stevie's pickups... were they really texas specials?

[Cory_Dylan]

I have an old Bently strat type guitar (don't know if they even make them anymore), it was my first guitar, and i'm building my own strat from the body. It will be awhile before its finished, because i'm just buying parts as i get money, but when it comes to buying pickups, i want the Stevie Ray tone. (i'm not looking to nail it, but close) The Stevie Ray Vaughan signiture strat features the Texas Special pickups. I was wondering if these are the actuall pickups that were in his guitar. Are they? If not, do you know what he used? Just curious.:?:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: stevie's pickups... were they really texas specials?

I have an old Bently strat type guitar (don't know if they even make them anymore), it was my first guitar, and i'm building my own strat from the body. It will be awhile before its finished, because i'm just buying parts as i get money, but when it comes to buying pickups, i want the Stevie Ray tone. (i'm not looking to nail it, but close) The Stevie Ray Vaughan signiture strat features the Texas Special pickups. I was wondering if these are the actuall pickups that were in his guitar. Are they? If not, do you know what he used? Just curious.:?:

SRV didn't actually use the Texas Specials..I've read recently that the Fender CS stated he used the stock pickups that were in his strat....I was also told from a source at Duncan that they wound pickups for SRV also...So?

John

 

[kmcguitars]

If I remember right the SRV Signature strat Didn't come out untill
after he had passed on. For a good SRV tone I'd recomend the
SSL-1 or SSL-3 or the texas hot.

 

[Lewguitar]

SRV used 6K or under vintage Fender Strat pickups from the 50's or 60's. Regardless of what anyone else tells you, that's what he used. With SRV's HUGE strings and super strong hands and picking attack, his problem was getting a clean, bell-like tone...he did NOT use overwound pickups on his old Strat. He used 6K or even under 6K. Also, that Strat is NOT a '59 as SRV often called it...it was a '62 or '63. NOR did he use amps modded for more overdrive...just the opposite. The inputs on his Fenders were padded with larger input resistors than normal to clean up his sound. This, according to Cesar Diaz and Rene Martinez, SRV's amp tech and guitar tech, respectively. Lew

 

[Cory_Dylan]

i think he played a strat that looked a lot like it, and then fender made a 'signiture' strat to honor him after he died. I just wonder how if it did come out after he died, how did they get the authority to call it the "stevie ray vaughaun signiture guitar". I was just wondering if he had those pickups in his guitar (but weren't called texas specials), and when they made the stevie signiture, they started calling them the "Texas Specials" as a promo. i think thats most likely.

 

[Curly]

I agree with the conventional wisdom that Texas Specials were wound to approximate Stevie's tone that we mere mortals have to try to get with lighter strings.

and, yes, SSL's get closer in my book.

 

[Jeff_H]

I actually liked the Texas Specials being a mere mortal using a set of 9-46's. The were nice and chimey, but a little to harsh if you really steped on the pick attack hard or got the gain to high. Brittle is a good word for them when pushed hard, but under light gain ala Lenny they sound great.

I would do as suggested by John and Lew and Curly and go SSL-1's or Texas Hots. You will get a much better overall response and tone for a variety of sounds, and still be able to come as close as most to Stevie's tone.

I remember reading the article about the CS mesauring every aspect of #1 a few months ago. The pups were somewhere in the mid 6k range if I remember...I'd have to find it again to be sure. Definatly put to rest the question of whether he had them rewound or changed or anything. Tone was in the hands baby.

 

[59paul]

...............And the HEART !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[StratDreaminJim]

Stevie had OKd the SRV strat just before he was killed but it didnt reach production til after.

Jim

 

[DotNetTim]

I actually did read that he had pickups that were indeed stock, but that at that time period because of bad counters on the winders that his were definately over wound.. I think this supposedly came from his tech.. Anyway, I'd think any over wound hot duncan single coil which wasn't a distortion pickup would work.. I'm not familiar enough with duncan single coils except I think it's the SS1 or SL1 or whatever it is that came stock on my old Kramer guitars which I thought with the right wood combo especially sounded like a SRV sound almost.. Of course, he has other parts of his setup that made him sound like him.. Including his HANDS, strings, amps, the speakers in his amps, his overdrives, etc..etc.. The best thing you could do is to use big speakers in an amp that doesn't distort, huge strings, set up the action high on the guitar, play loud, bend often and use the same set up as far as pedals and amps, then pray that you get close.. He was for sure magical!
Tim

 

[Lewguitar]

I actually did read that he had pickups that were indeed stock, but that at that time period because of bad counters on the winders that his were definately over wound.. I think this supposedly came from his tech.. Anyway, I'd think any over wound hot duncan single coil which wasn't a distortion pickup would work.. I'm not familiar enough with duncan single coils except I think it's the SS1 or SL1 or whatever it is that came stock on my old Kramer guitars which I thought with the right wood combo especially sounded like a SRV sound almost.. Of course, he has other parts of his setup that made him sound like him.. Including his HANDS, strings, amps, the speakers in his amps, his overdrives, etc..etc.. The best thing you could do is to use big speakers in an amp that doesn't distort, huge strings, set up the action high on the guitar, play loud, bend often and use the same set up as far as pedals and amps, then pray that you get close.. He was for sure magical!
Tim

SRV's pickups were not overwound. They were 6K or less...like the pickups in my old '63 Strat. SRV's guitar has been disassembled and everything about it measured and documented. He was for sure magical. To me, Stevie is on the same level as Hendrix, BB King, Jeff Beck, Robert Johnson, Eric Clapton, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery and any other guitarist you could mention. To me, he was the greatest guitarist to come along since the late 60's era of the great innovators. He had that amazing quality of blending soul, sex, spirit and humanity...like Hendrix. Magical...as you said. Lew

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: stevie's pickups... were they really texas specials?

