texas special vs ssl-1

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

Well, according to Cesar, Stevie "did" use the TS's for a short time and there are no recordings with him using them. He did however play one of the early SRV sig models on David Letterman before they were available to the public and we all know that has TS's in it.

I think they sound great at the recommended height settings that Fender gives. 8/64" (3.6mm) on the bass side, 6/64" (2.4mm) on the treble side.

Lew, my middle is around 6.3-6.5k, neck is right at 6.0k and the bridge is at around 7.0-7.1k. At the recommended heights they're wonderful to my ears. I moved the bridge up a little closer to the strings for some more bite there.

They're really meant to get that big fat tone without using bridge cables for strings. It makes it really nice for players that use 10-46 or even 9-42 strings.

Yeah I heard that also Erik,but if there were TS "type" pickups in that guitar,were they proto types?I remember also reading that SRV died before the SRV model came out. Were they just like the TS in your guitar? It's all just alot of speculation really...The worst is the whole EVH amp,attenuator issue though! ;o)

Didn't mean to come across as bashing the TS pickups Erik...I just don't care for them,but alot of players love em! Hence the reason there are hundreds of strat style pickups available to us!

I'm an avid strat player and I'm another one of those strat guys that likes my pickups lower...I'm normally like 8/64" at the neck and a bit higher at the bridge....I adjust the middle to balance between the neck and bridge..

 

[ErikH]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

Yeah I heard that also Erik,but if there were TS "type" pickups in that guitar,were they proto types?I remember also reading that SRV died before the SRV model came out. Were they just like the TS in your guitar? It's all just alot of speculation really...The worst is the whole EVH amp,attenuator issue though! ;o)

Didn't mean to come across as bashing the TS pickups Erik...I just don't care for them,but alot of players love em! Hence the reason there are hundreds of strat style pickups available to us!

I'm an avid strat player and I'm another one of those strat guys that likes my pickups lower...I'm normally like 8/64" at the neck and a bit higher at the bridge....I adjust the middle to balance between the neck and bridge..

I thought of that too. They very well may have been prototypes. Guess we'll never really know. For all we know, had he not died, he may have recorded with them on the next album. Fender was ready to release the SRV Strat right around when he died. It was supposed to be the next model year.

No worries, John. I didn't take your comments on the TS's that way. Like I said, they're a love/hate thing.

It amazes me at the number of choices out there. I think finding the right set of singles is harder than finding the right humbuckers. It was for me anyway. Even though I loved the TS's from the time they came out and I played my first SRV Strat, I tried a bunch of other singles since then but never felt comfortable with any of them. It took me more than 10 years to finally just buy them but I got 'em now. It's a very gratifying feeling when you find that sound you want from a single-coil.

My neck and middle are both at 8/64" bass and 6/64" treble. I like the middle up there since I use it alone quite a bit. Can't remember what I set the bridge at but the treble side is higher than the bass side.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

I thought of that too. They very well may have been prototypes. Guess we'll never really know. For all we know, had he not died, he may have recorded with them on the next album. Fender was ready to release the SRV Strat right around when he died. It was supposed to be the next model year.

No worries, John. I didn't take your comments on the TS's that way. Like I said, they're a love/hate thing.

It amazes me at the number of choices out there. I think finding the right set of singles is harder than finding the right humbuckers. It was for me anyway. Even though I loved the TS's from the time they came out and I played my first SRV Strat, I tried a bunch of other singles since then but never felt comfortable with any of them. It took me more than 10 years to finally just buy them but I got 'em now. It's a very gratifying feeling when you find that sound you want from a single-coil.

My neck and middle are both at 8/64" bass and 6/64" treble. I like the middle up there since I use it alone quite a bit. Can't remember what I set the bridge at but the treble side is higher than the bass side.

It's cool that I set my pickup heights the same as you then buddy! Have you tryed or used the Fat 50s? To me they sit somewhere between the TS and something like the SSL1s or even the 57/62 pickups...They have more output,but they aren't as harsh in the mids(to me) like the TS...Also I tryed the very first series(Like Lew did) when the TS pickups came out...Today I might be missing something with them? I do use the Tele Texas Special in the neck though,and I Like those...Weird huh?

For me overall...Nothing is better than the Surfer neck and middle pickups...The bridge position is still a constant battle to me though...Depending on the guitar,it's either the Texas Hot,Twangbanger,or the Custom SSL5/6...The Twangbanger is probably the one that I seem to always gravitate towards when I'm really in-decisive though...

 

[ErikH]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

It's cool that I set my pickup heights the same as you then buddy! Have you tryed or used the Fat 50s? To me they sit somewhere between the TS and something like the SSL1s or even the 57/62 pickups...They have more output,but they aren't as harsh in the mids(to me) like the TS...Also I tryed the very first series(Like Lew did) when the TS pickups came out...Today I might be missing something with them? I do use the Tele Texas Special in the neck though,and I Like those...Weird huh?

