Any love for Lace Sensor Pickups?

[speedtaco]

I have two sets of the gold lace sensors and I love them. I know they get bashed here a lot, so I wanted to see who did like them and why. I think the golds have a nice full sound with little hum, and they are really loud! The 2nd position on my strat has plenty of quack too. Just wondering....

 

[DownByLaw]

I like'em. One big benefit is the amount of sustain they have over regular sc designs. Right now I'm running a Suhr SSV+/lp combo in my strat plus deluxe, but in no way were the original Lace's bad sounding. In fact, I believe the blue that was in the neck, may be my favorite strat neck pickup. FAT! Maybe I'll put it back in and see if it meshes.

Patrick

 

[Jon Silberman]

I used to dig the Gold Lace Sensors on my USA Buddy Guy Signature Strat but then I sold the guitar back to its original owner. All the positives you note are correct. Sole significant negative: the PUPs compress noticeably when you hit the strings hard. Personally, I believe this is the cause of the PUPs' "sterile" rep. Which isn't really fair. They're not sterile, they just compress when hit hard.

 

[speedtaco]

I used to dig the Gold Lace Sensors on my USA Buddy Guy Signature Strat but then I sold the guitar back to its original owner. All the positives you note are correct. Sole significant negative: the PUPs compress noticeably when you hit the strings hard. Personally, I believe this is the cause of the PUPs' "sterile" rep. Which isn't really fair. They're not sterile, they just compress when hit hard.

That's an interesting point, and I never realized it until you wrote it. Excellent observation. I've learned to use that in my playing, and I really like the way it compresses on an 'E' country chord. Especially when I hit it hard which I like to do.

 

[Gatorplayer]

I have 3 Gold Lace Sensors on my 94 Strat Plus and really like them. They perform just about any type of music I ask them to from country to hard rock. They sound great through my Marshall JCM 800 and my Pro Jr. I am sure that there are better pick ups out there but "if it ain't broke don't fix it". I know that I am new to this site but if you read too much into all the options out there you start to second guess your own preferences. Everyone has a tone in their head they are searching for...I know that I have found it.

 

[Paul86]

Hey,
Has anyone here tried their P90's? What do they sound like?

 

[Tone_Terrific]

Hot Gold are very nice.
Vs classic Strat tones- Slightly less top end, more mids, a slight compression under some playing conditions, quiet, less mag pull and sound almost like Strat pups, better at that than SCN's, imo. They need to be close to the strings, so can get in the way a bit if your technique takes you close to the pups. Lots of fans and info at FDP forums.

 

[speedtaco]

Hot Gold are very nice.
Vs classic Strat tones- Slightly less top end, more mids, a slight compression under some playing conditions, quiet, less mag pull and sound almost like Strat pups, better at that than SCN's, imo. They need to be close to the strings, so can get in the way a bit if your technique takes you close to the pups. Lots of fans and info at FDP forums.

Thanks Tone, I'm ignorant, what is the FDP forum?

 

[Tone_Terrific]

Thanks Tone, I'm ignorant, what is the FDP forum?

http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html

 

[dunara]

Had a set of Holy Grails on a Tokai strat which is now sold. They're ok - quiet, resistant to squealing, reasonably good tone, but don't really respond when you 'dig in'. They're very sensitive to changes in pickup height - that has to be just right.
All in all I wouldn't shell out for another set; there are better hum-less strat pickups for the money. Look at Bill Lawrence, Fender noiseless and if you can stretch a bit further, Kinman. Don't, however, be tempted by GFS Neovins - they appear to be Lace clones, but when you open one up, you find they're just side-by-side blade humbuckers with dummy 'polepieces' on the top of the covers. Sound limp and lifeless - a bit like the Lace pickups with less gutsy tone.

 

[grungebob]

I Love em.

Got Blue/silver/red in my strat and couldn't be happier. The blue at first I didn't like but after realising that I've changed pickups so should change eq settings on my amp to suit I love it, its so Fat and warm sounding. The silver to me is a great pickup to very strat like without any hum and plenty of sustain and the red is a close to a humbucker as I need for rock tones but still sounds like a singlecoil for my cleans. I just need to figure out why the volume and tone changes so much when i use the tone knob, Lace themselfs say use a 250 pot but maybe I need better pots.
Anyway I love my Strat even more now i have these in it all my other guitars are back in their case's and soon to be sold i think.

