Trying to decide if I should buy Lollar Vintage Neck and Hot Bridge or Don Mare Hayrides for a Tele. I'm playing clean mostly, funk, rhythm type stuff. I'd say think of Maroon 5.
Hayrides are great. Lollar makes nice stuff but they seem a little too 'laid back' for my taste. The mare's are about as perfect as a vintage style set can get.
hello, OP theres some science to pickups that's sometimes taken too lightly, theres so much to know and we (vendors) cannot expect all the players to know all these things about the internals of pickups _at all. its really something they want to learn, otherwise allot of these comparisons can be 100% useless.. if I may ask..??..if anyone is going to "VS." pickups in a "poll" in the future try to vs. ones with very similar specs and magnets. otherwise its like putting a Fender Super Reverb against a Champ in a Poll..etc.. it seems the OP really just wanted some reviews/ advise from owners of both sets here, not so much a poll as to who's best.. etc.. I know polls are fun and keep the party going - but at times they can be very unfair to the vendors involved is all I'm sayin,ok thanks in advance for your help, DonM lollar hot bridge = 8k flat pole mare hayride = 6.4k staggered pole ( almost 2000 turns less) Lollar neck 5.8k mare neck 6.3k ( about 650 turns more) anything past 500 turns is a whole different ballpark and 1000 turns is huge, double that and its Godzilla vs. smokey the bear -- just kiddin.. but not far off.
I truly love Jason's p/us (especially his Firebird minis), but would have to go with Don Mare for tele stuff. Haven't heard the Hayrides, but two other models he has (0038 and 2324) are just too good ... I'd have to try another set of anything by Don for the tele. MD
I had a set of Special T's and wasn't that impressed with them. Don't get me wrong, they sounded good, but the neck pu especially was lacking in clarity. The bridge sounded nice. Maybe the Vintage T neck/Special T bridge addresses this issue. I haven't tried any of Mare's offerings, but I continue to read that they are exceptional. FWIW I put a set of Jim Rolph pu's in my Tele and couldn't be happier.
Don, I do love that you are on the boards answering and responding to posts. Really gives that personal touch. From specs I should have compared a Lollar Special bridge with the Don Mare 0038. The reason I like polls is it's a quick way of seeing a result. And you're right I was really just looking for reviews and advice.
I've read some great things about the vintage neck/special bridge combo. It's used on quite a few custom builders as well as others.
I've never had the Lollars, but I do have a set of Hayrides I just installed. I'll tell you this, those pups kick ass and some. No ice pickiness, just tone for days. Clean, or mean you can't go wrong.
I have Don's Hayrides in my American Std Tele, they are the best sounding p/ups I have ever played on .
Lollar vintage t neck is the best tele neck pickup I've tried. But I've never tried Don Mare. Vintage t really is amazing though, for cleans like crazy, and for dirt
OP hasn't been on the board in over a year. Old thread, I was going to ask him what he ended up with, but he is long gone, apparently. Hayrides here, just for the record.
