I'm not a long time Tele player so I cannot compare this pickup with others. I chose these for my first Tele because I wanted a vintage Tele sound and that's exactly what I got. I have many guitars so I don't need to hot rod my Tele. Now I also carefully shielded all pickup and control cavities on the instrument as well as the back of the pick guard so the noise is not an issue even with high gain Plexi style amp.

I installed the Pure Vintage '51 Telecaster pickups in my Fender Vintera II Nocaster, and they completely transformed the guitar. I also swapped to a roasted maple soft-V neck and rewired the electronics with a .047 Mallory cap, a 280k volume pot with a "TV5" 1 nF silver-mica/150k treble-bleed,a 250k tone pot, and a 4-way switch. The result is everything I hoped for and more.

These pickups deliver that classic early-'50s Tele character: clear, punchy, dynamic, and full of that dry, woody snap. The neck pickup is warm and articulate without getting muddy, and the bridge has the perfect blend of bite and body. The 4-way switch adds a powerful series option that gives the guitar a whole new voice while still staying true to the Tele sound.

Before buying, I listened to several YouTube comparison videos, and IMHO these out prerformed some much more expe.ve sets. Now that they're in my guitar, I'm even more impressed.

Huge thanks to Colton and John at Sweetwater for the excellent service and guidance. Couldn't be happier with the tone, feel, and overall result.

Read More Show Less

Recently given a Squire Telecaster. Pups were to be expected bad and were. Patrick guided me through the selection of pups based on what I was after. These are amazing! Totally different guitar now. Amazing tone and twang.
Only issue was opening the neck pup opening on the pickguard to accommodate new pup
Thx Patrick!

I recently retired and one of the gifts was a Squire Tele with the company logo added to it. At first I thought it was a nice gesture, a wall hanger for memories. I noodled with it, without an amp, for a few days and really like the neck and the way it felt but the sound was awful. After speaking with Patrick at SW, he pointed me towards the Fender Pure Vintage '61 Tele replacement pups. OMG! It took this Squire to a completely different level. LOVE IT.

I did have 2 minor issues. The neck pup pickguard opening had to be opened slightly to fit the pup. In addition, the tubing used to replace the pup springs was not the complete set so I used some comparable tubing to fit.

Bottom line . . . . well worth the $.

Thanks Patrick

If you are looking for that classic Tele twang, these are perfect. CLear and balanced. I would have given them a 5, but the bridge pickup was D.O.A. Sweetwater shipped a replacement immediately.

I installed these pickups in my 2008 Fender American Nashville Tele B-Bender, and WOW—they've finally given me the sound I've been searching for! The flat pole bridge pickup delivers a snarly, cutting tone that's absolutely perfect for my style. For the middle position, I added the Seymour Duncan SSL-1 Vintage Staggered Pole Strat Single Coil Pickup, and together, they unlock that signature Nashville sound with incredible clarity and definition.

I wired all three pickups exactly like the originals, and the result is phenomenal. However, it's worth noting that the Fender Vintage '51 pickup set and the Seymour Duncan SSL-1 Vintage middle pickup (RWRP) are not in phase. Unfortunately, I had to return the RWRP model and swap it for the standard bridge/neck version. Once I made that change, everything blended beautifully.

If you're chasing classic tones with a modern edge, this setup is a game-changer!

Read More Show Less