Nocaster vs Tonerider Hot Classic comparisons...?

[WKG]

I recently found a great deal on a set of Nocasters for my CVC tele. I liked the stock pickups but wanted something hotter with a little more girth. The nocaster bridge is certainly thicker and hotter than the stock pups but still cleans up well, which is what I was looking for. The NC neck pup is great also. My interest is still piqued in the Tonerider HC bridge though and for only 40.00...

Has anybody been able to compare the current issue 7.3k Nocaster bridge pickup with the Tonerider Hot Classics? I know they are both Alnico III with the higher 9.1k on the Tonerider indicating a hotter output. The NC bridge just gets right up to the edge of where I like to go aggressively and I am curious if the Tonerider might be an improvement without sacrificing the clean/twang option.

I suppose I could just buy one and try it out but I thought I'd ask if anybody has used both and how they might compare.

[KennyWTelejazz]

well ,
I read your question
I'm not able to offer you much feedback on the Nocasters PU's
(i haven't tried them )

I can tell you that I recently put together a Tele that is a combination of various parts from 86 to present
80's RW MIJ Esquire neck , 90's Ash Body w tummy cut ..top loader bridge

I put a set of Tonerider Hot Classic Tele pick ups in this guitar
I'm very happy with the Tonerider Hot Classics
they Twang nicely & capture everything I'm looking for in an all purpose stock Telecaster config
one thing that I did notice right away
the Hot Classics sound very articulate & dynamic while playing in the medium gain style of playing

here is a Blues clip of my Tele that has the Tonerider Hot Classic pick ups

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8994593

disclaimer ,
I spent most of my time in the middle switch position during most of the playing
eventually i did hit the bridge PU during a few of the phrases of my clip

hope this helps a little

Kenny

[WKG]

Great sounding clips Kenny!

Looks like I might have to pickup one of the Toneriders and compare directly myself, seems like very few have actually had both. I can always sell whichever doesn't work best for me. I was just hoping maybe someone had been able to compare the two.

[shark_bite]

You get what you pay for.

[WKG]

You get what you pay for.

I agree for the most part but sometimes more, sometimes less.

[WKG]

It would be great to find an earlier 10k nocaster bridge. I guess I am thinking the hot classic may be similar to that, hence possibly an improvement on the current nocaster bridge PUP?

I love pickup madness... :bonk

[shark_bite]

The worst set of Tele pickups I have ever owned was a set of Tonerider Hot Alnico IIIs. The best set of Tele pickups I've had would be a tie between Lollars, Antiquities, and the handwound ones that came in my LSL. Coincidence? Probably not.

[WKG]

The worst set of Tele pickups I have ever owned was a set of Tonerider Hot Alnico IIIs. The best set of Tele pickups I've had would be a tie between Lollars, Antiquities, and the handwound ones that came in my LSL. Coincidence? Probably not.


Thanks for your thoughts, one man's treasure is another's trash as usual.

Have you by chance had opportunity to compare the nocaster bridge with the Tonerider Hot Classic bridge for tele?

[shark_bite]

I had a Nocaster neck pickup, but not a bridge. However, what's in my LSL is pretty much the same as what you'd get in a CS Nocaster (the LSL is basically a Nocaster anyway). There's no comparison whatsoever between the two pickups. The Tonerider... it's hard to describe. I mean, it sounded like a cheap pickup. No girth, no growl, nothing. Kinda like grabbing a Squier Bullet or MIM Standard Tele. It was like they tuned it to have the same relative frequency response as a Tele pickup and then called it a day. This surprises me given the higher DCR, but then again, that's something I think people get way more wrapped up (pardon the pun) in than they ought to. Materials play a big part too, as does the wind pattern. And the Toneriders just didn't have much going on at all. Thin-ish in the bridge, muddy everywhere else, and probably best characterized by having a very "undefined" sound.

[WKG]

Thanks for the info I appreciate it. Seems like you've had a bit of a different experience than others. I like the nocasters alot but am just curious, there are so many options available to sort out. I think I may stick with these for awhile and get to know them a bit better, probably add a 4 way switch for some different tones there.

[mtlin]

I have some Toneriders in a strat and they sound great. I've had Fralins and Lollars (not in the same guitar). I'm happy with the Toneriders.

[KennyWTelejazz]

Great sounding clips Kenny!

Looks like I might have to pickup one of the Toneriders and compare directly myself, seems like very few have actually had both. I can always sell whichever doesn't work best for me. I was just hoping maybe someone had been able to compare the two.

Hi WKG,
the best I could do to participate in your thread was to post a clip of the Tonerider Classic Hot pick ups

thanks for giving the clip a listen

Kenny

[shark_bite]

Thanks for the info I appreciate it. Seems like you've had a bit of a different experience than others. I like the nocasters alot but am just curious, there are so many options available to sort out. I think I may stick with these for awhile and get to know them a bit better, probably add a 4 way switch for some different tones there.

Well it's also fair to mention that pickup swaps usually don't make that big a difference, so it should all be taken with a grain of salt. If you've got a dead guitar (particularly the neck), you're probably SOL no matter how much money you spend trying to upgrade things like pickups. I didn't hang onto the Tele with the Toneriders for very long, although incidentally I did use the neck in a parts build for a while before I re-assembled the guitar and sent it back out into the wild.

[KennyWTelejazz]

You get what you pay for.

that statement is what I call a half truth
it's true only half of the time ,
like when I go shopping at the supermarket & I'm doing a price check ;)

other than that
that statement doesn't hold much weight in my book :p



Kenny