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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:50 pm
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stratogrrl wrote:
Miami Mike wrote:
srvjh47 wrote:
First, I have to say that I am not a fan of any "noiseless" pickups -- at least those that I have played, which are quite a few. I have felt like they are a bit lifeless.


Have you played the hot noiseless pups?

Like the Jeff Beck model Strat pups?


No I haven't played the hot noiseless pups but would like to. I've heard they are a little warmer tone than the VN pups.

So update:
We replaced all the pots with 250k and cap like the stock setup. After playing on my 20w Marshall valvetube totally clean, it sounds nice. The neck pickup has that "Wind Cries Mary" sound. The bridge pickup sounds nice if I turn the tone down (10 is super twang). I'm beginning to like these now.

I'm not in a band or anything so I do a lot of recording thru a POD into a DAW, output to studio monitors. As others have said I need to play with the tone controls, because some of my favorite POD tones don't sound the same. I also wasn't pleased with the 2 and 4 "quack" positions, so I've been futzing a lot with pickup height and found I can get them to sound better if I lower the middle pickup a little.

Overall I think I'm going to like these pup's now, just taking some getting used to.
jen :D


Excellent!!!!

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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:52 pm
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CAFeathers wrote:
stratogrrl wrote:
Miami Mike wrote:
srvjh47 wrote:
First, I have to say that I am not a fan of any "noiseless" pickups -- at least those that I have played, which are quite a few. I have felt like they are a bit lifeless.


Have you played the hot noiseless pups?

Like the Jeff Beck model Strat pups?


No I haven't played the hot noiseless pups but would like to. I've heard they are a little warmer tone than the VN pups.

So update:
We replaced all the pots with 250k and cap like the stock setup. After playing on my 20w Marshall valvetube totally clean, it sounds nice. The neck pickup has that "Wind Cries Mary" sound. The bridge pickup sounds nice if I turn the tone down (10 is super twang). I'm beginning to like these now.

I'm not in a band or anything so I do a lot of recording thru a POD into a DAW, output to studio monitors. As others have said I need to play with the tone controls, because some of my favorite POD tones don't sound the same. I also wasn't pleased with the 2 and 4 "quack" positions, so I've been futzing a lot with pickup height and found I can get them to sound better if I lower the middle pickup a little.

Overall I think I'm going to like these pup's now, just taking some getting used to.
jen :D


Excellent!!!!


+1


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Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:09 am
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Miami Mike wrote:
srvjh47 wrote:
First, I have to say that I am not a fan of any "noiseless" pickups -- at least those that I have played, which are quite a few. I have felt like they are a bit lifeless.


Have you played the hot noiseless pups?

Like the Jeff Beck model Strat pups?


No I haven't ever been able to find a Jeff Beck model. Better?


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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:36 am
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Gotta say i only used my VN's in a band situation twice. The first time it was soso i was very much backline. Lastnight at rehearsall i used em and wow cutting, clear and with the midboost grrrrroooowl.

Like i said before i love em half the time and hate em the other. Nice to see a £200 mexican strat blow away a £2k customshop though.

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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:31 am
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nikininja wrote:
Gotta say i only used my VN's in a band situation twice. The first time it was soso i was very much backline. Lastnight at rehearsall i used em and wow cutting, clear and with the midboost grrrrroooowl.

Like i said before i love em half the time and hate em the other. Nice to see a £200 mexican strat blow away a £2k customshop though.


Yeah I think I'm having the same "love/hate" thing going on. I really don't like the sound I'm getting through the POD, since I put the 250k pots in, its the opposite of what I had with the 1 meg pots, nice and warm sounding, but no bite for leads or bending. And positions 2 and 4 have never sounded that great. It's missing something but my ear isn't good enough to figure it out. Did you ever try 500k pots in your struggles with the VN pup's? I'm wondering if that will fill in what's missing.
So I'm getting frustrated again and I don't trust my ears anymore so I just ordered another set of hardware to rewire my old pickups, so I can swap between the two until I get this sorted out. That's all I want is the old American Standard Strat (with the Deltatone) but no hum. What do you think of SCN or Lace Sensors? Very close to that classic sound?

Thanks,
Jen


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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:59 am
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I love SCN's their by far the best sounding pickup fender have produced in years. Very balanced though, they do lack the excessive top end of most single coils (maybe its due to them being overwound). That suits me though. I've never tried lace pickups.

