Fender Red Strat Lace Sensor

Single Coil

Installed in Ibanez RS 230
Bridge
Billy Corgan

Hot-very hot.
tone is very nicely balanced
lots of overtones and harmonics

To those people rating this pickup badly
they must not have it soldered in right or something
cause this thing rocks!!!

Hot single coil with the tonality of a humbucker.

Strat #1: Red FLS in bridge position, Gold and Silver in neck and middle. Swamp Ash body, 250K pots, Middle P/up reverse polarity, standard bridge. Replaced a vintage staggered AlNiCo single coil.
Strat #2: Red FLS in neck position with an R/C network between the P/up and switch to lower the level and clean up the bass. Silver FLS and Duncan JB in middle and bridge. Alder body, 500K pots, all P/ups forward polarity, Kahler Hybrid bridge. Replaced a stock fender MIM pickup.

This P/up is pretty hot in the bridge of strat #1, it balances well with the other FLS's in the guitar. I don't recommend wiring the middle P/up in reverse, however, I will change mine at the next string change. This P/up works great with fender amps! I have a 1966 Super Reverb which it drives into a very nice output tube distortion. Backed off, it has a very nice humbucker tone with the ability to cut well. It has a lot of shimmer and some higher order harmonics that I don't get from my other Humbucker guitars...also, very dynamic! When I first installed this P/up, I experienced the dead (and very trebly) lack of tone that others have complained about. To solve this, I added 2 springs to the bridge block and backed the attachment back until the bridge was around an 1/8" off the body in the back...it became a totally different guitar! The bass response went through the roof and the harmonics were detailed. This P/up is very trebly through a British voiced amp. I also have a Laney AOR that has too much attack and presence with this P/up; I suspect that the Swamp Ash body has a lot to do with it; Alder, Basswood or Mahogany would probably be better. If you don't like the way your FLS's sound, suspect your setup, not the P/up. Strat #2, prior to the R/C network, sounded muddy and would not clean up with the Red FLS in the neck position...don't put it in the neck position unless you want to add some additional components to reduce and reshape the signal.

If it were lost or stolen, yes, I would get another one.
I have been playing for 15 years or so and repaired, modified and built tube amps for 8 years. I have a fair amount of gear...and what I don't have, I can make!
What I love about this P/up: you hear the quality of the guitar
What I hate about this P/up: nothing really
I do wish that the FLS P/ups had an optional cover with simulated pole pieces so that it would blend with conventional P/ups better.
These P/ups are what you make of them...if your guitar has deficiencies, these P/ups are going to make them more noticable. If you have a great instrument, it will get even better.

Features: Noiseless Single Coil
Impedance: (looks it up) *DC Resistance of 14.5K & Inductance of 8.12Henries (whatever that means)

Guitar: Indiana IS-300 (knockoff fat strat)
Position(s): Neck and Mid
Pickup(s) Replaced: Stock Indiana "Spitfire" single coils
Other Pickup(s): Powered by Lace humbucker (bridge)
Artits Using this Pickup: Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, etc.
Reason for Change: The stock pickups were some of the most lifeless low-output, plastic-y sounding things I've ever heard.

Output: Seems much higher than the stock, roughly as loud (but not quite as bright) as the 'bucker in the bridge.
Amp: Crate RFX 120 (2X12 Solid State, best combo under $500 on the market today imo). Effects: Crybaby Wah and Digitech Whammy, though I haven't tried it with those.
Tone: Very middy, but still balanced. A bit muddy for chords in position 4 but otherwise very clear. Sounds kinda compressed even without a compressor, probably because of the magical sustain. WARNING: If you're looking for classic "fender tone" that you've heard from so many of the "greats" this is NOT it! This pickup has a very modern, very un-alnico friendly sound. I really like them because they sound completely different, kinda jazzy, and I'm sick of everyone cloning someone else's tone (even though I'll admit I bought these because I knew Jonny Greenwood has them in his Tele pluses).
Style(s): Anything resebling rock and/or blues. Beginner Jazz.
Positions: As far as I can tell none, though I don't have one in the bridge so what do I know?

