Who's happy with their pups & Whos not?

**Buck Cannon** · 08-09-2002, 12:31 PM

Hello,
Whos happy with their pups out there? If so what are you using?

& Who Is not?
Maybe I can be of some help here with some tone tips?

Don Mare@Lace Music

**tanawana** · 08-09-2002, 01:51 PM

Van Zandt Rock pickup in the bridge with Fralin Bass Plate works for me. Any ideas on what to finish the guitar out with??

**SMark** · 08-09-2002, 04:08 PM

While I am truly a pickup junkie and will never quit trying out pickups, these Hot Gold Lace Sensors sing to me like nothing else ever has. While all positions are fantastic, the neck pickup tone is particularly outstanding. And this is not to take away anything from other world class pickups that I also own (i.e. Kinman AVn Blues) and am likely never to part with. But I honestly didn't even need to spend time dialing in these Hot Golds. The tone knocked me over right from the start. Killer pickups Don.

And here is another one of my Hot Gold recordings... :cowb

**lightningboy** · 08-09-2002, 05:00 PM

i have a blue[neck]-gold[middle]-red[bridge] lace sensors in my modified tele

**Guildx700~** · 08-09-2002, 05:14 PM

Hi Don, pardon me but I'll turn my rant mode on for this

IMO the whole holy grail pickup thing gets way out of hand for some folks who seem to be in the "pickup of the month club".

I've been playing, teaching, repairing, sound mixing, blah blah blah for over 23 years now and have owned & played a lot of guitars, and throughout this I very rarely have found really "bad" pickups.

For me it's more of the right tool for the right job, I don't remember personally ever having to swap out pickups more than once in any guitar, IF they even needed swapping out to begin with that is.

Most of my more expensive, brand name guitars still have the original pups, it's the cheap guitars that I usually do pup upgrades on, and even some of those new, cheap, "Duncan designed" ones sound pretty darn good IMO. There, I said it, someone will roast me for that, LOL!

Heck I have some cheap Dearmond guitars, remember them? Here today, gone today. Well they have the Dearmond USA pickups that I think sound great!

I guess what rubs my ruhbarb the wrong way is some of my repair customers are at a nearly bi-monthly basis, and it's always , "wow, ya gotta heare this XXXX pup it's killer"...and six to 8 weeks later they're back in with some other "killer" ones to replace those! It's wearing a bit thin on me frankly to hear their gushings of each new, fantastic pickup they've "discovered".

IMO pickup dissatisfaction is usually due to simply mismatching the pickup with the guitar and the style of music being played along with believing the hype some folks push on pickups.

LOL... folks used to pull PAF's out and replace em with Dimarzzio dual sounds and what not. My 1979 Explorer still has the real PAF's I got for free and put in it back in 79 when a guy pulled em out of his 1959 burst for some "better pickups". I put em in the Explorer cause I felt the stock ceramic ones were a bit too hot for what I wanted out of that guitar, but they still sounded good to me, just not what I wanted for that particular guitar.

Heck, I'm the oddball....I'm thrilled with the stock 57's in my Gibson 57 RI Goldtop, perfect classic rock sound.

I love my Fender Nocaster Clean/Vintage combo in my franken-tele, killer classic Tele.

I really like my Fender Fat 50's for rock and, perish the thought, I really like my Fender Texas Specials, they are perfect for dirty blues.

The key here was I picked pups with attributes for the music I wanted em to play.

I had some custom made ultra high output 3 blade humbuckers made for me 20 years ago for my Hagstrom Swede to not only give me a totally rude grinding tone, but have all available switching on the 3 coils in each pickup. They're still in it, 20 years later. I have all the available switching options for em, series, parallel, phase, multiple coil switching within each 3 blades.

I dunno, meebee I'm in the pup of the month club too and I don't even know it, but I seem to be very happy with every guitar I have right now...all 19 of em! LOL...ahhh now I see the folly of my way, I'm in the GUITAR of the month club!!

Rant mode off.

