WCR SR pickup set

[alderbody]

has anyone tried Jim Wagner's (WCR) SR set?
if yes, how would you characterise them?
...lead or rhythm?
...60's or 50's?


where could i find soundclips for them?

[Scumback Speakers]

Just got a set in my Strat, along with it's new Warmouth neck. Still dialing them in, but my first impressions are as follows:

1) Five usable, distinct tones from the 5 way switch. I didn't realy have more than three with the Bill Lawrence L290 "Noiseless" models I previously had in this guitar.

2) Very well balanced, meaning I can get good tones out of all three separately, and the volume is consistent from pup to pup.

3) 2nd and 4th positions have some "quack", "duck" or whatever the f**k you call it going on!

4) There's alot of Jimi in them pups as well as SRV, so they're pretty damn versatile.

5) I'm doing both lead and rhythm chores with them, no problem at all.

6) Not sure how to categorize the sound between 50's and 60's. I think if pressed I'd call them 60's era sound, if only due to the ability to dial up some Jimi tones at will.

Sound files/clips? Time to email Wags, or visit www.crcoils.com

[Cybercat]

Concur 100% with what Scumbag just said.

I have several Strats with various p'ups - 11 year-old "Vintage" Lindy Fralins (wound by Lindy), newer Vintage Hot Fralins (not quite as nice), Seymour Duncans, genuine Fender 1964 etc...
The Wagner SRs beat all of them in my book. Espescially love the middle p'up by itself (for the first time ever - VERY much the early Rory Gallagher sound). The SR set is somehow more "Fendery" than even my 40 year-old Fender p'ups, and as Scumbag said, very easy to get that Jimi sound.

[dumb donnie]

I am currently building a Strat around these pickups. I will be sure to post a review once I am done. I am very eager to hear them, if anyone has any clips please post them.

[alderbody]

i believe it's a matter of time to get a set...

but some clips would help.

thanks to all!!!

[alderbody]

how about that?

-RS guitarworks offers strat replacement pots especially for WCR SR pickups, which they call "high gain".

the pots they use are 300k...

this means that if used with normal 250K pots they would sound darker?

do you use them with normal pots or other?

these pickups are NOT noiseles (stacked HB or similar), or are they?


still haven't found any clips...

[alderbody]

...anyone?...

[Cybercat]

I put 500k pots with mine, which Jim reccomended.
(Speak to him. Phone : 209-588-0621)

I have the "60's London mod" (aka "Brit" mod) in all 4 of my Strats anyway, & have used it since the 1970's so I may not be the best person to ask.



If you do this, it pays to use a decent capacitor, I prefer a TFT Relcap.
or a Hovland Musicap.

Higher value pots give a brighter overall sound, so if you already have a bright guitar, maybe stick with 250k. (300 sounds like a compromise, but I've never seen 'em for sale here though).

They are not noiseless per se, but are extremely well shielded.
Mine do not in fact make any noise in positions 2 & 4, and it's harder to get them to hum in 1,3 & 5 compared to my Fralins, original 40-year old Fender etc.

"High Gain" is misleading. These just sound like the best Strat you ever heard. More "Fendery" than Fender. I love 'em!
Jim has one of the best pairs of ears in the business.

Just about to order a set of WCR Darkbursts for my new (well, 1981, but new to me...) RS guitarworks-aged LS-150 Love Rock.

[alderbody]

hey cybercat,

thanks for replying.

i already contacted jim about the SR's and he let me know all about them.

i'm aware of the brit mod you posted(thX anyway), but i seem to prefer the traditional solutions, so i have the 250's on.

the guitar i want to equip with the SR's is a one-piece alderbodied strat with maple+braz r/w neck.

for the time i have a set of texas specials that i have underwound by myself and they sound much better than before.

the tone of this guitar is not overly bright.

if i finally order a set of SR's, i think i'll buy the 300K pots which, as Jim wrote, will "open" the pickups more...

yes, this RS guitarworks 300K pot set looks kinda strange, but since Jim recommends it, it has to be good...

the only thing that remains to be done before i get the SR's is to be able to listen to some soundclips.

i couldn't find any of them and i'm extremely curious, especially after reading all your and other people's posts, and after what Jim emailed me about...

do you by any chance have any clips or know where i could find some?

that would help a lot!!!

btw, the darkbursts will be great.
I got the crossroads and i'm a happy man ever since!...

that's why i count on the SR's, "stratwise"...

thanks!

[Cybercat]

Erm, sorry Alderbody, not sure how to make a clip. I have an iMac & an SM57, do I need anything else?
If Muddy or someone can tell me how, I'll do it.

Hang on a moment, I seem to remember Muddy uses Jim's SR p'ups too! - any clips...?

Failing that, e-mail me privately with your phone number & a time to call (I'm in Hong Kong, GMT +8), I'll play them over the phone to you...

cybercat at mac dot com

[RedLizard]

Since several of you guys already have them, maybe you can help me with my install of a new-to-me set of Wagner SR Strat pickups. I've got the hot and ground wires soldered in, but I'm not clear on what to do with the braided shield wire that comes out of each pigtail. Currently, all three braided together and look like they were soldered to something. I'm just doing a standard Strat install.

Do I just ground these to one of the pots?

Any help appreciated,

Scott

[Cybercat]

Hi RedLizard

Congrats on the new p'ups,

Solder the braided shield wires to the back of the volume pot.
(...along with the ground wires, unless you're using the "star ground" system).

I had the same question this time last year, & Jim was very happy to help me over the phone. 209-588-0621

Good luck!

[RedLizard]

Thanks, Cybercat!

I had thought about calling Jim, but hate to do it for something so simple that I knew guys here could answer in a snap. Full plate today, so will have to wait until this evening to finish. The anticipation is killing me....

[alderbody]

Originally posted by Cybercat
Failing that, e-mail me privately with your phone number & a time to call (I'm in Hong Kong, GMT +8), I'll play them over the phone to you...

hey cybercat,
there's nothing to be sorry about, man!

and of course there's no need to do this over the phone.
besides, the tone will suffer the "phone line effect" so the detail that i need to hear will be lost.

be sure that somebody will post clips [maybe you, when you figure out how ].

thanks for your help!

[gec78221]

How hot are the Wagner sr pickups? I'm afraid they will push the front end of my (d -style) amp to hard?