Installed some Fender Texas Specials in my Strat

[Platefire]

A friend of mine bought one of those new model "Americal Special Strats" and immediatly removed the original pickgard, pickups and electronics and installed all new. they come stock with Texas Specials. He offered me the guard/pickups/electronics for $100.00 and I bit. I've been having my eye on those Texas Specials for a while so I guess this opprertunity was what I was waiting for. I installed these in my 1998 "Crafted in Japan" 54 Re-Issue Strat. The new guard was too much of a mis-match with the screw locations, so I ended up installing the electronics/PU's in my old original pickguard.

I really didn't like them when I first installed them. They at first seemed to bright and to bitty. It was because I was trying to use my old amp settings used with the old vintage pickups and it didn't work for the new pickups. Once I reset tone and gain I'm finding that I'm liking them more and more. You can go from clean to scream in a more dynamic way than the old vintage wound PU I removed. I think these will be valuable tool to aid in my blues rock ways--just need to get more proficient with volume control to get the most out of them. Has anybody else tried the TS and what was your take on them? Platefire

[G._Hoffman]

I'm afraid, when it comes to pickups these days, everything Fender does, someone else does better.  I'd much rather go with Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots.  But really, I don't like hot pickups much - I much prefer a more moderate output pickup - they give me a chime-like high end that I really enjoy, and I don't like the scooped tone of hot pickups much.  I also keep my pickups pretty far from the strings, for much the same reason.

Of course, I don't play the blues at all, and am more of a punk/pop kind of guy, so my view probably doesn't matter much.  If you like them, that's the important thing!


Gabriel

[FYL]

I'm afraid, when it comes to pickups these days, everything Fender does, someone else does better.

Some current Fender pups are really nice, for instance their Strat CS '54, '69 or Tele Nocaster. Even the SCN series can give excellent results.
OTOH, anything with "Hot" or "Texas" in it's name should be approached with precaution.

[bluesbear]

A few years ago, my son and I A/B'ed my Strat with Texas Specials and his stock Squire Strat. We used 3 different amps and both of us tried every configuration. Neither of us could hear any difference. I'll stick with Seymour Duncan's. Never had a bad one.
Dave

[G._Hoffman]

I'm afraid, when it comes to pickups these days, everything Fender does, someone else does better.

Some current Fender pups are really nice, for instance their Strat CS '54, '69 or Tele Nocaster. Even the SCN series can give excellent results.

Other people do similar pickups better.  I'd take Kinman's or Seymour Duncan Classic Stack Plus' before the SCN's any day.  For non-noiseless Strat pickups, I really do like Lindy Fralin's pickups a lot.  I've not tried his tele pickups, but I'd have more confidence using them over anything Fender made that I hadn't heard.  Seymour Duncan's Antiquity Tele pickups are absolutely first rate, though, and I've got a number of customers who are very very happy with them.  Its not that Fender makes bad pickups, per-say.  Just that other people make them better. 

I'm not really knocking Fender here either - they are just doing what they have always done; make a product that will make people happy enough with the highest profit margin reasonable.  Look at all the places they skimped in their amps?  A shared cathode resistor between power tubes?  Why?  I mean, you're only saving a few pennies per amp.  But when you make that many amps, it matters.  Its the same with their pickups, their guitars, everything.  That's the way Leo did it, and it has served them extremely well - they are, after all, the largest music instrument manufacturer in the world at this point.  Others can take their ideas, and execute them better.  The profit margins may be lower, but the products are better.


Gabriel

[FYL]

Its not that Fender makes bad pickups, per-say.  Just that other people make them better. 

Let me kindly disagree here: some Fender pups are as good or better as their boutique competitors.

