not sound overwound, but output is significantly higher than a standard Tele bridge pickup. The clean tone is still highly useable, though not a sweet as that of the original pickup. But when used with overdrive, this pickup really rocks! It still retains some characteristic Tele "bite", but with more of a snarl.
Another neat feature of this pup is the ability to adjust the height of individual pole pieces (just like on a P-90). This pickup is not for everyone - it is far more aggressive than a traditional Tele pickup. Definitely geared towards rock, rather than country.
Another impressive feature of both of these pickups is lack of noise. They don't profess to be hum-cancelling, but both are extrremely quiet. Even the Super 90 - with its high output level - is noticably quiter than the standard Tele pickup I replaced. I don't know how Scott does it!
A big thank you to Scott Petersen for making such great pickups. And Thank you to Scott and Ark for assisting me in my pickup selection.
I also outfitted a Tele with a Super-90, Vintage Plus pickup set, and love the sound.   These pickups sounds killer. This Tele can now go head to head with my Hamer Special, and not sound thin and plinky.
Next on the agenda is to buy a couple of Scott's Z-90s to breathe new life into my Les Paul with.
--cameron.
HD "Super 90" review posted by ark:
I've had this pickup in my Relic Nocaster for about two weeks now & have used it on several gigs. The Harmonic Design "Super 90" Tele bridge pickup is loosely modeled after the old Gibson P-90 but made to fit in a Tele hole. This is a very interesting pickup -- at first I didn't like it when playing at home, I thought it was going to be too dull sounding, but when I got it on the gig, it killed, especially on blues and R & B type of stuff, I could get this terrific Albert Collins kind of thing happening with it on the clean channel.
The nitty gritty of the tone -- It's LOUD with lots of fat midrange, but it's not "peaky" or honky sounding. It has a smoothness to it that all of Scott's PUs seem to have, and it still retains clarity.  The high end is rolled off a bit, just like a real P-90. The bass is incredibly huge, punchy and clear. The clean sound is great, but it's not a traditional tele sound, it's like a steelier sounding P-90.   There is nothing thin-sounding about this pickup. Being so loud it also does a great job of driving pedals.  This is not a pickup for tele traditionalists, but for someone who want a big tone that still cuts through.
The Super 90 shines when overdriven, it gets real creamy and greasy sounding, and you can get those funky harmonics on the low strings real easy, at least on my guitar. Of course it's not gonna sound exactly like a Les Paul when used with a Tele bridge plate on a 25" scale guitar made from ash & maple... so there is still a Tele sound in there. Scott says they sound even more like a real P-90 if you use a non-ferrous bridge plate that doesn't affect the magenetic field. Oh yeah, it's also cool to have adjustable pole pieces on a Tele! You can get the string balance just right.
Combined with the latest version of the Vintage Plus neck PU, the middle position is great for clean rhythm stuff. I had originally complained about the bass on the V+ neck being a little muddy -- the re-designed V+ neck PU is better balanced than the first one I tried, the lows are clearer.
I brought my (real) PAF-equipped 50s Les Paul to the first gig as a backup in case I didn't like the Super-90 guitar, but that wasn't a problem. I alternated sets with the two guitars and the Tele with Super 90 was louder -- wow.
Al
Posted by Cj3:
Ok...a couple of people had asked me to review and compare the HD S90 and Vintage + pickups. First off, I'd like to say that either of these pickups are at the absolute top of their class and anything I say here is relative to my own opinions, tastes and general quirks. It's also only fair to warn that I'm not much of a "vintage" tone guy at least in the traditional sense. I currently have my S90 set up on a ’52 Tele RI. The neck PUP is an HD V+ which I think is the ONLY neck PUP there is. I have to say I have honestly found my pickup and I've tried (too) many. In one word the S90 is HUGE sounding. It's fat, loud, brash, creamy, sparkly and positively the most musical sounding pickup I've ever heard.  I don't think it's as "tele" as a lot of TDPers typically might like but I'd also question why anyone would be considering a P90 type of pickup if old school twang is their desire. Don't get me wrong though…it's not that it can't twang…it can…but vintage it is definitely not. I feel I can get any tone I need out of this thing. Bottom line…the S90 has all the output and attitude of a P90 with the steely sparkle and clarity we all come to the Tele for. Best of both worlds.
If closer to traditional tele is what you want, my choice would be the V+.  The V+ is exactly what the name implies and the S90 is the missing link between the Tele and Les Paul. That's the way I hear it.  I also want to say that I don't think anyone can go wrong with ANY of Scott's products. I don't know how, but he can get high output and super high-detailed clarity out of every pickup he builds. Even the S90 achieves all that I have said without ANY of the crappy overwound dullness that "P90 emulators" such as Quarter pounders and the Lil 59 possess.
