Steve_Boudreaux « If You Like Hot Dogs, These Are Great Pups »
Published on 08/01/11 at 16:26Stevie Ray Vaughn-inspired, and good for mere mortals, these are very good pickups. Just a bit hotter than American Standard Pickups, if you play blues or rock, these could be the single-coils for you.
I own an American Standard Strat- the previous owner had installed Tex Specs in it, and I had the same pups in my previous Strat- a Squier Standard- so I was familiar with these. Still, I wanted to compare. As I play lefty, I could not find a lefty American Standard Strat in Sam Ash the day I went, so I had a guy who worked there play the SRV Strat and the American Standard, back-to-back. The tone of the Tex Specs is not only a little hotter, it's also fuller and better-sounding, to my ears.
IMO, the SRV Strat is a great tribute to a legendary guitarist- but aping someone else is just not cool, in my book. Install a set of Tex Spec pups in a good, solid Strat, and save yourself considerable money- and lots of "wannabe" embarrassment.
I own an American Standard Strat- the previous owner had installed Tex Specs in it, and I had the same pups in my previous Strat- a Squier Standard- so I was familiar with these. Still, I wanted to compare. As I play lefty, I could not find a lefty American Standard Strat in Sam Ash the day I went, so I had a guy who worked there play the SRV Strat and the American Standard, back-to-back. The tone of the Tex Specs is not only a little hotter, it's also fuller and better-sounding, to my ears.
IMO, the SRV Strat is a great tribute to a legendary guitarist- but aping someone else is just not cool, in my book. Install a set of Tex Spec pups in a good, solid Strat, and save yourself considerable money- and lots of "wannabe" embarrassment.