:rofl:rofl:rofl

**Buck Cannon** · 08-09-2002, 05:55 PM

Hey GX700, I hear ya! I know what ya mean 100% LOL

I totally admire guys who leave in the originals,

And you do have some really great pups to start with, Dearmonds sound great! Fenders too!
I really like all your pups except one that I cannot agree with at all ( They never did it for me)(SORRY in advance OK?) ahummm...57's,,, but it makes me happy to know your have found their use_ Classic Rock_ and I can actually see that happining with them! < Gibson has upgraded to the Burstbuckers, Those I Burstbuckers I do like, but My personal # 1 choice for Humbuckers is Seymour Duncan, Antiquity~neck & Seth Lover~Bridge.

My Favroite pup in the world thats right out of the box are Seymour Duncan's Antiquity P-90's

My swaping started when I decided that I had enough original tone, but still wanted all the greatness of that original and then more "LOT"S MORE!" LOL ... because this is the year 2002, And a 65 year old pup design is old! So 60 cycle Hum ellimantion was on the list and then something better.

So that thought rang out in my head and sent me in search of the Holy Grail!

Like some of your repair customers, I too Changed pups but even more frequint ...About every 1-4 weeks, But I was doing all the work myself, I have been a guitar Tech for 13 years.

My 12 year old strat is the one I had to beat out, Its old sound Of the Duncan SSL-1's, But by using a Hum Free version... Almost an Imposible task. Almost $20,000 later and a new Job At Lace runing the Custom Shop... I can stomp them SSL-1's out! by using the new Custom Shop Power Sensors, I could match the SSL_1 tone with quite a few hum free pups but The output was where they all failed except for the Power Sensors, I know have Thge old tone mixed with the added EQ I wanted and OUTPUT to drive my preamp like a good pup should.

*Hey LIGHTNINGBOY>,
Cool TELE , Tips > TBX, Phase Switch, Bridge & neck on together using the middle posistion of the 5 way or a P/P pot , or by using a micro switch, Kinman Treble bypass mod. .029 or .033 tone caps for a little better sounding tone cut?

*Hey TANAWANA>,
TBX, Fralin P-90 Strat Size pup or a Full size Duncan Antiquity,
P-90 or an Antiquity mini Humbucker~neck, For Strat tones in the neck> SSL-1's, Fralins neck thats just under the blue set, or another Van Zant for some SRV?
:If ya post on my Lace User Fourm I can suggest some Lace stuff but I would rather not do it here... ( Just don't seem COOL!)
Phase Switch, Bridge & neck on together using, middle posistion of the 5 way or a P/P pot , or by using a micro switch. the Kinman Treble bypass mod..029 or .033 tone caps for a little better sounding tone cut?

Hope I helped out?
ST / DM

**Clapton Fan** · 08-09-2002, 06:42 PM

One thing is certain, those seymour duncan pickups Ssl-1 are really top class pickups, mark knopfler got great tones out of it, and ive played a cool mex strat a couple weeks ago, wich had them, they sounded terrific.
And they sound great on that song you posted also ;).

**Jimmy James** · 08-09-2002, 07:17 PM

I'm happy and done. The anal retentive years of trying out different models are over. I have a box full rejects of every brand you can name.

I settled on the DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Blues, Heavy Blues, and Solo models from neck to bridge.

Clean, smooth, warm, firey, and no hum.

**Buck Cannon** · 08-09-2002, 10:46 PM

Hi JJ,

You have a great point about a Scrap box,

but some of the pups in my box here and in yours are probally still great pups they just need to be put in the right guitar ... this happens to me here all the time as the same pups seldom sound great in two different guitars usally they'll sound good in one guitar but not in the other. This happens almost weekly.

And I'll have to raise or lower DC's, swap out magnets etc...to compinsate for, Too Much, Bass or treble or mids etc.... or visa versa.

I have learned that once you get a AX sounding really good, that its really a combo of compatibilty with that AX its pups, that makes for great tone.

I have a Strat with a KILLER 13.k Red Hot Blues neck pup , But that same pup when installed in my TELE, it turns it into a BASS BOOMER... way too much bass... but in the Strat its KILLER! & And it's EQ is dead on!

So suggesting pups can be really tricky, Its a gamble! It's something I cringe at each time I have to do it, cause you never know 100% if your going to help a fellow Musician or falt out mess him up?