OK I gotta tell all you tone-tweakers about something that I did that I'm totally stoked about... In my dealings with Scott from Harmonic Design (I now have his PUs on three of my guitars) I asked him if he could custom-make me a tapped Super-90 pickup for an extra charge. He was willing and I've had it installed on a cheap alder tele for a few weeks now, and have done some gig testing with this setup.  This pickup looks like a stock Super-90 but you can switch in between the full Super 90 sound and a twangier, brighter "Vintage Plus" sound. (I also have an HD V+ pickup in the neck position).  Recently I bought one of the 4-way tele switches -- so now it's wired: neck PU, neck + tapped bridge, tapped bridge, full Super-90 bridge. I'm telling you guys, with the 4-way switch this is THE BOMB! It's like fairly normal tele with that extra BIG sound available -- you can hit the full wound S-90 in the fourth position -- and bam! It's having two pickups in one. 
Unlike the split-humbucker thing (which I think sounds jive), the tapped single-coil works much better because the tap doesn't have to be only 1/2 of the coil, it can be hotter. With this setup, there isn't a huge volume difference, it just becomes extra fat when you kick in the whole coil. I think the split single coil idea is so cool that I've been bugging Scott to offer a tapped Super 90 as a custom order option and he's thinking about it... it would probably cost an extra $50, but well worth it since it virtually gives you two pickups in one spot, and both sounds are totally useful.
What's interesting to me, since I've been a vintage guitar die-hard for years, is how with Scptt's PUs and some proper set-up, relatively cheap guitars can sound terrific... I paid $450 for this California Tele and it’s now probably the most versatile guitar I've ever had, period, and will probably be a gigging mainstay...
I pay full price for these PUs too by the way, so this is NOT a paid advertisement...
Al
Harmony Central reviews:
Wanted a pickup with more drive, more of a "rock vibe". I was actually after less of a classic Tele, more of "Gibsoneqsue" sound.  This pickup is much louder than vintage - probably 2x as loud. However it doesn't sound "overwound" in the least. Output is comparable to a full-sized P90.  The tone is well balanced. The bass is better defined, the treble slightly attenuatied and the mids are augmented compared to a vintage Tele pup. This pickup has a bold, brash, aggressive tone which I love. The overall tone is balanced and highly musical.
The pickup is supposed to give you P90 tone from a single coil sized pickup - and I must say it comes very close to delivering on this promise! The clean tone is nice, although different to the clean tone of a vintage Tele pup. The sound is less twangy and more mid-rangey - less traditional. This pickup really shines when used with overdrive. It's very easy to get a fat, aggressive, ballsy rhythm sound as well as wailing, piercing lead tones. Pinch harmonics are easy to obtain. The overall tone is much fatter than that of a Tele - more akin to a p-90 equipped LP.
One other thing. Despite the high output, this pickup is very QUIET. It 's not a hum-cancelling design, but is extremely quiet in operation anyway. Quieter than a vintage Tele pup - much quieter than a P90.
...Stronger output than the older tele pu's, particularly the neck pu. The tonal possibilities with these pick ups far exceeds those of the originals without losing the classic telecaster tone. Deeper, richer bass, balanced mids and brilliant highs without those pesky shrill harmonic overtones and feedback problems that tele pickups are known for. Still sounds like a telecaster should, but BETTER in every regard.  The Harmonic Design pickups have made a huge difference in my ability to quickly establish the perfect blend of rich, subtle overdriven tone that's simply FAT.
These pickups can do it all -- country, Alberttone, anything but jazz, but then you wouldn't be playing that with a telecaster, would you.
Comments: I'd buy these again, and if I ever had to replace the pickups in my '50s Strat, I'd go with Harmonic Design as replacements. I've been playing for 30 years and owned several Telecasters -- I love them, but they are somewhat limited in tone, and as I said, the neck pickups are worthless. Tried a Seymour Duncan Nashville Studio neck pu -- its OK for what it is, but it couldn't match up with the Harmonic Design bridge pu.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value
Submitted by: Burst
MINI-STRAT NECK PICKUP
Hi Scott,
This "mini strat" neck pickup you sent me is the bomb!   It's something I've always wanted in a tele -- that sweet strat neck pickup tone.   But of course I never wanted to route out my 1952 Telecaster to put a strat pickup in there.  The thing sounds just perfect... and the blend with the bridge pickup is a whole new world.  Unlike with your average stock tele, the middle switch position is now a very nifty, chirpy sound.  That old guitar was always great but it just got way more useful...
Thanks a million!
Allen
HOLLYSHITBATMAN
What a nice match Scotty, you have beamed them up! Wow, they sound great. It's a perfect match for that guitar, I love 'em both. I played last weekend with that guitar and it ROCKS, I played it through a 67' Black Twin , a 58' Tweed Twin, and a custom made Tweed Twin with reverb and D120's, I like the sound best thru the 67', COUNTRYSASS! So thanks once more Scott, that's the second guitar you've saved for my big country-ass.

