STRAT GUYS - Thoughts on Noiseless Pickups

[Johansolo]

So

[Alecto]

The current gold standard for noiseless pickups IMO is Kinman. They've been generally getting excellent reviews - I have the Woodstock+ in my Strat and I love them. Very stratty with a bumped-up midrange. They are expensive (I got mine in a used Strat) but I heard they found a US distributor so the price may have dropped a bit.

 

Fralin's also making a noiseless blade pickup. Haven't heard anything about them but Fralin does awesome Strat pickups.

[Slave2TheAudio]

I love their stock pups FSCN's {censored}ing own

[Kuroyume]

The Vintage Noiseless pickups retain more of the 'stratty' sound while being noiseless (obviously). I think the SCN pups are closer update of the Hot Noiseless pickups neither of which I've had a chance to hear compared to the VNs. I've heard good things about the Lace Sensor pickups but, again, haven't heard them comparatively.

 

You might get more and quicker experienced responses at the Fender forums (these guys know about all the differences in these pickups).

[Kuroyume]

The current gold standard for noiseless pickups IMO is Kinman. They've been generally getting excellent reviews - I have the Woodstock+ in my Strat and I love them. Very stratty with a bumped-up midrange. They are expensive (I got mine in a used Strat) but I heard they found a US distributor so the price may have dropped a bit.

 

A set is currently $254. That's not bad. A set of SCN's is currently $229. Not a big difference.

[cratz2]

I used to have a set if Vintage Noiseless pickups and currently have one Vintage Noiseless neck pickup in a strat. Personally, I greatly prefer the Vintage Noiseless set to the Hot Noiseless pickups but personally, I don't have much of a need for noiseless pickups. I don't play out, my house is largely noiseless and most of the venues I've been to recently have guys that play single coils with a fair amount of gain and it's never been distracting.

 

 

I've never heard the Kinmans which definitely seem to be the 'it' noiseless pickups right now and for the recent past. Having said that, I have the one Vintage Noiseless and think it sounds great, I have one strat with HS3s in the neck and middle and an HS2 in the bridge, and I have a YJM in the neck of another strat. They all sound perfectly stratty through a good Fender amp but if compared to a set of CS54s, Fat 50s, Duncan Antiquities, Duncan SSL2s or the like, they really pale in comparison. Granted, if the noise is driving you crazy, you gotta get something that gets rid of that, but for someone chasing that perfect strat tone, I've never heard it in a noiseless pickup. Another forum member who has a really noisey house has a set of Lace Hot Golds which aren't noiseless, but they are significantly more quiet than any of his other sets. Same thing with EMG SAs. I wouldn't say they are any better or any worse than the others I've mentioned, but they might be worth a look.

[Griffin]

Have the same guitar. My honeymoon with the S1 didn't last long. Took the switch out, and replaced it with a 500K volume pot. The middle knob is a no-load master tone, and the bottom is a blender pot.

 

I also swapped out the saddles for stamped steel and replaced the stock zinc trem block for a steel Callaham.

 

It doesn't sound vintage, but the SCNs sound WAY strattier than they did. I'm happy with the amount of quack on the 2 and 4 positions. No plans to replace the pickups.

 

Hate that I had to modify an already expensive guitar, but I love it now. I'll sell my '08 American standard before I ever sell my deluxe.

[jhamnett]

Had this problem with my Strat Plus Dlx with the Blue-Silver-Red Lace set. Swapped for some Bill Lawrence L-200s, and they are both noiseless and Stratty

[raycer]

I have dimarzio Area 61's and I absolutely love the way they sound

[greg232]

Another vote for the Bill Lawrence L-200. Absolutely noiseless while still remaining stratty. His prices are hard to beat.

[gasolinefight]

had a set of vintage noiseless in my deluxe player strat, couldn't really get used to them. I'd totally try the kinman if I buy another strat. the concept of noiseless is fantastic. but I don't think the fender pickups are there just yet for tone. (also wouldn't mind trying the split blades from fralin)

[-Assy-]

lace holy grails are THE {censored}.