If, for some strange reason I lost or had to replace these I'd probably go with them again. I'm very satisfied by their tone since I have a mod-hevey Fender Tele that gives me most of the classic Fender tones and I didn't want two of the same sound. I've been playing for roughly two and a half years and have developed an open, but picky, mind and ear when it comes to tone. Really the only think I don't love about these is how both individually (positions 3 and 5) sound almost the same. Mixed together or to the bridge though still gives more pickup sounds than say, your average Gibson *wink*. To be entirely honest though the main reason I bought these was that I found them on Ebay (as a pair) for only $34 (including shipping!) so I couldn't resist. So far I think it may've been the best $34 I've spent in my life, though I'm still giving them nines for the sake that they're NOT for everyone and certainly not very "strat" sounding, which I know could come as a disapointment to many.

Pickup features: single coil, passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Mexican Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: gold lace sensor - mid, blue lace sensor - neck
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): punk, rock, classical (weird, I know), blues
Reason for pickup change: stock pickups sound like ass, too much extraneous noise

Perceived output level:
Tone: This pickup doesn't have a whole lot of bass to it, but it does have a nice balance of mids and treble.
Sonic evaluation: I play through some old Fender Sidekick Reverbs (which have a fairly warm tone to them.) I also use a Danelectro Fabtone (which kicks ass for the amount of money I spent on it.) Anyways, using distortion, there is just a tiny smidgen of muddiness to it. I think this pickup is very hot. The nice of balance of treble and mids give it a really nice punchy sound. Although, I've never played at a high volume and have never played a humbucker in my life, so I don't know it compares to a Fat Strat. I especially like playing rhythm sounds on this pickup, sounds very nice. When palm-muting, it gives a nice, thick Social Distortion-esque crunch.
I really don't like the clean setting for this pickup though. There isn't any tone to it. It sounds real flat and toneless, no matter how I set the EQ. For clean sounds I always switch to another pickup setting.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'd recommend this pickup for any music that requires distortion, but definately not for clean stuff.

Comments: If these pickups were destroyed, I'd try out either a Lace Sensor Red/Silver Dually or a Lace Sensor Drop & Gain. Supposedly the Drop & Gain has more bass but also has a nicer clean sound. I've used this pickup for the past 7 years and it has served me very well in that time. It's only recently that I've become more "tone conscious" and have a more specific tone that I'm looking for.

Pickup features: Passive, single-coil-Very quiet and bright
Impedence or other specs: HUH?

Model of guitar or bass: '95 American Standard Strat, with all-Fender/Lace sensoes in it.
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None. I bought the guitar in parts, from various eBay auctions.
Other pickups on guitar: Gold Fender/Lace sensors in neck and middle positions.
Artists using this pickup: Who knows?Probably LOTS of 'em!!
You musical style(s): Whatever.Mainly a bedroom player !
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a guitar that was custom built.It has a Warmoth Total Vintage construction neck (1-piece Maple), a '95 American Standard body(black), and black -cover, Gold Fender-Lace sensors in the neck and middle positions.The wiring is also stock American Standard, including the TBX control.

Perceived output level: As far as sound, I think the bridge position is hotter than the stock Gold in my '87 Strat Plus.The Red sensor sounds really bright, almost country-music bright.I'm still comparing it to my other sensors.I have a total 20-21 sensors in all, and I really like how quiet they are.I also got an original det of Lace S-100's from a recent eBay auction.I heard they're not made anymore; what a shame!!
Tone: Sound is really bright and clean.Excellent for country or clean tones.
Sonic evaluation: I play my guitars through either a Digitech RP-12, or, until a recent equipment failure, an RP-100, also from Digitech.My amp is a Peavey Backstage Plus, practice amp.Through this set, everything sounds good-great!!I sometimes 'borrow' a Fender Princeton Chorus.I mainly play clean, akso ghet some really good distorted sounds from my pedal.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly chords, I really want to work on a blues,oldies-rock, contemporary christian style of music.This pickup sounds good in the bridge.I wonder how it would sound with some wiring variations? Like the 333k tone mod?Or with no-load, or other pot values? I like to experiment with guitar wiring!!

