Fender Custom Shop pickups

[paul44]

Frankly, if someone says they like my playing and/or my sound (I'm not picky - I'll gracefully accept compliments for ANYTHING), that's all that counts.

CSM? Charles Shaar Murray? I'll give you a compliment.Thanks for making the NME from 76-80 the greatest music weekly on the planet.It changed my life.

[vintage clubber]

Fat '50's

[GRANKOR]

is that Charles Shaar Murray??? wow never knew you were a HC member. If it is you I enjoy your column in guitarist!

[csm]

Okay, I'm outed ...

Grankor, glad you like the Guitarist column: I have a lot of fun writing it. Paul44, thanks for the props concerning 70s NME, but I was just one part (the bridge pickup, maybe) of an amazing team of brilliant writers, editors and photographers, some of whom are sadly no longer with us.

You do realise, though, that virtually none of the septic tanks here know what we're talking about ...

[One-armed Alec]

Okay, I'm outed ... Grankor, glad you like the Guitarist column: I have a lot of fun writing it. Paul44, thanks for the props concerning 70s NME, but I was just one part (the bridge pickup, maybe) of an amazing team of brilliant writers, editors and photographers, some of whom are sadly no longer with us. You do realise, though, that virtually none of the septic tanks here know what we're talking about ...

Hey - another fan here! Always loved your column - very 'off the wall', philosophical and whimsical, if I may say so .

I believe that some of the septics are Guitarist readers too .



P.S. "Septic tank" means something altogether different where I'm from .

[csm]

"Septic tank" means something altogether different where I'm from .

You mean as in 'just off for a short plank'?

We should probably give these nice people their thread back. I think they want to talk about pickups.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

You mean as in 'just off for a short plank'? We should probably give these nice people their thread back. I think they want to talk about pickups.

 

 

No problem, we're all Islanders:thu:

Pleased to meet you CSM, I have only recently become aware of your work, as I was of course a Sounds reader:D

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

They sound fantastic in my Jeff Beck Custom Shop - but then everything else about that guitar is Grade A, so the PUs aren't the whole story. I'd recommend them to anyone who wants to make a good Strat better, but they won't save a mediocre one. (And that's no kind of diss on your instrument: just a general point about PU changges in general.)

 

 

Charles, have you worked out the difference between the CS JB and the Artist?

[211dave112]

CSM-- you write for guitarist magazine right??

[csm]

Charles, have you worked out the difference between the CS JB and the Artist?

 

 

Several hundred quid, even at street prices. I figured that mine was a CS because (a) it came in a custom shop case complete with candy, (b) it says 'custom shop' on the neckplate, © Jeff's signature is on the back of the headstock rather than the front, and (d) it feels and sounds way nicer than the regular Artist model I tried.

 

Is this a trick question?

[csm]

CSM-- you write for guitarist magazine right??

 

 

Guilty as charged, yer honour.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Several hundred quid, even at street prices. I figured that mine was a CS because (a) it came in a custom shop case complete with candy, (b) it says 'custom shop' on the neckplate, (c) Jeff's signature is on the back of the headstock rather than the front, and (d) it feels and sounds way nicer than the regular Artist model I tried. Is this a trick question?

 

 

No, not a trick, just couldn't see much difference in the specs, apart from the CS seems to have Sperzels instead of Schallers.

[csm]

No, not a trick, just couldn't see much difference in the specs, apart from the CS seems to have Sperzels instead of Schallers.

 

 

On paper that's absolutely true -- but the quality of assembly and general production workmanship seems a lot higher. The guitar felt fantastic right out of the box, and all I needed to do was tweak the intonation very slightly to accomodate a 10-52 string set rather than the 9-46 set it came with. Maybe the Custom Shop uses a slightly better grade of wood than the regular production line.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Maybe the Custom Shop uses a slightly better grade of wood than the regular production line.

 

That would be my guess, sort of select, select alder instead of just select...type thing....I toyed with buying one so many times after playing the Mk I version and loved the neck, it was actually that guitar that gave me my boatneck addiction, which now leaves me unable to buy a stock guitar:cry:

I liked the MkII better all round, but the neck was too thin, so I built my own, but bottled out of the Hot Noiseless....I may bottle back in now tho.

[go cat go]

Great thread fellas'

CSM - I love that black strat w/ the tortoise pickguard. I have always thought that was a very classy combo. BTW, I love the British guitar magazines. They offer so much more info the their American cousins. I have to pay between $13 an $15 a copy though.

Ratae - Thanks for the heads up on the price of the Fat 50's. I just ordered a set. I have a parts-o-caster with Duncan Antiquities which are not really cutting it. I may just drop these in there. Believe it or not, if you really like a strat w/ bite check out the Dimarzio Blue Velvets. They sound great clean with the volume rolled back a bit around 7 or 8. It's a nice woody tone. Up the volume and the the bridge almost gets into country/tele territory. They really shine with overdrive. They have a nice bark and growl to them. I think they're really underrated.

Alec - What is this Delta Tone and Apache system you speak of?

