All guitar modifications are inherently imperfect, and unexpected issues can crop up. Please do your own research and/or consult help from a local guitar repair shop if you aren't sure about the parts you want to install. You can also feel free to ask questions in the comments section below.
Pickup Upgrades for the Fender Player Telecaster
These are a few of my favorite upgrade suggestions for the Fender Player Telecaster, which is the cheapest of the Fender Tele series. It comes with "Player Series" single coils, which are essentially a type of stock pickup that helps cut the cost of the guitar. They sound decent, but the Player Tele gets a major bump in tone and value with a pickup set upgrade. The three I've covered here are my top recommendations. If you have questions, leave them in the comments section below.
Compatibility Notes: All of these pickup sets are passive and should be a really straightforward installation. Consult wiring diagrams and/or a guitar repair shop if needed.
Fender Player Telecaster Pickup Upgrade Suggestions
There are few Telecaster pickup sets on the market, so the decision here is a bit easier than if you were looking for humbuckers, or even Stratocaster pickups.
The Player Series Tele is a great starting point.
Fender Gen 4 Noiseless Tele Set
The Noiseless pickups are almost always my favorite options for Telecasters and Stratocasters. Since single coil pickups have historically had issues with noise, these sets from Fender have absolutely no issues with hum or unwanted noise. They're also a huge tone upgrade over the stock pickups that ship on the Player Teles.
Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Telecaster Pickups
The Quarter Pound Telecaster set is Seymour Duncan's higher-output offering, that gives you the same Telecaster "twang" you get with the Fender singles, but with a little more heat. This is good for more "out front" lead with some rhythm balance in there as well.
Seymour Duncan La Brea Brad Paisley Signature Set
I had to include this set because it's hard to think about Telecasters without thinking Brad Paisley. He's one of the best Tele players around (in my opinion), and this set is a huge upgrade over the included alnico single coils. They're a great fit for country tones and faster lead Tele styles.
We link to products on Sweetwater and other partners that help support our site and keep the lights on. If you click through our orange buttons, we might earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you all for your generous support over the years! ~ Bobby and Danielle
Our disclosure↬
The People who Maintain these Pages
the newsletter
Gear and guitar lesson reviews by real guitar players
We buy, use, test, research, and rate the guitar programs and gear we recommend. Sign up for our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date.
By clicking the "sign up" button, you are consenting to receiving updates about Guitar Chalk and recaps of what we publish. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Related Electric Guitar Upgrade Pages
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Pickups & Upgrades
Written by GC Editorial on Electrics & Roundups
Comment Policy: You're down to leave a comment? That's awesome. Keep in mind that comments are moderated and rel="nofollow" is in use. Please avoid any spammy keywords or a domain as your name, otherwise your comment will be deleted. Let's stay on topic, keep questions relevant and have a meaningful conversation. All the best.