Thats why I really dispise some guys & GIRLS who are loyal to one company ONLY and tell as many folks as they can to buy their pups... Because it's impossible for one company to sound great in every ax ... it just does not happen that often!... & it just shows stupity and a lack of general consern for all of us players... and it reeks of "THE GIVE ME THE MONEY SHOW!"....

Take Care,
DM / ST

**Dave Paetow** · 08-10-2002, 05:50 AM

I've used Fralin single coils for over 10 years and have been more than happy with them. I also have a set of David White Old Glory pickups that are quite good too, but I don't know if they are made anymore. When the bridge pickup in my '63 Strat pooped out, I had Fralin rewind it, and frankly I think it sounds better now than it did before it died.

For a noise free pickup, I like Kinmans. I have Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups in a guitar, but they don't sound as good as the Kinmans to me. I do like the V.V. Solo bridge pickup, it sort of sounds like a P-90.

**TattooedCarrot** · 08-10-2002, 07:24 AM

I have fat 50's in an alder hardtail with rosewood fretboard. CTS 250k pots for tone, and a crappy no-name 250k volume pot (I forgot a third pot) with .22 cap. It sounds stiffled. Not muddy, but muffled like a towel over a speaker. I removed the cap to disable the tone pots thinking that would help - no change. I suspect either my ears or the cheap volume pot ? Any suggestions ? Previously I had some Texas Specials in an ash strat and it was tits !!

**Homer** · 08-10-2002, 08:24 AM

I'm pretty happy with mine. I have three guitars, and they have the following pups:

This one probably won't fit to a Fender forum... but anyway. My oldest guitar is an old japanese solidbody made in the LP tradition; it's a great axe but had really cheesy pups, so I swapped them for some Gibson PAF's (Reissues I gthink... not originals of course :)) I got very cheap used. They really rock. The guy I bought them from ripped them from his Gibson to replace them with EMG's...:rolleyes:. Guild: seems there are more of those ppl than you would believe :)

My #1 Strat still has it's stock pickups. It's a Deluxe Super Strat, it comes with some pups especially made for that guitar. They have a very warm tone, a great bottom end and a nice crispy top, I'd say go in the direction of Texas Specials, but with less mids ,less "honky". I love them.

my #2 Strat too still has it's stock pickups, but I had them modified. They are ceramic pickups and originally sounded too sterile. A friend of mine (a good guitar tech) wound them up with a few additional rounds, IIRC 1300 on the bridge, 900 on the middle and 700 on the neck; now they are really hot with a great bite, good for some more aggressive sounds (I play mostily hendrix stuff on that guitar).

I really like them all very much.

**Buck Cannon** · 08-10-2002, 08:33 AM

Hey TattooCarrot,
Try this test and let us know who it sounds?

Try to bypass the pots all together more or less wiring that pup in question right to the out put Jack.
If this clears up the muffeled tone then try going up a pot Value or two?
I use 500k's and 1-megs to brighten up overwound or high output pups.

Good Luck
LEmme Know?
DM / ST

**Buck Cannon** · 08-10-2002, 08:47 AM

Hi Homer & Dave P.
Sounds like some great gear!
I love a good tone sucess story!

ON anoter note, (Off Topic Sorry),
Hey Dave,
Good to see you here in the Pickup Joint!
on my above RE:>I was refering to a certian Female at another site who poses under false names and rams her sole pup's of choice & it's super secret science, right up everyones nose possible! (Sorry for the negitivity, just blowing off some steam!) Thanks for a Cool fourm!

Out of my 3 Teles A Flyin "V" & 5 Strats I ~~~still 2 Teles & 2 Strat have not found their perfect tone and collect dust ...

Their is only one pup I trust to sound great in any ax
(((P-90's))) I have never heard a bad P-90 combo

I plan on doing the P-90 route's on one Tele & a Strat soon!

DM / ST

**Jimmy James** · 08-10-2002, 10:39 AM

Originally posted by Sensor Techie
Hi JJ,

You have a great point about a Scrap box,

but some of the pups in my box here and in yours are probally still great pups they just need to be put in the right guitar ... this happens to me here all the time as the same pups seldom sound great in two different guitars usally they'll sound good in one guitar but not in the other. This happens almost weekly.

