The Prosecution Rests

[Mark Wein]

Sounds like shit is a strong judgement. Doesn't sound like what they are supposed to be is a better descriptor IMO. Like Fralin's noiseless p90's. They are good, maybe even great for what they are, but they AREN'T the best sounding p90.

I could go with "don't sound like what I want from a pickup". The Kinmans aren't exactly the best sounding strat style pickup either but they give me enough of what I need and they do sound pretty good overall. I like the Duncan Antiquities in my Tokai more but they might as well be RF antennas for all the noise they make on the gigs I play. I've always thought that the Fender ones were the poorest example.

 

[Mark Wein]

Guitarists need to stop chasing the tones of others, and go after their own. Then they'll never be disappointed that a pickup isn't *insert ________ guitarist here* enough.

A certain part of my livelihood is about reproducing classic or recognizable tones. Not something I give much of a shit about in my own music, but sometimes it does matter.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

A certain part of my livelihood is about reproducing classic or recognizable tones. Not something I give much of a shit about in my own music, but sometimes it does matter.

Will anybody notice if you're playing your "David Gilmour Strat" as opposed to your "Mark Knopfler Strat"?

 

[Mark Wein]

Will anybody notice if you're playing your "David Gilmour Strat" as opposed to your "Mark Knopfler Strat"?

No. But a good "classic strat" sound is different than a shitty modern strat sound. Doesn't matter how you get it, if you nail something people will respond.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

No. But a good "classic strat" sound is different than a shitty modern strat sound. Doesn't matter how you get it, if you nail something people will respond.

Is the "modern strat sound" simply because of bad pickups? Or is it because of bad signal chain + production?

Your second sentence is actually the heart of what I'm getting at. Play convincingly first. The tones will follow. But please, let's cut this "noiseless" shit out. It's degrading. Like calling a vibrato a tremolo.

 

[Mark Wein]

Is the "modern strat sound" simply because of bad pickups? .

Kind of like what I said in response to Doug, there are some of my prejudices coming out in this conversation because I can't stand most current modern Fender strat pickups, especially the "Sumerian Cobalt", their noiseless and the American Standard varieties.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

Kind of like what I said in response to Doug, there are some of my prejudices coming out in this conversation because I can't stand most current modern Fender strat pickups, especially the "Sumerian Cobalt", their noiseless and the American Standard varieties.

I think it's interesting how Bill Lawrence designed the Samarium Cobalt line and they never sounded anywhere near as good as his own pickups. What I can't figure out is why Fender continues to put better pickups in their Baja and other "vintage" lines than in the American series guitars. But that's another discussion.

 

[OGG]

Have you tried shielding the Tokai better, or using a power conditioner?

Or both?

I don't have any noise problems with my strats that have standard singles. At worst, I get a little bit of hum in a particularly bad room power wise, but the noise gate kills that during the times when no fury is being unleashed.

Somehow, bazillions of records have been made, and shows performed with single coil guitars. Whatever the secret is, it's not so secret.

 

[dougk]

I could go with "don't sound like what I want from a pickup". The Kinmans aren't exactly the best sounding strat style pickup either but they give me enough of what I need and they do sound pretty good overall. I like the Duncan Antiquities in my Tokai more but they might as well be RF antennas for all the noise they make on the gigs I play. I've always thought that the Fender ones were the poorest example.

Exactly my point. Not all the noiseless substitutes are bad, just never quite the same as the real, noisy, thing.

But like all pickups, not all of them are good either.

 

[Mark Wein]

Have you tried shielding the Tokai better, or using a power conditioner?

Or both?

I don't have any noise problems with my strats that have standard singles. At worst, I get a little bit of hum in a particularly bad room power wise, but the noise gate kills that during the times when no fury is being unleashed.

Somehow, bazillions of records have been made, and shows performed with single coil guitars. Whatever the secret is, it's not so secret.

I have, but it doesn't help in the two places I play regularly. And I REALLY dislike noise gates.

 

[Tig]

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

So you prefer the rail pickups instead?

 

[Tig]

So you prefer the rail pickups instead?

No!

 

[OGG]

I have, but it doesn't help in the two places I play regularly. And I REALLY dislike noise gates.

I only use the gate for a minimum threshold that keeps things quiet when I'm between songs or parts and forget to roll off the volume. It works well enough without killing my toanz.

 

[Mark Wein]

I only use the gate for a minimum threshold that keeps things quiet when I'm between songs or parts and forget to roll off the volume. It works well enough without killing my toanz.

I ride my volume knob subconsciously (and obsessively) . Look at the wear around the volume pots on my two oil finished instruments:

 

[dougpg]

Have you tried shielding the Tokai better, or using a power conditioner?

Or both?

I don't have any noise problems with my strats that have standard singles. At worst, I get a little bit of hum in a particularly bad room power wise, but the noise gate kills that during the times when no fury is being unleashed.

Somehow, bazillions of records have been made, and shows performed with single coil guitars. Whatever the secret is, it's not so secret.

I don't have the noise problem with my 1990 MIJ strat as I did in my 1982 American made. I played in an area where it was rare to have grounded circuits. I put in Hot Rails but they were too hot.

 

[Guitar Heel]

All you Lace Gold haters can humbuck yourselves.

TESTIFY.

 

[Jbird]

Does anyone have experience with the Seymour Duncan noiseless P-90's?

I've been thinking of getting a pair for my Stu D. Baker

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

Does anyone have experience with the Seymour Duncan noiseless P-90's?

I've been thinking of getting a pair for my Stu D. Baker

Get the humbuckers you want in a P-90 housing. Duncan will make them in the custom shop. Dimarzio has some standard models.

 

[Jbird]

Get the humbuckers you want in a P-90 housing. Duncan will make them in the custom shop. Dimarzio has some standard models.

I like that it has different sounding pickups to all my other guitars, but I don't like the hum.

If the SD noiseless P-90's can get the P-90 sound, without sounding bad, then I'd probably go that route.