BIG Kudos to Mike Grey at Chubtone Custom Pickups

[JumpMarine]

I recently installed a set of Chubtone pickups in my strat. I figured that I should wait out the honeymoon period and it's been a couple of weeks now. Based on Gearjoneser's great taste in gear and review of this set I picked the same one. El Gordo/'63/'63, all are aged Alnico V mags, scatterwound by hand, lightly potted and use push back leads.

El Gordo-8.0k and hot, full and warm, but retains a true vintage strat bridge tone.
'63 mid-6.4k, RWRP, Full and sparkly
'63 neck-6.35, best neck pup I've ever heard period, full, throaty and chimey all at the same time!

It's a very well balanced set and the notch positions are incredible. They also handle higher gain beautifully. Mike advertises these as getting you in the realm of SRV/Kenny Wayne Shepard tones. He's dead on with this. I played along to both Lenny and Texas Flood and it nailed the cleans and was extreemly close on the driven tones(Just wish they came with some talent for my playing). If I would have been using a TS and Super Reverb it would have been dead on across the board. These are the best Blues/Classic Rock single coils that I've had the priviledge of using. Thanks GJ for the tip!


**Quick Note.....Gearjoneser is the one responsible for the creation of the El Gordo, he originally ordered a full '63 set and sent the bridge back to be overwound to balance it out better. The El Gordo was born and has been a big hit.**

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: BIG Kudos to Mike Grey at Chubtone Custom Pickups

**Quick Note.....Gearjoneser is the one responsible for the creation of the El Gordo, he originally ordered a full '63 set and sent the bridge back to be overwound to balance it out better. The El Gordo was born and has been a big hit.**

Don't make Joe's head any bigger than it already is. Before you know it he'll be the new Dicator General in Honduras! :laugh2: :laugh2:

Seriously, I have heard great things about those pickups...glad you like them so much.

 

[Farkus]

Re: BIG Kudos to Mike Grey at Chubtone Custom Pickups

The Chubtones are the best Strat single coils I've ever used.

If you want the classic Strat tone, you can get it with these pups. My American Series Strat sounds more "vintage Strat" than my '57 reissue did; after these babys were loaded my AS Strat just rules.

The El Gordo is perfect for me as I find the vintage bridge in most sets (including Fender Fat 50's) to be too thin and too low in output to match the rest of the set. The El Gordo is what the vintage Strat bridge should have been; it's not over the top, just well balanced.

 

[Lee_M.]

Re: BIG Kudos to Mike Grey at Chubtone Custom Pickups

Agreed. I've owned a set of Chubtones since 2004 - the '63 Set. The absolutely freaking rock; pure A5 SRV vibe. I first heard about them on the Fender Forum via a random thread (to which no one responded.....they were on the Kinman horse at the time; probably still are).

Ryan is correct; if you have those pickups in a Strat and have a TubeScreamer/Super rig, you are spot-on with SRV and Kenny Wayne S. They absolutely make your Strat shimmer!

 

[Lee_M.]

Re: BIG Kudos to Mike Grey at Chubtone Custom Pickups

And, Ryan, what value is that custom shop Antiquity PAF you have in your signature? Is an overwound or regular wind? I'll buy it if the wind is normal.

And, BTW, have you seen (our) Goldtop since it was aged?

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: BIG Kudos to Mike Grey at Chubtone Custom Pickups

And, Ryan, what value is that custom shop Antiquity PAF you have in your signature? Is an overwound or regular wind? I'll buy it if the wind is normal.

My CS Antiquity PAF is overwound to 9.2k with an alnico 2 mag. It's a very cool pup. Raunchy, fat and open is the best way to describe it. It sounds incredible in a warmer guitar. This is one pup that I can't ever sell because it was a gift from Seymour and Co..