And I'll have to raise or lower DC's, swap out magnets etc...to compinsate for, Too Much, Bass or treble or mids etc.... or visa versa.

I have learned that once you get a AX sounding really good, that its really a combo of compatibilty with that AX its pups, that makes for great tone.

I have a Strat with a KILLER 13.k Red Hot Blues neck pup , But that same pup when installed in my TELE, it turns it into a BASS BOOMER... way too much bass... but in the Strat its KILLER! & And it's EQ is dead on!

So suggesting pups can be really tricky, Its a gamble! It's something I cringe at each time I have to do it, cause you never know 100% if your going to help a fellow Musician or falt out mess him up?

Thats why I really dispise some guys & GIRLS who are loyal to one company ONLY and tell as many folks as they can to buy their pups... Because it's impossible for one company to sound great in every ax ... it just does not happen that often!... & it just shows stupity and a lack of general consern for all of us players... and it reeks of "THE GIVE ME THE MONEY SHOW!"....

Take Care,
DM / ST

I agree to some extent. I've been known to tinker with different guitars and various pickups, and yes there seems to that guitar/pickup match made in heaven.

But there are some pickups that get a lot of hype that don't sound good in anything to my ears. It's just a taste thing. For example I still can't figure out what people hear in the FRED or the PAF Pro. The Duncan '59 and the Custom Custom blows it away. It's just a preference.

I'll mess around with a Van Zandt Blues, Rock, or a Texas Special in another Strat just for fun, but when I add a Virtual Vintage Blues or Heavy Blues model it sounds whole and complete. I'm done.

**Black Bear** · 08-10-2002, 11:09 AM

Fender: Custom 54's and Custom Fat 50's. Like the other have stated, two different voices, both have their place.

Duncan Antiquities: I really like these, but I don't know that I care for the "Texas Hots" as well. Need more experience.

Fralins are really cool!

**Buck Cannon** · 08-10-2002, 03:29 PM

Hi, Black Bear & (JJ agian)

Its so cool Fender has great pups agian... there was a time when it was one size fits all... but even at that (TO ME) They still sounded GREAT! Bill Turner is doing a great job over at Fender & my hat goes of to him!

*JJ >
I hear you on some pups that make no sence (TO_ME) here, but have a cult following?
I have also noticed that if I dial in a set of pups to run through a specific rig. That thoses same pups in my personal amp or someone elses may be no good at all.

The best advise anyone can give is just keep trying pups and hope you hit that sweet tone fast! or you'll end up with a very expensive box...
I once had all these pups here pinned to the wall... (WALL_ART?)

On another cool note>
I have had some cool new tone caps fall my way,
.029 ~ .033 ~ .039 these have been a great help! theres a whole world now between ."022 & .046"
I like to slam the tone all the way back in a split second and know its right were i need it to be... the .033's & .029's have been real handy for this.

One Guy who gets little mention as a pup designer / builder is JOHN REYNOLDS Florence Kentucky Vintage Guitar Repair.

I have never heard better pups for a TELE or Strat,
& I have had them sound good in more guitars then not.

John send me a 8.0k Tele Bridge, Its the best single coil Tele pup I own, & I have been able to swap it in and out of other Teles with great success! I cannot say that for my SD Broad Caster or 5-2's

Call 411 info,
ask for Florence Kentucky Vintage Guitar Repair,,talk with John for a while about his pups, He is trully amazing!
He also writes a monthly articial in Vintage Guitar Digest.
Just read a great interview about WALTER TROUT! John is a great writer/ interviewer.

ST / DM

**Butch Snyder** · 08-11-2002, 10:22 AM

I'm pretty happy with the tone of mine. The bridge pickup is a Duncan APTL-3JD (Jerry Donahue) with a Texas Special Strat in the middle and an Am Std. Tele rhythm pickup in the neck position. I could do better in the neck though.

**Seegs** · 08-11-2002, 12:01 PM

I've got Voodoo's in my strats and teles, and am very happily done. I have discovered in my travels that nothing beats real single coil pickups.

Chow,
Seegs

**Don** · 08-11-2002, 06:18 PM

I love the Fralins in my Strat! I couldn't be happier, but I'm not offended with a little buzz.