Comments: If it were stolen or destroyed. I'd definately buy it again, as fast as possible!!I'm still experimenting with it, and would like to have it around long enough to try different sounds with it!!I have been playing, off and on, since '87, my senior year in high school.I like the cool-looking black cover, I like the low-noise factor of Lace pickups.I don't really hate anything about it.Overall, I got a good deal for the money, I have other sensors. both with white and black covers.I have 3 Golds in a 1987 Strat Plus (one of the first ones made), 3 more in a '95 American Standard that I JUST Finished putting together.I have at least one, or two, of every Fender-Lace, and I still like all of them!!!As far as a "hot" output from the red Lace-sensor, I have no idea where that came from!!Mine is quiet,bright, and sounds clean!I like it!I'd like to give it a 10, but that might mis-lead someone who is new to the world of guitars!!! A 10 would be too high, and a 9 is too low, so I give it a 9 and a half.Two thumbs up!!

Pickup features: single coil
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Standard Start
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: original
Other pickups on guitar: original
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): anything but metal
Reason for pickup change: Original single coil quite noisey and punchless.

Perceived output level: It kicks. Since it has no magnetic pull, you can get it real close to the strings.
Tone: Trebly and clinical.
Sonic evaluation: I use a few standard strats in vintage fender amps, with a hiwatt 4x12. It's a kickass classic setup. I've been using this red pickup for many years. And I've hated it all along, but kept it, somehow (lazyness and budget, I suppose) I finally decided to get rid of it, and boy, what a change.
Lets be clear : those ten years have taught me one thing : lace sensors are garbage, and it is little wonder Fender has abandonned rigging their guitars with them.
First, they are useless clean. No grit, no tone, juste a bland, sterile sound. Cool for MIDI, I guess.
Second, they are noisey as hell. Play them through a TS-9, and hum actually overpowers tone !!!
Third : they are awfully balanced. They are trebly and OK for artificial harmonics or getting your slide into third octave territory, but apart from that...
On the other hand, they do have gain, and are tube amp friendly. That pickup provided for memorable feedback on occasions, but overall, forget it.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play anything but metal. I can't think of any style that would really match this pickup.

Comments: I will NEVER buy lace sensors again. They are a waste of time and money.
I have been playing for 25 years, and condiser myself a tone freak.
I loved the harmonic range, but just hated the sound and noise.
I chose that pickup because the low magnetic pull (hence increased sustain) was a cool concept. Yet I should have realized : no magnetic pull = artificial pickup, artificial sound.
The bottom line is that this thing actually sounds DIGITAL. + noise, which is the worst of both worlds !

Pickup features: Single coil, passive pickup
Impedence or other specs: dont know dont care,al that matters is that it works and sounds good

Model of guitar or bass: Japanese 62/60's reissue
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Crappy stock pickup that hummed like a hummingbird
Other pickups on guitar: blue lace sensor in the neck,silver in the middle position
Artists using this pickup: Not sure.
You musical style(s): Classic rock,alternative,metal,grunge.
Reason for pickup change: the stock pickups didn't sound too good and had the most brutile(pronounced- brew tile)hum ive ever heard.

Perceived output level: fairly hot pickup ,it is louder than the stock i replaced but not too hot.
Tone: its rather trebly but it still sounds really good.
Sonic evaluation: Iam in the process of getting a descent amp but these lace sensor pickups go a long way towards making my jap strat and peavey practice amp sound good.These lace sensor pickups are good,some other users wrote in saying they are lame and sterile,I beg to differ.If you are looking to get humbuckerish sound out of strat without the routing and whatnot buy these they are primo.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play rock,alternative and metal and this pickup cuts it. I believe this pickup was designed for the bridge position in a strat.A good combo is red in the bridge,silver in the middle,blue at the neck.

