Fender Gold Strat Lace Sensor

Pickup features: active single coil
Impedence or other specs: huh?

Model of guitar or bass: 1989 Fender Strat Eric Clapton model
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none - came with guitar
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Clapton
You musical style(s): rockabilly, funk, RnB, blues, pop, rock
Reason for pickup change: I changed these out for REAL Strat PU's last year because the gold lacew sensors sounded like mosquitos on drugs

Perceived output level: fuzzy, thin
Tone: thin
Sonic evaluation: yuch!! I bought the guitar for the neck (still love it) but was clueless about tone at the time. I threw them in the garbage

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: all

Comments: these were awful PUs. Now my Strat has that sweet ringing and cluck tones since I put real strat PUs on it.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 88' Eric Clapton stratocaster w/ 90 model electronics
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Came stock
Other pickups on guitar: All the same, all 3
Artists using this pickup: Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jeff beck
You musical style(s): Psychedelic Nightmare Rock/Blues, Simular to David Gilmore but dramatic like Roger Waters
Reason for pickup change: Cold day in hell will i change these out!

Perceived output level: Standatd strat is around 20 gain on a JCM 900 Distortion Channel what the Clapton can do at around 10 if you know how to adjust the mid- gain and TBX Knobs
Tone: In a word, "Smooth" in another "Singing"
Sonic evaluation: My main emhasis is lead playing, 95 percent of the time i am playing high gain with at least some level of distortion with at least 87 db of sound pressure. But these pickups (especially neck and mid) sound great in low gain and clean settings.
I used a Marshall Jcm 900 100 watt half stack for a long time, had to sell it and have been trying out Fender Evil twins, Mesa's and Solidano's Don't use with a fender deluxe or any amp made for vintage reissue sound, your neck pickup will clip the holy hell out of it!!!

The Evil Twin works very well with this Guitar, i WANT this amp, this is the sound i have been looking for for years, the vintage twin is...Ok the mesa combo is great, but i like the Evil better.
the JCM 2000 is another good one, if you like twangy dirty lead sound. Personally i am more of a smooth lead player, my producer says i sound a lot like David Gilmore with more high gain emphysis.
But let me define what "I" call good high gain sound. I like singing guitar sound, smooth and singing not rauchy, irritating and crappy, my "sound" is the exact opposite to Fuzz as high Gain is conserned. This is why i use sensors, the only other pickups that come close are the EMG's, but i find that the fender clapton scheme with sensors are better on 9 volt batteries. EMG's you better change every otehr gig or you'll be sorry. I have gone 6 motnths giging every other day with these electronics.
Well now that you know where i am comming from, i will evaluate the pickups. The Gold sensors are good all around pickups. With the Clapton Active circutry it really comes alive and with the right amp (almost anything all tube and decent built) the sound will gets heads turning and compliments galore!!!
One nice feature of the sensors is that it is the only magnetic pickup that will not pull on your strings at all. What this does is emphisises good harrmonics in the strings, it also avoids colorations and amplifacation of bad harmonics.
The lace senors do even better with active circutry, but with circutry designed for it. I wouldn't put just any active in there, the clapton scheme is as good as it gets as far as sensors are concerned. But you gotta know how to use it. Best trick is to change the mid-gain and TBX when you change from clean to distortion.
Here is what i play with distortion with any pickup
High gain
Volume TBX Mid-Gain This setting sings like a cannary
10 1 10
Low Gain
10 10 1
with some tweaking on occasion, but on stage, this is basically it
This is how you work the circuts on a Clapton, if you have it try it, remember on a Clapton, the Circutry is all master, which throws most strat players off, i frowned at it at first, but only at first because it took some getting used to, now all my strats will have it.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: good for all, unlike other sensors