[Platefire]

Well I guess I got a trace of Leo blood in me because just like the purchase of these pickups, I probably
wouldn't have bought them if I hadn't got a package deal on new electronics and pickups. I'm always skimping!   I would have probably been happy with the old vintage wound fender stock pickups---and may someday go back in depending on my final evaluation of these. One thing I really do like about the electronics is in the old strat wiring the tone control controlled the neck and mid pickup---on this new wiring it controls the neck and bridge. I like the cut treble on the bride when using distortion.
I'm sure all the pickup manufactures do a better job because that's their specialty and sure they pay a lot more attention to detail. My son swares by Lindy Frailen's and I have used Seymour Duncan before for a strat replacement--that matched perfectly. Thanks for your input! Platefire

Added Note: The bottom line for me in judging new equipment is the "Positive Playing Experiances" factor. There is no comparison IMHO like playing your music in a live band setting. I have found at least for my own personal preference, that what you hear jamming by yourself sitting on the coutch is deceiving and in not a true measure of how your rig is really performing. If I try something new and in a band situation continue to have negative experiances after continual tweaking all possible avenues has been covered, it's of no vaule to me and a hinderance. On the other hand if I continue to have good positive playing experiances, the value of the new item increases. As you continue to have positinve playing experiacnes your confidence in that item grows to a point where it may become a un-replacable tool in your arsenal.  As far as the Texas Specials my positive experiances is increasing and I'm more and more impressed. This is a good sign to me these will be keepers.  

[Ritchie200]

I've got some old anniversary Strat pickups on my Japan no-name Strat copy and they are just a little too thin.  I'm not sure which ones they are.  I am going to put the original no-names back in, they are twice as thick and very full body without any mush.  My Ritchie Blackmore Strat has the Duncan Quarter Pounders in it.  Like Plate said about the TS's, it took a while to warm up to them, but they clean up real nice when you roll off the volume and full bore give some grit without sounding like a dull soap bar (my complaint with most Strat boutique replacements) - nice overall chimey sound.  Of course the RB Strat is wired different too - no tone loss when you roll off the volume.  I really like the old Strat 50's pu's and the Strats I had in the 70's were ok too.  I also like the Lace Golds in a Strat.  Tried the Lawrence lipstick and did not like it at all.  Have not met a stacked humbucker that I liked.  Of course, tone is in the ear of the beholder!  YMMV!
Jim

[G._Hoffman]

Have not met a stacked humbucker that I liked.  Of course, tone is in the ear of the beholder!  YMMV!

Usually I agree, but try either the Kinmans or the SD Classic Stack Plus.  To me, the Seymour Duncan edges out the Kinmans, but only just.  Either way, they don't sound like the stacks from the eighties - not at all.


And for the record, if you like it, its good.  I was just answering the question that was asked - I play a lot of different pickups in a lot of different guitars, and I tend to find Fender's NEW pickups lacking.  Most of the old ones, too, but every now and then they hit on some magic - that's what happens when you have mediocre QC.  Some times you hit gold.  These days, their QC is too good to find the magic, and their volume is too high to take the time to get it right every time.


Gabriel

[Platefire]

I got a musician friend that is constantly  buying and selling  gear--amps, guitars, pickups, pedals. He always calls me when he's moving gear and give me first crack at it. When he finds stuff he really wants to buy really bad, he drops the price on his existing stuff he wants to move to get cash sometimes to irrisistable prices---I turn most of it down but sometimes it's too good of a deal to turn down. Thats where I end up getting a lot of pickups, pedals and some amps from.  That's the very source I got these TS from. Like I already mentioned, had my eye on these a while and the good deal made me pull the trigger. I has almost quit playing my strat but now it's getting a lot of attention again!!!

[Ritchie200]

  Either way, they don't sound like the stacks from the eighties - not at all.

Are you saying I'm living in the 80's?!?!?!  I'll take that as a compliment!   My wife and kids usually say I'm living in the 60's or 70's - I'm feeling younger thanks to you!

Maybe I'm a purist... In my feeble mind if you buy a Strat you are buying it for the Strat "sound".  If you want a humbucker guitar, go buy a LP or and Ibanez or whatever.  You can spend tons of money on humbuckers and it still plays like Strat.  Some things should not be messed with!  But I guess that's why we build multiple amps, run through 14 effects, and we are all still looking for that perfect sound.  I don't know, maybe I'm just turning into that old grouchy guy that yells at the kids cutting across his yard...
Jim

[G._Hoffman]

  Either way, they don't sound like the stacks from the eighties - not at all.

