i have a 60's ri strat that im going to put some custom pickups, i heard the p'up clips at Acme guitar site, and like the Lollar tweeds the best. problem is i play a blackface Super Reverb, i do have a Bassman RI too. i know that the tweeds are made for tweed amps, but would they also work in a blackface amp?
I have a neck and middle tweed in my baritone Strat (the sub-sonic). They're not bad but I would have liked a bit more bell like autority...the tweeds almost have a jangle to them. I'm not really much of a Strat authority though...I'm really more of a Gibson guy.
I listened closely to those clips through good speakers and I could hear some differences. And I'm usually the guy saying that all of you cable-direction-switching-around guys are imagining the differences you hear. Having said that -- Iliked the Fender '69s the best -- and they are only $130/set of 3. I aslo though the Fender Fat 50's sound pretty much the same as the Lollar Blondes -- for half the price.
Lollar tweeds are lower output and sound like early Buddy Guy - dry, clear and very punchy. Through a tweed amp they get the right amount of hair around the notes / through a blackface they sound a bit bland. Honestly, I think his blackface set will serve {in spades} the mid 60's Fender Strat-Nirvana tone through any amp. Very nice pickups!
I could hear some differences between them. My favourites were the Lollar Tweeds and the Lace Holy Grails (for different reasons.) I don't think the V60LP is even similar to the tweed though is it? I thought that the tweed gave a more 50s vibe and the V60's (obviously) gave a 60s vibe? Maybe a V54 compared to the Tweed would be a better comparison?
I have heard so many great things about the WCR SR's But do not see them for sale on the WCR site. Do you have a link & is there any sound samples anywhere? I have used the same Fralins since 93 They are wound like the ones Callaham sells now.
I heard that if you play a tweed pickup through a blackface amp it causes some sort of anti-matter feedback loop that makes your guitar explode! Seriously, don't take the name that literally. I believe the names were given to describe the era from which the pups were patterned after. If you like the tweeds, go for it.
Give Don Mare a call. He just built me a set of strat pickups that are amazing. I have a Lollar Blackface pickup in another guitar and Don's pickups just kill it. I love Lollar pickup and have them in 5 different guitars (Imperial humbuckers, P90's and strat) but Don Mares strat pickups just are on a different level. http://www.buckcannon.com/donmarespickups.html
I've got Jason's Blackface pickups in a strat, very happy with them. I've ordered another set with raised pole pieces. I've been through a boatload of other single coils, and the Lollars are staying. The names (like mentioned already) have more to do with the era they are based on, rather than what amp they should be played through. The WCR SR's are pretty hard to come by. They are not in regular production, according to Jim. He will make the occasional set, but they're few and far between.
To hear the differences between the clips, you are best off using a very transparent set of headphones. If you are using crappy computer speakers, chances of hearing differences will be very small. That said, I could definitely hear a difference while using headphones I haven't played a guitar w/the Lollar Tweeds before, but I have the Suhr V60LP's and love them!
Call and ask for Brian at Acme.He's a great guy and a friend.Killer player to boot.He's knows tone!! He will put you in the right direction.
+1 on Brian. He is very knowledgeable about all of the pickups Acme carries because he has had most of them in his own guitar and gigged them. He is very patient and takes the time to really share his knowledge. I recently picked up a set of the Lollar Blondes and Blackface.:AOK
jim wagners SRs are teh best single coil pups around - i put them in instead of teh vlp60s which at the time i thought were v gd but tehy seen thick and insensitive beside teh wcrs Long live jim wagner - king of tone - if you can find a set of SRs somewhere you must get teh rs guitarworks SR WIRING KIT TO GO WITH THEM TOO!! :RoCkIn