Comments: If this pickup were destroyed or my guitar stolen I would get them again.Ive been playing for about 5-6 years.I love the fact that they really haul ass with distortion.I dont really like that fact that a the red lace sensor doesnt sound as nice clean.It still sounds better than the stock pickup but sounds better with some fuzz.Iam very,very satisfied with the sound from the lace sensor in a strat.I have found the sound that I will stick with for a long time.I still like gibsons with the 57 classic PAF but they are very pricey(worth it though)

Pickup features: humbucking-wanna-be
Impedence or other specs: dont no dont care

Model of guitar or bass: 86' fender 57' ri american strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: lace sensor: Gold
Other pickups on guitar: lace's blue in neck, gold in mid
Artists using this pickup: billy corgan, someothers too
You musical style(s): rock, alternitive, grunge, blues
Reason for pickup change: needed a hotter sound that would accually destort

Perceived output level: kinda hot i guess
Tone: trebly, shitty, lots of deadness and string drop off
Sonic evaluation: strat--->crybaby wah---> voodoolab sparkle drive----> ibeanz destortion---> usa big muff--> either a fender stage lead (80's model, tone sucks now, but i'm rebuliding it) or a carvin 100 watt 2-12 combo with a leslie rotating speaker and cab

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play a mixture of rock, alternitive, grunge, blues, it works, but only with destortion

Comments: this pick up is ok with a lot of destortion and a compressor to get rid of the string drop off. im still gonna scrap them for a set of fralin's, the blues specials, unless u use alot of effects these r not the pick ups for you, yes, eric clapton, buddy guy, and billy corgan use these and got good sounds from them, but the uses alot of compression too, i dont recomend this pick up, shitty clean, not as shitty destorted

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1995 Fender Strat Deluxe Plus
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Funk, Rock, Jazz, Country
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: decent
Tone: humbuckerish
Sonic evaluation: Great full tone after switching to 500k pots with the 333K mod on the volume pot. (push/pull pot for added PU combinations) I also got rid of the TBX tone control for the Silver & Red. I changed back to the Lace Sensors after using SD Alinco Pro II Flats for a year (one trick ponies). Since I rewired Lace sensors to what AGI-Lace recommends I can not put down the guitar. The versatility for a variety of musical style is astounding. I hated the Lace sensors the way Fender had them wired in (Sterile). Now the Strat is a great sounding guitar. I recommend the 500K pots with the 333K tone Mod to turn the Lace sensors into a great sounding PU.

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

Comments: see tone

Pickup features: passivesingle coil
Impedence or other specs: 14 k or something

Model of guitar or bass: mex 50's strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock vintarge
Other pickups on guitar: blue LS silver LS
Artists using this pickup: billy corgan jeff beck /bush/ feeder
You musical style(s): punk, alt rock,english rock pop
Reason for pickup change: not enough kick for my style

Perceived output level: hotter than stock sliightly less than my sg pickups (gison humbuckers)
Tone: trebbley but also bassy souns really good
Sonic evaluation: these are a bugger to get hold of .these are from don lace who makes the fender sensors so they are exactly the same.they sound in between a strat and a sg .the guy who said they are tone less must be joking they have a better clean tone than my sg and a far better disorted tone than with the stock pups.one reason ibought these is because of billy corgan .pumpkins are my favourite band and this is a great rok pups .i use it in my strat with a usa big muff and blues briver and sound sweet.pumpkins fans and anyone who plkays emo pop punk ie blink hundred reasons etc should buy these and put em in a strat they really kik ass.ps the sustain oh the sustain.....

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: rock /alt/ pop rock

Comments: i would buy it again if were broken or stolen.
been playing 5 years .use it with vox cambride muff and blues driver.
i love every thing about it.althoug i think they could still make it much hotter but it still sounds reallt nice distorted or fuzzed up.i dont think i will chane it as it gives me basicly all i wanted.

