Tonerider pickups for Strats

[blingdogg]

What are your opinions on the Strat pickups by Tonerider?

In particular I wonder what you think of the Classic Blues set (actually the same or similar to the pickups in the old original made in China Squier Classic Vibe 60s Strats), and the City Limits set.

How do you think they sound compared to, say Duncan and Dimarzios? Or even Fenders.

 

[BB]

In my rate 70's, early 80's Tokai strat, a set of Tonerider Pure Vintage beat out perhaps 10-12 various pickups from duncan, dimarzio, fender and other boteek and non boteek winders.

All had there good things, but the Pure Vintage set was just darn near perfect for this guitar.

I installed a set of classic blues for my buddy who has a mid 80's strat from Warmoth
parts. Around 2008, I changed the Lace Sensor set in his guitar for the Classic Blues set. AMazing tonal difference in that guitar. He really liked the Lace pickups, but the Classic Blues really brought out tones he had not experienced. Still has em, still loves em.

Also installed City Limits and Surfers along with various tele and buckers....all with excellent results. Tonerider makes a great product in my humble opinion.

 

[gdsmithtx]

In my rate 70's, early 80's Tokai strat, a set of Tonerider Pure Vintage beat out perhaps 10-12 various pickups from duncan, dimarzio, fender and other boteek and non boteek winders.

All had there good things, but the Pure Vintage set was just darn near perfect for this guitar.

I installed a set of classic blues for my buddy who has a mid 80's strat from Warmoth
parts. Around 2008, I changed the Lace Sensor set in his guitar for the Classic Blues set. AMazing tonal difference in that guitar. He really liked the Lace pickups, but the Classic Blues really brought out tones he had not experienced. Still has em, still loves em.

Also installed City Limits and Surfers along with various tele and buckers....all with excellent results. Tonerider makes a great product in my humble opinion.

+100% on that from me as well. I've used the Classic Blues, City Limits and Pure Vintage sets, as well as the Alnico CLassic IV and Rocksong humbuckers. All of them have been very good pickups for me, particularly for the price.

 

[Blackmore Fan]

I had a set of Tonerider City Limits in a Squier more than a decade ago. I could get a SRV/Dire Straits tone out of them--nice pickup set.

 

[JSMac]

I came across some Tonerider Pure Vintage neck and middles and complimented them with a GFS '57 something or other bridge and I would say that they are very similar to the Fender '57/'62s in my AV '62 Strat.

 

[fender4life]

TR's are pretty good but whats good or not for YOU depends on your expectations and guitars. The pickup has only ONE feature that is necassary to work for you....specs. Mgnet type, wire gauge and DCR, and those specs are going to determine how well they work woth your guitar. So it's not about brand near as much as picking the right specs for your unique set of parameters based on what u wanna hear and what your guitar's natural voice is. If you have a guitar with woods and hardware that produce very little mids, the last thing you probably want is a very scooped pickup. Conversely if it has tons of mids you likely will not want a very middy pickup.

I know thats not what u wanna hear but the truth is thats whats gonna get you what works for you, NOT the brand u pick. Thats about the least important thing barring comparing it to utter junk pickups like some of the really cheap asian junk. Thats not to say asian pickups are all bad, TR's i believe are asian and they are good. But many are really made with garbage materials and do sound very mediocre. My advice would be describe exactly what u want tonally and what hardware and wood you strat has or what model it is. Maybe then u will get answers that are closer. IMO the way you should go with this is try and get answers here as to what specs would work for u then visist bootstrap pickups and see if they have a set like that which they probably do. But he will custom wind for you if he doesn't have what u need in the stock catalog and that will STILL be cheaper then even toneriders. They are USA made with quality parts and as good as most anything out there and cheaper then anything else of the same quality. IMO well better then TR's and $50 a set ! $80 for a custom set. ($10 extra per pickup) But you really have to know what spec will work for you and thats what u will have to determine whether by asking here or other research. In any case even if you just decide to go with TR's i would get the specs of the set you want and get a set with those specs from bootstrap and save money while getting a better quality set.

 

[Dismalhead]

No experience with their Strat pickups, but I have Toneriders in a Tele, a LP Jr, and my P-Bass. Very happy with all of them. I'd put them on par with anything I've had from SD or DiMarzio.

 

[MisterBlonde]

I have the classic blues AlNiCo V neck and middle, classic blues AlNiCo II bridge. Tone 1 has n&m, tone 2 bridge in my Strat'.

The TR pole stagger works for me probably more than anything mes thinks

 

[blingdogg]

Thanks for the replies! I actually have a set of City Limits and Classic Blues that I found in my drawer, completely forgetting I'd bought them years ago. So I'm curious, will probably bring them to the shop to get one of the sets installed. Sounds like they're worth a shot!

 

[blingdogg]

TR's are pretty good but whats good or not for YOU depends on your expectations and guitars. The pickup has only ONE feature that is necassary to work for you....specs. Mgnet type, wire gauge and DCR, and those specs are going to determine how well they work woth your guitar. So it's not about brand near as much as picking the right specs for your unique set of parameters based on what u wanna hear and what your guitar's natural voice is. If you have a guitar with woods and hardware that produce very little mids, the last thing you probably want is a very scooped pickup. Conversely if it has tons of mids you likely will not want a very middy pickup.

