The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

[Lewguitar]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

So Gearjoneser is going to be the first one of us to try the Surfer/Surfer/Texas Hot Custom bridge combo! Cool beans...can't wait for a review. I'll get 'em right out to you...
Lew

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

I'm excited about this new combo. I know that the Texas Hot Custom sounds great clean and with some gain, and the Surfers will be exactly what I want to hear for big glassy neck tones and 4th pos. notch sounds. I've really dug the Fat 50's for their woody/glassy SRV tone, but now I'm ready for the best combo Duncan has to offer.
I can taste that sweet strat tone already!

 

[nepalnt21]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Bill Lawrence L-280s

what do ppl think of these?

 

[theodie]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

what do ppl think of these?

I cant speak for everyone else but, I truly love them. They are Sweet!!!! I would recomend going to harmonycentral.com and checking out reviews.

 

[nepalnt21]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

I cant speak for everyone else but, I truly love them. They are Sweet!!!! I would recomend going to harmonycentral.com and checking out reviews.

are they good for vintage strat sound?

 

[Gutsy SG]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Gearjoneser, it sounds like you get my drift entirely. You really need Alnico V magnet (Ant II Surfers) pups in the middle and neck to get that glassy to die for tone in the 4th psoition. On the other hand you need an Alnico II magnet (Ant TX Hot) pup in the bridge to get that fatter, middier, smoother overdriven tone in the bridge.

An added note:
If my memory serves me right SRV's prized Strat had Alnico V magnets in all positions. He would often switch the pup selector in the middle of a song depending on what part of the neck he was playing on. In some songs he would use the bridge pup when playing low on the neck, like the 1st through 5th frets, etc and then he would switch to the neck pup when he moved high on the neck. This way he would counteract the ice picky bright effect of the bridge pup when playing high on the neck. I'm not saying he did that on every song but it's worth taking note of.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Gearjoneser, it sounds like you get my drift entirely. You really need Alnico V magnet (Ant II Surfers) pups in the middle and neck to get that glassy to die for tone in the 4th psoition. On the other hand you need an Alnico II magnet (Ant TX Hot) pup in the bridge to get that fatter, middier, smoother overdriven tone in the bridge.

An added note:
If my memory serves me right SRV's prized Strat had Alnico V magnets in all positions. He would often switch the pup selector in the middle of a song depending on what part of the neck he was playing on. In some songs he would use the bridge pup when playing low on the neck, like the 1st through 5th frets, etc and then he would switch to the neck pup when he moved high on the neck. This way he would counteract the ice picky bright effect of the bridge pup when playing high on the neck. I'm not saying he did that on every song but it's worth taking note of.

Absolutely! My ears are tuned into Alnico 5's for about everything. I prefer Alnico 5 for humbuckers as well as singles. However, strat and tele bridges often do great with an Alnico II magnet, which is my thinking on this combo.
Alnico II bridges seem loose to my ears on humbuckers, but single coils are different. I want warmth, mids, and muscle on single coil bridge pickups. On most humbuckers, and neck and middle single coils, I want to hear the tight lows and airy highs of Alnico 5. Overall, I'd say the C-5/59 is my favorite for hums, and Alnico II bridge/Alnico 5 neck & middle on single coils is my favorite for strats and teles. I've spent a lot of time and money dialing in my guitars, amps, and pickups, and this is the conclusion I've come to, regarding pickups. I don't even think about anything but playing anymore.
I still can't believe it took me this long to get my pickups dialed in.... choices can almost confuse a person. :smack:

 

[Quencho092]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

the surfers are just too good. If they can rip in my peavey classic with cheap SS preamp, and 2 overdue 5881's, i cant imagine them in a twin, bassman, or one of your bogners GJ! Ive also been quite impressed by their tone when plugged into a princeton chorus SS 2x12, and even my notorious Crate MX20RC TURD BUCKET!

 

[theodie]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

are they good for vintage strat sound?

They work great for vintage but you dont have all of that nasty 60 cycle hum. They are also dead quiet.

