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If you want a hotter T-style guitar, these two pickup paths aim at different kinds of trouble. The Seymour Duncan™ Quarter Pound™ Tele takes the maximum-output approach: big, fat, punchy, and designed to push a traditional Tele-format single coil toward humbucker-level punch and saturation (per Seymour Duncan’s published positioning). The Vandal Signature T Set is the sweet-spot hot rod: more muscle, authority, rich mids, and crunch—while preserving the clarity, attack, snap, quack, and unmistakable T-style twang that made you pick up the plank in the first place.

• If you want maximum output and thickness: Seymour Duncan™ Quarter Pound™ Tele.
• If you want more authority without losing Tele snap and twang: Vandal Signature T Set.
• Core idea: More output isn’t the whole story. These are two different approaches to a hot-rodded Tele-style pickup—not a “better vs worse” contest.

Vandal Signature T Set: factory specs

·        Neck: Plain Enamel #43 × 8,020 turns • DCR: 7.0K • Bobbin / flatwork: Fiber Tele Neck • Magnet: Alnico 5 — 5 × 18.5, 19, 19.5 • Pole diameter: 5.0 mm • Pole length: 18.5 / 19 / 19.5 mm (staggered) • Polarity: South • Cover: Nickel Silver Tele Neck • Base plate: None specified • Lead wire: Cotton Push-Back Wire • Potting: Wax Potted

·        Bridge: Plain Enamel #43 × 11,380 turns • DCR: 12.0K • Bobbin / flatwork: Fiber Tele Bridge • Magnet: Alnico 5 — 6.5 × 16 • Pole diameter: 6.5 mm • Pole length: 16 mm • Polarity: North • Cover: None • Base plate: Nickel Silver Tele Bridge • Lead wire: Cotton Push-Back Wire • Potting: Wax Potted

Seymour Duncan™ Quarter Pound™ Tele: published comparison specs

·        Published DCR: Neck 11.8K • Bridge 17.0K

·        Construction: Alnico 5 magnet • 1/4 inch / 6.35 mm pole diameter • Forbon flatwork

·        Neck / lead / potting: Chrome-plated Tele cover • PVC lead wire • Wax potted • Passive single-coil

Source: seymourduncan.com/single-product/quarter-pound-tele

Note: Quarter Pound coil wire and bridge baseplate are not listed here because they were not confirmed from the manufacturer product page used for this comparison.

Vandal: classic twang—more authority

Vandal’s promise isn’t “maximum resistance, maximum output.” It’s a very specific target: massive, saturated mids, crystal-clear highs, and a sound that stays tight & articulate under heavy crunch—while keeping the snap, quack, and unmistakable T-style twang.

If you like classic Tele character but want more authority when the amp starts to cook, this is the lane. The vibe is: 7K neck. 12K bridge. Hot-rodded. Not overwound to death. (That last line is Vandal brand language—not an objective claim about any competitor.)

Quarter Pound™: maximum output, big and fat

Seymour Duncan positions the Quarter Pound™ Tele as the maximum-output move: powerful midrange, humbucker-level punch and saturation, and an almost P-90-like growl—while staying in a Tele-style single-coil format. If your priority is to hit the front end of the amp harder and get more shove per pick stroke, that’s the point of this set.

Seymour Duncan™ and Quarter Pound™ are trademarks of Seymour Duncan, LLC. Vandal Pickups is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Seymour Duncan, LLC.

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