Blues Special Tele
Versatile & Thick Tele Tone
$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.
Quick Links
Jump to Sound Clips and more Info:
100% Tele, Just a Bit Meaner.
Want to learn more about our Blues Special Tele? Here's all the information you'll need:
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
Sound Samples for Blues Special Tele:
Compare Outputs
We have 2 outputs of our Blues Special Tele. Compare them below.
About these Sound Clips:
All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.
Tonal Graph For Blues Special Tele:
The tonal graph below for our Blues Special Tele features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Attack: Dynamic & Full
Videos for Blues Special Tele:
Tech Specs:
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Blues Special Tele.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Neck Ohm Reading: | 7.8K* 1 |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 7.3K 1 |
| 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 2 |
More Information:
1 Ohm Readings can vary due to a multitude of factors, including ambient temperature, multimeter calibration, different wire batches, and other factors. Due to this, ohm readings are approximate. Learn more about Ohm Readings here.
2 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
Polarity Information:
Here's how we wind and magnetize our pickups:
Note: All of our coil directions are depicted from Ground (Black Wire, or Start Wire) to Hot (White Wire, or Finish Wire).
Blues Special Tele Dimensions:
Blues Special Tele FAQ's
General FAQs
Here are quick answers to common questions we get:
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What Ohm Readings does your Blues Special Tele have?
Navigate to our Tech Specs Tab for complete Ohm Readings and more useful information.
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Will this pickup fit my instrument?
Check our "Sizing" tab for the size of the pickup. No Sizing tab? Check under the product image gallery for dimensions.
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Is your Lead Time of 2-3 Weeks accurate?
It really depends on the shop capacity at the moment, and the size of your order. Feel free to give us a call for an accurate lead time. We always try to underpromise and overdeliver.
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What pickup height do you recommend setting your Blues Special Teles to?
Our recommended Pickup Height is 1/8" (3.175mm) on the Bass Side and 1/16"( 1.5875mm) on the Treble Side. Measure by holding the corresponding side down at its highest fret and measure from the bottom of the string to the top of the pole piece.
Product FAQ's
These are frequently asked questions about our Blues Special Tele. If you have a question that you don't see listed here, click "Ask A Question" in the Quick Links section above.
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How does the cover affect the tone of the Neck pickup?
It doesn’t – we use USA-made nickel Silver, the most sonically-transparent metal for covers. We also compensate the winding technique to make sure the Neck pickup sounds like we want it to.
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What is 4-Way Switching?
4-Way Switching adds a fourth position to your Telecaster’s switch to put both pickups in Series and Parallel. The 4th Position sounds like a big humbucker as a result. Read more on the topic here.
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What is required for my pickups to work with 4-Way Switching?
We apply tape to the magnets before winding to isolate the coil wire and the magnets. If you select a cover, we add a separate ground wire to permanently ground the cover instead of grounding the cover through the coil.
Pickup Pairing
Our Blues Special Tele pairs well with the following models:
Big Single - Neck
Starting At: $ 165
Pair A Blues Special Bridge with a Big Single 42 in the Neck for a killer combination.
View Product
Blues Special Strat - Middle
Starting At: $ 99
Nashville Tele? Our Blues Special Reverse Middle is the perfect match
View ProductGet it prewired
Go the extra mile and combine our Blues Special Tele with a Telecaster Control Plate!:
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
347 Genuine Reviews for Blues Special Tele
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I’m so satisfied with my new pickups! I find myself in awe even after weeks of playing with these cause I’m still amazed by the clarity and response. Zero complaints, I’m absolutely in love.
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I purchased the Blues Special Tele pickups from my latest telecaster build. I went with the raw nickel open top neck pickup. Not only looks great but sounds absolutely amazing! Always searching for that just right “tone” and these pickups are now at the top of that list.
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Excellent pickups, the middle position before was pretty much useless but now I use that for my rhythm tone and kick to treble for a little lead boost – very nice thank you
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I am the co-owner of Ann Arbor Guitars along with Master Luthier David Collins and Lindy Fralin’s pick-ups are always our first choice for vintage tone. We don’t sell a thing and only do high-end repair work for a goodly amount of well known players and the community when we have time. I purchased these tele pups for my own personal Tele and I already use and love Lindy’s split blade pups on my Strat. The Tele pups took a lifeless brand new Professional US Tele and made it a superb tone machine. I could not be more pleased! So with my intent being the biggest compliment and recommendation I can give we know pick-ups and have worked with them all and Fralin pick-ups are the best available, period. Thanks Lindy for your superb products, support, documentation for those who want it and great service. Much appreciated!
