Tele/strat pup explanation

[piebaldpython]

Just wondering if someone could explain to me....in layman's terms......what the essential differences are between Tele and Strat style pups? Are they wound differently?

[marnold]

One of the big things with the Tele bridge pup as I understand it is the plate attached to it. Tele neck pickups also tend to have covers and (IIRC) are slightly smaller.

[Katastrophe]

Marnold got it right. The traditional Tele bridge pickup has a brass plate attatched to the bottom, which is why Teles have a funky route for that pup compared to a Strat. Tele neck pickups also have a darker tone to my ears.

Remember, ol' Leo thought the Strat to be an improvement over the Tele for country playing. He also didn't like the "quack" positions of 2 and 4 in a five way switch, which is why original Strats came with three way switches.