 

best noiseless pickups ive used, and ive used 2-3 of the fender noiseless kinds.

[jrockbridge]

The SCN and Kinman sound great if you like the stacked humbucker sound. But, both still miss a lot of the vintage single coil sound. The Vintage Noiseless also sound good, but don't nail the traditional single coil sound. Most people are happy with a pickup that looks like a SC, sounds good and is relatively noiseless.

 

If you are ultra picky about your Strat tone, hand wound vintage style single coils are the the way to go. I sold my whole SCN wiring system from my Fender American Deluxe Strat on Ebay to a guy in Germany. I replaced them with 2 x Fralin Vitage Hot SC + an SP43 bridge. I love the sound but sometimes the noise is annoying.

 

Recently, I had Bryan Gunsher wind me a set of V60's WITHOUT a RWRP middle pup. That way, I can add a John Suhr BPSSC System to them if I want to silence them. The BPSSC is an Expensive system, but it silences the hum while preserving the vintage sound of the SC pickups. AcmeGuitarWorks carries it in case you're curious. http://www.acmeguitarworks.com/Suhr_Strat_Pickups_C65.cfm

[csm]

First off -- Kinmans ARE excellent and fully deserve their rep. I had the AVn Blues set in my MIM 50s Classic, and they were rich, juicy ... and quiet. I also had a 1989 Strat Plus with gold Lace Sensors and they certainly weren't too bad, if a little on the 'glassy' side -- very hi-fi, a little bit '1980s' -- think Nile Rodgers' funk rhythm sound on the old Chic records.

 

Both of those guitars were sold to finance the purchase of my Custom Shop Jeff Beck Strat, which features Fender's Hot Noiseless set, originally developed to Mr Beck's own spec (under other circs I might have swapped the Kinmans and Hot Noiseless over before dumping the 50s Classic, but chronologically it didn't work out like that). Despite their name, the Hots don't sound 'overwound' or excessively hi-gain, and they're certainly authentically 'Stratty' and definitely not lacking in beef. I've found the Vintage Noiseless set to sound a little on the skinny side and insufficiently 'muscular' unless combined with the onboard active midboost on the Clapton sig Strat.

 

Apologies to those who've already viewed this elsewhere, but here -- for illustrative purposes only -- is a live clip of the Hot Noiseless-loaded JB Strat, played straight into an old Super Reverb apart from occasional use of a Blackstar HT-Boost pedal for the louder bits. I hope you'll agree that it sounds ... well ... sort of like a decent Strat.

 

[YOUTUBE]fp-Fy2VchYY[/YOUTUBE]

 

in summary: I'd recommend the Hot Noiseless over the Vintage Noiseless any day, and possibly the Sensors also -- with the caveat that I have no hands-on experience with any other Lace Sensor 'colours' other than the golds. All else being equal, I'd probably favour Kinmans above all else in the noiseless Strat stakes. However, if it's easier to get a good deal on a Hot Noiseless set, or if they're simply easier to find than Kinmans, you certainly wouldn't consider yourself to have been sonically short-changed.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

That way, I can add a John Suhr BPSSC System to them if I want to silence them. The BPSSC is an Expensive system, but it silences the hum while preserving the vintage sound of the SC pickups. AcmeGuitarWorks carries it in case you're curious. http://www.acmeguitarworks.com/Suhr_Strat_Pickups_C65.cfm

 

 

Yes an according to the three people I've spoke to who had it, a waste of money

[docjeffrey]

It just ain't natural. Single coils are supposed to be noisy as hell, and bonus points if you can pick up a local radio station. Even more bonus points if it's some full gospel preacher thumpin' a bible.

 

I tell you, those noiseless pickups are responsible for glacial meltdown, rising sea levels, and global climate change. Before Fender started putting those things in Strats, the earth was warming at a normal rate. Ever since those sumarium cobalt pickups started spewing carbon offsets, the planet has been out of control. Out of control I tell you.

