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Thread: My little "Black Pearl"

  1. #1
    Forum Member bluespckr's Avatar
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    My little "Black Pearl"

    Well, I've had this Strat for a while now, after trading a used Carvin SH550 for it earlier in the year.

    Well, when I first got her, slapped on a white pearloid pickguar, then, soon after, went with a red torty pickguard (which I loved against the black). But I was fixing to do some electronics switching with another guitar and wondered what she would like like all in black with a black pearloid PG. Man, I love the new look. Judge for youselves:

    BEFORE:



    and ...
    AFTER (NOW):






    What I've done this week is pulled out the red torty PG with stock Fender Alnico V pickups, from this ol' girl and slipped them into a Carvin TLB60 kit guitar I built last year. I got a chance to give it a test drive Thursday and it sounded amazing with the Fender PUPs.

    So, for Black Pearl, I installed a set of Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot pickups with black covers, upgraded pots and and so on, along with the black pearloid PG, black control knobs and switch knob. She's all dressed up and ready to rock 'n' roll.

    Paul

  2. #2
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    That looks great! It must sound great through that Twin!

  3. #3
    Forum Member bluespckr's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    That looks great! It must sound great through that Twin!
    Well, I got it wired this morning and was only able to give it a short test spin through a Carvin 1x12 Nomad this morning. It sounded great through that -- I love the clarity and balance on these pickups. I won't have a chance to open it wide open through my Twin until Thursday when me and the band practice (which is where the Twin is at), but I expect that if sounded this good through a small Carvin, it should be the ballz through the Twin.

    I will give y'all a full report on Friday!

    Paul

  4. #4
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Congrats! Fralin makes a damn fine pickup, I've always had good results with his products.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  5. #5
    Forum Member bluespckr's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Quote Originally Posted by chuckocaster View Post
    Congrats! Fralin makes a damn fine pickup, I've always had good results with his products.
    That's what I'm finding out. These are my first but won't be my last.

    Oaul

  6. #6
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    I've had a set of Fralin Vintage Hot pickups in my Strats for the past 10 years or so. I've had three Strats in that time but one set of Vintage Hots!

  7. #7
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Great looking guitar. I like it with the white pup covers too.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  8. #8
    Forum Member bluespckr's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    I have the white covers, too, but I think I'll keep the blacks. The photo with the white covers is the same Strat, but with the stock Fender Alnico-V pups. I now have that pickguard and pickups in a Carvin kit guitar I built last year. The black covers are with the Fralins.

  9. #9
    Forum Member buckaroo's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Looks great. The black pickups give it the 70's vibe and is cool. I didn't dig the brown on the black as much. Nice choice you made.

  10. #10
    Forum Member bluespckr's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    I never played a guitar with Fralins in it before I installed a loaded pickup with a set of Vintage Hots on it in this Strat. Tonight I had the first real chance since installing them to play this guitar at stage volume through my new '65 Twin Reverb Reissue. I've had some great pickups in the past, and until now van Zandt Blues had been my favorite. Not anymore. The Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots nailed the sound I was looking for all this time. This guitar with those PUPs through a Fender Twin is a marriage made in tone heaven.

    How good was it? I have an EQ pedal on my board that I have had to use with every other guitar and amp for years. I never touched it even once tonight. I didn't need to cut or boost anything and them darn PUPs sounded so meaty and full, but clear and balanced. I can't recommend these PUPs enough.

  11. #11
    Forum Member buckaroo's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Maybe you won't even need the pedal board anymore? Now that is a true test of serious love for your guitar / amp tone. Only thing you need is a guitar cable.

    You have a beautiful looking Strat and a great new amp. Life is good. Very nice.

  12. #12
    Forum Member bluespckr's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Funny you should suggest that. I'm not an effects guy at all and for most of my playing life did not use any pedals of any sort. So, a couple of years ago I did pick up a couple of things which I have on a PedalTrain Mini, but two of them Boss EQ and a Boss Tuner) are basic necessities and not really what I would call "effects". The other three are a TS9 Tubescreamer, Boss Tremolo and Boss Chorus Echo.

    The fact that there was no need to kick in the EQ pedal last night says a lot about the Twin Reverb amp AND the upgraded Strat with Fralin Vintage Hot pickups. Also, because the Twin has built-in Tremolo, I did not have to use the Boss Tremolo effect at all. I did use the TubeScreamer for a few solos, but nowhere near as much as I had been using it even the week before. The Chorus Echo, again, it was used for just a couple of songs.

