Blues Special Tele
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:
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
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
Sizing
Blues Special Tele Questions And Answers:
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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.
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I have a Nashville deluxe, what do you recommend putting in the center pick up with the Blues Tele pick-ups?
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Q I have a Nashville deluxe, what do you recommend putting in the center pick up with the Blues Tel...... Read moreA
Hey Rick, our Blues Special Strat would be the perfect compliment to the set.
Can I add a cover to a Blues Special Tele neck and, if so, can I buy a cover from you ? Also, I just wanted to say that I have several guitars with your pickups and they are remarkable. Thanks for what you do
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Q Can I add a cover to a Blues Special Tele neck and, if so, can I buy a cover from you ? Also, I j...... Read moreA
Hey Pat, if you have the staggered magnets out of the top, you'll need to go with an Open Top cover. We don't sell our covers separately, but you can get them all at Philadelphia Luthier Tools
Hi I'm interested in a Blues special telecaster set of pickups. I want the neck pickup with no cover at all. Is the 4 way switching option not possible now since wire cant be soldered to cover. Thanks for your help
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Q Hi I'm interested in a Blues special telecaster set of pickups. I want the neck pickup with no co...... Read moreA
Hey Phil, we can still do that - you'll get two wires, White and Black. The magnets will be taped so you can achieve the modification still.
Hi, I have an Ultra tele. It has the “series” switch and noisless pickups. I’m thinking of trying the Fralin Blues Specials. Will the S1 switch still work? Are there any other issues with this setup?
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Q Hi, I have an Ultra tele. It has the “series” switch and noisless pickups. I’m thinking of trying...... Read moreA
Hey Jim, yes! Be sure to select "4-way switching modification" on the product Add Ons and Options.
Assuming I'm using a traditional bridge with brass saddles and mounting the bridge pickup with the provided screws, is a separate bridge ground wire required to ground the strings? Or does the metal plate beneath the bridge pickup negate the need for that.
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Q Assuming I'm using a traditional bridge with brass saddles and mounting the bridge pickup with th...... Read moreA
Hey Jordan, as long as your properly ground the Bridge Pickup using the supplied black wire, the steel plate grounds out the bridge assembly when the bridge pickup mounts to the bridge assembly.
Note:
Asking a question here will be public to all users of this siteHey!
Did you already ask a question on our Contact Us Form? Don't ask it again here. Please be patient while we get back to you.-
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Featured Reviews
Reviews we worked hard for, and are proud of.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
Beautiful-sounding, inspiring pickups! Sounds great clean or dirty. I was leaning towards the stock Tele pickups but Lindy recommended these and I’m glad he did! I went with the covered neck, 2% output and it feels nicely matched to the bridge. Based on your touch they can be fat and warm or gnarly and bright. As Gershwin said, “Who could ask for anything more?” 5 stars!
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.