Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

[Red_Label]

I bought my red strat (Sam Ash mexican HSS model) in mint condition from a pawn shop for $200 last spring. Not a bad deal!

I wanted to customize it a bit, so I put a red Duncan Custom Custom HB in there, and replaced all the other pickups covers, switch and vol/tone knobs with red plastic parts. It's got a perloid pickguard. It came with the Fender Tex Mex singles and I really like those. They've got a nice grit to them, yet retain spanky, chimey clean tones as well.

I'm not digging this axe for rock/metal tones at all. I've got three ESP EC400/401 LP clones (with Duncan JB/59 combos) that I MUCH prefer for rock and metal. So I'm thinking about changing the strat over to the regular SSS config for country, blues, etc. I've always loved the strat quack for that stuff. So I'm thinking that a mint green pickguard would look very nice with the candy apple red paint job on the guitar. And would probably continue to use the red pup covers and knobs with that.

So the real question here is... what pickup(s) to load it with. Like I said, I really do like the Tex Mex pups. So I'm considering just getting a Tex Mex bridge pup and calling it good. But I am curious as to how the Fender Vintage Noiseless pups compare to the Tex Mex ones. Anyone out there know? Cause it'd be nice to be free of the single-coil hum. Any other noiseless singles I should be aware of in that vein?

How 'bout the EMG David Gilmour DG20 system? I've always been curious about those too? Can a guy get a nice, vintage "quack" out of that?

 

[jmh151]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

I had the EMG DG20 system. I could never get anywhere near a vintage tone or vintage quack from them. The EMG SA's are too fat sounding, to the point I really didn't hear a major difference in the different positions.

The Eric Clapton setup, with Lace Sensors and the complicated mid boost, gave me a great vintage tone and at the same time a fat humbucking tone by turning the mid boost up.

The advantage of the EMG's is they're dead quiet, which is why Gilmour used them- they had no hum with Pink Floyd's huge stage setup and lighting. These days, now that he doesn't have the huge Pink Floyd state show, he's back to using single coils (I believe they're Duncans) for tone

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

I had the EMG DG20 system. I could never get anywhere near a vintage tone or vintage quack from them. The EMG SA's are too fat sounding, to the point I really didn't hear a major difference in the different positions.

The Eric Clapton setup, with Lace Sensors and the complicated mid boost, gave me a great vintage tone and at the same time a fat humbucking tone by turning the mid boost up.

The advantage of the EMG's is they're dead quiet, which is why Gilmour used them- they had no hum with Pink Floyd's huge stage setup and lighting. These days, now that he doesn't have the huge Pink Floyd state show, he's back to using single coils (I believe they're Duncans) for tone

Good info man! And yeah, that makes sense about him not wanting the hum with that big show. I had forgotten about the lace sensors. Will keep that in mind!

 

[Despair]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

Hm, lot of options. You could go for a different bridge humbucker. JB lover doesn't love CC, shocking. Screaming upper mids vs hot warm smoothness...

Something like a PATB-3 might balance nicely against he singles, but if you don't want to go with a JB or overwound PAF, you could also go with a hot single, and have Gilmour/Blackmore tones readily available, and have less of a radical tone shift from bridge to other positions.

Maybe something like an STK-S6 Custom or STK-S9 Hot, would give hum-cancelling for hot leads, but be splittable to cancel hum in it's notch position as well.

If you want a strong country option, might look at a Twang banger. Might also do a pull switch for bridge+neck pickup combo. Can also set it to switch the middle between middle or bridge+neck, depending on how often you use the middle alone. Or could pick a different pickup to switch out, like bridge, if you rarely use the bridge alone. That could require replacing the stock switch with a super switch, if you don't want it affecting notches.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

Hm, lot of options. You could go for a different bridge humbucker. JB lover doesn't love CC, shocking. Screaming upper mids vs hot warm smoothness...

Something like a PATB-3 might balance nicely against he singles, but if you don't want to go with a JB or overwound PAF, you could also go with a hot single, and have Gilmour/Blackmore tones readily available, and have less of a radical tone shift from bridge to other positions.

Maybe something like an STK-S6 Custom or STK-S9 Hot, would give hum-cancelling for hot leads, but be splittable to cancel hum in it's notch position as well.

If you want a strong country option, might look at a Twang banger. Might also do a pull switch for bridge+neck pickup combo. Can also set it to switch the middle between middle or bridge+neck, depending on how often you use the middle alone. Or could pick a different pickup to switch out, like bridge, if you rarely use the bridge alone. That could require replacing the stock switch with a super switch, if you don't want it affecting notches.

Good stuff. Will have to digest.

Do you think I'd have good luck with maybe a JB at the bridge, when wiring it to a 500K push-pull tone pot and then be able to split the coils for a vintage strat vibe, and then dial-back a little bit on the tone control if it's too bright? Cause the whole reason I selected the CC was on the advice of people here because I was afraid the JB would be too bright. But at the time I didn't know about the CC's character for being so screaming in the upper-mids. It's very nice for cleans (at least split in the #2 pickup position). But it's just obnoxious to my ears with OD. It's going on Ebay in short order.

 

[Despair]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

Hm, usually it's the JB people compain about for screaming upper mids, the Custom Custom complaint is usually that it's too soft or too dull, it normally has broad but mellow mids. But pickups can interact strangely with different guitars, if the CC doesn't work in the guitar, that's all that matters.

A lot of switches will auto-split the bridge humbucker to get a fairly stratty 2nd position sound. You can set up a switch to use 1 coil from the JB with the neck single, but it wouldn't necessarily be all that tele-like. The tele bridge pickup has a lot of odd qualities.

