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yanissdm
Published on 05/15/08 at 01:02
I bought a set of Custom Shop Fat '50s pickups last March.
187 euros new (I live in Germany, in France it costs 250 euros).
I didn't try any other models before buying it. I mounted them on a luthier Strat (body in two parts of superb quality).
But let's talk about that which interests us, the sound: The only other pickups I know well are the Ceramics Magnets, which equip the Strat mex standard, lousy, some would say, or at least not among the best pickups.
Comparing them: The Fat 50 bridge pickup produces only a weak, shrill sound. It has a total lack of lows. It's absolutely unplayable due to the presence of the highs. The sound has no warmth.
The middle pickup is a little better, but it's far from being good. Once again, it has no warmth. It produces a metallic, unpleasant sound, without depth, and with very present highs.
In my opinion, the only pickup that is usable is the neck one, but don't expect any warmth either.
I bought these pickups thinking I would get sweet bluesy sounds, full of mids and lows. But they disappointed me completely.
I'm not exaggerating: These pickups have no depth, no warmth, no dynamic response (could it be that it's an isolated case?), their sound produces me no pleasure at all. I even thought I had become allergic to the Strat sound. Me, who swears by them!!
I removed them and replaced them with my Ceramics, and I was finally able to breathe with a real Strat sound, warm, twangy when needed...phew!
187 euros for pickups that are badly coiled: On 2 of the pickups (middle and neck), the coil was unwinding (the wire was not tight enough), after only 2 months, go figure.
In short, I can only advise you against these pickups. Pathetic value for money.
Especially coming from Fender, who make so-called Custom Shop products, supposedly reference quality products, and make a fortune (thanks to guitarists who are fans of legends) with this type of pickups that are infinitely less good and infinitely less well coiled (it's unbelievable, to say the least) than the original Ceramics that come with the Mex Standard.
I had already read a review from a guy distressed by the lousy quality of the Custom Shop '69 pickups, and I thought he was probably crazy (even though he was a professional musician).
I now know that he wasn't saying it for nothing...
I will never make the same mistake and get anything Custom Shop again.
I give it 3 out of 10 points due to the neck pickup, which is almost usable.
187 euros new (I live in Germany, in France it costs 250 euros).
I didn't try any other models before buying it. I mounted them on a luthier Strat (body in two parts of superb quality).
But let's talk about that which interests us, the sound: The only other pickups I know well are the Ceramics Magnets, which equip the Strat mex standard, lousy, some would say, or at least not among the best pickups.
Comparing them: The Fat 50 bridge pickup produces only a weak, shrill sound. It has a total lack of lows. It's absolutely unplayable due to the presence of the highs. The sound has no warmth.
The middle pickup is a little better, but it's far from being good. Once again, it has no warmth. It produces a metallic, unpleasant sound, without depth, and with very present highs.
In my opinion, the only pickup that is usable is the neck one, but don't expect any warmth either.
I bought these pickups thinking I would get sweet bluesy sounds, full of mids and lows. But they disappointed me completely.
I'm not exaggerating: These pickups have no depth, no warmth, no dynamic response (could it be that it's an isolated case?), their sound produces me no pleasure at all. I even thought I had become allergic to the Strat sound. Me, who swears by them!!
I removed them and replaced them with my Ceramics, and I was finally able to breathe with a real Strat sound, warm, twangy when needed...phew!
187 euros for pickups that are badly coiled: On 2 of the pickups (middle and neck), the coil was unwinding (the wire was not tight enough), after only 2 months, go figure.
In short, I can only advise you against these pickups. Pathetic value for money.
Especially coming from Fender, who make so-called Custom Shop products, supposedly reference quality products, and make a fortune (thanks to guitarists who are fans of legends) with this type of pickups that are infinitely less good and infinitely less well coiled (it's unbelievable, to say the least) than the original Ceramics that come with the Mex Standard.
I had already read a review from a guy distressed by the lousy quality of the Custom Shop '69 pickups, and I thought he was probably crazy (even though he was a professional musician).
I now know that he wasn't saying it for nothing...
I will never make the same mistake and get anything Custom Shop again.
I give it 3 out of 10 points due to the neck pickup, which is almost usable.