@V Thanks, some people just don't see that... you could put a $10k guitar and a $250 guitar through a Fulltone OCD and they will sound very much alike! Thanks for listening
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Not that I think there is a huge difference in them but if I may, are your Bardens Vienna made or Manassas made? Either are very good pickups and were my favorites in the demo. Of course the old fender pickups sounded good too just not as articulate as the Bardens. Great Demo Thanks!
I wonder how many people could pick out the '56 is this had been a true blind test without even naming the candidates before hand. Thanks for posting and thanks for not using distortion, or god awful delay.
The originals had the full spectrum and clarity. Just sparkle. The Kinmans are second. The CS Broadcasters had nice modern low end. The others were unremarkable for me.
Hi Guil... after this video, I tweaked the back pickup by just 1/32 of an inch and it made a huge difference! Sounded much clearer with more presence. I love Bardens, just know height makes a difference. Thanks for watching!
The 56 has it all. Sweet lows, sparkling highs.. the right mids. - The Bardens seem tamer but have a similarly pleasing spectrum of frequencies. The others are all missing a lot compared to the 56... but all fine sounds regardless. That 56 is a treasure.
Great video - very excinting ! Doing the comparison under clean-conditions is additional the best way to realize how good the Tele-sound is. Thank you very much !
This is probably the most informative pickup comparison I've ever seen. Well-played, well-recorded, organized by pickup position, no overdrive or effects. The Kinman neck pickup really impressed me but I don't think anything touches the vintage bridge pickup. What a special guitar you had there, too.
Holy cow! This was spectacular. I was going to get Bardens until I heard this. Nothing wrong with those at all, but the Kinmans are definitely more of what I’m looking for.
I have a thinline with Nocasters in both neck and bridge, and was basically here to check out the Bardens. But really the guitar with the Nocaster Bridge/ Twisted Tele was my favorite (aside from the sweet purity of the original 56). This is maybe the fourth time I've ended up talking myself out of the Bardens (and in this case , into a Twisted Tele neck pickup). I see other comments praising their *clarity*, but they sound like the sparkle is completely gone. I played with a great player for years who had Bardens in a G&L Tele and sounded fantastic, though always had a bit of overdrive in his sound. I think for what I like in a truly clean sound they just lack the harmonics and sparkle I like to have, even if I do roll some of it off with the tone knob.
That is a great idea... I'd like other the Barden's with 500k's too... if I ever do it, I'll be sure to let you know... thanks for the good idea and for listening!
Too me the difference was so minimal your amp settings could compensate for any of it. I do appreciate your non distortion approach to make the comparisons as that is the true voice . Thanks from an every night tele player
Each pickup has it strengths and weaknesses. I am going with a set of Barden pickups for the double coil him cancel and the sound is a bit fuller than a single coil however they don’t look as nice 😂!
I'm here on RUclips searching for Tele pickups, and I run across this video...I own a Warmoth Tele that I built that has the Joe Barden Danny Gatton pickups, and I play it through my Kemper Stage with my favorite profile....you guessed it, the Carr 6V. Maybe I should stop looking. Lol
Excellent comparison and thank you for doing it with clean sounds. 56 and Kinman for the bridge, 56 and Barden at the neck for me. And yes, I watched it all the way through. Right up to the curious spelling and beyond ;)
Great to hear hear a video not drowning in overdrive. Much more informative, many thanks. 56 just shades it, but surprised at how close the Kinman gets. All great sounding pickups in their own right.
thanks for listening! Yes, that 56 blew me away... the Bardens are great all around pickups, both live and in the studio... I agree with your assessment! Thanks again
I thought that the Barden equipped Tele sounded great in the in-between setting and especially the neck pickup but I found the bridge to be slightly flat sounding .
There was a significant drop in volume in all of them compared to the original. I was surprised I thought the Bardens were kind of weak. They were balanced but didn’t impress me at all. And I’ve been considering them for years
Thanks Steve, I appreciate you watching and saying that. In fairness to the Bardens: After this video, I didn't think they sounded very good. What I did was raise them about 1/64ths higher than the manufactures specs. Steve, it made all the difference in the world! It sounded like a different guitar. I never thought it would be such a dramatic change. So don't give up on them, they aren't bad! All the best!
The best to my ears are the 56. Thank you for such a great clean demonstration! If could ask, what tunes are you playing for each pickup position? They complemented the pickup tone perfectly!
Hi and thanks for watching! And yes, that '56 was truly magical. The little sections of riffs I played were a combination of things I wrote and Danny Gatton riffs I stole :-)
They all sound good to me but my question is ``what's the name of them SPLIP tuning keys you have on the yellow fender, they should be all like this, easy to string them up with the hole and the splip shaft. Thank You.
I loved those Kinmans! Of all the readily-available sets, they’re my favorite. Of course there’s no denying the beauty of the original ’56s. Bardens are also beautiful, but very different from traditional Tele. Thanks for sharing this video!!
I'm looking for P/Us for a custom Tele build and the No Caster bridge and Twisted Tele neck seem like the closest to the '56 tones to me. What do you think of the Seymour Duncan Broadcaster bridge P/U?
Hi Brad... if you are looking for the tone of that '56, (in my opinion and experience) the ONLY way I would go is with Lindy Fralin pickups - they nail the 3D out of tone and twang that 56 has. Also, the Broadcaster pickups have a beefier 50s tone while the 56 on the video has more of a twangy, shimmery 60s tone. So, if you want that tone of the 56, check out Lindy Fralin!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Thank you for your reply and for the video. My build guy mentioned the Fralins as well. He is going to provide me with several sound examples to consider, I will make sure they are included.
Thank you for that great comparison, you did it PERFECTLY. My favorites are 56s and Bardens, both are very articulate and both sound good (I listened through a Sony headset used in studios, i don't have the model number). I suppose the 56s are simply unavailable but the Bardens should be. BTW, to my ear, I do not like the Modern Bardens, only the Danny Gattons. The modern are just too dark for me. BTW, I don't have the Gattons, but that is on my immediate bucket "to do" list. One last question, the sound track at the end (I really like it alot, it is interesting and can go in a lot of dirrections), I'm assuming you guys put it together, how did you get those sounds?
Hey Johnny, thanks for the kind words and for listening.... I agree with you that I like the original Barden's better myself... the music at the end is just a "clip" that was available for free on the net. Stay safe out there!
Great video and comparison. I have been using Bardens in a Tele and a Strat since 94 and they are my fave over my other Fenders and perhaps overall...but that's just my ear, right? Thank you!
Excellent video ! I really liked the originals first and most , but those Kinman pick ups , for me , had the vibe I'd be into if I was to purchase . Mind you , all sounded very good . Nice collection . Very well done . Much appreciated .
Thanks Brian, I really appreciate that... one of my pet peeves is when people use drive for demos... drive will color tone no matter how you look at it and sort of homoginize everything... through a Tube Screamer, a 56 Tele and a $125 sound pretty close - happy picking!
Great demo. They all sound great. The 56 is pretty amazing, esp. in bridge and middle positions. Really dig those Kinmans too. The Bardens sound less sterile here than in other demos I've heard. Great playing too. Thanks again and God bless you too!
