NOT in love with my TX Special bridge pickup...

[Primo Don]

I have the set of TX Specials in my 50's strat (2 color SB). I love the neck pup, don't play a whole lot in the middle and LOATHE the no-balls bridge pup. I play a Tele also, of course, and maybe I'm missing the personality of my Nashville 5/2? I know there's a million subjective options and I've had other brands and flavors in there but never really crazy about the tone down there?

Anyone feel my pain? Suggestions? A professional put in the pups and set it up for me when I got it so I doubt it's a height issue... I just don't know. I gig with it anyway, I play rhythm (sing lead) in my band with my Martin 90% of the time. I seem to only use the "quack" #2 position and the neck only when I do use it. Bass plate...?

Help me please! Adam

[Brad]

This is a strat pickup with a baseplate. These came out long before the twangbanger and do a pretty good job of adding some much needed beef to the strat bridge position. I know Fralin has a bassplate you can buy separate. Alembic used to also...don't know if they do any longer though. You might try a Duncan Lil 59'r of JB back there too.

[reverbbb]

I just swapped out my pickguard assembly on my Strat. I have two pickguards rigged up so that they are fully loaded and ready to go.

About two months ago, I was on a mission to obtain the ultimate Strat sound (vintage I suppose). The Strat that I bought had an ash body, figured maple neck, American tremolo system, tinted lacquer finish on the neck, parchment colored palstic and good old American Standard pups.

So, I built up a nicely discolored off white Pirlite pickguard with the mint green knobs and pup covers. I installed a set of Texas Specials (3). I immediately noticed the difference. There was an excessive amount of mid range now. There was far less "squack". The neck pup was REAL nice and beefy though. But for some reason, I just did not think this sounded as good as the stock pups. I tried them out for 6 weeks now.

Well, tonight, I switched the old pickguard back and got the original pups in now. They really seem to be hotter sounding than the TX Spcs. The neck is still beefy, maybe more so than the TS. The bridge sounds nice and bright but not too glassy. There seems to be a little more signal on the B & High E strings now. Before, they sounded too vintage with no guts on those two strings. I had to be carefull on keeping the pup height low on the TS. They developed that terrible intonation problem very easily. But not the stock pups. I have them adjusted right up near the low strings. I get no artifacts at all with these pups.

I think I will keep this set on the guitar. I liked the TS. But I like the stock better. If I had a third Strat, I might consider installing the TS. However, they would come off again in an effort to find something better (i.e. Fralins, Van Zandts, etc.).

[Primo Don]

Ditto about the neck pup. I love the neck position only and it's the E and B strings on the bridge that I don't. Like I said before, what I have is a 50's Strat. I still have the stock pups, maybe I'll put back in the bridge and the middle and leave the TX Special in the neck. ...Or maybe I'd be better off selling all three as a set? I remember just not being impressed with the stocks but I can't remember why. I've been thinking about some CS 54's of the 57/62's. Hmm... how does that grab ya? And I have a bass plate I could install...

Thanks for your input. Adam

[reverbbb]

Adam:

I don't know that much about the sounds of various types of pups. I basically got this Strat for making my own assesments and to learn for myself. So far, the only thing I have tried in the Strat is the TxS and stock.

It sounds as if we may have similar tastes and are on the same mission. I would be interested in knowing what a TxS in the neck would sound like and leaving the other two stock. I thought about this myself this morning.

I hear a lot about replacing the bridge pup with something hot. I may try the TxS in the neck and eventually switch out the bridge with a Fralin or Van Zandt. When ever the cash begins to flow again.

I know a friend of mine has an older American '57 (?) RI. It has a nice vintage sound, but not as throaty in the neck as the Am Stock or TxS (to my ears, as best I can remember). But the bridge sounds very nestalgic with a pop attack (sort of like our B/E problem but a little hotter).

This is my take on it all:

The neck should sound as big, beefy and thick as possible (al la Jimi Hendrix - Wind Cries Mary). The middle, when combined should get that very distictive squawk with tons of mid-range and plenty of brightness (al la Ronnie Montrose on the Free Ride entro). The bridge should be powerful and able to break-up easily, somewhat loss of tone and character, but plenty of drive, not too glassy (al la most guitar gain leads we know). The bridge seems to be the weak link here.

Some of these references, I have not listened to in many years, so I may be off the mark of what I remember or what pup positions they used. But, this is what I am hearing in my head when I play.

I wish I knew the exact configuration that David Gilmore used on the original ending lead passage for "Another Brick in the Wall". It is so super clean on toneful. I am guessing he is using an actual vintage Strat in the neck position. Such a sweet sound. That is the sound I would love to have for my signature style. He has a lot of sustain behind it when he plays the high strings & notes. This is what I seek.

[genelovesjez]

Try Fralins Vintage Hot pickups! They should give you everything you're looking for. I have two identical strats, one with the Fralins and one with the US Texas Specials. The Fralins beat the Specials in all positions - neck, quack, bridge.

[reverbbb]

I am hoping to get a chance to A/B some pups at the Arlington Tx Guitar Show next month.

Mrs. Van Zandt told me that they will have a booth there and I can try out some of their pups that they have installed on guitars.

I don't think that I will get that type of chance to try out the Fralins. I read so many good things about Fralins. I would love to actually hear what they sound like before I commit to either of them.

I had read several good things about the Tx Specials before I bought them. They are fine, but nothing to go bananas over. I can't get over how lively my stock pups sound on the same guitar that I had the Tx Speacisl installed on. They have a lot of zing and touch response.

Have you (or anyone else reading) had a chance to A/B VZ against Fralins?

[bri]

I tried the SD Little 59 in the bridge position and it does what I want. Trade-off? Some loss of traditional quack in #2 position. Still sounds pretty dang good though.
My $.02
Brian

[gitarboy]

Reverbbb,
I currently have a ash Lentz with Van Zandt Blues... I have ab'd it against an alder Cunetto relic with Fralin Vintage Hots that I use to own. I have also tried it against an alder Kendrick Continential that has Fralins( I think they're the blues model judging by the ohm readings). That I still own.
My findings are...

Fralins sound like the old glassy strats that everyone recognizes. You just have to choose what flavor (output) lower= more sparkle(straty), higher more punch (mids) but still a sparkle top end

Van Zandts on the other hand have a definite tone of their own... a more Texas hi mid thang (hard to discribe) I prefer them for the blues that I play

This analogy may not make any sense.. the Fralins I equate to the sound of a great snare drum sound that sits in the mix well really pops and sounds like a snare should.

On the other hand... once in a while you'll hear a snare than has been tuned a little different, it still pops but it has a little(wank or honk overtone) that makes it sound different that the norm (just a little back in the alley, nasty)... to me that's the Van Zandts. Just my opinion... ymmv.



Steve