 

 

Oh, and here's a set of whatever Fender puts on their Custom Shop '56 Strats. They measure 6.4 to 6.8K but there's no real info about them. I happen to love the tone of these babies:

 

This is through my '57 Tweed Deluxe RI:

 

With apologies to Mark Knopfler:

 

 

--

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

It just ain't natural. Single coils are supposed to be noisy as hell, and bonus points if you can pick up a local radio station. Even more bonus points if it's some full gospel preacher thumpin' a bible. I tell you, those noiseless pickups are responsible for glacial meltdown, rising sea levels, and global climate change. Before Fender started putting those things in Strats, the earth was warming at a normal rate. Ever since those sumarium cobalt pickups started spewing carbon offsets, the planet has been out of control. Out of control I tell you.

 

 

Hmmm, you been on the schnapps Doc?

 

I bet your 50s CS ain't even got a RWRP middle pickup has it?

 

I find these days that I use two neck pups and a bridge and love the sound

[docjeffrey]

 

Hmmm, you been on the schnapps Doc? I bet your 50s CS ain't even got a RWRP middle pickup has it? I find these days that I use two neck pups and a bridge and love the sound

 

 

No RWRP. It's a tone killer (according to that one annoying dude that hangs out at Wildwood). Honestly, I think that the Custom Shop does such amazing work that just about any premium pickup would sound wonderful. When you pick up my strat, it feels absolutely perfect, and IMO there's nothing better than lightweight ash with a sweet stick of maple. Leo got it right the first time.

 

I do have an alder strat with a rosewood board (American Series) that I like to gig with. It actually works better with high gain and high volume situations.

 

By the way, Angus and I have two things in common: we're the same age and neither of us touches the sauce anymore:-)

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

By the way, Angus and I have two things in common: we're the same age and neither of us touches the sauce anymore:-)

 

 

That's you me and Angus then

[csm]

Hey Sean me bhoy -- didja ever do anything with those PUs (the stock Tele bridge/Strat neck set from my JD Tele) I gave you a coupla years back?

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

I do have an alder strat with a rosewood board

 

 

My preference is rosewood and ebony boards, but I simply cannot get on with alder bodied guitars, not 100% sure why, but good light swamp ash aces it every time

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

Hey Sean me bhoy -- didja ever do anything with those PUs (the stock Tele bridge/Strat neck set from my JD Tele) I gave you a coupla years back?

 

 

Nope, still have them, d'you wan em?

[jrockbridge]

 

Yes an according to the three people I've spoke to who had it, a waste of money

 

 

Sean,

 

Please elaborate if you know the details. Where did the Suhr BPSSC fall short? Did it fail to deliver noiseless performance or did it kill the good sound?

 

I've only read good reports on the performance of the BPSSC until your post. Of course, all of those glowing reports were from people on guitar forums.

 

I agree with CSM that Kinman pups truly sound special. They do deliver some Strat flavor goodness. Yet, they still don't sound exactly like a traditional SC pup to me. I tend to think of them as their own thing...part Strat, part something else.

 

I'll have to seek out the Fender Hot Noiseless now. I've never heard them.

[csm]

 

Nope, still have them, d'you wan em?

 

 

Nah ... put 'em to good use when the opportunity arises -- like if you ever build a JD-style Tele. They're v. good PUs -- just not as good as the Bareknuckles which replaced 'em. I think Seymour D had something to do with developing them.

[csm]

Back on topic -- not all Strat PUs sound identical and never did, especially not back-in-the-day. There's a whole library of cool tones which all have more-or-less equal claim to the platonic ideal of 'Strattiness', but there was never one single tone which defined it. Rather, 'Strattiness' is an umbrella term for a particular RANGE of sounds, all the way from spiky/clangy through to rich/juicy, and you never quite get them all from any single PU set. Individual builders will wind to taste -- their and yours -- which is why all aftermarket PU peeps (and I hope this forum's inhouse winders will confirm this) will offer a variety of Strat sets, all equally 'Stratty', but all subtly different.