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Thread: My Van Zandt story

  1. #1
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    My Van Zandt story

    Around 1989 or so I traded a Jazzmaster for some stuff at the vintage guitar show. Part of the trade included a Parts-o-caster. The guitar sounded great! Better than any strat I’d played before.

    It had Van Zandt strat pickups in it. I’ve since then traded away, given and sold the parts for the Parts-o-caster, but I kept the pickups. Those pups will remain in my possession. They have been housed in my number 1 strat ever since.

    At one point I went out of my way to figure out what it was about these pups. Why do they sound so good? They measure: Neck 5.7K, Middle 5.7K and Bridge 7.0K. Neck and middle are wound with gold wire and the bridge with red wire. Stamped with VANZANDT on the bottom bobbin with no other designation.

    I called Van Zandt pickups in the 90’s and asked. I talked with a nice older guy with a southern accent (Mr. Van Zandt answered the phone!) He told me I had their True Vintage pups in my neck and mid, and his Blues model in my bridge position. He also told me his pups were hand wound with original 50’s Fender fiber bobbins, magnets, and wire(for the True Vintage pups.)

    I have since then learned that Mr. Van Zandt died in 1997. But his wife and his nephew continue to make Van Zandt pickups. I’ve used the later Van Zandt pups and they sound great too.

    Van Zandts are hard to find though. I’ve been getting them from Music Toyz. I don’t know if they still carry them, but I highly recommend them. I’ve never tried their humbuckers or Tele style pups.

  2. #2
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    Re: My Van Zandt story

    I think Acme Guitar Works is a dealer.

  3. #3
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: My Van Zandt story

    a guy i know has a set in his strat that he restored, it was in a fire. great sound. you can't buy them direct?
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  4. #4
    Forum Member cooltone's Avatar
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    Re: My Van Zandt story

    Cool story!!

    I'm also amazed that we have a forum member named 'Stratocaster', who's been around since March of '03 and has only 11 posts!!
    "If you're cool, you don't know nothin' about it. It just is...or you ain't." - Keith Richards

  5. #5
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    Re: My Van Zandt story

    I've been sick.......he, he...

    No, in reality I had a run in with some super negative idiots on a guitar forum (not this one.) And I swore off the whole thing for a while.

    I looked around recently and saw things have changed for the better. At least so far.

  6. #6
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: My Van Zandt story

    Things are always for the better 'round these parts. They've been pretty great for years, as far as I can see.

  7. #7
    Forum Member JM3's Avatar
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    Re: My Van Zandt story

    LOL I know what you talk about

    I once spoke to Paul Reed Smith. Had one of his first guitars
    Nice when they take care of you

  8. #8
    Forum Member kcwm's Avatar
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    Re: My Van Zandt story

    It looks like I'm buying a strat with the VZ vintage plus pickups this week. It's good to read this.

    Sorry if I necro'd a post...I went searching rather than posting a new thread.

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