Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

[SJ318]

So:
There are just as many TOO MANY CHOICES when it comes to single coil pup's. Need 3 true single coils. The Fender pickup rep spent a lot of time talking with me, friendly guy, and I felt his recommendation of Texas Specials, along with a video on their page, really sounded good. A5 poles, enamel coated wire, the range of 6.5K -7K seemed about right.
I will be using these in the middle position only. For 3 Strat custom wired guitars. Neck pup: Twangbanger in all three. Middle pup: true single coils (?) in all three. Bridge pup: Seth Lover RC A5 in one; 59/C Hybrid in the second; Jazz bridge in the third (RC A5 or UOA5 mag-to be decided).
Need advice - the Fenders are 200 bucks for a set. and they are calibrated 6.2, 6.5, 7. Duncan must make a single coil pup in the 6.5-7K range that is cheaper and just as good as the Fender Texas Specials. The array of Duncan single coils is dizzying. Anyone feel like helping out with a recommendation? I have seen these being discussed over the years but now I am interested in buying. A5 mags with the enamel wire sounded good if that helps.
Thank you. I trust you folks.
Steve Buffington

 

[Mincer]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

I am not sure the Antiquity Texas Hots would be under that price, but that would be my choice. Remarkable pickups.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

I would use a Texas Special middle with the Seth Lover bridge, a classic stack plus middle with the 59/C bridge, and a fat 50's or SSL-1 with the Jazz Bridge.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Sounds complicated.
Humbuckers in the bridge and twangbangers (really?) in the necks of 3 axes?

Im a bit lost tbh in terms of working out what you are wanting to achieve.

Still, fwiw I really enjoy the sound of three texas specials in a strat. Pretty badass pups. Plenty of bark and growl, nice and thick but still maintaining the clang that vintage strats do. I can't think of an SD pup set that is similar, but then again I have not tried all of them (yet).

 

[AlexR]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Why not just 3 ssl1's (or 2's if the f/b radius is more modern).

If they're just for the middle (the least liked/used posi generally on a strat) then maybe something overly special is not needed.....and given your n and b options quality quack is going to be wholly absent anyhow.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

AlexR, Mr. B., Mincer, gibson175,
SSL-1 or 2 would be ideal, at 6.5k, A5 poles, just like the Texas Specials. For 3 of them it would save me 50 bucks, +or-. A 7K wind with A5 would be the best. I'll look unless you can think of any off the top of your head.
The Texas hots are too powerful for what I am doing, but thanks for sharing that. The Classic Strat plus is noiseless, and true SC it must be. Fat 50's look good, but the Texas SP. or the SSL- 1 or 2 are what I am going for. Since I have it worked out in my mind already, to me it seems simple. For you guys, you must think I am a nut. Certifiable. Here's the deal: I have 3 very, very, weight relieved (spine very bad now) Strats, all painted Snow White by luthier Joe Riggio. All set up with my special tricks that really keep the tuning true on Vibrato arm use.
I never play the middle p'up by itself. Ever. I stuck an old Fender '69 I found today in the middle of one of them. The Hybrid bridge sounded so rich and had great sparkle together with the '69 middle. The neck TwangB. sounds just right by itself and gets a nice notched sound with the middle A5 '69, with a touch of quack, about half of a quack attack.
The 4 position now sounds like what I hear in my head; like Clapton in the Cream reunion where he plays by himself on Stormy Monday.
So I will have Three different flavors of the guitar set up I love the most. If I get another live gig I will use the Hybrid as my main, and one of the others as back up. The third (to be decided-likely the Jazz Bridge) will be my living room and bedtime guitar. With my Amp, and any one of these final Strats, add in any variety of pedals, and I can go from good ol' BB King to Iron Maiden (which I never would) but there is all kinds of sounds and tones between these extremes, and vibrato work that I can get out of this set up that makes all these odd things come together for me
So thanks for the help, I really hope you get what I'm doing.
All I need now is to decide between the Texas Sp. or Fat 50's (Fender), or the SSL-1/2, or something closer to a 7K wind A5 mag, and formvar or enamel is not something I know about. The Texas S. have enamel, if that helps. I'm not knowledgeable about that kind of wire thing.
Thank you so much as always,
Steve Buffington

