I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

[LReese]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

^^^^ What he said.

I've got one Strat I must have had at least a dozen sets in. The ones that seemed to Fit were Suhr V54's. The Antiquity Texas Hot (neck) was pretty righteous in the bridge in that same guitar (If I only had 3 ATH neck pickups)...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

texas specials to me still sound like vintage strat pups but with a definite extra midrange bark and grind.
If you want a recommendation for sweet glassy fat sounding strat single coil pickups without a heap of extra midrange (balanced eq) i think the regular SD ssl-1's are very hard to beat. I much prefer them to texas specials.

Me too. And Antiquity Surfers even more.

 

[DreX]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

You might want to try an under wound set to gain some perspective. Even the SSL1s at 6.5k are wound strong compared to many original 50's and 60s strat pickups. I ended up with a set of old strat "pulls" that were sub 6k in one strat, the strongest being 5.7k. I was surpized by how lush they sounded. The thing about strat pickups is that they can sound very different from one strat to the next.

I have a set of lollar tweeds, very low output, they sound surprisingly rich clean but they almost seem to resist overdrive and don't sustain as long, which is about what you'd expect. They sound too friendly to my ears, if I may be permitted a vague adjective.

 

[uOpt]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

The deal is, I really like Texas Specials. People say they're brittle sounding, but I like that about them, and I'm able to exploit it for my purposes.

I'd like to get more pickups with a similar quality to the, but the problem is they're often merely described as "hot pickups", I've seen some say they're closer to humbuckers than standard pickups. I think that's utterly untrue, at least in the case of the Texas Specials I have on hand. If anything, they sound thinner and more glassy than stock pickups. They also lack the thick, roundness of typical strat single coils. A caveat is my Texas Specials are 15 years old, the magnets were weak and I recharged them with neodymiums, so they're not brand new Texas Specials.

So I go and buy "hot strat pickups", I've got the Lollar Special S and Duncan Quarter Pounds, and they're not like Texas Specials at all, they actually live up to the promise of getting closer to humbucker territory, they're moving in the opposite direction of Texas Specials, more roundness and prominence rather than a scooped, sharper tone. The Lollar Special S sounds like even bolder Blackfaces, and the Quarter Pound is more or less humbucker tone. I even have Lollar Teeds, very low powered, and they too have a rounder, more traditional tone relative to the Texas Specials.

Are there any pickups out there for strats that come closer to that glassy, "brittle", mid range lacking tone of Texas Specials?

I think you might want to check the Fender CS 50s.

The Quarter Pounder is double heavy. It doesn't only have the bigger magnets, it also has the thinner wire with the resulting higher resistance. Never had that Lollar.

But to be honest your post does not make it clean why you need pickups other than the texas specials in the first place.

 

[DreX]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

Two things:

Experiment with the height of the Texas Specials, lower them relative to the strings and really dial them in with the amp. (Like a quarter turn at a time) Check out your action as well, I've been digging into my Strat setup lately and 1/32" of raising the action brought back the big Strat "spank" that I lost when I lowered the action...

If that still results in harshness, checkout the D. Allen Austin Blues. (Not the new Texas Floods) I haven't used them, but the reviews all point to them as "Texas Specials that sound good". The other option may be Bare Knuckle Irish Tours.

Good luck on your Strat tone quest, personally I know mine is just beginning!

I'll definitely check out Austin Blues with that of endorsement going for it. I like the Texas specials set lower also. That's part of their magic imo.

 

[DreX]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

I think you might want to check the Fender CS 50s.

The Quarter Pounder is double heavy. It doesn't only have the bigger magnets, it also has the thinner wire with the resulting higher resistance. Never had that Lollar.

But to be honest your post does not make it clean why you need pickups other than the texas specials in the first place.

I have Cs 50s, they're very round, much more even than Texas Specials. That's more what I'm stearing clear of.

I have quarter pounds also, they are super fat like humbuckers that forget to humbuck. I really think the dimarzio red velvets might be the ticket. I'm just looking for a new twist on the texas special tone. Maybe I'll price a pickup winder ultimately.

 

[AlexR]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

The texas specials have a prominent mids spike - maybe even in that upper mids area which in certain rigs can get harsh.

If the CS 50's are too round, its probably the lower mids output and more bell like tone that you're not after.
What 'new twist' are you looking for?? More output?, different eq balance?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

Doesn't Mark Knopfler use Texas Specials? It's not like they don't have good tone - they do!

Depends on the player of course.

 

[DreX]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

What 'new twist' are you looking for?? More output?, different eq balance?

I'll take both. Basically I have several strat because the look and feel and even sound a little different from one to the next. I put different pickups in each to help them stand apart. The unique thing about Texas Specials that I like is the fiery upper mid to high where as most pickups I've tried, even ones that are hotter output, either put emphasis on even balance, or added mids for a more full sound that can compete with a humbucker in the mix. I could just buy more Texas Specials, but that's no fun, I'd still like choices within that category of tone. I understand they use 43 gauge formvar wire, I wonder if I need to find pickups that make used of that wire for the winding.

 

[jball85]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

Ive got an ej strat. The pickups have a pronounced midrange, but arent as high output (5-6.6k) as the Texas Specials. Back to the midrange... These pickups cut through perfectly, the only complaint I have is the bridge is funky. And I dont even know how to begin explaining my predicament with the bridge pup. So if you have the money try an ej set out.

 

[DreX]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

Can you buy Eric Johnson single-coil pickups for strat? All I see is an EJ DiMarzio humbucker being sold.

 

[LReese]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

Can you buy Eric Johnson single-coil pickups for strat? All I see is an EJ DiMarzio humbucker being sold.

Just used - I see them pop up from time to time on the gear page and ebay.