Hey Jesse, thanks for the kind words and for listening! Yes, that 56 is hard to beat... also, after this video, I adjusted the bridge pickup of the Bardens by lowering it just 1/32 and it sounded better - thanks again and happy picking
Great, great demo ! I have Bardens on my favourite, but looking for something more vintage-sounding - I favoured the Twisted Tele pickups, but the Kinmans sounded best for my needs. Thanks !
Hi Guy and thanks for checking out the video... for what it is worth, if you want a true vintage tone, I have found that you just can't beat Lindy Fralin Tele pickups. Sadly, I didn't have any on hand for this demo. Thanks again and Merry Christmas!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Good point...! I have some vintage-strength Fralin Blades on a Strat, and a vintage Fralin on another Strat... wonderful pickups. I was impressed with the Kinmans in your comparison since they sounded close to the originals in tone, yet they're noiseless... I have a pedalboard which makes pickup hum intrusive, so they'll be good ! Thanks again !
true, and this lady will only sing if i bow right. but when she sings… (though after a career of 44+ years she needs a bit of maintenance.) i liked the honesty of your stories and playing, so i liked your video. first one ever. when finally you're at peace with your guitar playing, you know that when you die and go to heaven you take a tele. the question is: which one?
You are welcome and thanks for listening... I have to say, that 56 was magical! :-) And yes, I could never understand why people do demos with drive. Happy picking!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 You are so right, clean is best, and for hearing amps too. You can always degrade your tones from there with distortion, overdrive, fuzz, etc. But a good warm, shimmering clean in a tube amp is the ticket. Probably why I like a clean amp the best, like a good BF Fender Super Reverb or Vibrolux. I am impressed with the Tone King Sky King, it sounds great clean like a good blackface, but you can get a lot of other tones out of the second channel and the two built in attenuators. That is one cool amp, usable from bedroom to stage.
You make a great point... yes, you are probably right... there is perhaps some truth around the folklore about magnets aging, the windings being scatter wound, etc... but you have a great ear as that did sound the most "classic" to me - thanks for checking out the video!
Thanks for the upload. Although one can't beat the looks of a true '56 Tele, the Joe Barden set came very close tonewise. The spectrum is very well balanced plus you get very little if no hum with these. Special mention for the twisted Tele neck pickup: one of my favorites. 4 beautiful Tele specimens: kudos !
Great video!!! Very nice playing!! The original 56 had a real spanky/chewy tone on the lead pickup. Outstanding! The neck on the 56 was really nice too. So pretty. The rest of the axes sounded great. All being variations on the theme and got really close to the 56, but no cigar. There really is something to a vintage axe they just can't quite replicate exactly. Question for you. On your #1, have you ever tried the Barden Modern T instead of the Gatton? I find the Gatton has some serious supernatural stun powers when wound up, but it's a little too much for me. The Modern T has a much more useful tone IMHO. As much as I LOVED Danny's playing, his tone could be a little harsh to my ear at times.
Thanks for watching and I agree with you on a couple of points... first, yes, the 56 is untouchable. Second, I LOVED Danny, but to see him live was a beaing for your eardrums... I liked when he's playing his ES-350 and 295 as he would do the jazzier stuff with better tone
Hey Steve, thanks for checking out the video. Just FYI, after this video, I adjusted the Bardens just 1/64 further from the strings and they really came alive. In fact I bought a second set for my other Tele - I highly recommend then. PS - I also just put them in my Ric.
Terrific video demo on the subtle differences...very helpful. I felt that of the 4 sets, the Bardens were the most different. They have the least amount of identifiable "Tele" sound. They are smooth and creamy, and clearn and they played quietest of the 4 sets. Highs and lows were less pronounced as compared to the other sets, I thought. But there's a place in the guitar world for a smooth single coil sound! The other extreme to my ears were the Kinmans, which had the most attack, with the sharpest highs and fullest bass. The other two to my ears had classic Tele sound and I couldn't tell much difference. All were terrific; thanks for a great video, and in particular, thanks for playing clean, as I agree 100% with your explanation.
Hey Phil, Thanks for checking out the video... you made a good assessment! The one thing I would note is that for better or worse, the Bardens are VERY sensitive to height adjustment... just 1/32 either way could make a huge difference... all the best
I love Lace Sensors... I would say, to my years, LS are a bit brighter and a touch more "airy." The JBEs have a bit more presence and m1ds - thanks for listening!
I have owned 20 or 30 Telecasters since I bought my first one in 1968. Fender promoted a “Summer sale”. Brand new, $225.00. At age 15, I bought a “Brown one” at a music store in Gary, on layaway. This was a very early all rosewood model with gloss finish. My most prized is an all original November/1954 I purchased from Gruhn’s. In most of the guitars, I immediately swapped pickups, from the late 70’s to current. The Early Bardens were nice. Not authentic Vintage tone, but very versatile. Currently running a set of Fender Custom Shop ‘51 Nocaster pups in a MIJ Pink Paisley with satisfying results. Have owned several Fender Custom Shop Telecasters, and one CS ‘51 Nocaster. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all the Teles I have messed around with modifications is a Squier Classic Vibe ‘60s sunburst double bound body, with a deep C neck shape All Parts Stratocaster Maple neck, Jason Lollar Vintage T pickups, Emerson Custom Shop 4 way switch/Bournes potententiometer control assy. and Gotoh 6 saddle bridge. A tribute build to Eric Clapton’s Blind Faith Hyde Park Show guitar. The tone of this guitar through any of my amps is my favorite Tele tone, ever.
Great demo, I have a few Teles myself, 2 of them homemade partscasters . Have to say that they all sounded great but think the original 56 had the edge. I know the sound is not for everybody but I always liked the way Danny Gatton could make those Bardens squeal like an ice pick to the brain !!!
Sounds like you have some great guitars! And yes, that 56 does shine. I adjusted the Bardens a bit after this video and they sounded even better. Happy picking!
What are the electronics like in each, cap values and type on the tone pot etc? I'm pretty sure you could get all the rest sounding just as bright as the vintage with a part tweak. Personally I liked the sound of the kinmans the best, they were warm put still had that great snap on the pick attack, plus noiseless. Who would have thought that noiseless pickups could get so close to the sound of the very best true single coils?
The original is the cleanest sounding and retains all the highs. The Barden set comes close to the original bridge and the Barden neck pickup sounds better than any on my studio momitors. Great comparison! Thank you! I've been a recording engineer for 45 years and I can't tell anything about tone run through low wattage amps that automatically break up or run through distortion boxes. I like to hear only the pickups please. Best shootout there!!
I'm in at least three different FB Tele-related groups and we love our Teles whether Fender or T-style... the Holy Grail '56 and the Joe Barden loaded Telecasters are my favorites though the other two almost identical soundwise; straight-no-chaser is the way to go!
they all sound very similar .. in a band sitution or in a mix you probably couldnt tell the difference.. not to say there is no difference for the tele freak, but any of these sound as good as the next...
Great comparison! Thanks for the video. Exactly what I was looking for and I think this keeps me from changing pickups to Kinman or Danny Gatton. I liked the vintage and the CS the most.
