|
Post by Dr.T on Oct 11, 2006 12:11:11 GMT -7
So, I have my Tele back with new Fralin Blues Special. Uhm, to me sounds great, nice brillant and powerful tone with body and definition, more balanced between bridge and neck PU, I like middle position too. Good for blues country and funky stuffs. Most surprising thing to me is that she ROCKS too!! Infact due to high output level she makes pedals go into OD and distortion very well, in particular with OCD, sounds in a very aggressive way.
Think there are many good "vintage style" PUs, but these are what I've tried and into R66 I like them very much.
|
|
|
Post by bks on Oct 11, 2006 12:50:00 GMT -7
My Tele has a Blues Special in the bridge and a Vintage Hot in the neck. As fine-sounding a Tele as I could ever want.
Brian
|
|
|
Post by benttop (Steve) on Oct 11, 2006 17:48:33 GMT -7
My Grosh Tele has the Blues Specials in all three positions (yeah, it's a triple pickup Tele). Man that thing sounds FABULOUS through the Stingray.
|
|
|
Post by Dr.T on Oct 11, 2006 22:54:13 GMT -7
I was afraid bridge PU could be too trebly and neck PU too bassy with less volume, but, even if 1st is brilliant and the 2nd is deeper, sound is well balanced, and you can always use tone and vol. They are more responsive than original stock to picking dynamics and as I told before even with clean sound when you pick hard they drive 66 into a natural OD and more compressed sound. Even with modulation effects that seem to make you loose highs, such as chorus, flanger, phaser and delay, it manteins its brillance.
|
|
|
Post by JChance on Oct 12, 2006 5:40:54 GMT -7
Fralin Tele & Strat pickups are, to me, the most "authentic" vintage Fender sound of all the pickup makers. And yes, the Blues Special bridge pickup can rock just fine with the tone knob rolled back a bit. The neck pickup in my Dunlavey Tele, which happens to be the best sounding pickup I've ever had, is a "non stock" Fralin. It's got no cover, and is wound to 6.9. Very airy, and gives it a little more of a Strat's "clang" instead of the plunkiness some Tele neck pickups have. Lindy rocks- J
|
|
|
Post by dock66 on Oct 12, 2006 7:29:07 GMT -7
I have been told by several " experts" that LindyFralin PUs for strats and teles are the most authentic sounding PUs. I personally don't own any original 50s and 60s Fenders to compare to,got into collecting guitars when the prices of these vintage guitars have already sky rocketed. So far ,my Grosh Tele with stocked Fralin PUs realy rocks through Z amps. ;D dock66
|
|
|
Post by tele1962 on Oct 12, 2006 22:40:12 GMT -7
I've put hundreds of PU's into guitars for guys over the years, and lots of them are excellent. But JChance is right. To me, they're the most authentic Fender sounding PU's you can buy. Whatever Lindy is drinking seems to work! I'm NOT a guy to change out PU's for myself, but I did up one of my Tele's with Fralin Vintage Hots, and it sounds Fender but a bit darker, and more voltage. I don't care what other guys put in, and I'll install anything they like, but for me, a Fender has to sound like a Fender in the end, and that's where Mr Chance and I agree!
|
|
|
Post by Don on Oct 13, 2006 10:38:59 GMT -7
Hey folks, Question for you. I'm looking for a Blues Special for the bridge position of one of my Teles. Lindy's website advertises the bridge Blues Special as coming in different staggers, i.e. flat poles, flat with a raised D magnet, and stock stagger. Also, 5% under, normal, and 5% overwound. AND, on top of that, he offers ALNICO V, ALNICO III, or 1/2 & 1/2 ! What pickup are you using, and why did you choose that one? And would you have gone with a different combination? Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by bks on Oct 13, 2006 11:33:16 GMT -7
Hi Don,
I went with the default settings for the Blues Special. Kinda trusted Lindy on that call; I mean, there must be a reason he chose that as "standard". I didn't get into a discussion of the different magnets with him, but we did talk "flat" vs. "staggered". He told me there was no difference tonally, that if I was really looking for a more "Broadcaster-like" tone, it wasn't in the stagger, but in the wind (um, not as in "Blowin' in the", as in "I drink to help me un-").
I'm very pleased with the results, and I've decided that I'm going to stick with Lindy's recommendations from now on. I had him overwind the Steel Poles that I put in one Tele, and the P-92s I had in a PRS, and I really shouldn't have.
Brian
|
|
|
Post by Don on Oct 13, 2006 12:57:16 GMT -7
Hi Brian,
I'm just a bit confused. It sounds like you have more than one guitar set up with Fralins, no? When you say that you went with the "default settings" for the Blues Special, are you referring to the magnet type or the stagger? Then you mentioned steel poles, which opens up another can of worms. Steel poles too hot, huh?
Thanks for the reply, Don
|
|
|
Post by bks on Oct 25, 2006 16:15:51 GMT -7
Sorry, Don. Don't know how I missed this.
So, yeah, I currently have Fralins in two guitars, and I had two other guitars with Fralins as well (selling the guitars, keeping the Fralins).
On my Tele, the Blues Special has the stock stagger and the regular magnets, which I think are the Alnico V, right? I didn't realize there were options in terms of Alnico III or V. I believe I had it wound 5 or 10% over. The neck is a stock stagger/regular magnet/stock winding Vintage Hot. I love the setup. A little more clarity but with all the character you expect from a Tele.
I had a Tele with the Steel Poles, and I got them a little overwound to darken them up a bit. That was kind of a mistake. They were just a little too hot. The general tone was cool, though. Kinda P-90, kinda Tele. With a 4-way switch I got some great tones. If I were to get 'em again I'd do a little underwound.
I also had a PRS CE-22 with the Split Singles ("P-92s"); very P-90, but I just had too many guitars. Of course, then my bro got me a PRS SE Singlecut Soapbar, and I threw a set of Fralin P-90s in that, and they're also great.
Hope that helps.
Brian
|
|
|
Post by Don on Oct 25, 2006 18:25:26 GMT -7
So, Lindy will steer me in the right direction, huh?
|
|
|
Post by bks on Oct 26, 2006 11:11:19 GMT -7
I think so. The only time I was disappointed was when I didn't take his advice. And even then, the disappointment was only slight.
Most of these folks, Lindy, Jason Lollar, Bill Callaham, etc., care enough about their work that they want to make sure they're doing the right thing for you.
Brian
|
|