Comments: Absolutly what i have always wanted, had them half my life and i must say, nothing comes close!
The Claptons with the "Toneless" pickups are crap, and the sales people tell everyone clapton chose these pickups for fender to update the signature models with. From what i hear, he absolutly did not and is Absolutly pissed off about Fender and fender reps claiming that.
Remember, screw the sales people's opinions, they are out to make money off of you not music. Listen to the one thing that matters, your ears and ask yourself brutally honestly, "is this what i want". Don't compromise either, i have tried in the leaque of 7,000 guitars, vinge, new, used and only have one!! I rather spent 2 or 3 grand on "the" guitar with "the" sound then to spend 10 grand on 10 decent guitars that none come close. besides fenders look and play good used, can get enough compliments on how blusy my beat to shit fender looks. Good guitars often are, because they are a joy to play therefore, have more wear.
Remember, they got rid of the sensors because of politics and better finantial gain, not because Noisless pickups sound better. Fender, gibson, and Paul Reed are all out to make money PERIOD! And yes they make some Heirloom Guitars, but they all make a good heap of total dogshit also. I like fenders, but Custom Shop Fenders. Their fretworkd is the best, the setup is the best. The density of the guitars are more uniform and the quality is stunning. Production guitars, even most american fenders, leave much to be desired. I am especially pissed about them only making the super strat, the thinline reissue's and the custom reissue Tele's in Mexico and ONLY mexico.
The stuff out of the custom shop is remarkable and remarkably affordable, 2 grand for a Heirloom instrument is not too much to ask for the caliber they are! Check out the showmaster, no, i don't think two pots, passive circutry, a seymore at the bridge and two ving singles quite cut it for the caliber instruments they are, but boy do they have potential, more so then the strat, and thats saying a lot! If they set that up with nicer circutry they could really have a masterpiece. My Rating is with careful consideration, this pickup is not for everyone, but its versitle enough to come close. If you hated passive Lace (can't say i blame you) try it with a clapton or buddy guy strat and spend an entire afternoon maybe even a week to find the best settings, you won't be dissapointed you did.

Pickup features: Single coil, Passive
Impedence or other specs: don't know

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Mustang
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Mustang Pickups
Other pickups on guitar: Fender Lace sensor gold
Artists using this pickup: Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck
You musical style(s): Hendrix, The Doors, Led Zepp, STP
Reason for pickup change: Needed more sustain & clarity

Perceived output level: Less than the stock Mustang pickups
Tone: A very bright balanced tone a little thin & trebly
Sonic evaluation: I'm playing w/my Fender Mustang '69 reissue through a fender RocPro 1000 head hooked up to a sunn 300 watt cab, boss noise suppressor, boss digital dely/reverb, & ibanez tube screamer.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play alot of bluesy hard rock stuff. In my opinion this pickup is not suited for the neck position, it doesn't have enough bass for it!

Comments: If they were destroyed our stolen,I would not buy them again. I've been playin' guitar for about nine years and I find these pickups to be bright & clean with very good sustain but they just don't get down and dirty especially if you like playin' some nasty blues licks. They're a little to clean & quiet for me, I like more of a muddy kinda sound. They main reason I got them was because of the artists using them, but I don't know what they see in these pickups. I'm not saying that there bad but if you like more of a vintage-type sound these are not your pickups. I'll probablly replace them with Seymour Duncans to get THAT sound.I would give these pickups a 7, because they're not bad, but because I was dissapointed in there sound & performance I gave them a 5.

Pickup features: Noise Cancelling Single coil, passive
Impedence or other specs: Unsure, 5.8k? Just a guess ...

Model of guitar or bass: Mexican Fender Standard Stratocaster
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: DiMarzio Virtual Vintage
Other pickups on guitar: Lace Silver in the middle & Lace Blue in the bridge
Artists using this pickup: Eric Clapton!
You musical style(s): Blues & Folk influenced rock, pseudo psychedelic
Reason for pickup change: Curiosity! I had no misgivings against the VV, I was just curious to try out the Lace Gold in the neck position, since the sensors can be set very close to the strings without damping the strings, I felt it was woth a shot ...