Thanks for watching! One note is that after this vid I adjusted the Gatton and they sounded even better. For some reason, they are very sensitive to height adjustment. Though the KInmans look more vintage of course, I think I prefer the Bardens a bit
The 56 sounds awesome. I wonder if there are perfect clones of those pickups available today. By the way I’m glad you did a clean tone comparison, for me clean tone is very important and I want to start from there.😊
Thanks much for watching! Lindy Fralin makes pickups that are VERY close to those 56 tones. I forget which they were, but I heard them in an RS Guitarworks Tele and they were scary close
I'm in the process of planning a Telecaster build and have decided to use the Barden "Gatton T-set" pickups. After watching and listening to your demo, I'm curious about your Barden neck pickup. When you played the bridge and then the bridge-neck combined on the other guitars, the Barden pickups seemed more subdued, almost as if the volume had been lowered. Only when the neck pickup was isolated did it then seem to be comparable to the other three neck pickups. Was the sound quality on RUclips the same as it was on your studio playback?
You have a great ear! Yes, it does sound subdued in the recording. However, I went back and set up the guitar and moved the pickups about 1/64 to 1/32 closer than the manufacturer recommends and now the guitar REALLY shines - I played live with it a few weeks ago and it was like a whole new guitar. What a difference a small adjustment could make with these pickups. I highly recommend them!!
I have a "52" re-issue that is my go to,...it has the best tone & just fills the bill. But I have 2 other Tele's, both with Delta Tone pick ups. My 70's style "F" hole Thinline Tele, being kinda rare, I wouldn't change. But I have a 2000 ish California Blonde that is white of coarse, but you can still see the wood grain thru it. The Beach boys used that guitar finish back in the 50's & 60's, then Fender quit making it & reintroduced it around 2000. That one I want to change the pick ups on. I liked the Barton's alot,... but have you ever used or reviewed the Hot Tele "Texas Specials" in your days ? I wanted one of my Tele's to really get that hot tone, kinda like Stevie Ray Vaughn did on his "Strat". Please advise before I make the switch, yhankyou.
In the early'80's, before Seymour Duncan has all of the fancy names they have now. Anyway, these were installed in my '67 Telecaster Custom (which has long let me), but the pickups now live in my '92 MIM Tele.
Great video. I'm a Tele luver and player myself and I'm always fascinated to hear different pickups put loaded into them. That said, I'm a fan of "old school" Tele tones and that '56 really captures that vibe (i.e. James Burton, Jim Messina, Roy Nichols, etc.). The others, to me, introduced too many mids in the bridge position, although the Barden actually did pretty well in sort of coping the old Tele bridge pickup vibe. In order of preference, I rank them 56, Barden, Kinman (pretty good), Beast (not a fan of that tone).
You have a good ear for tone! I think you assessed the pickups well... and I am more of an "old school" fan as well... I do find some of the other pickups to come in handy when I am doing different styles... thanks a lot for listening and for your excellent feedback!
Well that vintage 56 is AMAZING but I don’t think I’ll be finding one of those around, I’ve been extremely happy with my fender nocaster set, but afte4 hearing those barden ones I’m really really impressed, are those dual rail Humbuckers essentially?
Hey, thanks for listening! Yes, the Bardens are dual rail hum buckers wound to sound like single coils. If you are looking for that 56 sound, I'd strongly recommend Lindy Fralin pickups
Thanks for doing this video! That original 56 sounds incredible. But honestly to my ears the second guitar (52 custom shop with nocaster in bridge and twisted tele) wasn't far behind it. Heck let it season for another 50 years and it might be there.
The 56 sounded the best to which I wasn't expecting to be honest, thought they might sound a bit thin but wow, such a multi dimensional sound. However I was really impressed with the Kinman's. To my ears they sounded the closest to the 56 .. not quite as sweet but with them being noiseless, the advantages are obvious because you can crank 'em up without the hum. The "beast" sounded ok but a bit subdued and the Bardens had plenty of clarity but they get 3rd and 4th place for me. Would be nice to hear all of them cranked up into overdrive for some snarly Tele with attitude sounds.
You have a good ear and I can see why you say that... the Kinmans are a tad bright, but, they are the most 3D of them all... One note, after the video, I set the height of the Bardes about 1/32 higher than their recommended specs and it made a huge difference. They became much more "alive." Thanks for checking out the video.
Having known Danny Gatton a wee bit back in the day in MD (he had a repair shop in Oxon Hill, MD, and worked on two guitars for me circa 1979), and talking to him three weeks before he passed in 1994, I was expecting the Bardens to be the best. However, I knew really nothing about the Kinmans, but they sounded the best to me. Everything clear, bright and twangy that you want in a Tele, but with some extra fatness/warmth to them. I am impressed with those and will be researching them. I have a USA G&L ASAT Classic S, and it sounds good, but the bridge could use some oomph, it's a bit thin to my ears, not quite the Tele honk. In my thumbnail, I have my 1990s, three bolt neck plate USA G&L ASAT Special, which is a great sounding Tele with its MFD pups (some say P-90-esque, but good twang in the bridge and just amazing in the middle and neck too). God bless you, brother, for making a great tone test video, with some sweet chickin' pickin' too (my wife, not so musical, even picked up on it and liked your style). I knew Buddy Church pretty well down in Memphis, and he was an amazing chickin' picker who toured with Tammy Wynette, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc. Too sad he passed also. He was the top guitar salesman at the GC down in Memphis, TN, and also made some good side dough in a trio around town. Ah, but I digress. Still, good to remember great folks like him, and Danny.
Wow, thanks for sharing those incredible memories! I miss Danny so... BTW, after this video I adjusted theBardnes about 1/64th and it made a huge difference!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Y/w, and it's Way too sad that he passed so young and unnecessarily, no doubt. I read that you adjusted the Bardens a bit lower? I have a friend who has a Tele and swears by the Bardens. He lived in Northern VA and could visit Joe to buy them back in the day, early 2000s, etc.
If you wanted a twangy sound tele what pickups would you buy? I have a 1972 Fender Telecaster Custom guitar. It was made in Japan, can I get a pickup that would work for me?
This is great! I just got a new set of pickups and was wondering how do you set pickup height? By ear? Measurement? Each of these guitars sounded very well balanced. Any help is appreciated.
Hey Shawn, thanks for watching, I usually start with Erlewine specs, but just a 64th closer, so it looks like this: 3/32 on the bass side and 1/8 on the bass side. What I do is hold the string down at the last fret and then measure from the bottom of the two E strings to the top of the pole pieces. I want to stress though, that this is just a starting point. After that, I will measure each pickup by ear and the all react differently. For example, after I made this video, I raised the bridge Garden pickup by 1/64, and it made a HUGE difference in clarity and sparkle. So by all means experiment and enjoy the process!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 I did exactly as you said and found the sweet spot. Thank you for a straightforward answer and demo. Love my 20 year old tele and these new Bare Knuckle pickups have gotten me falling in love with it again. Thanks!
I really enjoyed this demo since I recently got a MIM tele and am looking at pickup options. I was curious if you would know what that original '56 tele would sell for in that condition. Overall, I liked the original '56 sound the best, although all were pretty nice. Cheers!
All sound great Telecaster-ish though if I had to choose: Kinman Broadcaster neck, original 56 bridge, original 56 combination sound the best to me even though a lot of the differences are subtle. Bardens seem to have a bit more middle - decent "getting towards a P90" alternative. Wonder what the Kinman neck and 56 bridge would sound like in combo through a Vox AC30 Top Boost just at the start of crunchiness (my all time favourite guitar sound).