Or did you mean split it for a more single coil sound? That can work. You could also look at a series/parallel switch for the bridge pickup. Some people prefer parallel with hot pickups, since it keeps the hum-cancelling and drops the volume a bit further.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

Hm, usually it's the JB people compain about for screaming upper mids, the Custom Custom complaint is usually that it's too soft or too dull, it normally has broad but mellow mids. But pickups can interact strangely with different guitars, if the CC doesn't work in the guitar, that's all that matters.

A lot of switches will auto-split the bridge humbucker to get a fairly stratty 2nd position sound. You can set up a switch to use 1 coil from the JB with the neck single, but it wouldn't necessarily be all that tele-like. The tele bridge pickup has a lot of odd qualities.

Or did you mean split it for a more single coil sound? That can work. You could also look at a series/parallel switch for the bridge pickup. Some people prefer parallel with hot pickups, since it keeps the hum-cancelling and drops the volume a bit further.

Yeah, for some reason in my case, the CC has VERY pronounced upper mids in this guitar. It'll just tear your face off.

Hmmm... that parallel sounds like it might be interesting. I might have to try it. I was all set to order an S-S-S mint green pickgaurd off of Ebay, but I think I'll hold-off and try the JB. It just so happens that I've got an older black JB in an old Godin SD of mine that I never play. So I think I'll tear that out of there tonight and wire it into the strat in H-S-S config and just make sure that I even like that in there. If not, then I'll go with the S-S-S config. It's a pain to swap a pickup around that I'm not gonna use long-term (even if I like it), because of the color issue. But at least I'll know if I like the sound of a JB in there or not. Will also wire the rear tone pot to the pickup so I can roll it back if need be.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

I have a DG-20 set upin my ash/maple strat. It's fantastic sounding. lots of output, they're dead quiet, and I can get anything from bright, chimey, vintage strat tones to hot humbucker sounds just by twisting the knobs on the pickguard. I will never pull this set from this strat. I dig em so much, I've been thinking of converting my MIJ '62Ri's pickups to the Vince Gil set just to try 'em out.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

I have a DG-20 set upin my ash/maple strat. It's fantastic sounding. lots of output, they're dead quiet, and I can get anything from bright, chimey, vintage strat tones to hot humbucker sounds just by twisting the knobs on the pickguard. I will never pull this set from this strat. I dig em so much, I've been thinking of converting my MIJ '62Ri's pickups to the Vince Gil set just to try 'em out.

Hmmm... good to know. And I would imagine that Vince Gill set would really be nice, clean, and chimey!

Last night I ended-up ordering a Tex-Mex bridge single and a mint green SSS pickguard. So I guess that I'm gonna head that direction for now. But if I decide my search must continue, I may have to revisit the EMG decision. In fact, I've got a G&L Tribute Legacy that I never play. A big part of the reason is that the pickups are just dead and lifeless. I had considered putting a full Tex-Mex set in there, but maybe I'll try some EMGs in there.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

Heck, I talked Lew into using a DG-20 and he liked em enough to keep using them. Let your brain wrap itself around that. :burnout:

 

[jmh151]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

The EMG Gilmour set isnt bad by any means. IMO they give a perfected clean tone when you crank the EXG up, like on PInk Floyd's Pulse, or when you see old videos of Mark Knophler fingerpicking his Pens Suhr on live performances of Sultans of Swing.

The Lace Sensors I hear arent that good on their own, and sound best with the Clapton mid boost. With the mid boost off, you still have a 12 db clean boost. The Lace Sensors are quiet, but nowhere as silent as EMG's.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

The EMG Gilmour set isnt bad by any means. IMO they give a perfected clean tone when you crank the EXG up, like on PInk Floyd's Pulse, or when you see old videos of Mark Knophler fingerpicking his Pens Suhr on live performances of Sultans of Swing.

The Lace Sensors I hear arent that good on their own, and sound best with the Clapton mid boost. With the mid boost off, you still have a 12 db clean boost. The Lace Sensors are quiet, but nowhere as silent as EMG's.

Nice! The Pulse DVD is one of my favorite DVDs. In fact, I grew-up during the 80s and believe it or not, wasn't a fan of Floyd or Gilmour at all. But I heard the Pulse show on the radio right after it came out and fell in love with it. Such a tastefull, beautiful performance.

And another one of my favorite concert DVDs is Dire Strait's "Live Alchemy". I just picked-up a German import version a few months ago. I remember watching that concert when it first aired on MTV way back in the early 80s. Knopfler was just smokin'. Gilmour and Knopfler are probably my #2 and #3 favorite strat players (with Yngwie at #1 and SRV at #4).

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

Heck, I talked Lew into using a DG-20 and he liked em enough to keep using them. Let your brain wrap itself around that. :burnout:

I'm afraid that I'm gonna look like an idiot here, and I think I remember threads where were "Lew" was discussed, but I must sadly admit that I'm not sure who he is.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

Currently getting believable Gilmour tones from an EMG-H pickup in the neck position of my modified Ibanez RG321MH. I use the EMG-RPC mid booster but no EXG. (There is no space for it in the control cavity. Also, the EMG-H is just the EMG-S pickup inside a humbucker casing. IMO, those are pretty trebly to begin with.)

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Tex Mex vs. Vintage Noiseless vs EMG DG20 system?

I'm afraid that I'm gonna look like an idiot here, and I think I remember threads where were "Lew" was discussed, but I must sadly admit that I'm not sure who he is.

Lewguitar. One of the guys thatmade this place awesome back in the day. The guy was obsessed with vintage strats and teles and knew how to make modern ones sound just as good.