Becky and Shannon are to be honored and thanked for keeping Bill's legacy alive and well. I'm with you on ordering a few pickups to hold onto should they ever decide to fold the shop. I've played Bill's bass pickups in every Fender Bass I've owned for the last 15 years. They're amazing as well.
Lindy Fralin pickups are HOW MUCH?
- Thread starter Shorty Medlock
- Start date
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Keep in mind that that $315 is for a set of three Fralins. Singles are a little over a hundred. And sound great.
Yup. That $315 is for a balanced set of three. Single Fralins are a little over $100. I'm a tightwad bity still think they're worth it.
AKBluesDude
Tele-Meister
I've been trying out pickups as a hobby for around 25 years and have had more LF "Vintage Hots" in guitars than any other model. Quite a few guitars came with them. GREAT sounding pickups. So are the Blues Specials . . . and Steel Poles . . . ha. Fralin as great customer service too, will point you in the right direction for whatever tone you think you need. And parts, like good blender pots. Lots of other options out there for less money of course if one wants to go down the rabbit hole. I've tried dozens of budget pickups, you generally get what you pay for. Some exceptions. I bought a set of pickups off Ebay for $100 from some small company in the Northeast, some of my favorites. I look for deals on used pickups. A set of Vintage Hots for example can be found for about $200 used.
David PNW
Tele-Holic
Depending on the sound you are after, many great companies make pickups for the Strat. Lindy Fralin are expensive but great pickups. Some of Fenders pickups are also top notch, since they branched out to different types and magnet type. Seymour Duncan are also great pickups. I have used many different pickups and typically find SD are the ones I choose, but I have a set of Lindy Fralin Pickups in a Tele Strat combination guitar. They sound real good. But I also have Standard Fender pickups in a 1987 American Strat which is my #1 guitar. Also another Strat from Fender has the Texas Specials, a bit hotter pickup, but I prefer the pickups that are not hot! You can use overdrive for that. If you go for the Fralin or other pickups, look at the tone control 3rd and install a blender pot. Fralin makes one and other companies also. So many pickup winder companies today, some here and some over seas. Listen as best as you can to online tests, see what type of sound you are after, type of music, country, rock, pop, jazz, metal or all around good for any. Then decide which is best. There is a big difference in quality with a cheaper single coil or humbucker that spending a bit more, a matched set to get the guitar to sound great. Happy Hunting, check out as many sites as you can. Lindy blues special with the blender pot.
David PNW
Tele-Holic
Great Customer service from the Fralin company!
Lou Tencodpees
Poster Extraordinaire
Being a tinkerer from way back, I've tried Duncan, Dimarzio, Fralin, Fender, Lollar, Rumplestilskin, Bootstrap, Stewmac, Tone Hatch, GFS, Gibson and probably a dozen other makers. Only a few fell short of expectation and coincidently came from the makers of some of my favorites. When I cobbled together my first Strat I put a set of Fralin Blues Specials in it since I really liked those pickups in a 70s Strat I had. I played a gig the day I installed them and found my sound pretty brittle and disappointing. I swapped them out with a set of Fralin Real 54's and voila, my favorite guitar ever.
Lots of good options out there that fit budget and expectations. But, like mama said, box of chocolates and all that stuff.
Lots of good options out there that fit budget and expectations. But, like mama said, box of chocolates and all that stuff.
Skyhook
Friend of Leo's
I'm sure that Seymour Duncan has something you can slip in there
and be happy about.
Skyhook
Friend of Leo's
So that's where Squier pickups come from!
ChicknPickn
Poster Extraordinaire
Ah, that DOES make a difference. I somehow got the idea we were talking about a single. Still plenty, but not outlandish for three.
SCXD Novice
TDPRI Member
$315 a set - WORTH EVERY PENNY
Attachments
David PNW
Tele-Holic
BigPapa, you did not get the point, if you read the post, people chase pickup manufactures and try many different companies and the least expensive. Most responses on this chat, confirm that Fralin is a great company and few replace their pickups with another brand. Sticking a 60's VW engine in a 914 Porsche will not get you to where you want the car to perform, that is stupidity or another word moron. But some people are just that. They try to buck the system, great if they are happy doing that. But if you want performance, in almost most cases, you need to get the best you can to be the product you want. If a product is less expensive, and customer service is almost non existent then you get what you pay for! Now the Bootstrap site sells a set for $60 for 3 pickups. Most likely a small company only selling online, and people seem to like them. Now is that bad, no, but how can the company make and pay workers to construct pickups, you need a buyer, workers, and supply chains to produce the pickups. Upkeep on the shop, electric bill, and equipment maintenance. Does bootstrap do that, don't know, but if you want cheaper pickups, overseas are available, but for American made, maybe it is a go to for trying a company like Bootstrap. But the point for morons comment is doing the same thing over and over again and getting the same result. Buying an inferior or less expensive to save money and not getting the sound you want, is what the chat dogrocketp was attempting to say, buying cheap, but he should have written a different approach, many words to describe the situation without calling out the people who try to buck the system of quality.
Good points in general, but you missed MY point. I understand, generally, you get what you pay for and normally if something seems too good to be true, there’s a catch. Not everyone likes the same thing. Just because someone chooses to drive a Chevy instead of a BMW, does that make them a moron? If someone found a Squier they like instead of an FSC guitar, are they a moron?
I’ve bought several brands of pickups, some were expensive, close to $400 a set. I’ve also bought some Bootstraps. I really like them. Yes, they’re a small company in Ohio that makes the pickups there from American made materials. They’re obviously pretty popular or they don’t turn out many a day since they currently have a 4-7 week lead time on an order.
David PNW
Tele-Holic
Yes if you find something you like, and it works, then you are not chasing the worm! I have always bought MIA guitars, and 1 Fender Bass (MIM) but last year found a single coil Strat Squier Sonic at the Fender site, for $159, I puchased it, and it is a great playing guitar. Not the same quality as a MIA, but I changed out electronics, purchase a Seymour Duncan Humbucker, as the guitar is single H, and it is a go to sitting by my computer. I have not played it out, but the way it sounds, would do well in a band situation. So yes the person should have used kinder words. And I did get your point.. cheers (Tried to pour some sugar on it)
dallasvann
TDPRI Member
I was under the impression that Lindy started in Richmond, Va in the late 80's, in the fan district (where I also lived in the late 80's).
SixStringSlinger
Poster Extraordinaire
Of course not, they have no money left to buy pickups with.
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David PNW
Tele-Holic
I guess I am lucky, if I wanted to replace those Fralin pickups I could. Many GAS players always find a way to finance their quest though. I would say the older players, the new ones are happy just to have a guitar.
jrblue
Friend of Leo's
Fralins are some of the least expensive/best pickups out there. I have no idea why is prices are so reasonable. I threw a Fralin into the bridge position on a cheapo Squier Tele, and while it didn't transform the actual guitar from being a P.O.S. into a better build, it sure as heck gave it a truly gorgeous voice and response to picking. I expected an improvement, but...whoa!
I just ordered some Fralin Split Mustang pickups, because I couldn't stand the noise of the stock pickups anymore. $276 shipped. I have Fralins in my Tele and they sound amazing. Seems like a good value for the money to me. Also, on the support side of things, they are great. Sometimes you will call over there and talk to Lindy himself, and he takes the time for you. Couldn't ask for better.