Thanks for posting such a comprehensive pickup comparison, it's perfect. A Tele freak myself, I'd like to point out that one should not forget that the 56 pickups have lost part of their initial charge. If they did sound amazing, they were probably runchier to begin with. And I think the beast must sound quite similar to what the 56 sounded in 1956. My favorite guitar here indeed is the beast. Crazy, right? It has that classic Johnny Burnette Train kept a rollin compression I love on a good Tele and that I am missing from the 56. The best neck pickup though cleary is the 56, as it mellowed, it is clear, deep and sweet. Joe Barden pickups nail the Gatton sound. Not a fan of the Kinman, nice but lacking personnality. MHO. And give me any of those 4 and I'm happy :-) Cheers.
Curious why you chose to mix the nocaster and twisted tele sets. Can you elaborate what drove that decision? Why not use a whole nocaster set or a whole Twisted tele set. Your input would be real helpful. The video was great and I really dug the 56 the best. Thank you for the time you put into making it
looking for what kinmans do in a tele i found a fine tone comparison here. my early seventies heavily tweaked rock monster tele combines two strat pickups and a dimarzio humbucker in every possible way, producing tones i have not heard anywhere else yet.
Barden's i guess that's why the set is $293 through new owner JBE. i do think the guitar recording had some distortion though so would be good to have a new comparison.
I came looking @ the CS Nocaster/TT set for my Tele but that '56 was gorgeous. My oh my! Surprised how well the Kinmans sounded too! The Gatton Bardens were nice but a bit different tone then what I'm after. I think so far, I'm settled on the Nocaster and Twisted Tele set...unless until I stumble upon something better. Hard to beat that combo.
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A clean toned comparison? I can’t thank you enough for this! I have to wade through a world of distortion to find these.
Thank you for appreciating that - I feel the same way! Thanks for watching!
DITTO!
Double ditto!
and that's +1 from me. It's a breath of fresh air to hear the actual pickups, rather than have it drowning in amp distortion. 56 shades it, I think.
same, it like "hey imma show you this guitar with effects, distortion, and reverb galore on the vids ".
I appreciate the fact that you used a clean tone throughout !
Thanks for understanding! I never understood demos that were all distortion. It tends to homogenize everything!
@V Thanks, some people just don't see that... you could put a $10k guitar and a $250 guitar through a Fulltone OCD and they will sound very much alike! Thanks for listening
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Agree 100% on that FACT !
Couldn’t agree more!
This IS the tele sound video I was looking for! Terrific work.
The clarity of the Bardens is just immense, those are probably my personal favorites from this shootout
I use them on a few of my guitars - thanks for listening!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 I gotta get some, man. Out of curiosity, do you use 250k pots with them?
@@davidjameschamberlain Yes, 250k
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Not that I think there is a huge difference in them but if I may, are your Bardens Vienna made or Manassas made? Either are very good pickups and were my favorites in the demo. Of course the old fender pickups sounded good too just not as articulate as the Bardens. Great Demo Thanks!
@@tele716 Those are newer JBE pickups... I have had both and don't hear a huge difference. Thanks again for listening!
I wonder how many people could pick out the '56 is this had been a true blind test without even naming the candidates before hand. Thanks for posting and thanks for not using distortion, or god awful delay.
LOL... you are welcome and thanks for checking out the video... and yes, that 56 seems to be in a sonic class all by itself!
Agree, maybe in a blind test , people would answer very differently
The original 56 just does it.
Thanks for listening Chad - you have excellent taste! :-)
Agree. Wins hands down on all 3 settings.
Hard not to agree with this.
The originals had the full spectrum and clarity. Just sparkle. The Kinmans are second. The CS Broadcasters had nice modern low end. The others were unremarkable for me.
Absolutely!
That 56' is THE sound! but I'm very surprised with the Barden pups. That's going to be my next purchase. Thanks for the demo!
Hi Guil... after this video, I tweaked the back pickup by just 1/32 of an inch and it made a huge difference! Sounded much clearer with more presence. I love Bardens, just know height makes a difference. Thanks for watching!
My ears are really liking the vintage 56 and the Barden’s.
Excellent choice - hard to argue with that! Thank you for listening!
I agree the bardens and the 56 were the winners for me clarity and dimension
That was my choice… Interesting
Thank you so much for using clean tone! Was so much easier to hear the true tone differences. The 56 was definitely my favorite. God bless!
Thanks Clay, I appreciate you watching!! Blessings!
The 56 has it all. Sweet lows, sparkling highs.. the right mids. - The Bardens seem tamer but have a similarly pleasing spectrum of frequencies. The others are all missing a lot compared to the 56... but all fine sounds regardless. That 56 is a treasure.
Thanks for the feedback and I would have to agree with you... to my ears, there is just something special about that 56... and thanks for watching!
Great video - very excinting ! Doing the comparison under clean-conditions is additional the best way to realize how good the Tele-sound is. Thank you very much !
Thank you for the kind words!!
This is probably the most informative pickup comparison I've ever seen. Well-played, well-recorded, organized by pickup position, no overdrive or effects. The Kinman neck pickup really impressed me but I don't think anything touches the vintage bridge pickup. What a special guitar you had there, too.
Thanks for the kind words and for listening!! And yes, that 56 just "had it" - I do miss it. Happy New Year to you and yours
I kinda like that old 1956 guitar. I wonder if they have any more stashed away in that closet?
That one was exceptional - thanks for watching!
WOW!!! A pickup shootout without distortion!!!! Thank you! It’s nice to actually hear the guitar and pickups
Thanks for listening - I feel the same way!
I’m surprised the joe bardens weren’t louder. I almost ordered a set until this video. I need a noiseless set might go kinmen bridge and barden neck.
Holy cow! This was spectacular. I was going to get Bardens until I heard this. Nothing wrong with those at all, but the Kinmans are definitely more of what I’m looking for.
I am so glad that the video was helpful - thanks much for listening!!
I've put some Dimarzios area T in my tele, just because I've already a set of kinmans in my Shecter. You can't go wrong with those.
I have a thinline with Nocasters in both neck and bridge, and was basically here to check out the Bardens. But really the guitar with the Nocaster Bridge/ Twisted Tele was my favorite (aside from the sweet purity of the original 56). This is maybe the fourth time I've ended up talking myself out of the Bardens (and in this case , into a Twisted Tele neck pickup). I see other comments praising their *clarity*, but they sound like the sparkle is completely gone. I played with a great player for years who had Bardens in a G&L Tele and sounded fantastic, though always had a bit of overdrive in his sound. I think for what I like in a truly clean sound they just lack the harmonics and sparkle I like to have, even if I do roll some of it off with the tone knob.
Thanks for the great feedback Kerry... it sounds like you really k ow your stuff and have a great ear.... thanks for listning!
Thanks. Great job! It’d be interesting to hear the Barden’s since you raised them. Also 300-500 pots on those and possibly the Kinman’s too
That is a great idea... I'd like other the Barden's with 500k's too... if I ever do it, I'll be sure to let you know... thanks for the good idea and for listening!
Too me the difference was so minimal your amp settings could compensate for any of it. I do appreciate your non distortion approach to make the comparisons as that is the true voice . Thanks from an every night tele player
Thanks for the kind words and for listening!
Absolutely agree with you, a small tweak here and there can make big difference.