It would be nice if you gents were close by. You could stop over, have a pint and play. British beer gives me wicked hangovers though. But I love that Newcastle Brown Ale.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Great thread fellas' CSM - I love that black strat w/ the tortoise pickguard. I have always thought that was a very classy combo. BTW, I love the British guitar magazines. They offer so much more info the their American cousins. I have to pay between $13 an $15 a copy though. Ratae - Thanks for the heads up on the price of the Fat 50's. I just ordered a set. I have a parts-o-caster with Duncan Antiquities which are not really cutting it. I may just drop these in there. Believe it or not, if you really like a strat w/ bite check out the Dimarzio Blue Velvets. They sound great clean with the volume rolled back a bit around 7 or 8. It's a nice woody tone. Up the volume and the the bridge almost gets into country/tele territory. They really shine with overdrive. They have a nice bark and growl to them. I think they're really underrated. Alec - What is this Delta Tone and Apache system you speak of? It would be nice if you gents were close by. You could stop over, have a pint and play. British beer gives me wicked hangovers though. But I love that Newcastle Brown Ale.

 

 

Go Cat, what are you going to do with the Antiquities, shame we didn't do lunch earlier, we could have swapped.....we should just stick with Pete Biltoft's pups anyway.

 

Delta tones are the stock pups in the current Am Series and the Apaches are a Bareknuckles pickup...Bareknuckles are over priced English pickups...well, to be fair they are bloody good, but I'm tight....if you drink Newcastle Brown you will get a hangover....that's probably the worst representation of good English beer, it's chemical {censored} from a factory, not proper "real ale"

[One-armed Alec]

It would be nice if you gents were close by. You could stop over, have a pint and play. British beer gives me wicked hangovers though. But I love that Newcastle Brown Ale.

Now that would be good .

I have fallen foul of Newcastle Brown Ale on many occasions. I have almost fallen down the stairs with it too. Classic brew. Explains a lot about Newcastle and its indigenous population.

Right now, I am very keen on Theakston Old Peculiar - but just one or two, for fear of hosing the duvet:



Sooner or later, all truly great threads will descend into a conversation about beer .

[paul44]

I'm sorry you didn't get along with the Fat 50's Ratae,'muddy' certainly isn't how I'd describe mine.I suppose it just goes to show how subjective these things are...like CSM says,there isn't really a definitive strat sound,you just have to find one that suits you.

Go Cat Go - Of course British beer will give you a hangover.....unlike American beer,it has alcohol in it!

[One-armed Alec]

Newcastle Brown you will get a hangover....that's probably the worst representation of good English beer, it's chemical {censored} from a factory, not proper "real ale"

Sean - you truly detest anything that is even vaguely mainstream, don't you?

Apart from Strats, obviously .

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Sean - you truly detest anything that is even vaguely mainstream, don't you? Apart from Strats, obviously .

 

Alec, I worked for 8 years in a Chemical Engineering research department, next to some of the best beer minds in Europe and when they told me about "Newkie Broon", I wouldn't touch it ever again, it is literally hangover in a bottle....and most of me Geordie friends won't touch it either, before I stopped drinking I had a liking for http://www.stonehengeales.co.uk/Beers.html

 

and in particular

 

 

 

Bloody lovely stuff.....and the brewery is owned by Danes, brewing English recipes to strict Danish standards......OH YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!! I miss it:(

[One-armed Alec]

Sean - ever tried Orkney Dark Island?

Great Scottish dark ale there.

Newkie Broon doesn't do anything wild to me in terms of hangovers - I like the taste so I'm going to carry on enjoying it in blissful ignorance .

I'm afraid to say that some of the most 'natural' and 'organic' live ales (i.e. yeasty stuff) give me the most belting hangovers.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Sean - ever tried Orkney Dark Island? Great Scottish dark ale there.

 

 

Hmmm, no, but I like the sound of it.....stout type beer?....my favourite whisky was Highland Park:cry: I miss that too

[go cat go]

Go Cat Go - Of course British beer will give you a hangover.....unlike American beer,it has alcohol in it!

LOL!!

Great quote I heard saw here when I first joined:

Q: What's having sex in a canoe and American beer have in common?
A: It's {censored}in' pretty close to water!

Truth be told, I drink Amstel Light 90% of the time. Should i put my flame suit on now?

Ratae - I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the Antiquities. I'll give you a hollar when I pull them out.

I just realized I have more pups than i know what to do with. I also have another MIM Deluze neck. CSM's strat is giving me inspiration. Time to check out Warmoth. I have nothing better to do. It's freekin' 22 degrees F outside and I'm nursing a pretty bad sinus infection.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

I'm nursing a pretty bad sinus infection.

 

 

Me too:cry: it's {censored}ing spread to my left ear too:mad:

 

I think you can join JJ as an honorary British Islander:thu:

 

Welcome aboard old chap;)

[One-armed Alec]

Hmmm, no, but I like the sound of it.....stout type beer?....my favourite whisky was Highland Park:cry: I miss that too

Yes - it's like an ultra-smooth but richer Guinness (not so much of the creamy head, mind). Up here, you can find it in most supermarkets - Tescos, etc. It's from the same brewery as "Orkney Skullsplitter". Definitely worth a try if you're into that kind of thing.

Also worth a belt is Fraoch Heather Ale. I won't even try to describe the taste to you, but you're either going to love it or hate it. Also, a lot of guys I know are into IPA, but I find it a tad sour.

Have a squatch at this:
http://www.beers-scotland.co.uk/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=67&strPageHistory=cat



Remember to post a review, let us know how you get on!

Now I need to score me some of that Stonehenge. Hey - wouldn't it be funny if I found it in the supermarket and the bottle was only 5ml? "But a guy on the internet gave me this picture!" [spinal Tap reference]