KaiserSoze
Senior Member
- Messages
- 309
An up front disclaimer;
No, I haven't played forty different types of strat pickups under studio conditions and I don't claim to hear nuances of different magnet types. I can't tell you the tonal differences between the late 50s, early 60's or late 60's Fender pickup offerings, and I confess to feeling theres no reason for the steep prices of some replacement pickups.
That said, I've had some time to explore my ash/maple/pau ferro strat with Roadhouse Sixty-Five pickups. I relied on Ken's recommendation based on the sound I described.
They are a vintage output set. Build quality is very good. The sound is exactly as Ken described: Very clean, clear, bright and balanced, without any spiky high bits. They seem lively and musical to me. People with a better ear than me may be able to find something that they are lacking, but I can't. Each position has a nice character and positions two and four have a great quack. In terms of sound description, I can nail early Dire Straits tones if not the playing. I've gotten so wound up in the clean flavors of these pickups that I haven't even begun to explore what they will do with my OCD pedal. Between the three pickups and the volume and tone controls, you can visit a whole raft of tones. I'm totally pleased and feel like I got a lot for the money I spent.
More reinforcement for me was letting my guitar teacher, who is much younger and much better than me, take it for a spin through his pro rig. Listening to him run through a bunch of 60s and 70s covers, I was convinced that these are some really nice sounding pickups. I love supporting small business guys like Ken. He has been great with personal service, but when the product is this good, thats a bonus. The only question in my head is "what do his OTHER strat pickups sound like?" Hmmmm
No, I haven't played forty different types of strat pickups under studio conditions and I don't claim to hear nuances of different magnet types. I can't tell you the tonal differences between the late 50s, early 60's or late 60's Fender pickup offerings, and I confess to feeling theres no reason for the steep prices of some replacement pickups.
That said, I've had some time to explore my ash/maple/pau ferro strat with Roadhouse Sixty-Five pickups. I relied on Ken's recommendation based on the sound I described.
They are a vintage output set. Build quality is very good. The sound is exactly as Ken described: Very clean, clear, bright and balanced, without any spiky high bits. They seem lively and musical to me. People with a better ear than me may be able to find something that they are lacking, but I can't. Each position has a nice character and positions two and four have a great quack. In terms of sound description, I can nail early Dire Straits tones if not the playing. I've gotten so wound up in the clean flavors of these pickups that I haven't even begun to explore what they will do with my OCD pedal. Between the three pickups and the volume and tone controls, you can visit a whole raft of tones. I'm totally pleased and feel like I got a lot for the money I spent.
More reinforcement for me was letting my guitar teacher, who is much younger and much better than me, take it for a spin through his pro rig. Listening to him run through a bunch of 60s and 70s covers, I was convinced that these are some really nice sounding pickups. I love supporting small business guys like Ken. He has been great with personal service, but when the product is this good, thats a bonus. The only question in my head is "what do his OTHER strat pickups sound like?" Hmmmm
