Strat Pickups Blind Comparison w-clips - ANSWERS now on PG 3

[tfarny]

How could I possibly set it up in advance so that you'll be surprised by the results, since I can't know your preferences until you state them?
1) record clips using a consistent setup 2) post them, describe setup 3) wait for opinions 4) tell result. What's so complicated about that?

I just did a somewhat improved dirty recording - blackface mode, volume 7, no attenuator, Shure Beta 58 (no I don't have an SM57, sue me) bit of Blues Driver, compression and reverb added. It's not really dirty, but without the attenuator on it's hard to get much dirt with a blackface champ and a super efficient speaker. It makes my radiator rattle, which I think is part of what's annoying about the earlier set of clips. First it's set 2, position 4, then set 3 position 4. I don't know how to post to the place that Godrex did, so here is the clip on mediafire: http://www.mediafire.com/file/eomz3ddf1jd/set2&3drtyish.mp3

 

[dNA]

haha. never mind. forget i said it. maybe i'm just crazy

 

[Soylent]

How could I possibly set it up in advance so that you'll be surprised by the results, since I can't know your preferences until you state them?
1) record clips using a consistent setup 2) post them, describe setup 3) wait for opinions 4) tell result. What's so complicated about that?

I just did a somewhat improved dirty recording - blackface mode, volume 7, no attenuator, Shure Beta 58 (no I don't have an SM57, sue me) bit of Blues Driver, compression and reverb added. It's not really dirty, but without the attenuator on it's hard to get much dirt with a blackface champ and a super efficient speaker. It makes my radiator rattle, which I think is part of what's annoying about the earlier set of clips. First it's set 2, position 4, then set 3 position 4. I don't know how to post to the place that Godrex did, so here is the clip on mediafire: http://www.mediafire.com/file/eomz3ddf1jd/set2&3drtyish.mp3

I've got an SM57, I'll swing it by the house later  :laughing7:

 

[Cagey]

Take a decent amp along with you as well. I suspect there's something wrong with his.

 

[tfarny]

Guys, I spent a bit of time recording stuff for this thread, it would be great if it didn't degenerate into a stupid conversation about who sucks on the internet. Thanks!

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

No problem, I removed it.

 

[Superlizard]

They're all quite similar upon casual listening, but if you really listen ('can you hear Jimi?"), I like Set 2 best.

xtra points of note:

- Set 2 has slightly more detail/character than Set 1
- Set 1 has slightly more detail/character than Set 3
- Set 3 sounds slightly sterile
- Due to the slightly attenuated highs (less sparkle/chime than the others) on Set 3, I'd venture those are the noiseless.

The above is entirely based on clean clips alone; I didn't bother with the dirty clips due to SPL being too much for the mic, too much bass with the amp cranked, or something else funky.

 

[Superlizard]

Guys, I spent a bit of time recording stuff for this thread, it would be great if it didn't degenerate into a stupid conversation about who sucks on the internet. Thanks!

:icon_biggrin:

Welcome to the world of posting test clips on an internet forum.  :icon_thumright:

 

[erogenousjones17]

Guys, I spent a bit of time recording stuff for this thread, it would be great if it didn't degenerate into a stupid conversation about who sucks on the internet. Thanks!

:icon_biggrin:

Welcome to the world of posting test clips on an internet forum.   :icon_thumright:

There's a rule about discussing politics and religion here. Someday we're going to end up with a "no comparing soundclips" rule.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[Cagey]

There's a rule about discussing politics and religion here. Someday we're going to end up with a "no comparing soundclips" rule.  :icon_biggrin:

I don't think so. YouTube and services like them are a notoriously bad way to present anything you want an audio/video critique of. It's designed for general content for general audiences on the lowest common denominator of computers. The color, resolution, and sound quality are abysmal because for 99% of what's posted there, it doesn't matter. Plus, at the price (free), there has to be some bandwidth limitations, not to mention other limitations and regulations that can get in your way.

I'm always surprised that for as much as some folks spend on gear and bragging about it that they don't lease some commercial server space to use for showing off. It's incredibly inexpensive - you can get gobs of space and bandwidth for anywhere between $4 to $10 per month that would let you post super-high quality pictures and clips to your heart's content. You also end up inadvertently making highly persistent backups of all those things.

Another option that many aren't aware of is that most broadband ISPs make server space available with your account. It's usually not much - nothing you'd use for backups or anything - but it's there and you can link to it, which you generally can't do with files on your own machine.