Each pickup has it strengths and weaknesses. I am going with a set of Barden pickups for the double coil him cancel and the sound is a bit fuller than a single coil however they don’t look as nice 😂!
I agree! Thanks for listening!!
Thanks for not wasting our time on distortion. Nicely done.
Thanks for watching. I dislike distortion demos... they are virtually pointless
lol, “wasting time?” Ok boomer 🙄
I'm here on RUclips searching for Tele pickups, and I run across this video...I own a Warmoth Tele that I built that has the Joe Barden Danny Gatton pickups, and I play it through my Kemper Stage with my favorite profile....you guessed it, the Carr 6V. Maybe I should stop looking. Lol
Well, it just shows that you have impeccable taste! :-)
@@theguitarczar1 Truth be told I love the sound of the original stock 56 Tele the best, but I can't afford that!
Leon Russell use to live around grand lake in ne Oklahoma. I use to talk to him when he came to sonic. We told fishing stories to each other.
Thanks is a very cool memory! Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas from Tulsa!
Excellent comparison and thank you for doing it with clean sounds. 56 and Kinman for the bridge, 56 and Barden at the neck for me. And yes, I watched it all the way through. Right up to the curious spelling and beyond ;)
Thanks for watching and I could never understand why people do distorted demos! Also, I fully agree with your choices - You have great taste! :-)
Great to hear hear a video not drowning in overdrive. Much more informative, many thanks. 56 just shades it, but surprised at how close the Kinman gets. All great sounding pickups in their own right.
Thanks for listening... I get frustrated with demos that make all guitars sound the same - all the best
They're all sweet sounding guitars but... the one from 1956 ... it's on another planet!
Barden equipped is my second choice.
thanks for listening! Yes, that 56 blew me away... the Bardens are great all around pickups, both live and in the studio... I agree with your assessment! Thanks again
I agree. with both first, and second choice!
I thought that the Barden equipped Tele sounded great in the in-between setting and especially the neck pickup but I found the bridge to be slightly flat sounding .
There was a significant drop in volume in all of them compared to the original. I was surprised I thought the Bardens were kind of weak. They were balanced but didn’t impress me at all. And I’ve been considering them for years
Original 56 was my 1st choice, Kinman 2nd. But honestly they were all so close and all sounded gr8. Thanks 4 posting.
Thanks much for listening!
fender, vintage, kinman, the bardens were a distant fourth for me. first three were very close. one of the best comparison vids i've seen.
Thanks Steve, I appreciate you watching and saying that. In fairness to the Bardens: After this video, I didn't think they sounded very good. What I did was raise them about 1/64ths higher than the manufactures specs. Steve, it made all the difference in the world! It sounded like a different guitar. I never thought it would be such a dramatic change. So don't give up on them, they aren't bad! All the best!
this guy knows how to do a demo. THANK YOU!
the original really was the best. it was just the right amount of everything
Thanks for the kind words, and I agree, thet 56 was incredible
The best to my ears are the 56.
Thank you for such a great clean demonstration!
If could ask, what tunes are you playing for each pickup position?
They complemented the pickup tone perfectly!
Hi and thanks for watching! And yes, that '56 was truly magical. The little sections of riffs I played were a combination of things I wrote and Danny Gatton riffs I stole :-)
They all sound good to me but my question is ``what's the name of them SPLIP tuning keys you have on the yellow fender, they should be all like this, easy to string them up with the hole and the splip shaft. Thank You.
Hi Larry! Those are stock Fender keys - thanks for checking out the demo!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Thank You
I loved those Kinmans! Of all the readily-available sets, they’re my favorite. Of course there’s no denying the beauty of the original ’56s. Bardens are also beautiful, but very different from traditional Tele.
Thanks for sharing this video!!
Thanks much for listening! Yes, the '56 was simply a magical guitar that lived up to the "vintage hype." You have a great ear for tone!
The '56 original is unbeatable. I also liked the Kinman bridge and the Kinman Broadcaster neck pickups.
I'm looking for P/Us for a custom Tele build and the No Caster bridge and Twisted Tele neck seem like the closest to the '56 tones to me. What do you think of the Seymour Duncan Broadcaster bridge P/U?
Hi Brad... if you are looking for the tone of that '56, (in my opinion and experience) the ONLY way I would go is with Lindy Fralin pickups - they nail the 3D out of tone and twang that 56 has. Also, the Broadcaster pickups have a beefier 50s tone while the 56 on the video has more of a twangy, shimmery 60s tone. So, if you want that tone of the 56, check out Lindy Fralin!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Thank you for your reply and for the video. My build guy mentioned the Fralins as well. He is going to provide me with several sound examples to consider, I will make sure they are included.
@@bradlaue1718 Great! Enjoy the tone hunt!
Thank you for that great comparison, you did it PERFECTLY. My favorites are 56s and Bardens, both are very articulate and both sound good (I listened through a Sony headset used in studios, i don't have the model number). I suppose the 56s are simply unavailable but the Bardens should be. BTW, to my ear, I do not like the Modern Bardens, only the Danny Gattons. The modern are just too dark for me. BTW, I don't have the Gattons, but that is on my immediate bucket "to do" list. One last question, the sound track at the end (I really like it alot, it is interesting and can go in a lot of dirrections), I'm assuming you guys put it together, how did you get those sounds?
Hey Johnny, thanks for the kind words and for listening.... I agree with you that I like the original Barden's better myself... the music at the end is just a "clip" that was available for free on the net. Stay safe out there!
they all sound so good but its pretty hard to beat that vintage sound IMHO.
Thanks for listening Travis... I'd agree... it sounds so "3D" to me
Travis Hernandez Im in agreement, but if he was to tell everyone that the relic'd tele was the original, you would have said the same comment.
Really great review, where its actually possible to hear the difference, how subtle it might be. The originals sounds great to my ears..
I have to admit, I love those as well!! Thanks for watching
Guitar, Guitars, Guitars do you know if there are Alnico 3 or 5 magnets in the 56 pick up?
@@goswo I do not, sorry - whatever they used in 56
Guitar, Guitars, Guitars thanks Sir :-)
Great video and comparison. I have been using Bardens in a Tele and a Strat since 94 and they are my fave over my other Fenders and perhaps overall...but that's just my ear, right? Thank you!
Thanks much for the kind words and I love Bardens too!
Excellent video ! I really liked the originals first and most , but those Kinman pick ups , for me , had the vibe I'd be into if I was to purchase . Mind you , all sounded very good . Nice collection . Very well done . Much appreciated .
Hey, thanks much for listening and for the feedback... though I have to knock down the highs on my amp a bit, those Kinmans cover a lot of bases!
What a great video demo! Thank you for using only clean tones!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Brian, I really appreciate that... one of my pet peeves is when people use drive for demos... drive will color tone no matter how you look at it and sort of homoginize everything... through a Tube Screamer, a 56 Tele and a $125 sound pretty close - happy picking!
Great demo. They all sound great. The 56 is pretty amazing, esp. in bridge and middle positions. Really dig those Kinmans too. The Bardens sound less sterile here than in other demos I've heard. Great playing too. Thanks again and God bless you too!
