What would a Tele® bridge pickup sound like if it had the same EQ as a vintage PAF®? If you’re a Tele® player and you think this is an interesting question, we have the answer: it’s the Area Hot T™ Bridge. Because it has the classic Tele® 6-magnet configuration, it’s not simply a PAF® reduced to Tele® size. The sound is more detailed and controlled. The plain strings both sing and sting, and the wound strings have a dynamic quality that’s halfway between a humbucker and a P90. The Area Hot T™ Bridge uses Alnico 2 magnets like our other Area™ models, and works well with either 250K or 500K controls.

Recommended For: Standard Tele® bridge position.

Tech Talk: Like the Area T™, the Area Hot T™ Bridge has outstanding dynamic range, and it responds instantly to changes in pick attack and volume. It's also very sensitive to string distance. The volume is high when the pickup is close to the strings, but can be reduced by backing the Area T™ Bridge away. String pull is not a problem with the same Alnico 2 magnets that are standard on the Area T™. 250K is the recommended control value, but higher values like 500K all around or a 250K volume and the 1 Megohm EP1202 can add some twang to the basic tone.