 

[tfarny]

ah, it was a joke, and also, Cagey, I nominate you for our prestigious Captain Obvious Award for March 2010, for helpfully pointing out that youtube quality sucks and lots of people on internet forums don't know jack. On the same thread too!

 

[Dan025]

i dont care for guessing, pickup design is a matter of listening and luck especially with botique pup's that often are replicas of what fender produced in the 50's. rod magnets and flatwork bobbins and usually the same gage wire and type of insulation, not much to go wrong there. the only variable magnet strength and number of turns. the biggest difference in the recordings is the level of detail and sparkle which i don't feel points to price or design. i am interested in the results, i would like to see how the butget pup's stack up here and what the budget pups are.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I thought they all sound fine, like Strat single coils.  But I would guess the boutique set is set that I liked the least, closer to the vintage set.  Older or the way they used to do it ain't always better, IMO.

 

[AprioriMark]

I prefer set #2 overall, especially in the clean recordings.  Set #1 holds its own in the dirty recordings, though I still slightly preferred set #2.  Set #3 just generally annoyed me; not gonna lie.  Set #2 had some wonderful harmonic structure, especially in the "meat" of the neck with closer voicings.

I don't feel that I'm up on these things enough to guess which is which, and I have no real bias going into this, so I'm super interested as to which is which and what my actual preferences might be.

-Mark

 

[tfarny]

*****************************************Spoiler Alert************************************************
/beginspoiler/

Set 1. Bill Lawrence Keystone set, Poplar body hardtail strat, poly finish. Cost of set - $70.
Set 2. Lollar "Special" strat set, Poplar body hardtail strat, poly finish. Cost of set - $270.
Set 3. Dimarzio Area 58, 58, VV 54 pro set, Alder body hardtail strat, nitro finish. Cost of set - $180.

In other words, though it causes me great pain to type this, SuperLizard was right and for all the right reasons.  :help: God help us all!  :toothy12: :toothy12:

I think this test also provides some evidence of the effect or lack thereof of body wood species and paint type. I personally prefer 2, 3, 1 but I think they all sound darn good. I've had the #3 strat out at a couple of jams and a little show, and it has gotten many unbidden compliments on its tone, so I know it's not just me, and I played it on the "warmoth album" too and got a couple of compliments from people here. Still, side by side I think the Lollar beats the Dimarzio, though I have no intention of messing with the Dimarzio guitar.
Do the Lollars sound 3-4x as good as the Lawrences? No, and some people preferred the BLs over all the others - those people ought to be emailing the Lawrences right now. Thanks for playing along everyone, hope this was fun and informative.
/endspoiler/

 

[hannaugh]

I still don't understand what "sterile" tone is.  That term doesn't make any more sense to me than when I joined the forum.

 

[Dan025]

i'm a bit surprised i prefered the lollars to the lawrences, i thought the l-200's in my strat couldn't be beat but i think the l-200's are voiced more like the lollars than the keystones. i guess my preference is brightly voiced singles. i didn't think any set sounded bad, i really liked the dimarzios just liked the other 2 a bit better. actually the dimarzios sounded better dirty to my ears. it's hard to say without a direct comparison, especially if i'm not playing the guitar but i like the dimarzio's better than most fender pup's and assume i'd like the lollars or keystones better as well.

it's a wierd thing though, what sounds good to me in a recording might not inspire me while playing, and something i wouldn't expect might have qualities that i can here only when i'm playing and inspire me to take some new direction while i'm playing.

 

[dNA]

ha. i'm kinda pissed that I actually liked the most expensive pickups most. damn having expensive taste

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I still don't understand what "sterile" tone is.  That term doesn't make any more sense to me than when I joined the forum.

That word is subjective.  What I take sterile to mean is that a pickup has no coloration.  It's just bland.

 

[Cagey]

I still don't understand what "sterile" tone is.  That term doesn't make any more sense to me than when I joined the forum.

It may never make any sense. It's a subjective term that means different things to different people. To me, it means the thing is lacking in harmonics, with frequency response and dynamic range both fairly flat. Sorta like listening to a signal generator. It's too accurate. To my ear, inexpensive single coils with ceramic magnets often sound "sterile". I suspect it's because they're built to known and predictable standards. "Boutique" pickups often over- or under-emphasize certain parameters by adding or subtracting a few turns of wire, or other minute adjustments to the construction. This makes them sound different and gives them character, which the marketing weenies make hay of and crank the price over.