Which Cavalier bridge pickup to pick?

[jim_pridx]

I would go Nocaster. It has a little syrupy compression on the attack that would lend itself well to funk. Nashville will be more of an as-is attack. Both good pickups. I like A3 better for just about everything though.

I'm in agreement with the Nocaster. I mostly play blues, R&B, funk, rock, etc., and I find Rob's Nocaster to be as versatile as any Tele bridge pickup that I've ever played. While an A3 magnet is indeed a bit weaker than an A2 or especially an A5, the Nocaster is still a pretty hot pickup in the overall scheme of things. Of course, the amp that you're using will make a significant difference as well.

 

[telenacious]

….I have a Cavalier Huge Lion that I paired with a Budz deep dish P-90…I told Dave what I was pairing it with so he wound it to what he thought would work best with the HL and it really fit well volume wise but the HL was actually a bit nastier..(in a good way)….

….I actually bought the Huge Lion to pair with a strong Fuji Jen mini humbucker that I’ve paired with a bunch of tele bridge pups over the past twenty years….similar to the Budz it matched great volume wize but gave me more contrast than I cared for ….I finally broke down and popped a noiseless DiMarzio in it and like it for the time being but it’s probably my least played guitar these days….

…..I’m keeping the Huge Lion for now and will likely pair
it with a nastier P-90 at some point….it’s cool having a Tele that will rip you a new one when the mood strikes….

 

[misterdontmove]

I have a (Cavalier!) Firebird in the neck and a Nashville Lion in the bridge and it’s great. The Firebird is warm but clear and the Lion is bright but full. My only “complaint” (really not even that) is that the middle position is a touch darker than what it was with the previous neck pickup (Cavalier Lion King) after I put the a Firebird in, but it’s not bad at all and it’s to be expected when going from a single-coil to a humbucker.

I also have the Fat Lion in my Esquire. There’s a fair bit of overlap between it and the Nashville, but I’d say that the Fat is more…fat. It’s got a little more growl to it while the Nashville is a little more clear. Really though, they overlap quite a bit.

I don’t think you can go wrong, but between the ones I have, if I had to pick one, I’d probably go with the Dat Lion and use a no-load tone pot to get maximum clarity when I want it, and make sure the volume control has a nice taper and isn’t too much of anyone suck when turning down.

I've got the Nashville bridge with a Fat Lion King neck, and I've found that even tiny adjustments to the pickup height will dramatically affect the "brightness" in the middle position. If you feel that the neck pickup is adjusted properly (you're happy with it), try bringing up the bridge a half, or even a quarter turn and you'll hear a difference. Or, conversely, drop the neck a quarter or half turn. Man that Nashville bridge can slice!

 

[Ben Harmless]

My feeling is that either could work, and my experience with Cavalier pickups is that if you read the descriptions and like what you're seeing, then you won't be disappointed. I don't think you're going to come away from either the Nashville or the Nocaster saying "this is the wrong pickup." Go with your gut.

That said, I have a Nashville and a couple other, slightly hotter winds from Rob. I have not tried the Nocaster, but my extensive/expensive experience with Tele bridge pickups says that I like A5 better, and so that's the way I went.

I would go back to Rob in a heartbeat. I wish he made about eight other kinds of pickups.

 

[Sax-son]

Nocaster Holy Grail! I love that pickup.

 

[archetype]

Thanks everyone for your input! I think I've decided on the NHG. I'll try to remember to post an update once the pickups are in.

Hey, there. @spankyjangly Got a pickup update?

 

[T-bone Ted]

Thanks everyone for your input! I think I've decided on the NHG. I'll try to remember to post an update once the pickups are in.

I would like to know the latest on your pickup quest?

 

[thegaijin]

Lot of replies so maybe been mentioned, but with a mini HB you’ll need something to balance well, and also maybe want to think about pot values. I have a mini HB in the neck on one of mine and love it. Good choice. Would defo talk to Rob about bridge PU and wiring.

Edit: I see you already got sorted. Enjoy!