Pickup features: Passive single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '68 reissue Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Blue Lace Sensor, actual '67 strat pickup
Artists using this pickup: I think some famous guys use it.....
You musical style(s): Blusey rock, "grunge", classic rock, some jaxx and even a little old fashioned country
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a less noisy, hotter pickup for lead work.

Perceived output level: Very loud and bright compared to stock pickup.
Tone: Lots of "gonk". Hot mids and treble, but not overly bright.
Sonic evaluation: I have always used solid state amps (Fender Stage 112se mostly) and various distortion (Boss Heavy Metal, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Tube King) and effects pedals (Rotovibes,wahs, you name it) with this pickup. I really like it in high gain situations. It sounds very solid and cuts well. Being able to put the pickup close to strings (as you're supposed to with Lace Sensor) makes it real easy to give you a natural volume boost when switching between pickup selection. I liked using this pickup with the middle for rhythm work, and then switch to the bridge position solely for solos.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: When I was playing harder edged stuff, it worked great. You have to put this thing in the bridge.

Comments: I've been playing about 13 years, and own several Fenders, including a Telecaster with Lace Sensors which came stock. I like this pickup, but I'm actually going to change it out to restore my Strat to original appearance. It has nothing to do with not liking the pickup, I just want my strat to do different things now and look a little more true to its vintage nature. If you run a lot of effects or playing heavier stuff with a lot of gain, get this pickup. It just absolutely shines in that area. I don't play heavier stuff so much anymore, and already have a Tele that can cover that area for me, so I'm switching it out, but I'm definitely holding on to the pickup for future installation in another guitar.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: N/A

Model of guitar or bass: 95 american standard LTD
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: stock
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock
Reason for pickup change: I wanted a boost and EQ shift out of a pickup - I definitely found them!

Perceived output level: Much more treble than stock pickups, but the same flavor of sound
Tone: kind of trebly
Sonic evaluation: American Standard -> Boss GT-3 -> JCM 800 2205

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is suh-weet for rock!

Comments: I love this pickup. Along with the dynamic difference the sensor offers, I use a tube screamer and COSM preamp models to get a huge variety of sounds. This pickup turned my strat into a versatile plethora of sounds. Plus it looks cool next to standard PUs =)
If this thing crapped out on me, I'd buy another one; I've definitely found a setup that will last me a long time.

Pickup features: Passive single-coil sized humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Unknown

Model of guitar or bass: 1997 Fender American Deluxe Strat Plus
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: Blue (neck), Silver (mid) Lace Sensors
Artists using this pickup: Buddy Guy
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock
Reason for pickup change: Came stock on guitar.

Perceived output level: High output humbucker kind
Tone: Trebly
Sonic evaluation: Using this guitar into BOSS ME-8 into Marshall DSL-401. This is the worst Lace Sensor I've played! It is trebly at the bridge position of my Strat, although it's not as bad as the standard single-coils. It is noiseless, I must admit, but quite toneless also. The treble is pronounced and the mids are totally absent! The bass is barely there. Overall it has no balls and I cannot stand the pickup for leads. Nowadays if I want some rock I'd rather take out my MIM Strat with EMG humbucker at the bridge.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play blues and rock, mainly Clapton and Satriani styles. This pickup sucks big time. Maybe I got a lemon, but still it really disappoints me.

Comments: If it were destroyed, I will only sigh because I cannot sell it. I am quite happy with it now but I am planning to change to Kinman AVn pickups. Maybe a DiMarzio FRED at the bridge. This pickup cannot approximate a good humbucker at the bridge. Too trebly, no balls.

Pickup features: Single coil passive
Impedence or other specs: Dunno

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Mustang
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Crap strat copies
Other pickups on guitar: Same
Artists using this pickup: Nsync, Rick Martin, Brittney Spears
You musical style(s): Indie Rock
Reason for pickup change: The pickups that were installed on my Mustang were very low output.

