Testing Tele pickups - can't rely on specs

[MisterE]

I'm currently testing three pickups with the following specs according to the manufacturers:

DiMarzio Area T: B: 6.0 / M: 6.5 / T: 7.5
DiMarzio Area T Hot: B: 6.0 / M: 6.0 / T: 6.5
Seymour Duncan Hot Stack: B: 5.0 / M: 6.0 / T: 6.0

But the Area T sounds fuller than the Area T Hot.
It does sound a bit similar to the Hot Stack.

Still testing but so far the Area T seems to be the winner with the Hot Stack as a close second
I'm going for the classic 70's Status Quo rock sound as heard on their epic Live album.

 

[steadystate]

Those manufacturer's silly numbers, and their equally silly text descriptions, mean absolutely nothing. I have a recent thread in the Lounge on this subject.

You have to test them yourself, in your own rig. No way around it.

 

[Jeries]

I don't think FULL may be directly related to Treble/Middle/Bass

I'd also say- what makes a good employee at like a pickup company- and DiMarzio has said this- is the ability to describe things that are hard to describe like one pickup for another- it's not easy.

Hot might be more of an output but with a closer eq- while full to you might be a more spread sound with a lower output so it feels fuller because it's not flat- it's hard to explain these things.

 

[MisterE]

I meant more bass actually.
But anyway, steadystate is right.
You have to keep on trying. But the thing is, with the Axe-fx, you also have the option of trying different amp/cab combinations.
And in combination with the pups, that adds up to a lot of permutations.

I just decided to give the Vintage Stack another try, which was originally in one of the Tele's I bought, and now I prefer that one.
Go figure. And according to the specs its the most bassy of them all but it doesn't sound that way.
So I'm back to square one

 

[Rex]

Those manufacturer's silly numbers, and their equally silly text descriptions, mean absolutely nothing. I have a recent thread in the Lounge on this subject.

So true. Read any manufacturer's description of any pickup. They all have great highs, great mids and great lows. The only difference is whether those highs are "singing" or "soaring." They're very careful to make sure there's nothing in the description that might make you think that this pickup isn't the right one for you.