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FDP Forum / The 'Pup' Tent / Custom Shop Texas Specials....

Previous 20 Messages

TTS Music
Business Member

United States

Jan 5th, 2012 07:04 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
I was never a huge fan. They are good pickups, but get kinda muddy and in my opinion they don't really sound much like the SRV guitars that they are billed to be.

Modal Magic
Contributing Member
****

MBJ, Highway Hound.

You Can't Bend It Aussie!
Jan 5th, 2012 10:33 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
SRV had low output vintage pups in his No 1 Strat. Texas Specials are what HIS vision of what pups should sound like in his signature guitar. TS are different animal to what he regularly played prior to his death.

Kind off like EC having Vintage Noiseless with boost, a dfferent animal from the "regular" pups used in Blackie and Brownie.

Alderandash
Contributing Member
****

QLD Australia

Jan 6th, 2012 02:31 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
TTS Music
Business Member

As a business member who has an active interest in selling your pickups through this site I would have thought that you may have taken a more neutral position.
You perhaps more than most should know, and be able to advise potential users on how to set Texas Specials to avoid "kinda muddy" tone.
You've got 'em set too high - it's as simple as that.

(This message was last edited by Alderandash at 03:07 AM, Jan 6th, 2012)

rfrakes331K
Contributing Member

USA

RonHalen Jokingly He Says
Jan 6th, 2012 03:22 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
TS and Robert Cray and John Mayer pups are supposedly similar.

91Stratplayer

NW of Chicago

Have fun, this is the only life you get
Jan 6th, 2012 09:04 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
I have never heard any thing close to muddy tones from the CS Texas Specials. I have an original set in my 91 Strat. New ones are a tiny bit hotter but no mud slinging at all.

Modal Magic
Contributing Member
****

MBJ, Highway Hound.

You Can't Bend It Aussie!
Jan 7th, 2012 12:13 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
To clarify what SRV's No 1 pups really are, below is a quote from “Guitar and Bass Classics- Fender Electric Guitar Bible”, an article titled “The SRV Files” which describes the dismantling of No 1 by Fender VIPs including Richard McDonald, George Blanda Jr and Mike Eldred to build accurate replicas-

‘…The pickups seem to be stock ‘63s, but they put some shielding tape around them which lowers the inductance of the pickup. Control pots were standard for the era. The original three-way switch was replaced with a five-way.’

‘Yeah,’ adds Cruz, ‘one of the most challenging things about this guitar was those pickups. Basically they were stock but really weak, and we noticed that the neck pickup had a bit more resistance then the others. It wasn’t until the covers came off that the guys spotted the shielding around the pickups, so we went to the degree of doing that for the tribute. Most people will never see this stuff – but it’s something extra, the kind of thing you’ll be paying for’

Verbatim from the article.

91Stratplayer

NW of Chicago

Have fun, this is the only life you get
Jan 7th, 2012 04:42 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
I think people forget that it was not a set of hot pickups, it was his whole signal path that gave him his tone.

talk_2_joe

England

Jan 7th, 2012 05:01 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
I'm not a fan of the Texas Specials. They've never felt very alive, or rich with over and under tones to me. But then, I don't really like hot pickups, I prefer softer vintage ones. Regarding the price bracket, I'm not sure how these compare with something like Kent Armstrong, those are quite cheap.

TTS Music
Business Member

United States

Jan 7th, 2012 08:14 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
"TTS Music
Business Member

As a business member who has an active interest in selling your pickups through this site I would have thought that you may have taken a more neutral position.
You perhaps more than most should know, and be able to advise potential users on how to set Texas Specials to avoid "kinda muddy" tone.
You've got 'em set too high - it's as simple as that."

I understand setting height, but again, pickup sound and preference is all subjective. I said they are good pickups. I just prefer different specs in the strats I have. If you are satisfied with them, I am honestly happy for you, you have ended your quest for perfect pickups. I really prefer lower output pickups with a more balanced freq response, but what is balanced (again it is subjective)?

And I'm not actively pushing product on people.
(This message was last edited by TTS Music at 08:19 AM, Jan 7th, 2012)

Rick Plays The Blues

Austria

May I try that again?
Jan 15th, 2012 01:04 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
"I think people forget that it was not a set of hot pickups, it was his whole signal path that gave him his tone."

Two points on that:

- while the TS pups were originally introduced on the SRV signature Strat, I guess noone believes these get you Stevie's sound - as the sig guitar won't.

- TS pickups however are always mis-branded by many as hot pickups. Actually they are not really hot.
e.g.: Fat 50's: 6,0-6,3k
Custom 54s: 5,9-6,5k
CS 69s: 5,8k
TS: 6,2-6,5k (some bridge pups may be hotter than that)
Well within the vintage range. Sure on the higher side, but from 5,8 to 6,5 it is +12% ... typical resistor tolerance in amps is +-20%
My interpretation of the TS always was (from what I hear as well as from what I measured) that these are vintage reproduction, but within the wide variation of what was made in the Fender factory from 54 to 65, these represent those pickups that got a little more wire on their coils.

By the way, all four sets of Fender CS pickups sound really good imho and it is just a matter of taste what you prefer. But all four sets like to be installed in a good guitar. Some however are more sensible to that.