 

[Mincer]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

In that case, the SSL-2 would be my choice if you have a modern radius and a plain 3rd string. The SSL-1 is probably easier to find, though.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Mincer,
I agree, but why would SSL-2's be hard to find? Do you mean used, or new also?
Thanks,
buff

 

[SJ318]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Hey - I just found out I have 3 Duncan designed single coils from an old Squire I had. I can't tell what wire, but they read 9K, 9.9K, 11K. Also I looked them up and can't tell if they are A5's or A2's. I bet A5's though. I think I remember that these are known as good pickups, yes?
Steve Buffington

 

[AlexR]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Only your ears will tell you. Specs and others' opinions are somewhat meaningless in the end.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Mincer,
I agree, but why would SSL-2's be hard to find? Do you mean used, or new also?
Thanks,
buff

Well, they wouldn't, but if you are trying to find a deal, I see more SSL-1s around.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Mincer, AlexR -
O.K. Understand. I have a factual question and an experience question, then I'll close the thread.
1: Do single coils, as I have heard humbuckers have, apart from magnet, different types of wire, and resistence readings,
Use different winding patterns to achieve different sounds or "character"?
2: In your experience, are Duncan Designed 101's, etc. different in any MAJOR way than Duncan production models?
Thank you.
Steve Buffington

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

I use all three sets, Fat 50s, SSL-1 and Fender TS. They all sound different. The SSL-1 are the britest and skinnest, the Fat 50ies are fuller and warmer, the TS are full and scooped. Let me say the TS could be Stevie Ray Specials, the SSL do Knopfler and Gilmore and the Fats were in the ol' time made for Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

I'd think wire could be altered to change the sound. There are single coils with a lot of output, and they would need a lot of turns of thinner wire, so that's why we have so many different single coils out there. As far as the DD pickups, the biggest difference is that they aren't made in the US.But I have yet to hear a dd pickup that sounds better than its US counterpart.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Fender doesn't sell individual pickups anymore? Probably got sick of selling Fat 50's necks and CS69 middles (although those are all the same) for DIY DG Pickguards

 

[SJ318]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

OK Guys,
You have been very helpful. Y'know, the last few days I have watched so many YTube videos to try and compare. Typical example: I wanted to hear Fenders' Deluxe Drive pickups. So every vid I saw - some guy would pick up his guitar, and invariably turn on a 3 channel High Gain amp with a Boost or dist. pedal, play stuff so bad you would be embarrassed if you knew him. Then he picks up his other Strat with vintage noiseless to compare, plugs it in the same amp with gain, boost. I swear, you could put a Hybrid in there and it would sound the same as a lipstick tube pickup! NEW RULES: All pickup demo's must be done on an amp that is voted as best, like a Fender Deluxe on 5, no master volume, tones all the same for every guitar and pickup. THEN we'd have some good comparisons! I'll close as promised tonight at 1am Pacific time just in case someone hasty last minute statements.
Thanks for your help. I believe I might go either Texas S., SSL-2, or DD 101 neck (orange wire=formvar?) at 8.5K or so.
Steve Buffington

 

[Hank-]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Do the duncan designed SCs have rod magnets or is there a bar magnet at the base? I have seen the latter more frequently on asian made p'ups.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Fender Texas Specials vs. Duncans' ?

Hank-
The DD 101's have rod mags. They look like every Fender Strat p'up you've seen. No bottom mag. Or bar.
They have orange type wire. My understanding is that this is the default choice and is a more glassy/sparkly type of sound than the darker purple sort of wire called enamel which I read is more of a softer sounding wire. If this is all B.S. it is what I read, and what the Fender Pickup representative said, so I take it at face value.
The DD's are pretty, pretty, pretty hot. Like I said 8.5K, 9.5K, 11.5K, (or so) for neck, mid, and bridge respectively. Thanks for asking, good for folks to know. They came off a Squire Deluxe Strat.
I tried to close this thread - so I clicked on "close this thread" box, down on the lower left, got a check mark, and went back to the P'up Lounge. I guess I did not hit the correct button, or something. I'll try again as this time there are words in the post.
Here we go, Thanks again everyone,
Steve Buffington