Telecaster Guitar Forum - View Single Post

sean001 · October 4th, 2011, 01:17 PM

OK, so as promised my review...

What's so special about Rob's pickup??? Nothing. It just plain works. Not too tart, not to sweet.

Tonally, I would put the Cavalier Lion in league with the Seymour Duncan Broadcaster P/U. I would say the Lion has a bit more bottom and a bit more even mid range spread. Some people like the upper mid range bump the SD Broadcaster has, some hate it. The Lion sort of smooths that bump and moves the mid range peak down a touch, and fattens up the treble a touch. It doesn't have less treble but some how a wider or fatter treble.

For whatever reason, this is the loudest Tele P/U I've ever played, it may be the most touch sensitive and I rank it second in liveliness after my 1983 52RI stock P/U and slightly ahead of the SD Broadcaster. When I say lively, I mean when you play sixths for instance you hear a lot of harmonics and mixing of the notes...a more pedal steal type of whine. I love that.

Through my 1994 Pro Junior with the original speaker, to my ears, the SD had a touch more mid-range complexity BUT the Lion at a fatter high end. Though, through my red knob Super 60 1x12...I found the Lion to have equal or more mid range complexity but the high end was more or less equal to the SD Broadcaster. In all cases the Lion had a chunkier low end.

I play Pete Anderson, clean up to sort of Brett Mason hot country, so those are the tones I am thinking about. I can't comment on heavier distortion or pedals for either.

The Lion is in my 1994 MIM 50s re-issue Esquire, the SD Broadcaster is in my 1983 52 RI. For this reason there is a slight apples to oranges factor but both guitars are maple neck, three saddles stock bridge plate guitars.

Did the Cavalier Lion make me taller or better looking? No, but it sounds pretty good. For $60, it sounds even better. A real contender for an affordable, all around P/U.

My one niggle was I would like to see the string covering the coil be wrapped tighter or closer. I can see some wire through the string. This has no effect on the sound at all but as I've found myself covered in beer, soda, or rain at various times, I like to see my pickups sealed up real well. That said, maybe Rob didn't worry about wrapping this one too tight. It was brave of him to send this pickup out on the honesty system. He very well could never have seen it again.

October 4th, 2011, 01:17 PM	#47 (permalink)
sean001 Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Gilberts, Illinois Posts: 449	OK, so as promised my review... What's so special about Rob's pickup??? Nothing. It just plain works. Not too tart, not to sweet. Tonally, I would put the Cavalier Lion in league with the Seymour Duncan Broadcaster P/U. I would say the Lion has a bit more bottom and a bit more even mid range spread. Some people like the upper mid range bump the SD Broadcaster has, some hate it. The Lion sort of smooths that bump and moves the mid range peak down a touch, and fattens up the treble a touch. It doesn't have less treble but some how a wider or fatter treble. For whatever reason, this is the loudest Tele P/U I've ever played, it may be the most touch sensitive and I rank it second in liveliness after my 1983 52RI stock P/U and slightly ahead of the SD Broadcaster. When I say lively, I mean when you play sixths for instance you hear a lot of harmonics and mixing of the notes...a more pedal steal type of whine. I love that. Through my 1994 Pro Junior with the original speaker, to my ears, the SD had a touch more mid-range complexity BUT the Lion at a fatter high end. Though, through my red knob Super 60 1x12...I found the Lion to have equal or more mid range complexity but the high end was more or less equal to the SD Broadcaster. In all cases the Lion had a chunkier low end. I play Pete Anderson, clean up to sort of Brett Mason hot country, so those are the tones I am thinking about. I can't comment on heavier distortion or pedals for either. The Lion is in my 1994 MIM 50s re-issue Esquire, the SD Broadcaster is in my 1983 52 RI. For this reason there is a slight apples to oranges factor but both guitars are maple neck, three saddles stock bridge plate guitars. Did the Cavalier Lion make me taller or better looking? No, but it sounds pretty good. For $60, it sounds even better. A real contender for an affordable, all around P/U. My one niggle was I would like to see the string covering the coil be wrapped tighter or closer. I can see some wire through the string. This has no effect on the sound at all but as I've found myself covered in beer, soda, or rain at various times, I like to see my pickups sealed up real well. That said, maybe Rob didn't worry about wrapping this one too tight. It was brave of him to send this pickup out on the honesty system. He very well could never have seen it again. __________________ The more you drink, the less I stink...