Hey Jesse, thanks for the kind words and for listening! Yes, that 56 is hard to beat... also, after this video, I adjusted the bridge pickup of the Bardens by lowering it just 1/32 and it sounded better - thanks again and happy picking
Great, great demo ! I have Bardens on my favourite, but looking for something more vintage-sounding - I favoured the Twisted Tele pickups, but the Kinmans sounded best for my needs. Thanks !
Hi Guy and thanks for checking out the video... for what it is worth, if you want a true vintage tone, I have found that you just can't beat Lindy Fralin Tele pickups. Sadly, I didn't have any on hand for this demo. Thanks again and Merry Christmas!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Good point...! I have some vintage-strength Fralin Blades on a Strat, and a vintage Fralin on another Strat... wonderful pickups. I was impressed with the Kinmans in your comparison since they sounded close to the originals in tone, yet they're noiseless... I have a pedalboard which makes pickup hum intrusive, so they'll be good ! Thanks again !
@@guyac01 Enjoy the Tone Quest!!! :-)
true, and this lady will only sing if i bow right. but when she sings… (though after a career of 44+ years she needs a bit of maintenance.)
i liked the honesty of your stories and playing, so i liked your video. first one ever.
when finally you're at peace with your guitar playing, you know that when you die and go to heaven you take a tele. the question is: which one?
Thank you so much for the kind words! Very much appreciated.
I have Kinmans’s right now but I am thinking about putting the original broadcaster pickups back
What ever sounds good to your ears... the Kinmans are great but I find for optimal tone, I have to adjust my amp Eq a bit - thanks for listening
Great comparisons of the Tele esp the neck pick up. Great to hear against an OG Tele too!! Perfectly done.
Thanks for keeping it clean, (rather than 1001 distortion pedals!) Yep the 56 certainly cuts it for me!
You are welcome and thanks for listening... I have to say, that 56 was magical! :-) And yes, I could never understand why people do demos with drive. Happy picking!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 You are so right, clean is best, and for hearing amps too. You can always degrade your tones from there with distortion, overdrive, fuzz, etc. But a good warm, shimmering clean in a tube amp is the ticket. Probably why I like a clean amp the best, like a good BF Fender Super Reverb or Vibrolux. I am impressed with the Tone King Sky King, it sounds great clean like a good blackface, but you can get a lot of other tones out of the second channel and the two built in attenuators. That is one cool amp, usable from bedroom to stage.
You have perfect taste in amps!! I love the Tine King!!
@@nealixd.3011
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Thanks, they are amazing amps. Gonna sell some stuff and likely buy one, ha.
Fender Vintage. The Kinman one has great dynamics, almost as the Vintage one, so I'm for these!
You have a good ear, thanks for listening!
All sounded great. Do you think the original sounds best because we know what it is or because that's "the sound" we've heard for all these years?
You make a great point... yes, you are probably right... there is perhaps some truth around the folklore about magnets aging, the windings being scatter wound, etc... but you have a great ear as that did sound the most "classic" to me - thanks for checking out the video!
Thanks for the upload. Although one can't beat the looks of a true '56 Tele, the Joe Barden set came very close tonewise. The spectrum is very well balanced plus you get very little if no hum with these. Special mention for the twisted Tele neck pickup: one of my favorites. 4 beautiful Tele specimens: kudos !
I appreciate the thoughtful feedback and thanks for watching!!!
Great video!!! Very nice playing!! The original 56 had a real spanky/chewy tone on the lead pickup. Outstanding! The neck on the 56 was really nice too. So pretty. The rest of the axes sounded great. All being variations on the theme and got really close to the 56, but no cigar. There really is something to a vintage axe they just can't quite replicate exactly. Question for you. On your #1, have you ever tried the Barden Modern T instead of the Gatton? I find the Gatton has some serious supernatural stun powers when wound up, but it's a little too much for me. The Modern T has a much more useful tone IMHO. As much as I LOVED Danny's playing, his tone could be a little harsh to my ear at times.
Thanks for watching and I agree with you on a couple of points... first, yes, the 56 is untouchable. Second, I LOVED Danny, but to see him live was a beaing for your eardrums... I liked when he's playing his ES-350 and 295 as he would do the jazzier stuff with better tone
I guess they don't make them like they used to, the 56 was amazing!
Thank you for the comparison, very helpful, was looking at some Bartons
Hey Steve, thanks for checking out the video. Just FYI, after this video, I adjusted the Bardens just 1/64 further from the strings and they really came alive. In fact I bought a second set for my other Tele - I highly recommend then. PS - I also just put them in my Ric.
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Thank you!
Terrific video demo on the subtle differences...very helpful. I felt that of the 4 sets, the Bardens were the most different. They have the least amount of identifiable "Tele" sound. They are smooth and creamy, and clearn and they played quietest of the 4 sets. Highs and lows were less pronounced as compared to the other sets, I thought. But there's a place in the guitar world for a smooth single coil sound! The other extreme to my ears were the Kinmans, which had the most attack, with the sharpest highs and fullest bass. The other two to my ears had classic Tele sound and I couldn't tell much difference. All were terrific; thanks for a great video, and in particular, thanks for playing clean, as I agree 100% with your explanation.
Hey Phil, Thanks for checking out the video... you made a good assessment! The one thing I would note is that for better or worse, the Bardens are VERY sensitive to height adjustment... just 1/32 either way could make a huge difference... all the best
I like the Barden bridge and the Kinman neck. But I would be very happy with the '56. Great video. I have been looking for this.
Nice Choice! Merry Christmas Brad!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Merry Christmas to you, sir. I look forward to watching some more of your videos!
@@bradh6185 Thanks!!
Barden rails sound good, I'd like to hear those up against Lace sensors.
I love Lace Sensors... I would say, to my years, LS are a bit brighter and a touch more "airy." The JBEs have a bit more presence and m1ds - thanks for listening!
They ALL sound great!🤤
Thanks for listening Tom!
Excellent demonstration! Spot on comment... no other guitar gets so modified.
I have owned 20 or 30 Telecasters since I bought my first one in 1968. Fender promoted a “Summer sale”. Brand new, $225.00. At age 15, I bought a “Brown one” at a music store in Gary, on layaway. This was a very early all rosewood model with gloss finish. My most prized is an all original November/1954 I purchased from Gruhn’s. In most of the guitars, I immediately swapped pickups, from the late 70’s to current. The Early Bardens were nice. Not authentic Vintage tone, but very versatile. Currently running a set of Fender Custom Shop ‘51 Nocaster pups in a MIJ Pink Paisley with satisfying results. Have owned several Fender Custom Shop Telecasters, and one CS ‘51 Nocaster. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all the Teles I have messed around with modifications is a Squier Classic Vibe ‘60s sunburst double bound body, with a deep C neck shape All Parts Stratocaster Maple neck, Jason Lollar Vintage T pickups, Emerson Custom Shop 4 way switch/Bournes potententiometer control assy. and Gotoh 6 saddle bridge. A tribute build to Eric Clapton’s Blind Faith Hyde Park Show guitar. The tone of this guitar through any of my amps is my favorite Tele tone, ever.
@@MightyLayoutBoy thanks for the kind words as well as for watching!. I bet your '54 is just amazing
Ahhhh someone's playing a tele like a tele. Thank you!!
LOL, thank you Liam!