Perceived output level: Not quite as hot as the VV, but still loud enough (closer to the strings).
Tone: The tone is balanced and a bit mellow ( bridge position). Quack factor not as prominent, but it's still there!
Sonic evaluation: I was able to plug in my Fender Blues Jr right away this time around instead of listening through headphones (Zoom 503). I mus say I'm very happy with the results.
Some argue Lace Sensors sound dry and sterile with no quack, fret noise or harmonics, I disagree. The quack isn't quite as prominent,that's true, but with the middle (Silver) sensor wired to a phase switch, the versatility is pretty impressive and the quack is there!
For those who complain about the lack of harmonics and fret noise ... change your strings! I'm using a new set of no-name brand slinky strings (nickel wound I think) and I'm getting plenty of fret noise and harmonics.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Very versatile, suitable for any style (other than trash metal I guess).

Comments: I'd beat the crap of the guy who'd steal this, since it's attached to my Strat ... and I really like that guitar, it was already a nice axe, it's improved 100% sound-wise. Been playing since age 14, I like the fact I'm getting a good single coil tone without the hum.
It's early for me to say whether I've found "that" sound, I'm a hard core Tinkerer, I like to change stuff, thus far, only my Epi & Dano haven't been customised or upgraded in any way (though the Dano is next on my list!) ... I am very happy with the end result, no doubt about that.

Pickup features: sc
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: MIJ '50s reissue strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: original
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): blues
Reason for pickup change: the original pickups sounded thin and harsh

Perceived output level: quite a bit hotter than the originals
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: 65 RI Twin Reverb, SF Super Reverb

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great for almost anything

Comments: If they were stolen, I'd be buying new ones! I've played for 20 years, and these are my favorite pickups so far. Not only do they sound good, they are quiet also. The only thing I miss is a little more authentic quack in position 2 & 4.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: whatever fender says

Model of guitar or bass: Eric Clapton Signature Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none...these are the originals
Other pickups on guitar: duh...these are the originals
Artists using this pickup: E.C. Jeff Beck...and whoever else uses one of their guitars or a strat plus
You musical style(s): Blues, Classic Rock, Allman Bros., Jazzy elements added to all
Reason for pickup change: um...original pickups

Perceived output level: not much different in output level
Tone: Bassy...crappy midrange (if any at all since it cuts them out and you have to add them yourself), High end isn't bad...a little weak in places...definately not balanced in the sense that i percieve balanced
Sonic evaluation: Used through an old Peavey Classic 30 (all you scoffers hush...this little monster will burn some tone...except i heard the new ones were terrible...mine isn't). I use a whooooooole lot of midrange and very little bass and adequate treble to give me high end enough to cut through and a little clarity when clean. These pickups will thump the bass with the bass control on 2 which mine was at. Plus...have a very dry kind of sterile sound to them...maybe it is just my opinion of them...but I prefer the stock ones in my mexican standard (ok ok ok...I told you scoffers to hush)mainly cause these pickups are quite dead sounding with my setup...the mexi ones however at least give the guitar a more earthy 3-Dimesional quality.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i dunno...doesn't really work for me...too dry and Bassy

Comments: if it were stolen...i would be out a great guitar...cause...the neck is worth the whole thing almost!!! plus the midboost is cool for sound effects...but the pickups...nah...i'm replacing them as soon as i get some money. all i know is...i know now why claptons strat tone these days is strong in the bass end...i wonder how he keeps the roof from crashing in with those 4X10s in that bassman though? oh well...he used to be called god you know...well...mere mortals like myself aren't capable of such power. bye the way...it sounds great for him...i love his tone...just isnt for me.

Pickup features: Non-traditional single coil passive
Impedence or other specs: Huh?

