Blues Special Tele

  • Single Coil
  • Thick & Versatile
  • Traditional Appearance
  • Modern Output
(296 genuine reviews)

$110$220

Love playing your Telecaster again and know it finally has the voice it was always meant to with our Blues Specials. Wound with a 5% overwind from our Stock Teles, Blues Specials feature a punchy, warm tone that tames the harsh top-end from most Telecasters and helps you hear every nuance in your playing. Lastly, customize your appearance with our neck options and make your Telecaster a real eye-catcher with a look that suits you.

 

PRODUCT OPTIONS:

Select Options Above To Display Add-Ons

Neck Cover *

Choose how you want your Neck pickup to look in your guitar. If no option is chosen, you will receive an Uncovered neck, which is standard.

Neck Options

If performing a 4-Way Switching Mod, please select this box below:

Bridge Options *

Specify if you want White Cloth String or Black Cloth String on your bridge. If no option is chosen, you will receive White String.

Nashville Tele Info:

Are you buying pickups for a Nashville Telecaster Setup? Make sure you check this box to let us know. Make sure you add a middle pickup as well. Our Nashville Polarity will cancel hum in positions 2 & 4, like a Strat.

SPEED UP YOUR ORDER

Since you're buying a single pickup, we might need more information from you. To avoid unnecessary delays in your order, please choose one of the options below:



Be sure to read our article on Pickup Polarity here.

Notice

Due to the nature of Raw Nickel, Raw Nickel may contain slight cosemetic defects or abrasions.

Recommendation

We recommend using 2-Conductor With Shield Lead when purchasing a single pickup. 2-Conductor lead allows you to reverse the phase should you have phase issues. Learn About Lead Choice

Lead Time

A Lead Time of 3 Weeks is just an estimate. Lead Times are subject to change depending on the current shop capacity and size of the order. We will always try to complete your order quicker than the stated lead time.


100% Tele, Just a Bit Meaner.

Want to learn more about our Blues Special Tele? Here's all the information you'll need:

Blues Special Tele FEATURES:

Discover what you’ve been missing with our best-selling Telecaster pickups. Blues Specials feature a 5% overwind that emphasizes the midrange while taming the high-end for a warmer, thicker Telecaster tone that still sounds like a Tele. Built with all USA-Made parts, you can take pride knowing Lindy designed his Blues Specials with the highest quality materials available.

It starts here: Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control. Blues Specials consist of local fiberboard and USA-Made Alnico 5 Magnets. We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time, using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique for a sweet, unique tone. You can feel great knowing that we wound your pickups specifically for you. Finally, we wax-pot the pickup to prevent microphonics and preserve the pickup for years to come.

Features:

  • 5% more coil than our Stock Tele set for a warmer, thicker tone
  • Modified Fender specifications, optimized for output
  • High output, but still has Fender sparkle
  • Compensated Bridge for even volume across all pickups
  • USA-made Alnico 5 Magnets for optimal tonal balance and output
  • Two different magnet staggers for optimizing pickups for your instrument
  • Hand-wound with our “Sectioning” technique for unique, dynamic tone
  • Hand-built fiberboard Bobbins for unrivaled quality control
  • Backed by our 10-Year Warranty on manufacturing defects

 

Sound

If you’re looking for balance – not too bright, not too dark, this set is for you. While playing clean, Blues Specials sound thick and creamy with open and clear highs and a thicker midrange. The overwound coil tames your highs and bumps your midrange – more than the Stock Tele Pickups, while you can expect more of a traditional Tele Tone than our Steel Pole 42s.

With distortion, you can expect a light compression, low-end growl, and a medium attack. Single notes sound thick and round, while chords have a full tone with an early breakup. Finally, Blues Special Pickups are for you if you’re looking for more output from your current pickups, but still want to keep that traditional Tele tone.

You’ll wonder why you didn’t make the switch earlier.

Are you looking for a Hum Cancelling Tele pickup that actually sounds like a Tele? Check out the Blues Output of our Split Blade Tele Pickups

 

 

 

 

 


Tonal Graph for Blues Special Tele:

The tone graph below for our Blues Special Tele features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.

HIGHS
MIDS
LOWS
OUTPUT

Attack: Dynamic & Full

Tech Specs

See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Blues Special Tele.

SPECIFICATION VALUE
Neck Ohm Reading:7.8K*
Bridge Ohm Reading:7.3K
Neck Polarity:Counter Clockwise Coil Direction, North To Strings
Bridge Polarity:Clockwise Coil Direction, South To Strings
Wire:USA-Made 42 / 43-Gauge Single Poly Nylon
Magnet:USA-Made Alnico 5
Recommended Pot Value:250K
Recommended Cap Value**:0.02mfd

**We recommend a 0.02mfd Cap Value on most guitar and bass pickups. The exception is a Magic Cap, which Lindy prefers on the Bridge Pickup of Fender® guitars only. Learn More about Caps Here.