 

[nepalnt21]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

so if i were looking for like the jimi hendrix sound, the bill lawrences could give that?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

After I get my strat wired up, I'm also going to think about doing the blender mod, so I can blend my neck pickup into my bridge pickup, for those nice tele middle tones.
While it's open, I'll experiment with caps more, too. I want this strat dialed in for life, since it's been my favorite strat for 7 years. I'm looking forward to turning it into a new guitar.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Well, I've tried a few sets of strat pickups, and wanted something great, so I asked what was the ultimate strat sound. I took the advise of everyone, particularly Lew's trained ear with single coils, and installed the Antiquity Custom bridge, and Antiquity Surfer neck and middle. WOW! That's the way a strat is supposed to sound! You know when you hear a guitar and you couldn't imagine making it sound better? That's what my strat sounds like, after spending 3 hours with the Strat and Matchless Chieftain. The 9.7K Custom strat bridge sounds like a warm slab of glassy thickness, and any other position on the guitar sounds exactly like it should. The 2&4 positions are loud and just as clear as the singles.....just amazing. I'm gonna put some serious time on that neck pickup, when I'm back at my rehearsal room. I couldn't crank it tonight, but I heard nothing but perfect tone at midvolume, so I'm looking forward to digging in at full tilt. My Fat 50's sound completely Texas, and these sound like everything from Gilmour to Hendrix.

 

[sweet_lou]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

How about some pics.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Well, I've tried a few sets of strat pickups, and wanted something great, so I asked what was the ultimate strat sound. I took the advise of everyone, particularly Lew's trained ear with single coils, and installed the Antiquity Custom bridge, and Antiquity Surfer neck and middle. WOW! That's the way a strat is supposed to sound! You know when you hear a guitar and you couldn't imagine making it sound better? That's what my strat sounds like, after spending 3 hours with the Strat and Matchless Chieftain. The 9.7K Custom strat bridge sounds like a warm slab of glassy thickness, and any other position on the guitar sounds exactly like it should. The 2&4 positions are loud and just as clear as the singles.....just amazing. I'm gonna put some serious time on that neck pickup, when I'm back at my rehearsal room. I couldn't crank it tonight, but I heard nothing but perfect tone at midvolume, so I'm looking forward to digging in at full tilt. My Fat 50's sound completely Texas, and these sound like everything from Gilmour to Hendrix.

Thanks! That was my reaction the first time I tried the Surfers. I immediately said to myself:

"Whoa! Are these the best Strat pickups I've ever played? I think they might be!"

So you're liking the Surfer neck and middle and Texas Hot bridge huh? Gotta try that next.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

So Gearjoneser is going to be the first one of us to try the Surfer/Surfer/Texas Hot Custom bridge combo! Cool beans...can't wait for a review. I'll get 'em right out to you...
Lew

That's not entirely true brother!

I am using the fralin vintage hots with the surfer bridge (previously I had fralin neck and middle and that gorgeous 9.99K ant I custom bridge you've sent me); and the surfers I recently got from you with the ant I custom bridge. Don't wanna jump to conclusions yet, need more time. But looks like I am gonna go back.

Lew, by the way that tailpiece you've sent me is lighter than that of my R7! Thanks man, it is a GREAT one!

B

GJ don't forget van zandts are great pickups!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

That's not entirely true brother!

I am using the fralin vintage hots with the surfer bridge (previously I had fralin neck and middle and that gorgeous 9.99K ant I custom bridge you've sent me); and the surfers I recently got from you with the ant I custom bridge. Don't wanna jump to conclusions yet, need more time. But looks like I am gonna go back.

Lew, by the way that tailpiece you've sent me is lighter than that of my R7! Thanks man, it is a GREAT one!

B

GJ don't forget van zandts are great pickups!

Cool...I wanted that featherweight aliuminum tailpiece to go to someone who'd appreciate it! Steve Rosen from Pigtail Music is making those. He's the machinist who came up with alot of the tooling for the Tone Pros stuff.

So Doc, are you saying you might "go back" to a full set of Ant II Surfers instead of using the Ant II Surfer neck and middle with the Ant I Texas Hot Custom bridge?

You thinking mixing the alnico 2 bridge with the alinico 5 neck and middle isn't doing it for you?

I wondered if it'd lose something when the middle and bridge pickups are combined. To me, those #2 and #4 switch positions are just fabulous with a full set of Surfers.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Cool...I wanted that featherweight aliuminum tailpiece to go to someone who'd appreciate it! Steve Rosen from Pigtail Music is making those. He's the machinist who came up with alot of the tooling for the Tone Pros stuff.

