Blues Special Tele
$110.00 – $220.00
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.
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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:
- 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
OVERVIEW
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.
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
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 |
*The Neck reads higher due to the use of 43 Gauge Wire, outputs are compensated
Video
FAQs
- What’s the difference between the Stock Tele and the Blues Special Tele? The Stock Tele is more true to Vintage specs and thus will sound brighter, clearer, and more open. The Blues Special Tele will sound thicker, darker, and more powerful. Blues Special’s tame the twang a bit and sounds beefier and thicker.
- Which Stagger do I choose? The Blues Special Telecaster set features a Hybrid Stagger neck pickup for a more pronounced D string. Carefully choose the bridge stagger to match your fretboard radius. Choose Stock Bridge Stagger if you have a guitar with a round to medium fingerboard radius: 7.25″ – 10″. Choose Hybrid if you have a flatter or compound-radius (11+”).
- What does the cover do to the tone? The cover, open-top or solid top, makes the pickup darker. That’s why when you request one, we underwind the neck to compensate.
- How far away from the strings does the pickup need to be? Push your Low E String down at the highest fret. Measure from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string. The ideal starting location should be 1/8″ on the bass string, and 1/16″ on the treble string, when the High E string is pushed down at highest fret.
- Wiring Diagrams? Here!
Sizing
Blues Special Tele Questions And Answers:
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CUSTOMER REVIEWS
194 reviews for Blues Special Tele
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I was told by a luthier on the East Coast to try these pickups . I bought a set and put them in a guitar I built and wow ! I now use them in my guitars and in 90% of my builds ! Lindy and Co have left the others in the dust . I can’t say enough about how great these and their other pickups are . I saw a loaded Strat pick guard on 920 D and bought it immediately . Why ? Because it was loaded with Fralin’s now I’m building a Strat around these pickups !
I built two Tele’s for my Daughters for Christmas , you guessed it Fralin stock Tele’s in one Fralin Blues Specials in the other .
I am now a life long customer . The guitar I built for my friend ? That’s Paul Bell from the Nighthawks . He loves the Blues Specials ! -
I picked these up to replace the pickups in a 63 Fender Custom Shop Tele that were a little too thin and bright. I really can’t believe the difference that these pickups have made; the bridge pickup is clear and punchy without ever being shrill and gets a fantastic, creamy, bluesy sound with the tone control rolled back. The neck pickup is round and warm but clear enough that I can actually hear all the strings…it’s basically perfect. These pickups are truely special, and they are never leaving my guitar.
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The Fralin team recently added blues specials to my American ash/maple Tele and out of my collection it’s become my favorite guitar again! These pickups are absolutely fantastic. I got the -Tone Cap: 02 – 0015 w/push-pull – bridge position pulled and neck position pushed are my favorite settings. I previously had N3 noiseless stock Fender pickups and they were average at best. Now, the guitar produces warm lows and clear highs – no more shrills or stingy sounds, and the harmonics are beautiful. I couldn’t be happier and never knew what a difference superior quality pickups would make.
Moving forward, I’ll be going through the Fralin team for all of my pickup needs – you guys do stellar work!
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Just recently put a full set of Blues Specials in my Standard Tele after modding it with a bunch of Fender aftermarket vintage parts, I thought I was in love with it’s look the most until I put these pick ups in. They sound incredible! They eliminate that harsh, high pitched twang you sometimes get on higher notes on the Tele, but keep the low crunchy tones. They sound great both clean and dirty, giving off a sound somewhere between a vintage Tele and a well worn Strat. I ordered the uncovered neck pickup, and the output difference is astounding. Easily the best Tele pickups I’ve come across, I highly recommend them for any Tele enthusiasts and I’ll definitely be coming back to Lindy Fralin if I need any other pickup.
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Great set of Tele pickups….incredibly versatile, both live and in the studio. You can stick with the clean traditional Tele voice or drive them and get warm, fluid tones. Fingerpicking, flatpicking, or hybrid picking styles are all well-served by these pickups. Whatever I do with them, they retain richness, clarity, and articulation while still having color and character. They are very well made with quality materials. On top of that, the company is nice to work with and always helpful. Can’t recommend them highly enough.