*The Neck reads higher due to the use of 43 Gauge Wire, outputs are compensated

Sizing

Telecaster Bridge Mounting Hole Dimensions

 

Blues Special Tele Questions And Answers:

Notice:

Have a question about our Blues Special Tele? Ask it here. Your Question will be publically visible. If you want to ask a Private Question, please contact us through our Contact Us Form.

If you have multiple questions, please call us at (804) 358-2699.

    I’m after a Fralin bridge blues special pickup for my telecaster. The current neck pickup is a DiMazio true velvet, which I’m happy with. Are there any compatibility problems with this set up? Thanking you. Andy.
  1. Q I’m after a Fralin bridge blues special pickup for my telecaster. The current neck pickup is a Di...... Read more
    A

    Hey Andy, no, just make sure your True Velvet has multiple leads in case you need to reverse the polarity.

  2. Can you tell me if there is a sound bite of the three cover options on the blues special pickup. I am aware of the opinions of the chrome dulling the sound, but thinking of the two nickel options vs no cover.
  3. Q Can you tell me if there is a sound bite of the three cover options on the blues special pickup. ...... Read more
    A

    Hey Edward, we do not, unfortunately. From personal experience, the tonal difference is incredibly subtle, as we compensate the pickup's winding to be brighter if a customer orders one with a cover. - Tyler

  4. Hi Fralins! I adore your Special blues bridge. Now i’m looking for a soapbar p90 neck to match it with. Could any of your 90s be the perfect one for my Scandinavian Tele?
  5. Q Hi Fralins! I adore your Special blues bridge. Now i’m looking for a soapbar p90 neck to match it...... Read more
    A

    Hey Jonas,

    If you're looking for a traditional P90 tone, our Stock P90 is perfect. I'd recommend a -5% Underwind to match more with the Blues Special. - Tyler

  6. Hi Tyler! I got a partial answer before but not quite what i asked. How many winds do you do on a standard telecaster pickup, neck and bridge so I know how much 5% overwind is?
  7. Q Hi Tyler! I got a partial answer before but not quite what i asked. How many winds do you do on a...... Read more
    A

    Hey Roger, 8600 for the Neck, 9600 for the Bridge.

  8. Hi! I am newbie on pickup winding and I like to try to overwind a pickup for a beefier blues sound. May I be so bold to ask how many winds you do on you’re Blues special Tele pickups, or is that a company secret ?
  9. Q Hi! I am newbie on pickup winding and I like to try to overwind a pickup for a beefier blues soun...... Read more
    A

    Hey Roger, we roughly overwind the Blues Special Tele pickups by 5%. - Tyler

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GET IT PREWIRED

Go the extra mile and combine our Blues Special Tele with a Telecaster Control Plate!:

Get It Prewired - Lindy Fralin Pickups

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

296 Genuine Reviews for Blues Special Tele

  1. Rob Jackson
    Verified Buyer

    gotta give it 4 and a half stars….
    I have a 2015 Tele, stock, with a single coil neck pup and a humbucker in the bridge…it’s one of those Guitar Center tele’s that Fender made from 2013-2015… I loved the sound of the stock neck pickup but it was no match for the humbucker out put wise….the Fralin Blues special cured all of that….it was a perfect match!…my only gripe, is the height adjustment screws appear to be of lesser quality…..

  2. maxi
    Verified Buyer

    this is the 5th guitar I’ve put a set of these in……they are my favorite pickup, nothing else compares

  3. M Girard
    Verified Buyer

    I installed these in a Fender 50’s Road Worn Telecaster replacing the stock pickups and the difference was so remarkable, I thought I installed them wrong! 500% changed the entire vibe of the guitar and it’s now a completely inspiring guitar to play.

  4. James Hennessey
    Verified Buyer

    Tele Blues Special neck pickup… Awesome!
    This is the third time changing out the neck pickup on my ’52 Reissue
    It finally sounds good when the others sounded weak and anemic
    I was worried about losing twang and clarity. I needn’t have worried.
    I can even get a convincing Strat tone.

  5. Bryne
    Verified Buyer

    I haven’t heard the blues specials in my custom built Tele yet , because it just got finished with the build but Richard at RSM Guitar Works in Winnipeg,Mb , Canada who does all my guitar work says it’s the best sounding Tele he’s ever heard with tons of sustain and spot on tone wise. I had it wired up 4 way . I can’t wait to get back home to pick it up and play it to see for myself.

  6. ISHII MASAYUKI
    Verified Buyer

    It’s a great tone?
    Attention to detail was seen everywhere.
    I was also grateful for the speed from order to arrival.

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