I cant remember what combinations produced what sounds when i experimented on the VN's. I must of gone through the standard pot sizes atleast twice. All i can remember at the moment is how great they sounded last night. My customshop guitar has SCN's and it didnt make it off the stand. I largly attribute that to the wide ranging sound spread of the VNs being suited to a band scenario. The treble cuts through great and seemed to enhance the bass definition too. Whenever i played that guitar at home though it sounded rubbish.

On a side note what POD do you use? Also are you going into a poweramp with it or into the front end of a guitar amp? I used a pod v2 live for a while and did find it a little bass heavy on all settings.

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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:00 pm
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nikininja wrote:
I love SCN's their by far the best sounding pickup fender have produced in years. Very balanced though, they do lack the excessive top end of most single coils (maybe its due to them being overwound). That suits me though. I've never tried lace pickups.

I cant remember what combinations produced what sounds when i experimented on the VN's. I must of gone through the standard pot sizes atleast twice. All i can remember at the moment is how great they sounded last night. My customshop guitar has SCN's and it didnt make it off the stand. I largly attribute that to the wide ranging sound spread of the VNs being suited to a band scenario. The treble cuts through great and seemed to enhance the bass definition too. Whenever i played that guitar at home though it sounded rubbish.

On a side note what POD do you use? Also are you going into a poweramp with it or into the front end of a guitar amp? I used a pod v2 live for a while and did find it a little bass heavy on all settings.


I have a POD 2.0. I run it stereo into a mixer which feeds some Mackie powered studio monitors. I have a 20w Marshall practice amp, but I always use the POD because its a great setup for recording into Acid.

I found the preamp kit online, just curious when you install it, where do you put the 9v battery?


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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:25 pm
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I put it inbetween the trem springs. If your going to put it in get ready for a big volume increase from the guitar. It takes the output from 9.5k to near 70k even with the boost on minimum. Here's a good link on installation. I couldnt get the battery next to the pickup switch though.
http://areyouexperienced.net/fender_clapton_mid_boost_kit.htm

If i may be permitted to do a bit of advertising. AxesRus sell them as cheap as anywhere else i could find and they post within the uk for free and quickly too.
http://www.axesrus.com/axeknobs.htm#Kits

I still say its worthwhile trying out a clapton before you spend money on the midboost kit. In itself its quite a deal to get used to. I constantly vary between 6-10 on the volume control and am roughly at about 2 on the midboost for trad strat sounds. If your near woodhall spa go round our drummers house and try mine :D

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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:48 pm
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nikininja wrote:
I put it inbetween the trem springs. If your going to put it in get ready for a big volume increase from the guitar. It takes the output from 9.5k to near 70k even with the boost on minimum. Here's a good link on installation. I couldnt get the battery next to the pickup switch though.
http://areyouexperienced.net/fender_clapton_mid_boost_kit.htm

If i may be permitted to do a bit of advertising. AxesRus sell them as cheap as anywhere else i could find and they post within the uk for free and quickly too.
http://www.axesrus.com/axeknobs.htm#Kits

I still say its worthwhile trying out a Clapton before you spend money on the midboost kit. In itself its quite a deal to get used to. I constantly vary between 6-10 on the volume control and am roughly at about 2 on the midboost for trad strat sounds. If your near woodhall spa go round our drummers house and try mine :D


Okay Nikininja its all your fault :P

I brought home another Strat today :D
I decided that I really liked the tone from my MIA strat and I'm going to go back to stock setup. So what am going to do with those VN pup's? Why not get a project Strat? Actually I was going to sell the pickups but as I was browsing Craigslist I stumbled upon the used guitars and found a beautiful 2000 MIM standard Cherry Red Strat. It was only $200 and was in great condition, however could use some minor fretwork.

I've yet to play a Clapton Strat and you live too far away (I'm in San Francisco), but I want this to be a project Strat and something totally unique. I have a Les Paul, Casino, and my MIA strat, so this will be a fun project and I'll get to learn more about the technical side of guitars.

And its all your fault :twisted:


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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 3:07 am
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I think building/modding guitars is something every guitarist should do. Get the MIM and build it into a clapton with the pod built into the back. They managed to put the whole internet into a telecaster.
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/news.phtml?newsId=1985

Have a lot of fun, the sky is the limit.