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These pickups are Great! I tried 3 different pickups till I got it right. These Blues Specials make my Tele sound like what I imagine a vintage Telecaster would sound like without being harsh or ice-picky. I highly recommend! I bought the set and it even sounds good in the middle position. Kinda like that Straty quacky sound. Amazing!
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Bought a Michael Kelly t-style because it came loaded with these pickups. I replaced the 500k pots (yeah, what’s up with that?) with Emerson pots and cap. Hokie smokes, Bullwinkle! It is one of the best sounding, and playing, t-types I have ever owned. These pickups wail! And they are the quietest single-coils I have ever heard. Great pickups!
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I ordered the Fralin Blues Special bridge pickup for my 1999 Fender Telecaster American Standard. Excellent presales service to ensure seamless installation. The pickup sounded good but I ended up reinstalling the original Fender stock bridge pickup. The Fender stock pickup seemed to sound more compatible with the Fender Twisted Tele neck pickup that I have on this guitar. Perhaps the Fralin Stock Bridge Pickup would have been a better choice to go with the Twisted Tele neck pickup. The Blues Special bridge was just a little too dark as was the Twisted Tele bridge pickup that came in a set with the Twisted Tele neck pickup. The 048610 Fender stock bridge pickup seemed to be clearer in tone and with more sustain than either the Twisted Tele Bridge or the Fralin Blues Special Bridge. Good sounding pickup, just not compatible with the Twisted Tele neck pickup.
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Just outstanding. Upgraded a Roadworn 50s w Blues Specials and it instantly became a beast! Very responsive to both touch and controls and easily moves from warm and clean to crunchy when digging in. Couldn’t be any happier with them.
Hey Peter, We recommend following our guide here: How To Properly Set Pickup Height
I will be installing a 4-way switch. Do I need to order neck pickup with or without cover? Thanks in advance!
You can order it either way! Just note, if you select a cover, please choose the “4 Way Switching Modification” checkbox so we can give you the correct pickup.
I’ve been eyeing the Blues Special Tele bridge pickup for a Telecaster Custom (HS) guitar. Currently it has a Tim Shaw CuNiFe WRHB and a vintage style ‘70s single coil. It’s fairly clean and twangy as one would expect from a Tele. I’m mostly a low-gain classic rock guitarist so both pickups are running a little clean for my tastes. I’m wondering if this pickup will get me headed in the right direction or if you recommend something different. I’m also thinking I should also pair the new bridge pickup with a PAF in the neck. I understand that you can’t use impedance as a relative measure between single-coils and humbuckers or pickups with differing design characteristics such as wire gauge. If I grab the Blues Special Tele bridge pickup, what Fralin humbucker would you recommend to go with it? I presume I’d prefer a PAF style over a WRHB unless there’s a reason pairing a PAF presents any kind of problem of which I’m unaware. A final consideration to mention is that I have a few Les Pauls outfitted with Custombuckers (low ohms around 8.0-8.5k) which I really like. I’d like to edge my Telecaster Custom a step in that direction from the perspective of output volume as I don’t care for using a boost-EQ to balance between guitars when I’m swapping between them on the same amp. Typical amps for me would Carol Anns with Marshall, Silver Jubilee, Over Drive, Trainwreck styled circuits or a Mesa Fillmore and Triple Crown. Cabinets typically have EVM-12Ls. Just mentioning these in case it is helpful. Any perspective is appreciated. I’m at 602-625-1446 if a call is better. — Mark
Hey Mark, HS Tele’s are always tricky. You need to ask yourself “What position do I play most?” before deciding on a pickup. The Blues Special Tele Bridge will sound great on 250K pots, but, if your Tele has 500K pots in it, I’d recommend going with our High Output. Regarding the Humbucker Neck, I would recommend either a 7.5K Pure P.A.F. for a traditional PAF tone, or our Sunbucker Blues for a brighter tone that will probably balance a bit more.
Hi guys does the pickup cover on the neck pickup on the Tele blues specials make any difference to tone or output? Ta Peter