In 1988(?) I bought a new Strat Plus with gold Lace Sensors and got sick of pretty quickly. It had a nice sound in positions 2 & 4, but no real edge when a single p/u was selected.

I put a stacked humbucker in my Tele and didn't like that either. Again, not enough edge or bite.

I might be too fussy.

I haven't tried newer Lace pickups or Kinmans so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I really like single coils.

BTW, I play a stock '95 Am Std Tele that I bought new. It still has the stock p/u's in it (no base plate) and I love it.

**Gizmo59** · 08-12-2002, 09:17 AM

Originally posted by SMark
And here is another one of my Hot Gold recordings... :cowb

Damn!

Showoff!
Dude, that's killer. Got any more? Is there a cd available?

**jokerjkny** · 08-13-2002, 12:47 AM

I'm in absolute love with my Vintage Hots in my maple board, ash bodied '56 relic. IMHO, the perfect strat tone.

but i gotta admit, i'm not too happy with the Blues Specials i installed in my green rosie/alder strat. too dark, and undynamic.

**Dave Paetow** · 08-13-2002, 04:26 AM

Has anyone tried the JR Rolph single coils? I tried a Rolph that is in my bud's Esquire clone, it sounds killer. I wonder how the Strat pickups sound?

**Seegs** · 08-13-2002, 06:46 AM

Dave,

I narrowed down my search to the Rolphs and the Voodoos. The Rolph were nice, vintagy, funky sounding pickups. Very sweet and responsive to picking dynamics. The Voodoo's had all of that and were plain nasty and in my book nasty wins every time. When I lay into a bend on my strat bridge pickup, it's Albert Collins time. When I use my tele with the 50's Voodoo's in it, I saw heads off. Yahoo!!

In my book you can't go wrong with either of these makers pickups. Figuring out which model suits your needs is a whole nuther ball a wax. I was lucky a friend of mines store had a bunch in stock and let me A/B em to my hearts content before I decided.

I've got the Voodoo 64 grey bottoms in my #1 strat and the 50's set in my backup. The 64's are thicker and are great for use in a trio and the 50's have that real glassy strat tone great for cutting through in fuller band situations.

Chow,
Seegs

**Dave Paetow** · 08-13-2002, 08:41 AM

Thanks for the info! :)

**Butch Snyder** · 08-13-2002, 09:26 AM

I just replaced the bridge pickup; which is an AM Std model with a Duncan APTL-3JD (Jerry Donahue) model. I love it... Now, I just have to find a good neck pickup to match with it...

**Black Bear** · 08-13-2002, 09:31 AM

I was wondering about the Rolphs, myself. I'd love to hear some more reviews of them.

Anybody compared them with Fender's Custom 54's? I'm assuming they're kind of the same school of design...low output, classic tone.

Just curious.

**tanawana** · 08-13-2002, 09:31 AM

Anyone usin' humbuckers in their Strats??

**SMark** · 08-13-2002, 09:50 AM

Gizmo59... Thanx for the kind words. I have made a few rather unpolished recordings here at home in my little studio. My recording equipment however consists of a Radio Shack mic and Window's Sound Recorder.

tanawana... I have a pair of Lace Hot Gold Duallys in one of my Strats (13k x2 on the bridge & 6k x2 on the neck). Although I have them both connected to push/pull pots allowing single or double coil use, here is a recording I made using just the double coil mode on each...

**tanawana** · 08-13-2002, 09:57 AM

Seems through the years whenever I get a strat routed for a humbucker I put a JB in there and that has always worked for me even though it's not perfect. But a JB in any Les Paul I never really cared for.

**Buck Cannon** · 08-13-2002, 10:22 AM

Hi tanawana,
The JB was first designed for A Tele.
Jeff Becks Tele Gib By SD
I own a Tele Gib.... Its increadible! I use the JB & Jazz combo

to hear a great JB / Jazz combo track find J.Becks blow by blow, track 6 "Cause weve ended as Lovers" the Tele gig was used on that.

**Clapton Fan** · 08-13-2002, 10:43 AM

i have that song,played live together with eric clapton, maybe its the same of the album? or is it a studio version?