Great demo, I have a few Teles myself, 2 of them homemade partscasters . Have to say that they all sounded great but think the original 56 had the edge. I know the sound is not for everybody but I always liked the way Danny Gatton could make those Bardens squeal like an ice pick to the brain !!!
Sounds like you have some great guitars! And yes, that 56 does shine. I adjusted the Bardens a bit after this video and they sounded even better. Happy picking!
What are the electronics like in each, cap values and type on the tone pot etc? I'm pretty sure you could get all the rest sounding just as bright as the vintage with a part tweak. Personally I liked the sound of the kinmans the best, they were warm put still had that great snap on the pick attack, plus noiseless. Who would have thought that noiseless pickups could get so close to the sound of the very best true single coils?
The original is the cleanest sounding and retains all the highs. The Barden set comes close to the original bridge and the Barden neck pickup sounds better than any on my studio momitors. Great comparison! Thank you! I've been a recording engineer for 45 years and I can't tell anything about tone run through low wattage amps that automatically break up or run through distortion boxes. I like to hear only the pickups please. Best shootout there!!
The Vintage and the Barden pickups sounded the best to me. Beautiful sounds, especially in the middle position.
Thanks for listening!
I'm in at least three different FB Tele-related groups and we love our Teles whether Fender or T-style... the Holy Grail '56 and the Joe Barden loaded Telecasters are my favorites though the other two almost identical soundwise; straight-no-chaser is the way to go!
Very cool! Thanks much for watching and merry Christmas!
Thank you. Really nice starting point for considering these pickups!
I appreciate you watching and I hope it was helpful!
they all sound very similar .. in a band sitution or in a mix you probably couldnt tell the difference.. not to say there is no difference for the tele freak, but any of these sound as good as the next...
Great stuff man!! I really agree about the clean tone for demo. Cheers.
Thanks for that! I appreciate eyou watching! All the best!
Great comparison! Thanks for the video. Exactly what I was looking for and I think this keeps me from changing pickups to Kinman or Danny Gatton. I liked the vintage and the CS the most.
Thanks for watching! One note is that after this vid I adjusted the Gatton and they sounded even better. For some reason, they are very sensitive to height adjustment. Though the KInmans look more vintage of course, I think I prefer the Bardens a bit
i get why that's your go-to guitar. cool demo, thank you.
The 56 sounds awesome. I wonder if there are perfect clones of those pickups available today. By the way I’m glad you did a clean tone comparison, for me clean tone is very important and I want to start from there.😊
Thanks much for watching! Lindy Fralin makes pickups that are VERY close to those 56 tones. I forget which they were, but I heard them in an RS Guitarworks Tele and they were scary close
I was surprised how much more I liked the '56 set compared to the others.
very nice playing! What are those country tunes you played?
Thank you very much! And I appreciate you watching. One was an Elvis song and some others were a song I wrote. All the best to you and stay safe!
I'm in the process of planning a Telecaster build and have decided to use the Barden "Gatton T-set" pickups. After watching and listening to your demo, I'm curious about your Barden neck pickup. When you played the bridge and then the bridge-neck combined on the other guitars, the Barden pickups seemed more subdued, almost as if the volume had been lowered. Only when the neck pickup was isolated did it then seem to be comparable to the other three neck pickups. Was the sound quality on RUclips the same as it was on your studio playback?
You have a great ear! Yes, it does sound subdued in the recording. However, I went back and set up the guitar and moved the pickups about 1/64 to 1/32 closer than the manufacturer recommends and now the guitar REALLY shines - I played live with it a few weeks ago and it was like a whole new guitar. What a difference a small adjustment could make with these pickups. I highly recommend them!!
I thought the original ‘56 took the title. What a warm, creamy tone. Great video!!
I'd have to agree with you! :-) Thanks for watching!
Hi There. Can you tell me what are pot(potentiometer) values are for Kinman Broadcasters? Thank you
Thank you for writing! I installed them some time ago, but I believe I left in the 250 K pots
I have a "52" re-issue that is my go to,...it has the best tone & just fills the bill. But I have 2 other Tele's, both with Delta Tone pick ups. My 70's style "F" hole Thinline Tele, being kinda rare, I wouldn't change. But I have a 2000 ish California Blonde that is white of coarse, but you can still see the wood grain thru it. The Beach boys used that guitar finish back in the 50's & 60's, then Fender quit making it & reintroduced it around 2000. That one I want to change the pick ups on. I liked the Barton's alot,... but have you ever used or reviewed the Hot Tele "Texas Specials" in your days ? I wanted one of my Tele's to really get that hot tone, kinda like Stevie Ray Vaughn did on his "Strat". Please advise before I make the switch, yhankyou.
Sorry, I haven't tried those... I have used a Twisted Tele in the neck but that's about it - thanks for watching
For such a radical pickup design, the Bardens did surprisingly well! I actually preferred them throughout this comparison.
And after the video I adjusted them ever further, about 1/32 lower and they sounded even better. Thanks for watching
The ol original stocker rings like a bell..amazing how different they are.
Thanks for watching... and I agree... the only pickups I have ever heard come close to the 56 are Lindy Fralins
what makes on lighter then the other? cause my tele weighs a ton !
Just loved the black one; the 1956 sounds very good
Thanks for the feedback and for checking out - it was fun
Great video. As a Telecaster fan, especially the new American Original 60s Telecaster, it was nice to get a different perspective.
Hey Paris, thanks for checking out the video!!
In the early'80's, before Seymour Duncan has all of the fancy names they have now. Anyway, these were installed in my '67 Telecaster Custom (which has long let me), but the pickups now live in my '92 MIM Tele.
Yes, I remember those days! :-)
Great video. I'm a Tele luver and player myself and I'm always fascinated to hear different pickups put loaded into them. That said, I'm a fan of "old school" Tele tones and that '56 really captures that vibe (i.e. James Burton, Jim Messina, Roy Nichols, etc.). The others, to me, introduced too many mids in the bridge position, although the Barden actually did pretty well in sort of coping the old Tele bridge pickup vibe. In order of preference, I rank them 56, Barden, Kinman (pretty good), Beast (not a fan of that tone).
You have a good ear for tone! I think you assessed the pickups well... and I am more of an "old school" fan as well... I do find some of the other pickups to come in handy when I am doing different styles... thanks a lot for listening and for your excellent feedback!
Well that vintage 56 is AMAZING but I don’t think I’ll be finding one of those around, I’ve been extremely happy with my fender nocaster set, but afte4 hearing those barden ones I’m really really impressed, are those dual rail Humbuckers essentially?
Hey, thanks for listening! Yes, the Bardens are dual rail hum buckers wound to sound like single coils. If you are looking for that 56 sound, I'd strongly recommend Lindy Fralin pickups
Thanks for doing this video! That original 56 sounds incredible. But honestly to my ears the second guitar (52 custom shop with nocaster in bridge and twisted tele) wasn't far behind it. Heck let it season for another 50 years and it might be there.
Thanks for watching and I sure do appreciate your input!!!!@
Nice to compare with clean tones, thank you. The Vintage '56, is that correct? Are they available as a set or did you mean vintage '52 ? thanks.
Thank you! Yes, the 56 is original vintage with original pickups... the rest are reissues
Barden neck pickup is spectacular. Didn’t care for the bridge pickup though. Really loved the 56 bridge pickup. Would love a combo of the 2
I agree, that would be amazing!
