Being that SRV is one of the greatest players to ever pickup a guitar there are a lot of myths about him. Because most mere mortals will never have the talent and dedication to master the instrument the way he did they tend to settle on the tangible parts of his sound.. The equipment.

This is fine, and perfectly understandable. Equipment was a large part of his sound but certainly not all of it. So, I am writing this in order to help those who's purpose it is to capture as much of that sound as possible and not quit their jobs and spend years searching (as I have done).

First, the pickups. SRV did not use Texas Specials. He had little if nothing to do with their development and they did not appear in one single guitar that he layed his hands on. Please take a second to read that again. A certain company (which I love very much) has put a lot of time and effort into having us believe that if you want the SRV sound you have to give them your money and install Texas Specials in your guitar. This is the same as suggesting a Clapton Strat to someone looking for the sounds heard on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

The pickups in SRV's #1 were STOCK '59s. They WERE NOT sent back and re wound. Rene Martinez has confirmed this as did Fender when they took his guitar apart in order to make the replica. Notice how the SRV Tribute Strat did not have Texas Specials in it.

So.. If you are really looking for his sound there are two guarantees:
1) You have to learn to play with larger strings
2) You need WEAK PICKUPS.

I have owned every single set up Fender Custom Shop pickups at one time or another and the ones that get the closest are CS Fat 50's. If you are on a budget go for the 57/62's.

Thanks for reading. Remember, I am just trying to help. So please.. Never mention SRV and Texas Specials in the same sentence again.

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Custom Shop '59 Strat with John Cruz Master Design Pickups
Vibro King
Fulltone Clyde>Deja-Vibe>TS-808>TS-9>Boss Tuner

having tried them once i can definately say they ain't gonna make you sound like SRV! In fact, my van zandts get closer. But what really amazes me is that his sound was a chain of MANY things starting with his hands and brain and ending with his EV speakers. And to think you can cop his tone even remotely by using the same pickup, even if they were the same, is like saying you are going to put the same tires on your volkswagen bug as mario andretti uses so that you can drive as fast as him. it's totally senseless. If you could take stevies very pickups out of his #1 and put them in your rig, you'd sound no closer to SRV than if you picked any other decent set of low output vintage style pickups.

It's all about the skills.

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-Classic 50's Strat.
-Std. Telecaster.
-Mike Dirnt P-bass.
-Custody of SE Strat.
-Peavey Predator/Dean Evo/Epiphone DR150/Gibson Slide (much older than me).

Rellik Productions Inc.

Hi cwpainter: good post. Every word is right.

But if you think that's going to "put this to rest" you are likely in for a disappointment, I fear! Oh well...

Cheers man - C

Thank you, Ceri. I guess you are right.. But I am stubborn and wanted to try anyhow!

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Custom Shop '59 Strat with John Cruz Master Design Pickups
Vibro King
Fulltone Clyde>Deja-Vibe>TS-808>TS-9>Boss Tuner

I love Stevie Ray Vaughan and I own Texas Specials. Ooops sorry! (never say never)

My original Hot Rodded American Fat Strat Texas Special contained TSs at the neck and middle positions and a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates at the bridge. I never heard that the TSs had anything to do with SRV. All I knew was that the TSs were somewhat hotter than stock. As the years have gone by I have been more and more dissatisfied with the sound of all of the pickups. Right now the guitar is in pieces and I'm planning to put Kinmans in.

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James Burton Upgrade Telecaster
Hot Rodded Am Fat Strat Texas Special (now featuring Kinman Traditional II pickups)
Fender Blues Jr.
SWR California Blonde
Pedals Pedals Pedals

AMEN!! Thank you for stating this. I owned one of the first SRV Sig's to comeout and I HATED the Texas Specials. I think they are one of the worst sounding Pickups Fender makes. I put in Custom Shop Fat '54's about 2 weeks after I got it, then it sounded like a blues Strat should.

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2 Customized Strats w\DiMarzio's
07 SG
Modded DSL50 w\Mercury OT,PT & Choke
Carvin 2x12 V30's
Pitch Black Tuner-EH LPB-1,TS-808
Mxr 108 EQ-Modded Phase90
Carbon Copy
George L cables-Voodoo Power 2 Plus
Pedaltrain Board

Read the description and tell me they aren't trying to cash in on his legacy..

http://www.fender.com/products//search. ... 0992111000

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Custom Shop '59 Strat with John Cruz Master Design Pickups
Vibro King
Fulltone Clyde>Deja-Vibe>TS-808>TS-9>Boss Tuner

Plus there was this difference to his pickups. Quote

Hand Winding: This is also known as "scatter winding", where the pickup wire is wound on the bobbin in a random manor. This is how Fender pickups were wound prior to 1965, since it was a semi-manual operation, using a machine to turn the pickup bobbin, while a worker would guide the wire onto the turning bobbin. In 1965, Fender changed to "machine winding", as it is a completely automated process. Machine winding takes away much of the character of the pickup. A lot of the sound of old Fender pickups is due to the random layering and variable winding tension of the wire, which effects the tone. With machine winding, this is all very sterile and consistent. (after 1964). Not much variance from year to year with machine winding.

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Thomas Jefferson

I threw some TX Specials in a 91 MIA that I had and it really breathed some life into it.

I may have to put some Fat 50's in my HWY1.....

It's not that the Texas Specials are bad (not for me, but not bad) just that they will not give you the SRV sound.

I do highly recommend the CS Fat 50's.

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Custom Shop '59 Strat with John Cruz Master Design Pickups
Vibro King
Fulltone Clyde>Deja-Vibe>TS-808>TS-9>Boss Tuner

What are your thoughts on CS '54s vs Fat '50s?
What's the difference?

The Gilmour has CS Fat 50's in the neck, 69's in the middle and Seymour Duncan SSL-5's in the bridge. All great pups!
Not meaning to change the thread on SRV.

Here is the myth that I understood:
SRV did use stock '59 pickups. However, when his guitar was turned over to Fender they realized his pickups were severely overwound (chalked up to QC in 1959 not being the greatest). Thus the Texas Specials were specifically designed around how SRV's pups actually were, along with (I am sure) some other differences in the attempt to mimic his tone -- specifically developed for the SRV signature guitar.

Myth or fact? I am not an SRV historian -- this was just what I came to believe over the years.

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