So Doc, are you saying you might "go back" to a full set of Ant II Surfers instead of using the Ant II Surfer neck and middle with the Ant I Texas Hot Custom bridge?

You thinking mixing the alnico 2 bridge with the alinico 5 neck and middle isn't doing it for you?

I wondered if it'd lose something when the middle and bridge pickups are combined. To me, those #2 and #4 switch positions are just fabulous with a full set of Surfers.

I sure appreciate Steve Rosen's work. A lot!

Regarding the surfer vs the ant I custom bridge: I need more time, maybe it's the guitar I am using these pickups in. Anyway there are two reasons why I wanted to back to full set of surfers and antI custom bridge and fralin vintage hot neck and middle. The first concerns the bridge middle; bridge/neck; bridge/middle/neck positions with the surfer set, with custom ant I bridge they are not that glassy that sparkling anymore. (At least this is the way I feel now.) The second is about the better match of the ant I custom (as opposed to the surfer bridge) with the fralins. Fralins are great pickups and they are a little upper-mid heavy (without being soft, and without losing the highs). So the extra (relatively more lower, and softer) mids of the ant I custom fits the fralins better.

Anyway, I need more time.

One thing is for sure, the surfers are challenging my favorite strat pickups (van zandt vintage + neck and middle and van zandt blues bridge). They are really good, like them more than fralins, texas hots, and other fender CS pickups I have tried so far.

B

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Dr. Barlo: Yep...I can see how that all might be true! Lew

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

I sure appreciate Steve Rosen's work. A lot!

Fralins are great pickups and they are a little upper-mid heavy (without being soft, and without losing the highs). So the extra (relatively more lower, and softer) mids of the ant I custom fits the fralins better.

One thing is for sure, the surfers are challenging my favorite strat pickups (van zandt vintage + neck and middle and van zandt blues bridge). They are really good, like them more than fralins, texas hots, and other fender CS pickups I have tried so far.

B

It's amazing to me how Lindy does that with just the pattern he winds the wire around the coils. But he does. It looks random...but it's not. I hear the stock Fralin Vintage Hots as having a little more upper mids and tiny bit less less shrill/glass to the treble but still plenty of sparkle. They also seem to have a little more output than any 6K Strat pickup I've owned.

I use the 3% underwound version of the Vintage Hots to get back a little transparancy in the mids and a little more treble. I use them with a Fralin Steel Pole 43 as the bridge pickup...sounds like a P90.

As you know, I like the Van Zandt Vintage set too and have a nice set Mr. Van Zandt wound in '92 before he passed. Very nice snap to the mids...a little growley too! Alot like the pickups in my '63 Strat.

But like you, these Surfers are challenging every "best" set of Strat pickups I've ever owned...including those originals in my '63. Lew

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

It's amazing to me how Lindy does that with just the pattern he winds the wire around the coils. But he does. It looks random...but it's not. I hear the stock Fralin Vintage Hots as having a little more upper mids and tiny bit less less shrill/glass to the treble but still plenty of sparkle. They also seem to have a little more output than any 6K Strat pickup I've owned.

I use the 3% underwound version of the Vintage Hots to get back a little transparancy in the mids and a little more treble. I use them with a Fralin Steel Pole 43 as the bridge pickup...sounds like a P90.

My fralin neck is exactly as you describe. It's 5.80K but the middle is a little overwound, 6.30K.

It needs to be said that I cannot get the chime of the fralins with the other strat s/c's that I know. But I wished they had more bass, more of that defined a5 strat bass, especially for the neck position.

As you know, I like the Van Zandt Vintage set too and have a nice set Mr. Van Zandt wound in '92 before he passed. Very nice snap to the mids...a little growley too! Alot like the pickups in my '63 Strat.

But like you, these Surfers are challenging every "best" set of Strat pickups I've ever owned...including those originals in my '63. Lew

My list of favorites would be surfers; van zandts (vintage hot neck and middle ~6.30K; and blues bridge ~7.10K) and fralin vintage hots. All great pickups for somebody like me who loves the a5 chime.

B