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Standard Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock Fender
Other pickups on guitar: all the same
Artists using this pickup: Clapton, Beck, Buddy Guy
You musical style(s): rock, punk, alternative
Reason for pickup change: had an old Squier and wanted quieter pickups

Perceived output level: about the same as stock pickups, perhaps a bit hotter
Tone: incredibly clear and balanced
Sonic evaluation: Fender Standard Stratocaster, Princeton 65, various small practice amps. These are the best sounding pickups I have heard. They are great clean, excellent overdriven, and handle distortion very well. They pick up every nuance of your playing style, which some dislike, but I prefer. Some complain that you can't get the Fender "quack", but the 2 and 4 positions are close enough for my taste. The sustain, though better than stock pickups, isn't really huge, so I will probably replace the bridge pickup with a Red Lace Sensor.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Suitable for anything but metal, which would need higher gain.

Comments: I would replace them with the same thing again. I've been playing about six months, although I used to play many years ago. Once Iput the Red Lace Sensor in the bridge, I think I will have exactly the sound I'm looking for. I prefer them to the Texas Specials, Tex-Mex, and Vintage Noiseless.

Pickup features: single-coil passive
Impedence or other specs: ???

Model of guitar or bass: Harmony Strat clone (you can stop snickering now...)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: Gold lace sensor (middle), Red lace sensor (bridge)
Artists using this pickup: Eric Clapton, the guy from Bush
You musical style(s): Alternative, Metal, punk, anything labeled 'xxxrock'
Reason for pickup change: My stock pickups sucked.

Perceived output level: slightly more than my original pickups.
Tone: Not 'vintage' These pickups have a dark sound to them.
Sonic evaluation: I use a heavily modified Harmony Strat clone. What can I say, Im a poor high-schoo student! I have a Marshall solidstate combo.
These pickups are not your typical glassy vintage sounding pickups. I was surprised at the lack of that glassy, subdued tone. I knew that the blue lace sensor and the silver didnt, but since the gold is supposed to be the least hot of the bunch. However, this suits me just fine (albeit if I lowered the pickups it would sound more 'normal'). These pickups have a good crunch when your playing distorted. They pick up harmonics very well for a neck or middle pickup (my red lace bridge is screaming when it comes to harmonics). These pickups do not have the clean 'sparkle' that many people look for in a vintage-type pickup (no big surprise for me, seeing how they lacked the glassy sound that the strat is known for). Overall, they are very good pickups. They have a good output level, and in the 4th pickup position (middle and bridge) the sound is increadible, with little need for EQ. My review for the red lace sensor has got more info, if you want it.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Most. This is a well-rounded pickup. The distorted tone, however is much better than the clean (if you want that 'sparkle').

Comments: I would make the thief swallow his teeth if he stole my guitar. I might buy them again. I like the blue/silver/red lace-sensor combo. a bit better, but I got these for a very sreaming deal (with a aluminum pickguard). They guys at Music Go Round of Scottsdale are great, really friendly and helpful. If you live in Phoenix, I suggest that you go there. The only gripe I have about the pickups is that I think that they arent being produced anymore, and are getting harder to find. That about it, though.

Pickup features: passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Strat Plus
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: these are stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Clapton, Beck, Buddy Guy
You musical style(s): with this guitar(strat plus), I play blues, hard rock, and jazz.
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Hotter than American standard pick ups but not as hot as P-90's. I don't think it sounds like a classic Fender pick up because it is semi hot.
Tone: Middy. It is quite high gain. Vintage sounding.
Sonic evaluation: My set up is the strat plus through a crybaby (I don't use effects very much, I like to be the guitarist who just plugs in and kicks ass) then straight into either a marshall valvestate 8080, Mesa DC-2, or a Sovtek Mig 60 (best kept secret when it comes to tone for the price!!!)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play Hendrix,Clapton and SRV stuff and this pick up just nails their tone. Sounds really good clean or distorted whereas American standards would sound good clean but too weak for distortion. This pick up still has balls to it when distorted. It sounds almost like a fast track to me. Sounds best on position 5,4 and 1. Sounds too middy for the middle position.