    But you are right about the "pure tone" of this guitar and that amp. I've been doing this for almost 50 years and pretty much remain an "old school" type guitarist who prefers a cord from guitar to amp. The les BS in-between the better. I haven't been this happy with the tone I'm able to get naturally in quite awhile. I really wrestled with the whether I wanted to spend this kind of money on a Twin but after last night, I know it was something I should have done years ago. Well worth the money, at least for the type of music I play.

    Paul

  13. #13
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    A good amp makes ALL the difference in the world, to me at least! When you find a good one, and it seems like you did, playing just gets easier. Instead of fighting and wrestling with your tone, you just play.

    Congrats on your rig! It's really satisfying and refreshing to be able to truly enjoy playing your guitar. RAWK on brutha!
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  14. #14
    Forum Member buckaroo's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Quote Originally Posted by bluespckr View Post
    I did pick up a couple of things.....a Boss Tuner.... I've been doing this for almost 50 years and pretty much remain an "old school" type guitarist who prefers a cord from guitar to amp. The les BS in-between the better.

    (EDITED QUOTE ABOVE)

    I used a pedal type tuner up until about a year ago. One night at a gig I was "reading the read out" of the tuner wrong. A BOSS model. It was reading D# but I couldn't see the sharp indicator, a small dot on that model, and I thought I was tuning to D. So when I couldn't tune my guitar with it I tuned it by ear, like the old days. For all the audience to hear no less (yuck). I kept thinking, "when and why did I get rid of my faithful pitch pipe that I had grown up tuning with?"

    All night at the gig I couldn't figure out what was wrong. The next day, in good light and up close I figured it out. No more pedal tuners for this old man. I returned to the (somewhat) old school TU 12 that now sits on top of my amp. I unplug from the amp when I need to use the TU 12. Gonna stay that way. No BS in the line no mo'.

    I think that guitar players should use any pedal they want and more power to them. But I choose "no pedals" for me. Give me a good cord and a guitar and amp that has pleasing tone. And a tuner that I can easily read...

  15. #15
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    You can switch the display to read the strings by numbers if you want to Buck. That will null the sharp indicator.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  16. #16
    Forum Member buckaroo's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    I guess I did not know that. But it was also kind of hard to read it when it was on the floor and I was standing. Getting older is a bitch! That pedal has too many switches and settings for me. I can change the caps and parts in my amp as good as anybody, but that Boss tuning pedal is the devil. Just like some people don't mix well together, that Boss pedal and I are meant for divorce!

    One of my buddies dislikes the new tuners so much that he still takes his his (now) vintage Petersen strobe tuner to every gig! I remember when I thought those were cool. Now I think of them as simply heavy.

    But I do like that black strat and I bet it sounds good with the Twin Reverb RI. Though at my age I wouldn't want to haul that Twin to the gig. Wonder what tuner he is using now?

  17. #17
    Forum Member bluespckr's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    After finishing a round of demo recordings, I have to say the tonal qualities of this Strat with the Fralin Vintage Hot pickups through the Twin is amazing. According to Lindy's info on these pickups, they're not really a super hot pickup. That said, I find they breath just enough fire for good blues, edgy country, jazz and so on. Kind of a nice balance -- maintains a nice vintage sound while beinh just slightly hot, all in a good way. Some of the tracks I recorded this past week just blew me away. Once this band project is completed a few weeks from now, I'll post a link and y'all can see what you think.

    After being a long-time (as in decades) Gibson guy, I find it interesting that I'm playing a Strat almost exclusively and do so through a Fender Twin amp. Go figure.

    Paul

  18. #18
    Forum Member JM3's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Nice!!!!!!!!

  19. #19

    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Love that black pearl with black PUs
    I've been on the fence on Fralin pickups,
    but will pull the trigger in the very near future for sure
    Stratocaster-ghettoblaster
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  20. #20
    Forum Member bluespckr's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    I took a shot in the dark on the Fralins. But after looking at what was out there, I thought Fralin's Vintage Hots would be a good match for me. Despite the name, they are not overly "hot", but they do add just enough extra to work for me and what I play.

    Paul
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    REVERB NATION;
    or on
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  21. #21
    Forum Member bluespckr's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Quote Originally Posted by stratcat33511 View Post
    Love that black pearl with black PUs
    I've been on the fence on Fralin pickups,
    but will pull the trigger in the very near future for sure
    Did you try them, yet? I know the more I play this guitar with those pickups, the more I'm glad I went with the Fralins. I was a Les Paul guy for probably 35 years and now it sits in the case while I play this black Strat exclusively.

    Paul
    Visit me and my band at:
    THE ROCKIN' ROAD DOGS;
    REVERB NATION;
    or on
    FACEBOOK

    "Live Free or Die"

  22. #22
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: My little "Black Pearl"

    Fralin makes killer pups! I've always been happy with their Tele and Strats I've put in.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

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