Prewired Tele Harness

Rothstein Guitars is an AUTHORIZED DEALER for all these manufacturers listed on this page which means any pickups you purchase purchase from us carries the full manufacturer's warranty.

LINDY FRALIN PICKUPS- These are absolutely fabulous pickups. We have installed these pickups in countless guitars and what is rather amazing is how consistently good they sound. They are wound by hand by Lindy and his staff in Richmond, VA. We carry the following 3 configurations:

• Stock - Bright, clear, classic and twangy!! The neck pickup includes a metal cover and is wound to 7 K with 43 gauge Plain Enamel wire. The Bridge pickup is Wound with 42 gauge Plain Enamel wire to approximately 6.6k (8,800 turns).
• Custom 2% Underwound Blues Special set w/Metal Cover on neck pickup - This set is "the bomb" for those looking to attain that Roy Buchanan tone. These are custom made for Rothstein Guitars by Lindy Fralin. With this set the neck pickup is wound 2% below that of a regular blues special. In other words it is somewhere in between a stock pickup and a blues special. There are 2 benefits to this. First, this pickup will have a bit more top end and spank than a standard Blues Special due to the fact that is slightly underwoun in comparison. Second, since it isn't as dark as a Blus Special pickup, we have these made with the metal cover so you get to keep your vinage look!!
• Blues Special - The neck pickup comes without the metal cover. It is wound to 7.5K with staggered magnets and 5% more turns than stock. The tone is bright and strong. The bridge pickup is wound with 42 gauge Polynylon to 7.3K for 5% more power and 5% darker than stock sound.This pickup can also be overwound 2% overstock. We don't recommend anything hotter with a cover on it.
• Split Blade - Amazing tone and quiet! Most common options are vintage and blues. By default, these come in black with a 9.5" radius. No problem if you want some other variation, just indicate that in the comments field.

JOE BARDEN ENGINEERING- When I first installed a set into one of my own personal Teles it was an almost religious experience. I couldn't believe how good my guitar sounded. Seriously, they are that good. Hum-cancelling, and all of the spank and twang. I am a believer. Available in both the Gatton and Modern models.

CURTIS NOVAK PICKUPS- If you're looking for some monster T pickups then check out Curtis Novak. Curt has been hand winding pickups for 20 years and has studied the methods of the masters. He is quite adept at "scatterwinding" which many feel is one of the secrets to great tone. You will see some very unique options on his site.

SUHR PICKUPS- Awesome Tele pickups by John Suhr, master builder of Suhr guitars. Suhr's Classic T pickups are the result of John Suhr's extensive research into what made the pickups of T-style instruments so special and renowned for their unmistakable sonic quality heard on pop and rock music records of the past half-century. The Bridge pickup retains the twang and the bite of the best vintage T-style pickups while doing away with piercing or harsh highs that are common in pickups of this type. Our Chrome Neck pickup adds clarity and warmth to round out the perfect set of pickups for our Classic T and similar guitars.

The following wiring configurations are available:

3 Way

• Pos 1 = bridge only
• Pos 2 = bridge/neck (in parallel)
• Pos 3 = neck only

3 Way Reversed

• Same as above, but with 3 way switch at the end: volume, tone, 3 way switch (from left to right)

4 Way

• Pos 1 = bridge only
• Pos 2 = bridge/neck (in parallel)
• Pos 3 = neck only
• Pos 4 = bridge/neck in series (louder with more bottom)

4 Way Reversed

• Same as above, but with 4 way switch at the end: volume, tone, 4 way switch (from left to right)

SBE Orange Drop capacitors will be used by default at no extra charge, or for an upcharge you may select between Sozo NextGen Blue Molded, and VH Audio's V-CAP TONE series ultra high-end Paper in Oil. The price will vary depending upon which capacitor you select. Read about our capacitor choices here.

Tone Mods

Alternatively, you may optionally select from a couple of unique tone mods:

1. Mid-Scoop / Tone Switch option Read about this versatile tone control here. Mounted on a 500K push-pull pot.When the push-pull switch is down this functions as a standard tone control which cuts highs. When the switch is in the up position it becomes a mid-sucker that scoops mids as you turn the knob counterclockwise for an almost acoustic tone. I find this a good sound for clean funky rhythms.
   
   

   

2. Platinum Lab Varitone Click here for more info. Similar to the Gibson Varitone, our Platinum Lab Varitone this will provide you with an array of fixed tonal filters selected via a rotary switch.
   
   

   

A volume kit (also know as a "treble retention circuit" or "treble bleed mod") is used to prevent the loss of highs associated with lowering the volume on your guitar. We use a 1000 pf Mallory 150 Series Metalized Polyester Tubular capacitor in parallel with a 150K resistor. You can read more about this here.

We can wire your assembly with pin and socket connectors, thus eliminating the need for soldering. The pins and sockets are color-coded, so all you will need to do is match the colors and connect corresponding male and female connectors. If you purchase an assembly with a 3 way selector switch, there will be 4 pin/socket pairs. If you purchase an assembly with a 4 way selector switch there will either be 4 or 5 pin/socket pairs (5 ony if you neck pickup includes a metal cover).

Important Notes - Please Read:

lInstallation - Installing pickup and electronics into a tele (even if completely prewired and solderless) isn't as easy as it sounds. If you don't have experience working on guitars, you might be best off bringing your guitar, the pickups and the prewired assembly to a qualified technician for proper installation. Since the assembly is prewired, the technician won't likely charge you too much more than the solderless option.

String Ground - Most Tele bridge pickups establish the string ground via their base plates, thus eliminating the need for a separate ground wire. However, if you purchase a Tele bridge pickup that doesn't come with a metal base plate, an additional black wire wire attached to your assembly. This won't wire won't have a pin/socket connector. You will simply need to lay the exposed part of the wire under the bridge plate.

You may select between chrome and gold for the control plate and knobs.