Thanks Again Scott,

Redd Volkaert

“Send the demo back!? Yeah right. Hahahahahaha! No way you’re getting this puppy out of my guitar.”
-- some guy we know
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: '62 Re-issue Telecaster
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan Hot Lead Stack
Artists using this pickup: N/A
You musical style(s): Rock/Folk Rock
Reason for pickup change: I've always loved the sound of Strat rhythm pickups but didn't want to carve out my Tele. I couldn't resist when I heard that they made one that is the same size as a Tele rhythm pickup.


Sound
Perceived output level: Similar to my stock rhythm pickup.
Tone: Very balanced, incredibly open sounding pickup
Sonic evaluation: This pickup really lived up to my expectations. First of all, it has an incredibly sweet wide-open sound that sounds beautiful with a little bit of grit on your amp. Compared to my old Tele rhythm pickup it has more high end & more "fulth". One great thing is that the pole pieces match perfectly with the Tele (something you don't get if you install a standard Strat pickup). If all this weren't enough, the middle position setting is a thing of beauty. It sounds somewhere between a Strat & a Tele (as you might expect). It doesn't quite have the quack of a real Strat but it is much more musical that the standard middle-position setting on a Tele. I am currently playing through a Marshall Bluesbreaker combo (modified w/el34s), a Hot Rod Deluxe and a POD (for home recording). It sounds great through all of them.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for any style of music that a Strat would work for.


Overall Rating
Comments: If this were lost/stolen I would definitely buy it again. I have been playing for 22 years. This Tele has been my main guitar for 14 of them. In the past, I have tended to use Seymour Duncan pickups and have been pretty happy with them. I heard some great reviews of Harmonic Design pickups and decided to try this one out. The only "problem" that I have is that the mini-strat pickup makes my SD Hot Stack pickup sound congested & small in comparison. I just ordered one of their Vintage + lead pickups to remedy the situation.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Michael Papenburg
Scott,
I installed the ("Little Strat") pickup you sent.  I am confused because the new pickup sounds better than the Duncan neck pickup in my Strat.....it is fuller and richer, which I think is what everyone says about your pickups regardless of model.  It has the single coil sound nailed, with a nice touch of glass.....and not harsh (in fact, it's very smooth and has a great feel to it). I also REALLY like how it sounds in combo with the bridge pickup. So at first impression, the new pickup sounds fuller and richer to me than a standard Strat neck pickup. Anyway, I'm not really confused, I like the new one better. I plan on playing it every day, will give you further impressions as they arise...
Thanks,
Amos
Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster with Strat 3-pickup configuration
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan Vintage Broadcaster (bridge), Duncan Custom Staggered Strat (middle)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Country, Blues, etc.
Reason for pickup change: I wanted a Strat neck pickup tone in my Tele, but I didn't want to have the stock neck pickup cavity or pickguard routed out to fit a standard Strat pickup. The Harmonic Design Mini-Strat for Tele is sized to drop right in the existing cavity/pickguard with no modification.


