Got the Hot Vintage p'ups in and running. I can't believe there's an easier guitar to change the p'ups in than a Tele. A few screws and four solder points and that's it. And you do all the work from the top side. Very convenient.

Anyway, these Hot Vintage p'ups were advertised as having a classic Tele twang but with a "growl". That's a pretty good description. You definitely wouldn't want these for playing a lot of clean country or jazz styles, but for blues and rock, they're great. Definitely "hotter" than the stock Squier pickups and lots of bite. I played through my Delta Blues' clean channel with the volume up a bit for a few minutes, and there's a lot punch there. Go over to the lead channel or stomp on the ol' Bad Monkey, and it gets down & dirty very nicely.

I thought they might be kind of noisy, and while there's still some hum, they're quieter than the stock Squier p'ups were. All in all, a very substantial upgrade for a reasonable (~$75) expenditure....