I know thats not what u wanna hear but the truth is thats whats gonna get you what works for you, NOT the brand u pick. Thats about the least important thing barring comparing it to utter junk pickups like some of the really cheap asian junk. Thats not to say asian pickups are all bad, TR's i believe are asian and they are good. But many are really made with garbage materials and do sound very mediocre. My advice would be describe exactly what u want tonally and what hardware and wood you strat has or what model it is. Maybe then u will get answers that are closer. IMO the way you should go with this is try and get answers here as to what specs would work for u then visist bootstrap pickups and see if they have a set like that which they probably do. But he will custom wind for you if he doesn't have what u need in the stock catalog and that will STILL be cheaper then even toneriders. They are USA made with quality parts and as good as most anything out there and cheaper then anything else of the same quality. IMO well better then TR's and $50 a set ! $80 for a custom set. ($10 extra per pickup) But you really have to know what spec will work for you and thats what u will have to determine whether by asking here or other research. In any case even if you just decide to go with TR's i would get the specs of the set you want and get a set with those specs from bootstrap and save money while getting a better quality set.

Very informative post, thanks.

The guitar in question is a newish Squier classic vibe 50s Strat. Body is pine, fretboard and neck is maple.

I admit I've always looked for pickups the other way around, looking at what specs the pickups are and then hoping they sound good in the guitar. What I'm after is mainly a vintage 60s tone for Hendrix music, so if Toneriders didn't work I'd also been curious about the Fender Custom 69s.

Maybe getting a bootstrap version of the 69s is an alternative idea.

 

[fender4life]

Very informative post, thanks.

The guitar in question is a newish Squier classic vibe 50s Strat. Body is pine, fretboard and neck is maple.

I admit I've always looked for pickups the other way around, looking at what specs the pickups are and then hoping they sound good in the guitar. What I'm after is mainly a vintage 60s tone for Hendrix music, so if Toneriders didn't work I'd also been curious about the Fender Custom 69s.

Maybe getting a bootstrap version of the 69s is an alternative idea.

I've been using some BS models for tele and they're as good as anything i have used in the same range as specs go. As for the pine body, i think they tend to be on the warmer fatter side so something low wind might be good. But if thats the kind of wind thats in it now you won't likely get a big change. I don't know what comes in them. I know the older china models had alder bodies and A3 pickups but i think with pine you may want a A5 pickup which is what most strat pickups are anyways. If you want a SRV level of output the sun city selects might be the ticket... https://bootstrappickups.com/collections/s-style/products/bootstrap-sun-city-selects-set-for-strat® They are basically a close set of the very well though of fender fat 50s.

If you want a brighter lower output set for a more jangly cleaner tone the 54' set is basically a fender 57/62 set. I'm not into that, as i find it just too bright and weak, but a lot of people like em and the BS set is the same spec. Like i said the pine body tends to sound warmer and fatter then alder or ash so could be these WOULD work well for u depending on your expectaions. https://bootstrappickups.com/collec...rapt-54-vintage-pro-set-for-strat®-flat-poles

Personally the sun city set would be my pick but that could be very similar to whats in yours stock. Might wanna ask here about that so you don't end up buying a set thats the same spec. The fender 69's i haven't used but i hear they are very scooped which u might find in a maple neck strat to be extremely thin and bright. In the end it;s really hard to recommend anything accurately but hope this helps some.

 

[blingdogg]

I've been using some BS models for tele and they're as good as anything i have used in the same range as specs go. As for the pine body, i think they tend to be on the warmer fatter side so something low wind might be good. But if thats the kind of wind thats in it now you won't likely get a big change. I don't know what comes in them. I know the older china models had alder bodies and A3 pickups but i think with pine you may want a A5 pickup which is what most strat pickups are anyways. If you want a SRV level of output the sun city selects might be the ticket... https://bootstrappickups.com/collections/s-style/products/bootstrap-sun-city-selects-set-for-strat® They are basically a close set of the very well though of fender fat 50s.

If you want a brighter lower output set for a more jangly cleaner tone the 54' set is basically a fender 57/62 set. I'm not into that, as i find it just too bright and weak, but a lot of people like em and the BS set is the same spec. Like i said the pine body tends to sound warmer and fatter then alder or ash so could be these WOULD work well for u depending on your expectaions. https://bootstrappickups.com/collections/s-style/products/bootstrapt-54-vintage-pro-set-for-strat®-flat-poles

Personally the sun city set would be my pick but that could be very similar to whats in yours stock. Might wanna ask here about that so you don't end up buying a set thats the same spec. The fender 69's i haven't used but i hear they are very scooped which u might find in a maple neck strat to be extremely thin and bright. In the end it;s really hard to recommend anything accurately but hope this helps some.

Thanks for sharing that info and suggestions. I wasn't familiar with pine as a tonewood so it's definitely a good idea to match pickup choice with the quality of pine.