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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 8:56 am
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stratogrrl wrote:
nikininja wrote:
I put it inbetween the trem springs. If your going to put it in get ready for a big volume increase from the guitar. It takes the output from 9.5k to near 70k even with the boost on minimum. Here's a good link on installation. I couldnt get the battery next to the pickup switch though.
http://areyouexperienced.net/fender_clapton_mid_boost_kit.htm

If i may be permitted to do a bit of advertising. AxesRus sell them as cheap as anywhere else i could find and they post within the uk for free and quickly too.
http://www.axesrus.com/axeknobs.htm#Kits

I still say its worthwhile trying out a Clapton before you spend money on the midboost kit. In itself its quite a deal to get used to. I constantly vary between 6-10 on the volume control and am roughly at about 2 on the midboost for trad strat sounds. If your near woodhall spa go round our drummers house and try mine :D


Okay Nikininja its all your fault :P

I brought home another Strat today :D
I decided that I really liked the tone from my MIA strat and I'm going to go back to stock setup. So what am going to do with those VN pup's? Why not get a project Strat? Actually I was going to sell the pickups but as I was browsing Craigslist I stumbled upon the used guitars and found a beautiful 2000 MIM standard Cherry Red Strat. It was only $200 and was in great condition, however could use some minor fretwork.

I've yet to play a Clapton Strat and you live too far away (I'm in San Francisco), but I want this to be a project Strat and something totally unique. I have a Les Paul, Casino, and my MIA strat, so this will be a fun project and I'll get to learn more about the technical side of guitars.

And its all your fault :twisted:


If you need any help with any of your projects/mods I'm not that far away.

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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 12:31 pm
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CAFeathers wrote:
If you need any help with any of your projects/mods I'm not that far away.


After seeing Mr Feathers's work i can say i dont think you'll see a more tastefull modder in the northern hemisphere. If i had that offer i'd be camped out on his lawn.

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Post subject: Re: Vintage Noiseless...Disappointed
Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 6:26 pm
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stratogrrl wrote:
I was wondering if any others are unhappy with the sound of their Fender Vintage Noiseless Strat pickups. I have a 99 American Standard and my hope was to get rid of the hum without changing the sound too much (I really like the sound of the stock single coils). I had my husband install the Vintage Noise pu's (he's the engineer) and had high expectations for these since they are advertised as giving the "vintage" strat sound without the hum. I know that pickups can be subjective like paintings (in the ears of the beholder), but I did not expect these to sound so hollow and bland. The nice subtle sustain and slow decay I used to get when bending high up the neck just dies after a short while (like a limiter is on).

We used the schematic for the American Deluxe Strat (which comes stock with the VN pu's) and I set the PU height according to Fender specs and am still very disappointed. After paying $150 and all the work of soldering, I've decided to undo it all and put the stock back in. I wrote Fender an email and haven't got a response yet, but I guess I learned my lesson about noiseless technology. Nothing beats the real thing (a humming single coil).

-jen :cry:
8)
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Post subject: Re: Vintage Noiseless...Disappointed
Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 6:45 pm
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stratogrrl wrote:
I was wondering if any others are unhappy with the sound of their Fender Vintage Noiseless Strat pickups. I have a 99 American Standard and my hope was to get rid of the hum without changing the sound too much (I really like the sound of the stock single coils). I had my husband install the Vintage Noise pu's (he's the engineer) and had high expectations for these since they are advertised as giving the "vintage" strat sound without the hum. I know that pickups can be subjective like paintings (in the ears of the beholder), but I did not expect these to sound so hollow and bland. The nice subtle sustain and slow decay I used to get when bending high up the neck just dies after a short while (like a limiter is on).

We used the schematic for the American Deluxe Strat (which comes stock with the VN pu's) and I set the PU height according to Fender specs and am still very disappointed. After paying $150 and all the work of soldering, I've decided to undo it all and put the stock back in. I wrote Fender an email and haven't got a response yet, but I guess I learned my lesson about noiseless technology. Nothing beats the real thing (a humming single coil).

-jen :cry:
This is what some musician's call paying you're due's.Never modify an American Fender Guitar.You liked the way it sounded but for the hum.It's not the Guitar,it's in the way you control the volume and tone of the Guitar and the amount of gain you use and in you're recording set up,or live rig.Think dbx compressor/gate and turn you're chair around away from the hum when you are recording.


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Post subject: Re: Vintage Noiseless...Disappointed
Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 8:45 pm
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FENDERRAT wrote:
This is what some musician's call paying you're due's.Never modify an American Fender Guitar.You liked the way it sounded but for the hum.It's not the Guitar,it's in the way you control the volume and tone of the Guitar and the amount of gain you use and in you're recording set up,or live rig.Think dbx compressor/gate and turn you're chair around away from the hum when you are recording.



Good Advice :wink:
But at least I'm getting to learn more about the "tech" side of the Stratocaster. Its quite a brilliant design in its simplicity and playability.
NikiNinja got me thinking about a "project", so I picked up a cheap MIM that the VN pup's will go along with the Clapton/Buddy Guy preamp :twisted:

jen


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