Sound
Perceived output level: Balances well with the Duncans
Tone: Perfect Strat neck tone. Plus, it seems to have a clarity and power lacking in other Strat style pickups.
Sonic evaluation: The review above by Michael Papenberg pretty much says it all. If you are looking for a Strat neck pickup tone for your Tele, or is you are just in the mood to experiment and try something different on your Tele, you can't beat this pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good match for all the musical styles I play. You can't get a true Strat 'quack' in the mid/neck position, no Tele ever will, regardless of the pickups............but you can get very close by adjusting the height of the neck and middle pickups relative to each other.


Overall Rating
Comments: I definitely would replace this pickup. I wish I would have known about Harmonic Designs before I bought the Duncans, I would have bought a lead and middle pickup as well (I eventually will get HD's as $ permits).

Been playing 30 years, live bands, studio, etc.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Amos
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: 1993 G&L ASAT Classic, ash body, maple neck
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Original G&L MFD pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Harmonic Design 54 Special bridge pickup
Artists using this pickup: Yes, many
You musical style(s): 70's rock, blues, some pop, a bit of country
Reason for pickup change: I never did like the MFD pickups. My favorite sounds are vintage strat neck and tele bridge so, once the choice was offered by Harmonic Design, that's what I got.


Sound
Perceived output level: Slightly beefed up compared to vintage strat pickups
Tone: Warm, good treble edge, strong mids
Sonic evaluation: Tube amps, mainly Trace Elliot Velocette and '68 SF Fender Dual Showman through a 4x10 cabinet with Celestion speakers.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is a great match for the music I play, good punch for rock, sweet tone for blues and pop.


Overall Rating
Comments: This is the best strat neck sound I have ever achieved, and believe my I have tried a lot of different things. I may be getting the same pickups for another Tele that I'll hopefully get as a backup guitar.

Despite the sweet warm tone, this pickup also growls and twangs when needed. It is very sensitive to picking attack, very dynamic, so the sound is very controllable--if you want snappy, or smooth, soft or loud, or any combination, it's all there. The bass strings come through beautifully with a great snap if you hit them hard--not muddy at all.

One thing I particularly like about this choice of pickups (HD mini-strat in neck, HD 54 Special in bridge)is that the same amp and tone control settings work well for both pickups, unlike the usual tele setup with a much darker tone from the neck pickup than the bridge pickup. I have a 4-way switch installed, giving me both the typical series combination and the added parallel combination of both pickups. The combinations produce distinct and interesting tones, close to the bridge in character but fuller. The usual series combination is similar to a traditional tele but more focused. The added parallel combination is a bit hotter and fuller with stronger low frequencies. Both combination tones are very musical.

Overall, a fantastic, dynamic, toneful and versatile result with these pickups.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Kris Thorarinsson
STP BRIDGE PICKUP
I received this pickup two days ago, and I installed it this morning. I just wanted to tell you, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is incredible. The bridge pickup has such a terrific Telecaster sound, and the combination of the bridge and middle strat pickup make a really unique Nashville sound as well. I love it so much, some time down the road I may look at buying a pickup from you guys for the neck. I doubt I will ever use the factory neck pickup much at all anymore, now that I have the STP on the bridge. I just cannot heap enough praise on you for how great this pickup sounds. And at such a reasonable price. THANK you! THANK you!

James
Rochester, MN