I believe the new CV Strat pickups are a little hotter than vintage (I could be wrong) which would be probably hotter than the bootstrap 54' set. I think it would be interesting to try the 54' set, as it would also so something different from what I have now, and for the Hendrix and Trower tones I love, this low wind could be a good choice.

I'm tempted to ask for a hotter bridge like a Sun City Select, but am undecided at the moment. I do play with a lot of fuzz so maybe the lower output 54' could be the better option? I think in general lower output Strat pickups handle fuzz with more clarity, right?

I'll give it some thought and see. Thanks!

 

[fender4life]

Thanks for sharing that info and suggestions. I wasn't familiar with pine as a tonewood so it's definitely a good idea to match pickup choice with the quality of pine.

I believe the new CV Strat pickups are a little hotter than vintage (I could be wrong) which would be probably hotter than the bootstrap 54' set. I think it would be interesting to try the 54' set, as it would also so something different from what I have now, and for the Hendrix and Trower tones I love, this low wind could be a good choice.

I'm tempted to ask for a hotter bridge like a Sun City Select, but am undecided at the moment. I do play with a lot of fuzz so maybe the lower output 54' could be the better option? I think in general lower output Strat pickups handle fuzz with more clarity, right?

I'll give it some thought and see. Thanks!

There are so many variables it's hard to say. For me personally i like vintage output for teles but slightly hotter for strats. So if i were to pick a set i'd probably go with the sun city set. Toneriders are good pickups generally but to be honest i never found any i ended up sticking with because they all seemed just a bit on the mediocre side. Not hugely but thats always my takeaway with those. I think bootstrap uses better materials but thats just a gut feeling. But i've been a lot more satisfied with the BS pickups i have used than any toneriders. Can't speak to BS strat sets but they are w/o any doubt as good as the tele set which have been great. Also consider this....you could try the low output strat set and the sun city set and see whether you like that low output sound or the slightly overwound sun city and all for about the same price as one set of toneriders ! Or buy one and if you aren't happy return them for the other set. Ryan (the owner) happily accepts returns and even sends you the new set along with a return box for the old set postage paid ! Unbelievable. Thats what he did hen i returned some anyways. He sent the new set w/o waiting for me to return the old set and with the new set i got a prepaid label and box to send the old set back. He's crazy to do the kinds of customer service he does IMO but he's more fair than ANYONE else i have ever dealt wit ! Great guy. I even recently told him about a custom pickup i bought from him and how i unwound it and then felt it was TOO low output and he offered to let me send back a pickup I MODDED in return for a different pickup ! The conversation is in a thread here if anyone disbelieves me. If you can find ONE other winder on the planet who takes customer service to that degree i'll eat hemlock. The guy is too kind for his own good. But that is the cause of his one and only issue....his lead time is usually a month because he's so busy. Understandable tho and well worth the wait. This is all why i am such a huge proponent of Bootstrap pickups. But, all this said, it's still impossible to tell you whats gonna speak to you.

 

[gimmeatele]

I bought a CV 50's strat when they first came out, played it for a while and decided to drop in a set of fender Mexico pickups, they lasted a few days before I decided the original toneriders sounded better, I rate them, good pickups

 

[blingdogg]

Thanks everyone! I plan on actually trying both Toneriders and Boostraps.

@fender4life your post was helpful and I decided to try out the Bootstrap 54 Pro and the Sun City Select. With those prices I can't go wrong trying both!

I have a Squier Paranormal Cyclone that is equipped with Strat pickups so I can always try the Toneriders (classic blues or city limits) or Bootstraps in those too.

Thanks again for the helpful posts!

 

[fender4life]

Thanks everyone! I plan on actually trying both Toneriders and Boostraps.

@fender4life your post was helpful and I decided to try out the Bootstrap 54 Pro and the Sun City Select. With those prices I can't go wrong trying both!

I have a Squier Paranormal Cyclone that is equipped with Strat pickups so I can always try the Toneriders (classic blues or city limits) or Bootstraps in those too.

Thanks again for the helpful posts!

Or after u decide which Bootstrap set sounds best you can try the other in the cyclone and still send them back if they don't do it for you in either guitar. B esure to let us know your results too.

 

[Blackmore Fan]

I bought a CV 50's strat when they first came out, played it for a while and decided to drop in a set of fender Mexico pickups, they lasted a few days before I decided the original toneriders sounded better, I rate them, good pickups

The Tex Mex set of pickups is a great set as well. If I had to start over and needed a set of "vintage" pickups for a Strat without breaking the bank, I'd be quite happy with any of the Tonerider sets as well as the Tex Mex set from Fender.

 

[gimmeatele]

The Tex Mex set of pickups is a great set as well. If I had to start over and needed a set of "vintage" pickups for a Strat without breaking the bank, I'd be quite happy with any of the Tonerider sets as well as the Tex Mex set from Fender.

Funny you should say that, the reason I had a spare set if standard pickups was because I put a set of Tex mex into a standard strat. I agree they are a very good and understated pickup