Hey guys, so I'm trying to decide on a set of tele pickups. The guitar is a one piece ash body, maple neck, with an ebony fretboard. The body is medium density. I suspect that this will be a bright guitar, so I'm looking for a set of pickups that will pull back a little bit of the attack and abrasiveness in favor of a creamier, sweeter, smoother tone. I'm assuming this puts my in the "vintage" sector, versus the overwound sector.
I'm just hoping someone can steer me in the right direction. My budget is maybe 200 bucks for pickups. There are so many choices it's hard to understand the differences, especially since I don't have a venue to try them all. In addition, it's hard to get a good feel through youtube videos and such, because the recording quality is generally low.
Is there any method you guys use to decide on a set of pickups, when you have very little experience with all the different brands?
Just a few I've been looking at: Fralin Stocks or Blues Specials, Rio Grande Vintage Tallboy, Anderson VA or SC, Lollar Vintage T or 52 T or ???
Thanks in advance.