SMark

Atlanta, GA USA

"Life is good when you love your tone."
Jan 15th, 2012 12:05 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
"CS 69s: 5,8k
TS: 6,2-6,5k (some bridge pups may be hotter than that)
Well within the vintage range. Sure on the higher side, but from 5,8 to 6,5 it is +12% ... typical resistor tolerance in amps is +-20%
My interpretation of the TS always was (from what I hear as well as from what I measured) that these are vintage reproduction, but within the wide variation of what was made in the Fender factory from 54 to 65, these represent those pickups that got a little more wire on their coils."

All good points and well stated, but I can add a bit of insight with regard to the TS and the CS69.

You indicated that the TS bridge pup can be hotter than 6.5k and that is certainly true. Back just a few years ago Fender actually changed (lowered) the spec of the TS bridge pickup. I have one of the older sets here and my bridge pickup reads nearly 8k.

True, the official spec for the CS69 is 5.8k, but I have found that there is a fairly wide range to these pups, and that for the most part they are seldom wound that hot. Most of the sets I have measured were in the 5.4k to 5.5k range with a number of sets actually being in the 5.2k to 5.3k range. I've only seen one set that measured over 5.8k. So that would set the CS69 apart as being the lightweight of the Custom Shop Strat pickup family.

TTS Music
Business Member

United States

Jan 15th, 2012 02:38 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Yes, I had a TS set from over 10 years ago and the bridge was VERY hot. 7.6K-ish. Knowing what I know now, that would mean they probably used either 43 AWG wire (like a tele neck pickup) or a very thin coated 42 AWG. They could have also made the bobbins taller so more wire would physically fit on the bobbin, but I don't have a set laying around to test out these theories. Not trying to influence anyone, If you like them use them. Different strokes for different folks.

Rick Plays The Blues

Austria

May I try that again?
Jan 15th, 2012 10:06 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
SMark, TTS,

you know, I looked the spec to figure out why.
I have a set of TS from 95 in my old Squier JV. I always thought that these pickups sounded really good and very vintagey ... never ever through the last 17 years did I ever think these pickups where hot pickups. True, they are a tad raunchier than other vintage single coils. They do not have that sweet 50ies sound nor that thin late 60s sound. They are neither JH nor DG.
But as far as my TS set is concerned, calling them hot might rise other expectations than what they sound.

Anyway, no need to defend the TS, their sound speaks for themselves. And anyway, there is a reason for Fender CS to offer three other sets, that all sound really good imho. It is and always will be a matter of taste. And nothing's easier than to finetune the sound of an otherwise good guitar by swapping pickups.

mystique1

Emerald Isle

Jan 21st, 2012 11:41 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
A really good alternative to the TS's are D. Allen CS Austin Blues. I had the TS's, was quite happy and used 'em for years. Then last year I decided to try a set of the D.Allens. Was really impressed and the TS's went shortly after on Ebay.

Matbouche

France

If you never try, you'll never know...
May 28th, 2012 03:15 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Just installed a set of TS's in my CS 60's relic strat and what a difference !
I just love these pups, to me they deliver THE Fender tone but it's totally subjective ;-)
What I like the most is that all 5 positions sound good !
There surely are better pups out there but TS's do it for me...

amphead4

Cincinnati, USA

May 29th, 2012 01:29 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
How different are the CS Texas Specials from the regular TS?

bluesking55

Mechanicsville Va

May 29th, 2012 02:08 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Ive got a CS TS neck and middle coming today. Im a different player than i was 3-5 years ago.

Got the guitar all opened up ready to install. Gonna be fun

I met the TTS guy here in Richmond for about 2 minutes. He was demoing his overdrive pedal. He is not a pusher of his products. Only talked to him for about 2 minutes but listened to him for about 10. standup guy

shg

Straya

Jun 5th, 2012 06:12 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
The Texas Special is one of my two fave stock Fender pups (the other is the Hot Noiseless). If it wasn't for the crappy magnet stagger I'd have use them a lot more often.

Modal Magic
Contributing Member
****

MBJ, Highway Hound.

You Can't Bend It Aussie!
Jun 5th, 2012 06:27 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
"TS and Robert Cray and John Mayer pups are supposedly similar."

As a comparison from measurements I took

Robert Cray Pups TS pups

Neck 6.10 K Ohm 6.03 K Ohm

Middle 6.39 K Ohm 6.48 K Ohm

Bridge 6.96 K Ohm 7.28 K Ohm

I understand there is more at play than just resistance, but the outputs are comparable. The RC pups sure do sound lower output to me and I have done extensive comparisons. Either way, they are both nice sounding pups. BTW, the RC pups I measured are fitted to the mexican version of the RC Strat.

My understanding is the Mayer pups are mid scooped much like CS 69's. Does this imply lower output?

Rick Plays The Blues

Austria

May I try that again?
Jun 7th, 2012 01:48 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
As far as Lindy Fralin describes on the homepage, yes, mid scoop would go along with a lower output. At least if the mid scoop is achieved by the coil winding. Fralin offers overwind or underwind on any of the Strat pickups.

Seem to be really good pickups, btw.

Previous 20 Messages

FDP Forum / The 'Pup' Tent / Custom Shop Texas Specials....

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