StratDreaminJim, is right. He played his signature guitar with TXSP's like 3-4 months before he died. So indeed he did use txsp's for a short while.

BUT I don't think that txsp's are the key to his tone, which I love very much. I am almost certain that the body wood of the guitar has to be alder. Ash gets too wild with gain, me thinks. That is cool, not bad if that's what you are looking for, but SRV's tone, me thinks, was not wild at all. In fact a little on the round side for a strat. Think of gallagher's or slowhand's (brownie) tones!

Anyway, apart from the wood, I believe the pickups are no mystery at all. SD ant's are reported here to deliever that tone (I don't have them, so cannot give 1st hand experience). Among the ones I have, I would say, van zandt's vintage +'s nail that tone. BTW I am using 0.11-0.52 set, and maybe if I were to have 0.13 strings (insane) as SRV did, those pickups would not do the job. Who knows?

B

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: stevie's pickups... were they really texas specials?

I don't think SRV ever recorded anything anyone here has heard with Texas Specials! So if you're after the tone SRV got on pretty much any of his classic recordings, those are 6K vintage Strat pickups in his '63 Strat with the Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard, maple neck and alder body...the famous one with the finish all worn off and all beat up. Lew

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: stevie's pickups... were they really texas specials?

Sure he did not record with them. Still fender can say he used txsp's for what it is worth.

What's up with this Brazilian rosewood fretboards. I know there are many LP dudes going crazy about them, but would there be a noticeable difference?

B

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: stevie's pickups... were they really texas specials?

Sure he did not record with them. Still fender can say he used txsp's for what it is worth.

What's up with this Brazilian rosewood fretboards. I know there are many LP dudes going crazy about them, but would there be a noticeable difference?

B

I think it's the same diff you'll hear in Martin guitars with Brazilian Rosewood back and sides vs. Indian Rosewood. Brazilian is warmer, fuller, woodier and more complex sounding...IMO. Indian is brighter and not so complex, not so full and and not so warm & woody. It's a little more subtle in fingerboards of course...but someone like you would hear the diff. Lew

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: stevie's pickups... were they really texas specials?

Lew very cool example, you've got me there.

Of course I did try some of the 03 historics and more than a couple PRS, with the B vs the regular rosewood. While I would not say there wasn't any difference, it is really difficult to distinguish, particularly which feature of the tone belongs to the fretboard. The only objective way to find out is to swap fretboards, I know it sounds insane!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: stevie's pickups... were they really texas specials?

Lew very cool example, you've got me there.

Of course I did try some of the 03 historics and more than a couple PRS, with the B vs the regular rosewood. While I would not say there wasn't any difference, it is really difficult to distinguish, particularly which feature of the tone belongs to the fretboard. The only objective way to find out is to swap fretboards, I know it sounds insane!

I compared my '00 Les Paul Historic to my buddy Rondo's '03 Les Paul Historic. His has the Brazilian fretboard and mine has the Indian fretboad. To me, even played unplugged, his guitar has more warmth and mids and reminds me more of the 50's Les Pauls I owned back in the early 70's...took me right back to that familiar tone I haven't heard in a Les Paul in over 30 years. I bought my '00 from my Rondo...he picked both of them from two separate and fresh shipments of something like 20 Les Pauls that came in at Wildwood Music in Lousville, Colorado in '00 and '03 and used the same criteria to pick both. In both cases each guitar was the best of about 20 Les Pauls. They both weigh about the same. Both also have the more resonant aluminum tail piece...tho his came that way and I added one on mine.

Mine is a great Les Paul...other than Rondo's new one, I feel it's the best reissue Les Paul I've ever played.

Plugged in, I prefer mine, maybe because it has a set of Tom Holmes a2 humbuckers and his has the a2 Burstbuckers. But his reminds me more of an old Les Paul. Mine is more aggressive and brighter...his is warmer and more complex and hollow sounding.

His sounds more like Clapton's or Duane Allman's as best as I can guess thier's sounded...mine reminds me more of the tone I hear on the Truth album by Jeff Beck.

Lew

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: stevie's pickups... were they really texas specials?

What a coincidence. I too bought my 03 R8 (8.2 lbs) from wildwood, Steve is a great guy. Anway, mine is not B-rosewood. But in fact sounds sweeter and more hollow then some of the B-rosewood R9's I have compared in local guitar shops. You know I do trust you, but am still a little skeptic, about the this issue. Couldn't the reason of what you heard due to the body wood instead of the fretboard wood? See what I am saying?

B