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Post subject: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a question
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 11:58 am
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Putting together a Warmoth swamp ash solid body strat with a maple neck and canary finger board and trying to decide on pups. I have an SRV strat already and totally dig the TS pups. I play mostly classic rock and all kinds of blues.
The question is are the FAT 50's enough of a different flavor from the TS pups to have in another Strat type guitar?


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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 1:00 pm
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I would consider the Fat 50s to be quite versatile. To my mind the Texas Specials do the screaming swamp blues thing well while the Fat 50s have that sweet bell quality that is so well suited for many applications. I think it justifiable to have a set of each.


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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 1:10 pm
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mxvin wrote:
Putting together a Warmoth swamp ash solid body strat with a maple neck and canary finger board and trying to decide on pups. I have an SRV strat already and totally dig the TS pups. I play mostly classic rock and all kinds of blues.
The question is are the FAT 50's enough of a different flavor from the TS pups to have in another Strat type guitar?


Granted that I have limited experience with the Fat 50's, I think of the Fat 50's and Texas Specials (even the Tex-Mex single-coils) as being in the same category. Not that they sound the same, but they are all overwound variations of the Stratocaster pickup. You may like one over the other or even like them all, but I think that you'll likely find slight variations between them.


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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 1:49 pm
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mxvin wrote:
...are the FAT 50's enough of a different flavor from the TS pups to have in another Strat type guitar?


Absolutely! I think that Retroverbial described it best when he posted that the Fat 50s just have this "growl"* to them. I have both TS and FF in Strats and can vouch that the growl in the FF really sets them apart from other pups.

*Growl: The low, guttural, menacing sound made by an animal: the growl of a dog.

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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 1:53 pm
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I could be wrong but as I understand it the Fat 50's have a slightly bigger middle pup output than the Texas Specials.

The Texas specials have a slightly higher bridge output than the Fat 50's.

The neck pups being closer but roughly equivalent with maybe a slight nod to the Texas Specials for higher output.

There's more to pups in terms of tone than output and magnet type but output is certainly a factor. Both pups appear to be quite popular.

I tend to agree with Toronado's approach. Build the guitar with the Fat 50's and then you can try them side by each like shimmi.

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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 4:36 pm
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thank you for chipping in with your comments and suggestions. Much appreciated.

I like the fact that FF's have a the RWRP mid pickup. My situation in my basement is I am in a "vortex"...lol. Everything that is noisy about strats in x5 in my house. Its a weird interference thing. Even when I am listening to sports radio on the AM dial as soon as I get close to my house or pull in my driveway....big time static.....

anyway.....I prob will give the FFs a go when I get the guitar togther....


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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 5:16 pm
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If that's the case then you might also want to take a look at the DiMarzio "Area" pickups if you're having serious noise issues. The Area pups seem to be pretty good at approximating single coil tone without noise. I've also tried the Kinman pups and they were also fairly decent.

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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 6:53 pm
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mxvin wrote:
Everything that is noisy about strats in x5 in my house. Its a weird interference thing. Even when I am listening to sports radio on the AM dial as soon as I get close to my house or pull in my driveway....big time static.....


That sounds suspicious to me.

You haven't noticed any dark-colored Chevy Suburbans with DHS plates parked in your neighborhood or black helicopters flying around your house recently, have you?

:lol:

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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 7:32 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
mxvin wrote:
Everything that is noisy about strats in x5 in my house. Its a weird interference thing. Even when I am listening to sports radio on the AM dial as soon as I get close to my house or pull in my driveway....big time static.....


That sounds suspicious to me.

You haven't noticed any dark-colored Chevy Suburbans with DHS plates parked in your neighborhood or black helicopters flying around your house recently, have you?

:lol:

Arjay


funny...:)
it is where my house is for some reason.My gear anywhere else is typical Fender vintage amp noise.....


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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 7:54 pm
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That tears it then......they have your house under surveillance.

It's prolly all that bottled water and freeze-dried food they know you got stashed in the cellar.

Better break out your tin-foil hat and pull the battery from your cellphone.

:lol:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 5:16 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
That tears it then......they have your house under surveillance.

It's prolly all that bottled water and freeze-dried food they know you got stashed in the cellar.

Better break out your tin-foil hat and pull the battery from your cellphone.

:lol:

Arjay


You know you are right on the money. My wife bought a whole Y2K package with freeze dried food and myriad of other supplies....

Time to go off the grid I guess...

:)


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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 1:57 pm
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Careful boys, the DOJ might be reading this :shock: :lol: .


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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 11:15 pm
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These are my 2 favorite fender pickups. They both have a sound all there own. As you know by playing the TS they are great for the gritty blues style. The Fat 50's though IMO are like the jack of all trades master of non PU's. The are extremely well balanced and versatile.


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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Sat May 25, 2013 2:22 am
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You might want to read this long thread http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?p=15564036#post15564036 where they discuss a particular pickup winder that makes a variety of strat pickups that many of these dudes really like.

It is very interesting reading and might give you some optional ideas. They describe the various pickups in some detail and the debate is interesting. The pickup sets are very inexpensive as well.

I have Texas Specials in two strats and Fat Fifties in one. I play the TS strats the most, so I guess I should start playing the one with the FF's in it so I can give a comparison opinion. I haven't played that strat in a while actually, and need to.

I would still consider the pickups that they talk about in the thread above though, personally. No affln.

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Post subject: Re: FAT 50's vs Texas Specials. Not a comparrison but a ques
Posted: Sat May 25, 2013 5:32 am
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1Duffy1 wrote:
You might want to read this long thread http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?p=15564036#post15564036 where they discuss a particular pickup winder that makes a variety of strat pickups that many of these dudes really like.

It is very interesting reading and might give you some optional ideas. They describe the various pickups in some detail and the debate is interesting. The pickup sets are very inexpensive as well.

I have Texas Specials in two strats and Fat Fifties in one. I play the TS strats the most, so I guess I should start playing the one with the FF's in it so I can give a comparison opinion. I haven't played that strat in a while actually, and need to.

I would still consider the pickups that they talk about in the thread above though, personally. No affln.


Thanks Duff. I have one Strat. An SRV with of course the TS pups. After I got it dialed in I totally love it. I am looking for a dif flavor of strat with the build I am doing. Thanks for the link as well. When you play the 50s again let me know what you think...


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