Best clean, ringing, chimey, glass like noiseless strat replacements?

Last Triumph

Last Triumph

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I've watched so many Youtube videos I'm deaf and blind and none the wiser.

Every  time I listen to a comparison, the original vintage single coils sound the best.... I think....?

But I need and will not compromise on noiseless. Aesthetics are not important.

Shimmering glass crystal bell tones is the main objective.

From what I can see and hear, Fender vintage noiseless are good, along with Lace Golds but I'm open to suggestions?

Thanks in advance.
 
Having listened to/tried many "noiseless" single coil replacements myself over the years looking for the holy grail, the closest I've come is the (original) Bill Lawrence Microcoil set, and the new Fishman "Fluence" set.

There's also a solution that uses standard single coils but adds a coil to the back of the guitar to act as a canceling influence that sounds pretty good, but I haven't actually tried that one. Can't remember the name, but reports are quite positive.

Everything else compromises somewhere, even if only slightly. Also, bear in mind it's not all the pickups. Amp/cab combinations will do a lot as well.
 
I compromise on the noiseless part. There's something in the upper frequency range I just never hear on noiseless pickups and I think that's the part that makes them clean, ringing, chimey and glass like. I tried to like lace gold pickups for a long time and just couldn't. Everyone hears things differently and values different things, I'm just saying this because I had the same question at one point and decided for me I'd prefer some noise.
 
Another vote for Bill Lawrence stuff. Also Lace Sensors. Haven't ever played a Fluence set....
 
I should probably mention that you don't need to be frightened off by the Bill Lawrence pricing - they really are fantastic pickups - but sometimes the lead time on those parts can run out for a bit. Apparently it's a very small small shop with low production. Well worth the wait, though, and it's not always long. Also, they're truly single coils instead of being some kind of trickery achieved through shielding, active electronics, or CMNR coils so they're not "silent" as in completely noiseless, but the noise pickup is so low that even I can tolerate it, and I'm quite sensitive to such issues. You're more likely to hear amp hiss/noise than pickup noise. But, if you had to have complete silence at very high volumes, a gate with the threshold set very low so you'd never hear the gate opening/closing or lose any sustain would work.
 
I should probably mention that you don't need to be frightened off by the Bill Lawrence pricing - they really are fantastic pickups
Click to expand...

That's because Bill designed them RIGHT back in the 70's, and no one saw a need to change an excellent design. Hence - low development investment already paid off before most of todays' players were born.
 
Another vote for the Bill Lawrences.  I've got two tele's, one with dimarzio's and the other with Bill Lawrence.  The Bill Lawrence nail the sound.  The DiMarzio's are good, but different.  Still excellent.
 
I've been a Bill Lawrence fan for years. I have two with them in it and putting together at least one more. My first experience changing pickups was years ago in my old Fujigen Tele. It got an L-250 and an L-500. The L-250 has since died (it got unknowingly shelved near a 4500 gauss magnet) but one of these days I'll revive it with another one.
 
Just wanted to jump on the Bill Lawrence band wagon too. The Wild Bill pups in my Tele are absolutely wonderful. I got the Noiseless, not the Micro Coils, and I love 'em. And at the price, I don't think you'll find a better pickup.  :icon_thumright:
 
As far as passive options, I achieved decent results with a Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues (rolls right off the tongue, I know) in the neck position and, if I remember correctly, a True Velvet in the middle. The bridge was a Virtual Solo, which might be too hot for what you're after.

Nowadays, though, I stick with EMGs. The SAX set for more synth-friendly "sterile" tone and the Maverick 5 set for noiseless vintage strat tone. Both with the SPC knob for added variety.
 
Street Avenger said:
Dimarzio Area 67.
There's nothing more chimey & glassy. It's not a "compromise". Those days are over.
Click to expand...

Not what ears are sayin'

https://youtu.be/Ub5VlXkW4p0?t=8

https://youtu.be/Ub5VlXkW4p0?t=93

Your milage blah blah.

 
Please can someone identify or link to the official Bill Lawrence Pickups website as Google is giving me the run around.

Also, what model of his pickup would I want in a strat for my application?

I'm finding links to BL USA, Bill and Becky, Dime etc...

What's the script here?
 
Be aware that it's a very old site, and not well written/organized. Navigating it leaves a lot to be desired. But, the link I gave up at the top of this thread takes you where you want to be.
 
Thanks Cagey - you suggest the Microcoils?

Some of the videos on the 280 and 290 sound divine - especially on this Warmoth...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxGUD3mnN1U
 
I like the Microcoils. You might want to call on the 280, 290 series. Seems to me one of those is no longer available, but I could be wrong.
 
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