Comments: So many reviewers really put down this pick up and I don't know if it is just me or they don't know what good tone is. These pick ups sound amazing and are really versatile. Why would Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Buddy guy use it if it was lifeless and toneless? How could you even associate Clapton's playing with lifeless? Have you heard these guys' tone?
Clapton's tone in 24 nights is simply to-die-for.

Pickup features: Single coil passive
Impedence or other specs: unknown impedance - transducer rather than polepiece pickups

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Am. Std. Strat
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Blue L.S. in neck, Red L.S. in bridge
Artists using this pickup: Supposedly Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, though beyond the endorsements I think only Clapton actually uses them
You musical style(s): Classic rock (meaning Hendrix, Floyd, Zeppelin, Who, etc.) and blues (of course)
Reason for pickup change: I felt that the stock pickups were a bit weenie. At the time I didn't know much about pickups; I only knew that I wanted more than I was getting.

Perceived output level: More than stock pickups, and to my ears hotter than the Texas Specials (although with a different tone). Certainly less than the Red or Blue Lace Sensors.
Tone: Thes pickups do not have the vintage Strat high end, which may explain the lack of noise. They are very balanced, but they do *not* reproduce the classic Strat sound as exactly as Fender said.
Sonic evaluation: I am playing my '96 American Strat through a Fender Blues Junior, which is a very middy amp for a Fender. I love it, though. Anyway, first things first. These are *NOT* polepiece pickups. They use transducers, which means that they will pick up a *lot* more of your guitar's inherent tone. My Strat is alder with a maple neck - it's very middy when played acoustically, and so that's what you get with the Lace Sensors. This is a key point, as I've read some reviews of the LS's that really slammed them. The bottom line is: if your guitar itself has no tone, these pickups will only highlight its faults.
Secondly, these are not meant to be vintage *sounding* pickups. They are rather the LS's with the closest output to a standard Strat pu.
Having said all that: the tone is very even, and may sound flat to a vintage freak. However, they are nevertheless very responsive and sensitive to playing technique. Unlike middy/muddy (depending on your outlook) polepiece pickups, the Gold LS's have a *lot* of clarity. They also do have some spank to them, but I'd compare it more to an SRV kind of spank than Hendrix. I am using this pickup in the middle position (which it sounds great in, BTW - really revitalized an otherwise unused position), but I have messed around with switching it to the neck & bridge positions. In the neck it sounds fabulous - very good for solid overdriven blues as well as more laid-back playing - but it suffers a bit in the bridge. But since these aren't individually wound for neck/mid/bridge, that's to be expected. If you like the Lace Sensors, I'd put a Red in the Bridge to get a hotter output.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a lot of bluesy stuff (go figure) from clean to overdriven. For metal/hard rock I use my Les Paul (right tool for the right job, I always say :) Again, don't use this pu in the bridge unless you want the same output level in all 3 positions (which you don't whether or not you realize it).

Comments: If I had to replace this pu, would I? I think so, although I might be tempted to try something else just for the heck of it. I will say, though, that you will not get this sound with *any* other pickup, and their uniqueness appeals to me. I've been playing for ten years, in bands for about six of those years. I have grown to love vintage Fender sounds, but since I also have a Deluxe Nashville Tele (which is an absolute *steal* BTW), I don't really have the urge to swap the LS's out. Again, I don't say that b/c I'm dissatisfied but rather to make sure that I get across the following point: They're Not Vintage!! Expect something different with these pickups, folks! If you're not a slave to the mystical 50's/60's sound, and are willing to experiment a bit, I'd say go for it.
Another note (rant): I have also found that - at least for me - there is no such thing as That One Guitar That Does Everything. That's why it's worth it to me to have the LS's in the Strat. It's really a unique sound (without going active - yeech batteries), and it's great to have in the "arsenal". Having said that, these are great all-around workhorse pickups. They do clean. They do dirty. And they even do sustain if you want it. For a live guitar, it's really perfect. Very cutting tone and very versatile.