The 56 sounded the best to which I wasn't expecting to be honest, thought they might sound a bit thin but wow, such a multi dimensional sound. However I was really impressed with the Kinman's. To my ears they sounded the closest to the 56 .. not quite as sweet but with them being noiseless, the advantages are obvious because you can crank 'em up without the hum. The "beast" sounded ok but a bit subdued and the Bardens had plenty of clarity but they get 3rd and 4th place for me. Would be nice to hear all of them cranked up into overdrive for some snarly Tele with attitude sounds.
You have a good ear and I can see why you say that... the Kinmans are a tad bright, but, they are the most 3D of them all... One note, after the video, I set the height of the Bardes about 1/32 higher than their recommended specs and it made a huge difference. They became much more "alive." Thanks for checking out the video.
Having known Danny Gatton a wee bit back in the day in MD (he had a repair shop in Oxon Hill, MD, and worked on two guitars for me circa 1979), and talking to him three weeks before he passed in 1994, I was expecting the Bardens to be the best. However, I knew really nothing about the Kinmans, but they sounded the best to me. Everything clear, bright and twangy that you want in a Tele, but with some extra fatness/warmth to them. I am impressed with those and will be researching them. I have a USA G&L ASAT Classic S, and it sounds good, but the bridge could use some oomph, it's a bit thin to my ears, not quite the Tele honk. In my thumbnail, I have my 1990s, three bolt neck plate USA G&L ASAT Special, which is a great sounding Tele with its MFD pups (some say P-90-esque, but good twang in the bridge and just amazing in the middle and neck too). God bless you, brother, for making a great tone test video, with some sweet chickin' pickin' too (my wife, not so musical, even picked up on it and liked your style). I knew Buddy Church pretty well down in Memphis, and he was an amazing chickin' picker who toured with Tammy Wynette, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc. Too sad he passed also. He was the top guitar salesman at the GC down in Memphis, TN, and also made some good side dough in a trio around town. Ah, but I digress. Still, good to remember great folks like him, and Danny.
Wow, thanks for sharing those incredible memories! I miss Danny so... BTW, after this video I adjusted theBardnes about 1/64th and it made a huge difference!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Y/w, and it's Way too sad that he passed so young and unnecessarily, no doubt. I read that you adjusted the Bardens a bit lower? I have a friend who has a Tele and swears by the Bardens. He lived in Northern VA and could visit Joe to buy them back in the day, early 2000s, etc.
Yes, just dropping them about 1/64 made a difference - more twang and bite. I do wish Joe was still making them!!
@@nealixd.3011
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 I think this is him, still in biz, maybe just regrouped? jbepickups.com
The 56 bridge pickup was by far the best, but I like the Barden neck pickup the most.
Good call! Thanks for listening!
If you wanted a twangy sound tele what pickups would you buy? I have a 1972 Fender Telecaster Custom guitar. It was made in Japan, can I get a pickup that would work for me?
I would HIGHLY recommend Lindy Fralin pickups - they sound the closest to original 50s!
@@frankmanno955 Thank You very much is the 1972 Fender Telecaster Custom guitar Japan made a guitar you would pay 600.00 US for
Are these all alnico pickups?
This is great! I just got a new set of pickups and was wondering how do you set pickup height? By ear? Measurement? Each of these guitars sounded very well balanced. Any help is appreciated.
Hey Shawn, thanks for watching, I usually start with Erlewine specs, but just a 64th closer, so it looks like this: 3/32 on the bass side and 1/8 on the bass side. What I do is hold the string down at the last fret and then measure from the bottom of the two E strings to the top of the pole pieces. I want to stress though, that this is just a starting point. After that, I will measure each pickup by ear and the all react differently. For example, after I made this video, I raised the bridge Garden pickup by 1/64, and it made a HUGE difference in clarity and sparkle. So by all means experiment and enjoy the process!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 I did exactly as you said and found the sweet spot. Thank you for a straightforward answer and demo. Love my 20 year old tele and these new Bare Knuckle pickups have gotten me falling in love with it again. Thanks!
@@smurphy28 Hey, that is great to hear! Enjoy that Tele and the Bare Knuckles!!!
I really enjoyed this demo since I recently got a MIM tele and am looking at pickup options. I was curious if you would know what that original '56 tele would sell for in that condition. Overall, I liked the original '56 sound the best, although all were pretty nice. Cheers!
Hey Robert, thanks for listening and I'm glad you enjoyed it. That 56 in that condition would be about 30k
Which bardens? Modern bridge or Gatton? Thank you for this clear comparison video!
Hi Michael - I'm sorry that I didn't specify - That is the Gatton - thanks for listening!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 thank you for the quick response!
All sound great Telecaster-ish though if I had to choose:
Kinman Broadcaster neck, original 56 bridge, original 56 combination sound the best to me even though a lot of the differences are subtle.
Bardens seem to have a bit more middle - decent "getting towards a P90" alternative.
Wonder what the Kinman neck and 56 bridge would sound like in combo through a Vox AC30 Top Boost just at the start of crunchiness (my all time favourite guitar sound).
You have a good eqar and good taste! Thanks for listening!
Thanks for posting such a comprehensive pickup comparison, it's perfect. A Tele freak myself, I'd like to point out that one should not forget that the 56 pickups have lost part of their initial charge. If they did sound amazing, they were probably runchier to begin with. And I think the beast must sound quite similar to what the 56 sounded in 1956. My favorite guitar here indeed is the beast. Crazy, right? It has that classic Johnny Burnette Train kept a rollin compression I love on a good Tele and that I am missing from the 56. The best neck pickup though cleary is the 56, as it mellowed, it is clear, deep and sweet. Joe Barden pickups nail the Gatton sound. Not a fan of the Kinman, nice but lacking personnality. MHO. And give me any of those 4 and I'm happy :-) Cheers.
I really appreciate your feedback and thanks for listening!!!
Curious why you chose to mix the nocaster and twisted tele sets. Can you elaborate what drove that decision? Why not use a whole nocaster set or a whole Twisted tele set. Your input would be real helpful. The video was great and I really dug the 56 the best. Thank you for the time you put into making it
looking for what kinmans do in a tele i found a fine tone comparison here. my early seventies heavily tweaked rock monster tele combines two strat pickups and a dimarzio humbucker in every possible way, producing tones i have not heard anywhere else yet.
Sounds like a great guitar you have there!
Barden's i guess that's why the set is $293 through new owner JBE. i do think the guitar recording had some distortion though so would be good to have a new comparison.
I love them!
I came looking @ the CS Nocaster/TT set for my Tele but that '56 was gorgeous. My oh my!
Surprised how well the Kinmans sounded too! The Gatton Bardens were nice but a bit different tone then what I'm after.
I think so far, I'm settled on the Nocaster and Twisted Tele set...unless until I stumble upon something better. Hard to beat that combo.
It sounds like you really k ow tone - thanks for listening!
Thank you for the video. You're very professional in presenting this video and you play well.
Wow, that is very nice of you to say!! Thanks for watching!!
I shut my eyes and listened. The 56 provides the most balanced sound.
Thanks for the feedback - hard to beat that 56
man, that Kinman N sounded great. I'll have to look into those. I have a set of Kinman WRHB's love those.
I like them too... they run a little bright, but easily fixed with a tone knob - thanks for watching