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Post subject: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 9:44 pm
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Hey so you guys have any details on these pickups? They seem like they are a little on the hot side as they have a mellow top end and are very full even with no mid boost and the TBX at the notch position. I love them but I just wanted to know more about them. Thanks in advance!


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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:55 pm
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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:01 am
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Depends on the model!
The first ones had Lace Sensor Golds which are FANTASTIC!!
High output even without the boost. If they don't get your amp cooking, hardly any other single coil will.
I have no experience with the other Clapton model pickups.

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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:02 am
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What we DO know, outside of the tech specs, according to Mike Eldred, is that Fender sent them to Eric on approval and 'he like them.' Presently, we do not have the luxury of sourcing Mike for any further details. You might try consumerrelations@fender.com and see if anyone can give you detailed tech specs on them. Sonically, I have a feeling that they are a bit 'brighter' and more vintage sounding that the Laces, as well as being humcancelling. Whether or not they are stacked humbuckers or just designed to be RW'd to cancel noise is something I cannot speak to. Personally, I also prefer the Laces in my '89 Pewter. They were touted, in their day, to be equivalent sonically to vintage Strat pickups. I think not. They are far more 'throaty' and have more wack running through the midboost. They also have the advantage of not being limited by height. You can set them at any position and they do the job. Pickups with pole pieces don't offer that. They are string dampening susceptible. If you find your way to http://www.lacemusic.com you can find a complete spec sheet on all the Lace Sensors available.

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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:21 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
... Sonically, I have a feeling that they are a bit 'brighter' and more vintage sounding that the Laces....


Hmm, my experience is exactly the opposite; my old Lace equipped Clapton is much brighter and 'glassier' sounding than my newer model with the VN's, which to my ear sounds a tad mellow. If you want to compare the pickups in the hands of Clapton himself try to find the DVD "Live at Budokan". Throughout the show he plays a model equipped with VN's, but for the encore a Gold Leaf with Lace Sensors is brought out. The Lace equipped Gold Leaf sounds brighter, louder, more agresive overall. I'm with the Doc in a preference for the Lace's.


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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:37 am
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Bobby1 wrote:
ZZDoc wrote:
... Sonically, I have a feeling that they are a bit 'brighter' and more vintage sounding that the Laces....


Hmm, my experience is exactly the opposite; my old Lace equipped Clapton is much brighter and 'glassier' sounding than my newer model with the VN's, which to my ear sounds a tad mellow. If you want to compare the pickups in the hands of Clapton himself try to find the DVD "Live at Budokan". Throughout the show he plays a model equipped with VN's, but for the encore a Gold Leaf with Lace Sensors is brought out. The Lace equipped Gold Leaf sounds brighter, louder, more agresive overall. I'm with the Doc in a preference for the Lace's.

With Clapton's tone, his EQ, and its influence on his tone has always been a big question around here. I put my trust in the fact that you have both guitars and have likely evaluated them sonically under controlled conditions. Just an aside about Laces. I used to own a '93 Tele-Plus which I swapped out for a '93 Clapton in equally pristine condition. I'm not Tele person, but THAT guitar with it's Blue Lace neck pickup, and Red Duallys at the bridge, and its coil-splitting circuitry was stormer beyond compare. I somewhat regretted giving that guitar up until Radiohead came along and THEN, I really had misgivings.

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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:51 am
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Hmm, not much info on Fenders site. Well I really like them, especially the bridge pup that's for sure. I'm just surprised at how full they sound, hey are also pretty warm, even with no boost added. I'm still figuring out how I like to set the TBX control in various situations. I really love this guitar with some fuzz, and the TBX adding a little top end. Wicked!!!


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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:18 am
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thenedster wrote:
Hmm, not much info on Fenders site. Well I really like them, especially the bridge pup that's for sure. I'm just surprised at how full they sound, hey are also pretty warm, even with no boost added. I'm still figuring out how I like to set the TBX control in various situations. I really love this guitar with some fuzz, and the TBX adding a little top end. Wicked!!!


Glad you like them! BTW: did you know Clapton himself does not even use the TBX control? His Masterbuilt guitars have a standard tone control.

Have you ever tried a Vintage Hod Rod '57? I found that those Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pups have a little bit more character than the Vintage Noiseless pups.


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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:19 am
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Bobby1 wrote:
The Lace equipped Gold Leaf sounds brighter, louder, more agresive overall. I'm with the Doc in a preference for the Lace's.


