I'll pose this from a different angle

[JDC]

There have been numerous posts dealing with which Tele pickups are favored. There seems to be a great variation in preferences.

Perhaps, of the pickups you've tried, you could tell me which ones you especially DIDN'T like...and why.

I'm particularly interested in opinions about Lace pickups (and to a lesser extent, EMG's), but I'd be interested in hearing the "cons" of other brands/models as well.

As a side question, EC played Strats loaded with Laces for awhile. Does anyone know whether this was due to some contractual deal with FMIC and their production of the EC Signature Strat, or more a personal preference?

The TDPRI is always a great place to find answers to those questions that make you (me) go ...HMMMMM? TIA for your input.

[The Amazing Phil]

If it was personal preference it's not one that lasted to the current day, and now his tone's as good as ever.

Personally, brands or pickups I've been dissapointed with have been Fender's stock pickups on teles, and the Seymour Duncan P-90s. I loved the pickups and preamp in the mexican powerhouse strat I fell for years ago, but I never had a chance to buy that guitar. Gibson humbuckers range from the medicore to the actually-rather-ace, medicore being498R and 498T, and rather ace being their burstbuckers. The set fitted to the Clapton 335s I found to be especially pleasing to the ear. I don't understand why Gibson is able to produce a pickup of that calibre for a limited release, then let what is essentially a very mediocore pickup inhabit the majority of its solid body guitars. It seems like they've just started turning this around and realised that cutting corners on the pickups might make the difference between saving 100 on a potentially sold guitar, and actually selling another guitar more than you would have done in the first place.

Fortunately, pickups are easily changed. And when the issues reside with the general tonaility of the pickup, often there are other solutions than pickup changing ,like swapping the pots out for higher or lower valued ones.

[Telenator]

I'll pose my answer from a differnet angle. For me, it's all about the wood. True, the body must have the ability to transfer the right frequencies but the neck is also a HUGE part of the equation. It's not as simple as Rosewood vs Maple vs Ebony and so on. It's very important (to me) that the neck and body be compatible in the first place. Once you have good wood, all p'ups will sound great in that guitar and it simply becomes a matter of choosing the flavor you like.

I have heard some great sounds from Lace p'ups. They're very smooth, balanced and quiet. They do seem to lack a little in dynamic expression as compared to traditional single coil p'ups in that they do not transfer "string crash" as much. Some say they sound sterile while others delight in the refinement.

EMGs are perhaps the worst p'ups I have ever used. Very sterile and a feeling of "lost connection" with the guitar. They might sound great out front but, if I can't feel connected to the guitar, (whatever that means), I don't enjoy playing it.

Next in line are Fender's MIM p'ups found as standard equipment on their Naftacasters. Great guitars and seemingly awesome p'ups until you really turn them up and play at gigging volume. There, the MIM p'ups really show their rough edges and lack of refinement. At livingroom volume though, they sound exquisite!

The Fender p'ups that come in their relics are flat out the best I've heard. To me, they nail the tone they're going after and nothing else sounds as good. But, you have to like "that sound."

In short, whether you're coming from one given perspective or another, it still boils down to being subjective. There are many here who will strongly disagree with my experience because their's is different.

Go for the wood first. Find a guitar that sounds amazing to you just the way it is. Then any p'up change you make will simply be a matter of changing subtle nuances until you find the one that suits you best. I have long said, you can't save a bad guitar with great p'ups.

[refin]

Sometimes matching pups to a guitar is like matching an overdrive pedal to an amp---it's a marriage.I've had pickups that sounded lifeless in one guitar and incredible in another.I agree that it does have to do with the wood,but it's the wood married to THAT set of pups.
I have a set of EMG-SAs for a strat that I bought about 15 years ago...it's a love/hate relationship.Every year or so I would stick them in one of my strats ,and while they sounded good for some things,overall they were lifeless,sterile,and very un-organic.Like Telenator said,I felt disconnected with the instrument,like I was playing my guitar stright into a pristine mixing board instead of a great amp.This transferred to several strats.Now their bass pickups are a different story.
Having said that,I'll probably put them in something soon,looking for that marriage.

[Pete Galati]

You know, that Clapton Lace Sensor (sp?) era seemed to come along right about the time Phil Collins produced his album as I recall. Was it really the pickups? Or the production of the music that was bad?

IMO, the era where Eric sounded the best on the Strat was on some of his least popular albums where he played clean Strat sounds, when he seemed to be trying to emulate the JJ Cale sound.

For distorted Clapton sounds, I'd rather hear him from the John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers era, when he played a Les Paul into a Rangemaster, and a Marshall combo. Or his Cream era with the SG or 335 into Marshall stacks.

Pete

[getbent]

Originally Posted by Pete Galati

IMO, the era where Eric sounded the best on the Strat was on some of his least popular albums where he played clean Strat sounds, when he seemed to be trying to emulate the JJ Cale sound.

+1

[woodman]

regardless of brand, the pickups i've backed away from are the "overwound" models -- they seem to de-Teleize the tone. you can get midrange punch from pedals, but you can't get vintage sweet/snarl from the hotter pickups. just my personal experience, YMMV.

[Wild Rice Chris]

Clapton still uses Lace pickups, but not exclusively. On the Cream reunion he had a strat with the Lace Sensors in it that he used for slide.

[clayfeat]

Originally Posted by Wild Rice Chris

Clapton still uses Lace pickups, but not exclusively. On the Cream reunion he had a strat with the Lace Sensors in it that he used for slide.

I have heard that he does indeed prefer the Lace pickups but that Fender was insistent on changing the pickups on his signature series guitar to their vintage noiseless model.