Pickups recommended for warmer tone....

[betowelch]

Hi All:

I had been following some recent threads about pickups and I want to submit to all more expert than I this my question.

I have just only one guitar. This is a Callaham strat custom model equipped with Lindy Fralin pickups. I remember at the time that I bought it, when I talked with Bill Callaham about the pickups amd he recommended me Lindy Fralin pickups. In fact, all his guitars are equipped with Lindy Fralin pickups (a lot expensive.......).

I understand that isn't so much usual that people who plays Shadows to use these Lindy Fralin pickups. It's more usually to use DiMarzio FS-1, Seymour Duncan SSl-1, Fender CS-62 etc, etc.
And I don't know if this limitation it's for the tone or for its costs.

I'm happy with these my Lindy Fralin pickups...but as I have just only one guitar...I don't know how I could sound with these more Shadows dedicated pickups...That's the question... I have been looking always for a warmer tone...and still I'm looking for it...

So I want to check with that more expert than I and that could have experience with a lot of different pickup models.... If I change some of these my pickups, for bridge position per example, with a DiMarzio FS-1 model or Fender CS models I will could get these warmer tone improvement or not? All these pickups could be warmer or not than Fralin units?

I know that all this warmer tone research also depends of another details, as wood guitar and gear, but considering that my basic gear it's based in a Vox Heritage amp and a Q2 EFTP echo, I'm thinking if I could go up step (for warmer tone) if I could use a more warmer and dedicated pickup for Shadows music.

You know, as I only have one guitar, it's like to have just only one bullet in your gun...

I'm thanking in advance for some help about this.

Cheers from Brazil!
Roberto

[neopardyguitars]

Hallo Roberto,
If I had to use just one guitar, I would not be unhappy with Lindy Fralins!
There are a number of warmer pickups such as the SSL1, Fender SCN's, Van Zandt, Alnico pro II's, and Bareknuckle Apaches' , but wait....
Why not keep your Fralins and install a Bridge tone control? It is a very easy mod, and will allow you to mellow the Bridge to a point where the Fralin takes on some warmth. Fralins are excellent pups and will hit the mark. Several Hank clones swear by these, and one currently makes his living in Turkey, playing Shadows music style, and would not use anything else. I rate these amongst the best.
Finally, look out for an eighties Japanese Squier, Or Korean E series Squier, you can pick these up often for under £150, and they play and sound beautiful. (The Korean could well have a plywood body, and it STILL sounds good! Kind regards, arthur, Neopardyguitars.

[betowelch]

Hi Arthur:

Thanks for your reply in this thread. I been following other thread discussions about this theme and I know that you are new on this site. So be welcome to our family.....

Well...as I said, I'm really happy with these my Lindy Fralin pups....but maybe I could get a little warmer tone if there was some other pickup that could give me a warmer tone than LF has. For me it could be easier to try some experience with another one or another two different pickups to be used in combination with other 2 remainder Lindy Fralin. I'm really avoiding the idea for a second guitar to help me on this...

But really I'm not sure about this gain in a warmer tone with another pups.........so this is the reason of this thread.

I had been working to improve this warmer sound...working on better amp cut control settings and replacing the original stock tubes for NOS Mullard, using more vintage strings and also heavier strings, etc, etc, but maybe something could be done if, per example, I put another pickup model in bridge position if for this attempt (warmer tone) could be exist some other more warmer pup...

In my guitar I have a bridge control pot (blend pot) so I can mix the bridge with the neck pickup sound as I want. I think that is that you are mentioned in your reply. In fact this is something that I had been using a lot....trying to find a more mellow sound....

I think that the great absolutely main of the members here they all using some of these pups: CS-52 or CS-62/64, or DiMarzio FS-1, or Kinman HM, or Seymour SSl-1........ As I always was just only a rhythmic guitar player (only 4 years ago starting with lead) I don't have enough experience with using anothers pups for tone question. Playing lead I only have 2 guitars. One with Lace Sensor and this one now with Lindy Fralin. So my experience with other mentioned pickups it's zero.....

In a practical point of view, if I decided to try to replace one of my LF pups, per example the bridge one, for get some little more warmer tone, do you have some preference model pickup?

Cheers from Brazil!
Roberto

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Roberto,
Arthur's suggestion for a bridge tone control is a good one, unless your tone control already operates when the bridge pickup alone is selected. Arthur doesn't mean the neck pickup blend as yours is at the moment but you don't have to give that up.
Regards,
Charlie