Same with me, same experience.
Lace Sensor Golds are bright (but not gritty) and aggressive, perfect for Bluesrock/Rock (depending on the sound you have in mind, of course).
When rolling down the volume a bit, they become warmer by the "natural" loss of trebles.
I would NEVER want any sort of capacitor (or whatever those tiny parts are called) soldered onto my volume pot to keep the trebles up when reducing the volume, because the slight treble loss is exactly what I need when changing from burning rock to mellower clean sounds.

As perfect as can be!!

I played Vintage Noiseless PUs on a strat once (not mine, though) and I remember them sounding relatively mellow and warm. Very nice PUs but they weren't what I was looking for.
To me they're perfect for clean, warm and mellow sounding ballads.
Then again: it was no EC model, therefore NO MID BOOST. Dunno if that changes anything?

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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:31 am
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Smokin' Frets wrote:
...I played Vintage Noiseless PUs on a strat once (not mine, though) and I remember them sounding relatively mellow and warm. Very nice PUs but they weren't what I was looking for.
To me they're perfect for clean, warm and mellow sounding ballads.
Then again: it was no EC model, therefore NO MID BOOST. Dunno if that changes anything?


Well spoken. After all things being said, it's not really which pickup is better, but purely a matter of taste. I like the clean sound of the noiseless too, but if any sort of overdrive comes into play, I find them to get a bit muddy, where a Lace will remain sharp and clear.

On the EC model with active electronics; yes it definitely changes things. Even without the midboost engaged, there is a volume boost in the circuit, so the instrument will sound hotter than a passive guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:39 am
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Bobby1 wrote:
Glad you like them! BTW: did you know Clapton himself does not even use the TBX control? His Masterbuilt guitars have a standard tone control.

We all learned that here about 4 years ago when one of us was planning an order for a CS Clapton and found that there was a descrepancy in the specs of the products section. We came to learn that only the MB guitars are build to artist specs.

Have you ever tried a Vintage Hod Rod '57? I found that those Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pups have a little bit more character than the Vintage Noiseless pups.


I own a '57VHR. The guitar I spoke of privately was fitted with SCN's. They sounded really good through that midboost circuit.

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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:48 am
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@ZZDoc

There's a DiMarzio ToneZone humbucker in the bridge position. The SCNs are paired in parallel with the humbucker.

Bobby1 wrote:
If you want to compare the pickups in the hands of Clapton himself try to find the DVD "Live at Budokan". Throughout the show he plays a model equipped with VN's, but for the encore a Gold Leaf with Lace Sensors is brought out. The Lace equipped Gold Leaf sounds brighter, louder, more agresive overall. I'm with the Doc in a preference for the Lace's.


The Gold Leaf you're talking about was given to EC by one of his fans. The golden foil texture on this is completely different than the original "EC-1"!

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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:51 pm
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I disagree with the folks saying that the noiseless pups are brighter. I've played both guitars and feel that the Lace Sensors are a bit brighter. I also noticed that Clapton's tone on the past 10+ years has become more "rubbery" sounding to my ears.

After 12 years my Feb '01 green EC Strat still sounds amazing. It ordered the guitar in Jan '01. Shortly after I received the guitar Fender changed over to Noiseless. I'm proud to have one of the last Lace Sensor EC Strats.


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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:51 pm
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Bobby1 wrote:

On the EC model with active electronics; yes it definitely changes things. Even without the midboost engaged, there is a volume boost in the circuit, so the instrument will sound hotter than a passive guitar.


That's what i suspected because Laces have a bad reputation. I read they're weak and sound thin.
I only know them in my Buddy Guy Signatures and they have the mid boost as well.
They're awesome in those!
Always wanted to try Laces in a passive circuit, just never came around to do so (or was too lazy to rip'em out and put them into another of my strats just for testing).

I just wasn't sure if it was the active circuit.
So it is the same with the noiseless EC PUs, I see.

Thanks, Bobby.

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My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


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Post subject: Re: Tell me about the noiseless pups in the EC model.
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:25 pm
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Smokin' Frets wrote:
Always wanted to try Laces in a passive circuit, just never came around to do so (or was too lazy to rip'em out and put them into another of my strats just for testing).

You'll need to find yourself a string of Strat Plus's. They were passive and originally fitted with Gold Lace Sensors. As the series moved through the years, the Sensors were upgraded. The Plus Ultra had a blue, silver and red. Our mate Xhefri is our Strat Plus guru. See www.xhefriguitars.com. He's never had anything untoward to say about the ability of these pickups to deliver.

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