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I wasn’t expecting the pickups to sound so good, but when I sat down and plugged in to my BE-50DLX’s Buxom Betty clean channel, the Blues Special pickups in my Tele sang like never before. They really do sound great. I know where I’ll get my next set.
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I bought a Blues Special Tele for the bridge position of my Tele to replace a Seymour that quite honestly sounded kind crappy. The Lindy is pricey, but I read the reviews, and also took counsel from a bandmate that had used them in several basses and was really impressed. I had the Fralin installed, and I’m also highly impressed! What a really sweet and balanced tone this thing puts out, I’m a fan!
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These pickups stand alone. The character of these pickups demands attention and respect of its own. I own other Telecasters with other pickups, not the same!
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Wow, these are absolutely fantastic. I’ve had the same Telecaster since 1998 and rarely play it as I never cared for the sound. These pickups are warm and got rid of some of that thin twangyness that came with the stock pickups. I can really express myself now with these and it really rocks, 60’s covers, 90’s rock, blues, this is my axe now.
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Holy Telecaster Tone. Ballz for days and all the twang you could ever want. There’s no hiding behind this pickup. The clarity is incredible.
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My second time getting pickups from Fralin. First time was P-90’s to replace the stock “pups” I leave leave out the brand name installed in Collings 290DC. Fralin P-90’s woke the guitar up in a major way. This time for a 63 reissue Fender CS Tele I installed the “Blues” pickups and more sonic heaven from Fralin. I have learned the hard way that to have great distortion I first need the cleanest, clearest pickup. If I EVER need any single coil pickups from now on, this will be the only place I am going to buy from.
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These pickups were exactly what I had envisioned. Nice bluesy sounds while retaining the famous telecaster twang. I highly recommend!
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Well… I DO hear what I have been missing with this Blues Special Tele bridge pickup! I hear wonderful single note tones on the high end that I have never heard before with my alder Telecaster. The low end is very clear and alnico 3 like, which I love. No muddy alnico 5 bottom end here. I stepped up to Fralin to elevate my Telecaster Twang. My Tele has never sounded this good and I have tried six other very good sounding bridge pickups. Compression and delay is delightful to listen to but I really do not need it. All I have to do is plug in straight to my Fender amp, add some reverb and turn…it…up…LOUD!
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I’ve got the set of Blues Special Tele Pickups and they are pretty damn good… it will stay forever on my tele.
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This is a fantastic set of pickups. I installed them in my 75th anniverstary MiM Telecaster. The sound is extremely balanced and fixed the harshness of the stock pickups. I ran into an issue installing the neck pickup. I emailed support to ask for help and ended up getting a call from Lindy himself. It was the best example of customer service that I have ever received. I highly recommend these pickups and this great company to everyone. If you’re on the fence, buy these: you’ll not regret it!
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The BEST Telecaster pickups I have ever owned! Superb!
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I have two guitars – Strat and Tele. I have installed the ‘Vintage Hots’ in my Strat and could not believe the difference these made so decided to go with the Blues Specials in my Mexican Tele. Again, the difference is night and day. These are amazing pickups. My Tele now has some growl while still retaining the clean twang. I highly recommend these pickups for anyone looking to upgarde their tone. Sublime!
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I bought a set of Blues Special Tele pickups with an Open Top neck to replace the stock P90 neck and Tele bridge in my MIJ Fender FSR Tele. I was looking to get a more traditional Tele neck sound with a bit of strat flavour and these pickups are perfect for that. The bridge pickup sounds how a Tele should in my opinion and it’s a huge upgrade from stock. The thing I noticed most was how dynamic the neck PU in particular was, and how it responds to different techniques and attack on each note. There’s a space around each note that’s addicting even without reverb on the amp. I haven’t played any guitar that has the dynamics of these pickups, even custom shop Fenders. These have made me love my Tele even more than I already did. Highly recommended to upgrade any guitar.
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Great pickup!
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Good Stuff
Arrived quickly and exactly how I wanted them. Great pickups and I love my reverse tele switch plate. cheers!
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Made with real unicorn tears
That’s the only possible explanation for how great these sound. Funk, blues, rock, R&B/soul, Americana, sounds brilliant. Again, unicorn tears. Hashtag unicorn tears. Dot com. Just buy them already.
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