I think Klien makes a set with a similar spec.

 

[DreX]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

Update regarding the search for alternative to Texas Specials; I've installed some Fralin Blues Specials, they have the voicing I'm looking for. Both the Fralin Blues special and the Texas Specials have a voicing to them (I think some people might call it "smokey") where it sounds more upper mid (not mid-mid) heavy and a lot less "balanced" than Lollar Blackfaces, Fat 50', Duncan Antiquity II's and other pickups that go for the "vintage" strat tone. So I'm zeroing in on that tone. I think it's the tone people regard as the "SRV tone", which I really like for it's bold character.

Of course these are higher output pickups, but I have Lollar Special S, they are also high output and they don't sound anything like SRV tone, they're basically loud vintage pickups. I also have SSL-4 Quarter Pounds, high output and yet you couldn't get further from SRV tone if you tried.

I've read that Bare Knuckle Irish Tours have this same sort of voicing.

I don't play SRV style all that much, but I think it's safe to say it's that tone I'm looking for (it's what inspired Texas Specials after all), what is your favorite SRV blues style pickup?

I haven't used the Fralins too much yet, but my early conclusion is that they are something of a cross between the balance of standard vintage Strat and the more extreme tone of Texas Specials, a little less attitude, a lot more richness. I'm really looking forward to putting them to work at our next jam session.

 

[speed2dirt]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

I think the Nordstrand NVS set would fit you nicely. I have a Standard set and love them for the classic strat sound. I also have a Hot set, which should be thicker and have more output, but I have yet to install those.

http://nordstrandpickups.com/products/nvs/

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

Update regarding the search for alternative to Texas Specials; I've installed some Fralin Blues Specials, they have the voicing I'm looking for. Both the Fralin Blues special and the Texas Specials have a voicing to them (I think some people might call it "smokey") where it sounds more upper mid (not mid-mid) heavy and a lot less "balanced" than Lollar Blackfaces, Fat 50', Duncan Antiquity II's and other pickups that go for the "vintage" strat tone. So I'm zeroing in on that tone. I think it's the tone people regard as the "SRV tone", which I really like for it's bold character.

I don't play SRV style all that much, but I think it's safe to say it's that tone I'm looking for (it's what inspired Texas Specials after all), what is your favorite SRV blues style pickup?

Congrats! I like the Fralin Blues Specials. I've used them mostly in a Tele but I had a Strat set up with them for a while as well.

Your description of them is very good.

To me, what they do is fatten up a guitar and eliminate the thin, ice pick in the ear tone that can plague some guitars and some guitar guitar & amp combinations.

I don't attempt to play with SRV's tone much, but my favorite pickups for that sort of tone would be the Antiquity Surfers. Three neck Surfers so no RW/RP middle pickup and no overwound or hot bridge pickup.

SRV used 6K vintage Fender Strat pickups from what I've read but he used big strings to deepen and thicken up his tone. And 15" speakers when he was using those Vibro-Verbs.

With .010 - .046 strings like I use, 6K Strat pickups sound fine but I get a better, thicker tone from 6.3K or 6.4K Strat pickups like the Surfers.

 

[DreX]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

I don't attempt to play with SRV's tone much, but my favorite pickups for that sort of tone would be the Antiquity Surfers. Three neck Surfers so no RW/RP middle pickup and no overwound or hot bridge pickup.

Do you have any opinion on the "Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot Strat Pickups" http://www.amazon.com/Seymour-Dunca...JUS8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1394052987&sr=8-3 ?

There are almost no specs that can find on any of the Antiquity pickups to see how these differ from "Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Surfs", and while the Surfs sounded awesome in their own right, I'm going for that hotter wind, and with the vague details on the Antiquity line, I'm not feeling too confident about what I can expect from the 'Texas Hots'.

 

[DreX]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

OK I found apples to apples specs on Musician's Friend's site:



Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Surf Pickup For Strat RWRP (middle position)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...ii-surf-pickup-for-strat-rwrp-middle-position

DC Ohms: 6.3K
Inductance: 2.87 henries
Q: 2.39 (what's this?)


Seymour Duncan Antiquity for Strat Texas Hot RW/RP (middle position)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...ity-for-strat-texas-hot-rw-rp-middle-position

DC Ohms: 6.3K
Inductance: 4.08 henries


It's hard to believe the resistance and inductance would be both that similar and that different respectively.

 

[LReese]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

I'd just say that the Texas Hots should have a little less high end and maybe low end - you might perceive that as a little less output also. I've only used a neck TH as a bridge pickup, though.

 

[AlexR]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

The funny thing is that the SRV sound was got with A5 style slightly scooped mids strat pickups. But once you put this through a VERY loud clean amp + a tubescreamer the mids come through.

I've played both sets of Ant's. The surfers are what you expect from typical vintage strat pickups, except that duncans are a little hotter wound than what you found on vintage strats.......its about .3-.4K approx. Just enough to make them they're own thing. A bit rounder and thicker than some of the sets I have from Zhangbucker, D.Allen, Chevalier, Bare Knuckle and the like.
The Texas hots aren't hot. They just have the same type wind with the A2 mag. This just makes them thicker in the mids, and 'smokier'. If you want to see what this word means, check out the Bareknucklepickups site and listen to the slow blues clips for the A5 vs A2 vintage pickups.

 

[El Supremo]

Re: I'm looking for alternatives to Strat Texas Specials

My strat has BKP Irish Tours without rw/rp. They're voiced like late 60's strat pickups, but with additional output. Compared to the CS69's I had in there previously, they're more detailed, a pinch slightly less bright but still very open and glassy. They do still sound very much like vintage strat pickups.
They pretty much nail the rewound/overwound 70's strat tones.