Tried Rolph's, Wagner's, BUT finally.....VINTAGE HOTS!

[24loar]

As a very discriminating player and 30 odd year collector of fine guitars, the search for replacement pups in my original 62 body/56 neck Strat ( that came with 70's replacement pickups ) finally came to an end when I dropped in a set of Lindy Fralin's VINTAGE HOTS.

THAT is what a strat should sound like! Beautiful textures, nice overtones, TONE,TONE,TONE. I love these pups in thiis particular guitar.

[Strat-Mangler]

Then, I guess you won't mind me asking you to post samples in the Jam Zone, huh? ;)

[Alpine86]

Ive been a big fan of the vintage hots for awhile now.. I had been playin my 78 strat for awhile now as my number one, and hadnt picked up the 54 reissue that I put the VHs in.. I played it the other day, and I forgot just how much I like them.

Maybe I should take S-Ms advice as well and post some clips.. I keep meanin to try the Jam Zone thing out... Im just so damn lazy.. hahaha..

[Marcondo]

The Fralins will transform any Strat into a whole different guitar. I have installed those in 5 different Strats ranging in price from $500-2000 guitars and they basicly sound great in all of them.

What I thought was interesting is I had a set of VH's in a 60's Classic MIM Strat with a Callaham tremelo unit and on tape it sounded the same as thr 2k CS guitar I had the same pickups in they are that good!

[24loar]

Then, I guess you won't mind me asking you to post samples in the Jam Zone, huh? ;)

Strat-Mangler, Although I do not mind posting samples the real test would have been samples of the Rolph's, Wagners AND the VHs. Unfortunately I did not think I would be swapping any of them for the other at the time. I was convinced that the various pups were the best by doing research and asking friends. Lesson here is that patience pays off. Anyway, I love these VH pups. I gave the Rolphs to a very famous pup winder ( humbuckers are his specialty ) who loves them in his strat. The Wagners are sitting at home.

[teleman1]

Friend of mine had Wagners and thye stunk up the guitar sound,he opted for cs 54's.

I have VH's and I don't know what to make of them. I love the tone of my original 73 Fenders. THe VH's are much hotter sounding. I might go after Frailin vintage regulars when I get motiviated or find someone to trade.

[Don]

I put Fralin Vintage Hots in my '57 Strat years ago and haven't touched it with a soldering iron since!
I tried Texas Specials and Fat '50s as well as a few other pickups in this guitar before then without satisfaction.

I just put a Fralin stock neck and Blues Special bridge pickup in my USACG T-Style last Friday and I'm hoping for the same results. It sounded incredible right out of the box. I haven't adjusted their height yet.
I tried Kinman avn Broadcasters and severl Duncans including a Five-Two bridge pickup in this guitar before the Fralins.

[grOOvadelic]

teleman1 a '73 strat has a different wire and different output than the VHs... You might want to look into a pickup that has a DC resistance of about 5.8K and plain enamel wire. The CS '69s were designed to replicate this sound and Abby intentionally wound them specifically for a clearer scouped mid-range tone.

[Strat-Mangler]

Maybe I should take S-Ms advice as well and post some clips.. I keep meanin to try the Jam Zone thing out... Im just so damn lazy.. hahaha..

The fun you get out of it makes it worth your while. Trust me on this one. ;)

I was convinced that the various pups were the best by doing research and asking friends.

Nothing beats actually listening to them with your own ears. You can research the products to try and discover patterns, but in the end, your ears will give you the :yay or the :nay

Your friend and you all hear differently, so what might be too bright for one, might be perfect for the other, vice-versa, etc...