 

[speedtaco]

http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html

Cool site, thanks Tone.
I have a set of the vintage noiseless in my deluxe and I really do not like them. I think I'm going to try out the hot golds as per everyone's recommendations here and on that site.

 

[sahhas]

i have a red lace sensor (and it says "fender" on it) in my handmade guitar in the bridge. i like it. seems to have more fat/ humbucker sound that i like.
i think its a decent pu.

s----
www.myspace.com/scotthansen
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=235503632389016121
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5791548553161416906&hl=en

 

[Waxhead]

I've not heard much bashing of LS's. Nothing apart from the usual guys who can't cope with anything but the stock fitted anything in a Fender.
I've had a Strat Plus for 12ys. Had LS Golds in it then stuck in Hot Golds a year ago. Both excellent PUP's, dead silent. I don't hear any compression issues when you hit the strings real hard but I don't do that anyway. Not good technique IMHO

 

[rastus]

I had a Strat plus when they came out, and have an 89 f/s on the emporium here. I own some great vintage Strats, but had not played a stock plus model in many years. I had forgotten what a distinctive and versatile tone these almost silent pickups possess. Does it do high gain Blackmore and Hendrix tones? Sorta, but I have a couple older Strats for that. Classic tones can be had, but that takes some work, and you never get all the way there. But, when it comes to pinched early Steely Dan tones, glissy, high-powered alt-rock cleans, or filthy harsh distortion the Plus' gold lace sensors really deliver. I believe a lot of the secret lies in the TBX control. With that thing you can get some really distinctive sounds.

Like I said, for the right dough, I'll move it along, but umtil then, I am having fun getting some unique tones, and it really is nice to have for recording-due to it's nearly silent operation, and it's Swiss-Army like ability to be massaged into almost any track. Another benefit seems to be that these p/u's are pretty happy through just about any amp or effects you may have. But is it the same as the vintage and vintage style Strats I have? Nah....

 

[Elias Graves]

Love em. I put a Dually Red/Silver in the neck of an SG. Phenomenal sound. I haven't wired them yet to take full advantage of the pickup, but plan to soon. Wonderful sound, no noise.

 

[speedtaco]

I've not heard much bashing of LS's. Nothing apart from the usual guys who can't cope with anything but the stock fitted anything in a Fender.
I've had a Strat Plus for 12ys. Had LS Golds in it then stuck in Hot Golds a year ago. Both excellent PUP's, dead silent. I don't hear any compression issues when you hit the strings real hard but I don't do that anyway. Not good technique IMHO

Which do you prefer Wax, the hot golds or the regular golds?

 

[9fingers]

I have tried dozens of various nice Strat pups, both traditional singles & noiseless. Lace Hot Golds are simply more musically fun to play (for me) than anything else I have tried in 40 years of Strat playing. Hot Golds just sing! Maybe they are not exactly like your "vintage" Strat tone (of which there are many varieties) but that is OK with me. I am going for tone I like to play - if it not just like other folks tones that is fine. I do slightly prefer a Lace Hot Silver in the bridge, like a 6K Hot Gold but a little bigger in all respects. My personal heaven is Hot Gold neck pup tone!

 

[grungebob]

can some one enlighten me on the dually's?

Im looking at putting together a strat with HH setup. Im thinking of a dually in each with silver/red neck and red/red bridge, is it possible (read easy enough) to wire up a five way so that the following options are viable

1 = Red/Red as humbucker
2 = outer bridge red as single
3= both outer of neck(silver) and bridge(red) as single
4= outer(silver) as single on neck
5= neck as humbucker

Seems to me that would give me a very versatile strat to cover all grounds,but is it possible?

 

[Waxhead]

Which do you prefer Wax, the hot golds or the regular golds?

hey speed - yeah slightly prefer the Hot Golds. I'm a rock n crunchy blues player so they deliver at the high gain end a little better IMO. But there's not much difference between them and the Golds. Just a bit hotter is all.