The tone is amazing, together with those "screaming faded" note swells the feel is incredible.

i always tought it to be a strat on the track, not to mention ive heard lots of bad press about the guitarplaying to be really sloppy, and about the bends and such, with people like yngwie malmsteen trashing beck for it.

Myself speaking, its an incredible piece of work.

**Mr. Z** · 08-13-2002, 01:20 PM

I like the stock pickups in my '62 r.i. strat and '52 r.i. tele. They sound just fine to me and I don't see a need to change them out.

My Gibsons on the other hand...

**Drumbeater** · 08-13-2002, 05:19 PM

Depends on the guitar. I like the 57/62 pups in my '57 AVRI very much, and they will stay. The pups in my MIM Classic '70s Strat didn't sound so good to my ear, so I changed them out for a set of Abby's CS 69s, and I like them just fine. My Tele pups are good, but I'm thinking of trying something to give me a better blues tone. It's a MIM Classic '50s Tele.

**Scott P** · 08-13-2002, 07:37 PM

A few good points have already been mentioned. The amp and guitar also need to be considered in the total tone equation. I have both vintage amps and modern amps and what works with one doesn't always work with the other.

Anyway, here's what's in my Strats right now:

57 Reissue Voodoo 60s
62 Reissue Fender CS 69s
SRV Van Zandt Vintage Plus with Fralin Base Plate on bridge
CS 54 Reissue Suhr V60s
60s Relic stock
50s Relic stock

The only pups that I loved from the start and didn't screw with once they went in were the VanZandts. The Relics I bought because they sounded great as is.

My reissues went through a few different sets before I found the right ones for them. Right now my closet is housing a few Fender sets, a set of Fralin Vintage Hots, another set of Suhr V60s and a set of Kinman AVn Blues +.

I have given up on the Fralins. I love the highs and mids but they are just too weak in the bass response for me. I have tried them, Real 54s and Vintage Hots 5% underwound and I just couldn't get enough lows out of them.

Although not in anything right now, the Kinmans are amazing! I could see players buying them just because they sound so good. Being noiseless is just a bonus. Unfortunately I am too much of a Strat purist to keep something as high-tech as Chris' handiwork in one of my Strats.

I really need to get over this vintage thing and stop being so technophobic :fc

**Kebmel** · 08-25-2002, 12:44 AM

Kinman AVn Blues in a Squier Pro Tone Strat,

very satisfied, they jingle, jangle and jump thru hoops.

I got the bridge pup wired to the tone pots, now it is my favourite position.

Pricey, but it's just money and you only live once.

Texas Specials in an MIM Strat, thru a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver into an HRDx, instant texas tone.

**Cdayhoff** · 08-25-2002, 07:50 PM

I've owned a couple Carvins and I really like their AP11's My wife bought me a 2000 Affinity Strat for xmas and I had to replace the weak stock pickups..so I put in a set of AP11's I bought of HC for $25 delivered and I couldn't be happier
Between 12-50 Thomas-Stik Flats ..5 springs on the trem with a block of oak , the AP11's and a new 5 way switch..this is a real player..great axe after you get use to the narrower neck..

**bluesfreak68** · 08-26-2002, 07:15 AM

Never had a real "bad" PU in one of my Strats (beside the Johnson cheap one I use for travel), I was just not satisfied with the way they sounded to me...

- 1989 American Standard with Stock PU´s, sounds great
- 1994 SRV Signature with VanZandt (Rocks?, Dunno, bought it used), might be replaced with Staufer Blues as I like the sound better...
- 2000 HR Texas Special, now with Staufer Blues PU´s
- 2002 Johnson Strat Clone with Texas Special (now)

just my 2cents

bluesfreak :smokin

**Bluebaby** · 08-28-2002, 04:26 AM

Pup's...

Tried all of the Fender, Seymour Duncans, Lace, Fralins, Kinman's, VanZandt, Dimarzio, and Staufer pups.

Settled for Lace's pups.

Don - Send me an acknowledgement of receipt for that TS-9 modification

Stratman

**Mika** · 08-29-2002, 05:46 AM

I think that the best thing I ever did to my strat was replacing the singlecoils with two humbuckers. Great.

Thread: Who's happy with their pups & Whos not?

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Who's happy with their pups & Whos not?

My faves...

curious . . .

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