Fralins compared to Van Zandts

[Brewbaker]

Anyone compared the Fralin Blues set to the VZ? I have the VZ Blues set with the Rock model in the bridge/steel plate underneath. I keep hearing the Fralins are the hands-down best--both the Vintage Hots and/or the Blues. I'm liking the VZs a lot but always looking over the hill--any opinions?

[Mark Davis]

The Fralins have a tone that the VZ's cant reproduce. Hard to explain but its there.

The only way for you to tell is get a set and see which ones you like best.

[KBR]

The Van Zandts are far superior and cost about $50 less a set.
It makes sense to me.

IMHO
KBR

[snakesoup]

Sold 2 sets of VZs and replaced them with the Fralins after comparing.

[flying]

I have had Fralins for a long time now. I don't think they are like the blues ones as they are the older more underwound type.
My fralins are
neck 5.71
mid 6.15
bridge 6.83

Then I had a set of Van Zandts Vintage plus pups I got from KBR a few years ago & put them in a nice 57 style ash strat I built
(6.6 lbs )
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...t/48864289.jpg

I tell you what they were beautiful sounding!
I wish I never sold that guitar.
As for the pups I really loved the VZ's neck & mid as much as the Fralins. They are not the same but both were super.The bridge was a little more bite than the Fralin but not in a bad way.
For the record my VZ's vintage plus pups were
neck 6.22
mid 6.31
bridge 6.21

Funny huh that the bridge was lower than the Fralin but had a bit more of a bite sound. Then again it was in a super light ash strat with maple neck & the Fralins in a Alder 7.65 lb with rosewood neck so I am sure that contributes.


All in all what I am trying to say is the both sounded excellent & were the best Strat pups I have come across.

Good luck in your search ;)

[Rob DiStefano]

IMO, the Fralins and VZ's and Rio's all have "The Tone" - the rest is up to how much jingle you got in yer pockets and how much of that you wanna part with. 8)

[Kris]

I've not tried the VanZandts but I have tried a bunch of different vintage style strat pickups including Rio Grande tallboys, Duncan Antiquity II (my fav.), Fender 57/62, etc. I now have Fralin Vintage Hot pickups in my 62 reissue strat.

Compared to the others, the Fralins produce a kinder, gentler tone...

Kris

[tjalla]

I replace Van Zandt Blues with Fralin Real 54s... but that's not really a fair comparison, as the Blues were designed to be hotter/middier than the low-output, glassy 54s (which are pretty damn sweet, btw)

Cheers,
Trevor

[mechanicdave]

I went with an underwind on my set, 2% 2% and 5% on the bridge as recomended by Lindy. I couldn't be happier with all but the bridge. All those fancy tone words fit here, but overdrive is not one of them. Dave

[Dana]

I've got Frailins in my Ash Maple Strat. Eh, they're ok.

I have VZ Vintage in my Tele, and the sound is huge.

[Sarge]

After putting the Van Zandts in my strat I don't care to even try to find a better sounding pick-up. Tonally, they are heaven. Maybe it's the wood, trem, pots combination that set them off, but when I play the guitar it seems to be in another class. I have an old Tokai that I put Bill Lawerance's in and almost the same thing happened. Those old *** strats are such awesome donors!

[Fret Wilkes]

Originally Posted by Dana

I've got Frailins in my Ash Maple Strat. Eh, they're ok.

I have VZ Vintage in my Tele, and the sound is huge.

I have Van Zandt True Vintage in my Stratocaster.

I have a Stock 52RI Telecaster.

The VZ Strat sounds great until I play my 52RI which sounds, as Dana states, HUGE. When I play the Strat again it just seems too tame.

Perhaps we are both experiencing the inherent differences between Stratocasters and Telecasters rather than brands of pickups. The vintage style Strat pickups just don't seem to have the oomph that a 50's style Telecaster pickup has. At least to me. Probably no great revalation there.

I like the sound of my VZ True Vintage Strats a lot, but it would be best to use the guitar alone, without platooning with the Telecaster.

I may just be a dyed in the wool Telecaster guy too. Wouldn't that be a coincidence me hanging around on this website?

Fred

[tweedman]

Originally Posted by KBR

The Van Zandts are far superior and cost about $50 less a set.
It makes sense to me.

IMHO
KBR

I completely agree.The Van Zandts are my favorite sounding Strat pickups that I've ever heard.I like some of the SD & Dimarizo models also but Van Zandts rule!Fralins are cool as I had a set of them in a G&L Legacy but in my opinion did not have as good overall tone and harmonics as the Van Zandts.I'm sure that the amp you are plugged into has a big factor on the tonal response of any of the above mentioned pickups.

[jumpnblues]

"The Fralins have a tone that the VZ's cant reproduce. Hard to explain but its there."

I agree with you Mark. However, I also feel the reverse is just as true and I personally prefer the V.Z's tone. Although IMO Fralin does make a great pu. It all boils down to which tone, and more specifically, which model (of VZ or Fralin) you prefer.

JMHO, YMMV.

P.S. I also really like Jason Lollar's stuff and anything made by Allen Hamel and/or Fred Stuart. IMO ALL the pu's mentioned in this post are in the elite class. Haven't heard OC Duffs or some of the other pu's that are considered high end.