Are you saying I'm living in the 80's?!?!?!  I'll take that as a compliment!   My wife and kids usually say I'm living in the 60's or 70's - I'm feeling younger thanks to you!

Maybe I'm a purist... In my feeble mind if you buy a Strat you are buying it for the Strat "sound".  If you want a humbucker guitar, go buy a LP or and Ibanez or whatever.  You can spend tons of money on humbuckers and it still plays like Strat.  Some things should not be messed with!  But I guess that's why we build multiple amps, run through 14 effects, and we are all still looking for that perfect sound.  I don't know, maybe I'm just turning into that old grouchy guy that yells at the kids cutting across his yard...
Jim

That's the point with the Classic Stack Plus and the Kinmans.  They sound just like a Strat - without the hum!  All the more so with the Classic Stack Plus, because in your in-between positions, you can tap them (takes a special switch, but they are readily available) and you have actual honest to god single coil pickups, and the middle pickup is RW/RP so you are still hum free.

There is nothing "Gibson" sounding about these things!


Gabriel

[jerryjg]

I look at it this way; I really love the tone of Fender American Std.  pickups or preferably '69 custom shops. I'm sure the Texas Special is pretty much the same.
Would I put a Fender pickup in my *best Strat? No, because I think Duncans SSL-1's are more historically accurate to a vintage fender tone. The Fender pickups have this mid- thing going on the makes the pickup artificially glassy, and I do like that tone alot on at least one of my guitars. Many pickups have that same sort of glassy hyped bell sound  going down; EMG SA's ...Dimarzios HS-2/3's...
Its very nice, but it isnt the way a real vintage Strat pickup sounds like.
Duncan SSL-1's and Antiquities and others I'm sure , do that vintage tone way better..it all depends on if your guitar is good  enough to reflect that, cause if it isnt it will tend to sound lifeless with a natural sounding pickup like a DUncan SSL-1 , and IMO thats why alot of people are happier with Fender pickups in the first place. They take a average nothing special sounding guitar and give them alot of this fake glassiness thats sounds pretty good.
I also agree that the Classic Stack  Plus Duncans  are about the best noiseless pickup..very authentic!

[Platefire]

I measured the Ohms on my stock Hwy 1 Tele and they are overwound just like the Texas Specials- The little neck pickup is about 7.25K and the bridge 6.5K. I like um!  

[NSFY]

I have the TS in a couple of strats and found the P/U height was very important.  I have them set pretty low on mine which was where I liked their sound.  There seems to be a some conflicting information out there about what height they should be set at  - I just did it by ear.

[Platefire]

I,ve got PU height set at about normal "1/8' INCH. I've read a lot of folks like them way below the strings! They are pretty sensitive set close and I think the key is using your guitar volume control effectively because they really dig into your amp set close. I'm really happy that I can get classic like strat tone but have bit of a humbucker edge for driving an amp. So over a few months I'm still happy with them. Plate

[bluesbear]

The deal is:
The nearer to the strings you put the pickup, the stronger and louder the signal.
BUT...
Too near the strings, the magnets affect the strings so they won't vibrate as easily. Result - no sustain.
So, it all becomes a balancing act. I imagine the spacing would be different for each pickup which certainly complicates matters. It seems doing it by ear is still the best method... as long as you know all the variables to listen for. I prefer my pickups set fairly low. It's hard enough to get sustain at sensible bar volumes. If the strings vibrate more easily and I turn up the amp some to compensate for the reduced pickup output, it just makes it easier for the guitar to sing.
Dave

[Platefire]

bluebear

You've got a very valid point! I always set just low enough to keep them from going out of tune for the extra punch but never considered the string vib thing. I've had some fender pickups that came on my 80's squire bullet and a Hwy 1 strat pickup I installed on the bullet that could go closer than 1/8" without causing de-tuning.

The Texas Special are on my CIJ 54 reissue. Based on your comment, I might backem (redneck word) off a bit and see how Ilikum. Plate