For me overall...Nothing is better than the Surfer neck and middle pickups...The bridge position is still a constant battle to me though...Depending on the guitar,it's either the Texas Hot,Twangbanger,or the Custom SSL5/6...The Twangbanger is probably the one that I seem to always gravitate towards when I'm really in-decisive though...

No, I haven't tried the Fat 50's but I hear nothing but good things about them. Maybe when I get another Strat and decide to leave it SSS will I try them. That'll be a while though.

I don't know if there's much of a difference between how the TS's were wound then vs now. I love the set I have, which were probably wound last year. What I love about the TS mids is how they cut through. I'm getting some sweet tones through the AC30TB, Bassman, JCM800 and Soldano models in my AD50. The AC30TB is my favorite with that Strat. Just enough bite and it cleans up well too.

There's not many Duncan singles that I like as much as the TS. The Alnico II Pro's are nice. They've got a great sound. The SSL6 I had was too hot. To me it lost all that Stratty character that I like. A little over 7k is about where I like my Strat bridge pickups (that is when I'm going SSS and not HSS or HxS).

Happy Father's Day!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

Lew, my middle is around 6.3-6.5k, neck is right at 6.0k and the bridge is at around 7.0-7.1k. At the recommended heights they're wonderful to my ears. I moved the bridge up a little closer to the strings for some more bite there.

Yeah...that's what I thought. The older set I had was a little differant calibration than the newer sets.

My understanding is that with his heavy strings and muscled up picking attack that in order to get a clear bell like tone, SRV prefered 6K vintage pickups...like your neck pickup.

Bottem line on the Texas Specials is that the classic SRV tone we know and love was NOT made with Texas Specials. He didn't record with them.

Mark Knopfler uses them though and seems to like them. That guy knows good Strat tone and apparantly so do you! (laugh!)

Lew

 

[Curly]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

what is difference between ssl-1 and fender texas special in neck want classic strat tone. hendrix style clean playing aka little wing sound

Andy Aledort wrote the book/ CD on Hendrix and used SSLs to cop his tone. Since he's right handed, he used reverse wound SSLs, but he got VERY close to Jimi's tone, IMO.
since I own a TS strat and a strat loaded with SSLs, I'll say that not only are SSL built better, but tonewise, they transition better from cleans to overdriven tones.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

No, I haven't tried the Fat 50's but I hear nothing but good things about them. Maybe when I get another Strat and decide to leave it SSS will I try them. That'll be a while though.

I don't know if there's much of a difference between how the TS's were wound then vs now. I love the set I have, which were probably wound last year. What I love about the TS mids is how they cut through. I'm getting some sweet tones through the AC30TB, Bassman, JCM800 and Soldano models in my AD50. The AC30TB is my favorite with that Strat. Just enough bite and it cleans up well too.

There's not many Duncan singles that I like as much as the TS. The Alnico II Pro's are nice. They've got a great sound. The SSL6 I had was too hot. To me it lost all that Stratty character that I like. A little over 7k is about where I like my Strat bridge pickups (that is when I'm going SSS and not HSS or HxS).

Happy Father's Day!

ERik...My 1 MIJ 62 strat is a bright guitar and borderlines on being thin sounding.This is the only strat that has ever had the SSL5s in it,as I totally agree about the loss of note articulation! You know how much I always stress about retaining note clarity in all of my pickups! ;o) This same MIJ has a set of APS2s in the neck and middle and they are warm and sweet in this guitar..For the most part though,I Like either Fat 50s or Surfers now in the neck and middle spots to keep some A5 chime in those spots...My hearing in the highs isn't what it used to be and I think this is a factor..

Happy Father's Day to you also brother Erik!

 

[ErikH]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

Yeah...that's what I thought. The older set I had was a little differant calibration than the newer sets.

My understanding is that with his heavy strings and muscled up picking attack that in order to get a clear bell like tone, SRV prefered 6K vintage pickups...like your neck pickup.

Bottem line on the Texas Specials is that the classic SRV tone we know and love was NOT made with Texas Specials. He didn't record with them.

Mark Knopfler uses them though and seems to like them. That guy knows good Strat tone and apparantly so do you! (laugh!)

Lew

I agree on all points there. The TS's, although they are not what he used, sure help us guys who use thinner strings get in the ballpark. I can't imagine using strings that thick.

I like to think I have a good Strat tone now.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

I agree on all points there. The TS's, although they are not what he used, sure help us guys who use thinner strings get in the ballpark. I can't imagine using strings that thick.

I like to think I have a good Strat tone now.

I'm not at all in doubt that you have a great strat tone!

 

[ErikH]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

I'm not at all in doubt that you have a great strat tone!

Thanks. I'll have to get you a clip some time.

 

[StratManBill]

Re: texas special vs ssl-1

A lot of people like the Texas Specials a lot better when they lower them as far as they can.

I currently have TS's on my Strat, but find that I do have to lower the pickups, and often the volume to compensate for the harsh tone. I decided that was just too much compensation to get a decent tone. I have since order an SSL-1 for the neck. I will see how I like it. I play mostly clean. If it works for me, I will get the SSL-1 middle and possibly a JB-Jr. or Little 59 for the bridge for the times I do have to play dirty.