Perceived output level: Semi hot output.
Tone: Trebly in the bridge, bassy at the neck
Sonic evaluation: I use a Fender Mustang through a Sovtek Mig 50 and a Carvin 2x12.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Very bad pickup, no harmoics whatsoever

Comments: I would not replace if lost, im thinking about replacing it now. I have been playing for 10 years and own many guitars with many pickups, and this is by far the worst i have heard. There are no harmonics from this pickup, pretty bad. Dont beleive the hype, this just sucks.

Pickup features: humbucking in a single coil size
Impedence or other specs: don't know, don't care

Model of guitar or bass: 1993 Fender Strat Plus Deluxe
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: Blue and Silver Lace Sensors
Artists using this pickup: Billy Corgan?
You musical style(s): Rock, Jazz, Funk, Latin, an eclectic mix
Reason for pickup change: no pickup change

Perceived output level: kinda hot, but not as hot as i'd like it to be
Tone: trebly
Sonic evaluation: Fender Strat Plus guitar through a Fender Hot Rod Deville 2x12

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: well... this isn't a good pickup for rock, metal

Comments: it isn't a great pickup, but it's ok. the fact that it has no hum is very good, but Fender could've made it a lot hotter. A LOT HOTTER. i'm looking to replace it with a SD Little '59.

Pickup features: passive single coil
Impedence or other specs: It nether impedes my fingers, or has specks on it. (ha)

Model of guitar or bass: American stratocaster/Texas special
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: The original Texas special bridge pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Texas specials occuppy the neck and middle positions
Artists using this pickup: Not a clue.
You musical style(s): Classic rock, 50's rock, R&B, surf, metal,and anything else that's fun 2 play
Reason for pickup change: The Texas special was nice, I just wanted a pickup that was more sensative to hammering and had slightly better harmonics. FOUND IT!!!

Perceived output level: Output is virtually identical to the pickup I replaced, It's just more sensative I think.
Tone: Trebly, like every other Strat bridge pickup. Perfect for thrash.
Sonic evaluation: I am using a 2000 candy apple american strat, texas special. Factory setup and aside from this red lace, no other mods. I run it straight into a Marshall MG80RCD when I want pure, unadulterated RAWK. I put a Yamaha FX770 between the two for everything else. The lace sensor doesn't inhibit any other style I play but I never use the bridge pup for anything but metal and rock anyway. They are all too trebly for anyrhing but thrash.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock, metal, and everything else, even some altenative.......and I'm like.......35 years old.

Comments: If this pickup were lost, or the guitar stolen, I would lie in a dark room and pine away. longing to be re-united with my guitar with the new lace sensor that made me so happy. Then I'd replace it. I have been playing for 25 years (I don't sound like it though). Anyone who says a strat with single coils won't work for metal obviously never heard a red lace sensor through an MG80. Turn it up, kick in OD2, flip your 5-way to the bridge position and let slip the dogs of war. It's the sound that has eluded me all my life. The feedback is managable and pure, the pinch harmonics are spectacular, the tone is, well, loud! And I didn't have to cut a huge ugly chasm in my pickguard. It looks sort of funny with my exposed magnets on the front pups, then none on the back, but form follows function. This pickup took me about half an hour to solder in, the diagram neglected to tell you what the green wire is (it's a ground) but it's easy just the same and the tiny wires make it easy just to melt the original solder and stick it in. I reccommend this pickup if you want a better rock pickup. If you want a more flexible R&B tone or clean tone look elsewhere. This ones for rock.

Pickup features: Single coil, passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Squier II Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: Blue (neck), Silver (silver)
Artists using this pickup: Billy Corgan, me, many HC review submitters, Johnny Greenwood (in a tele)
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, industrial, techno, pop, funk, reggae, psychedellic, experimental
Reason for pickup change: Stocks were muddy and noisy. Good clean, bad distorted.

Perceived output level: A bit hotter than normal, but I don't know what people are talking about when they describe this as an hot-as-hell-screaming beast. It's fairly tame.
Tone: Trebly
Sonic evaluation: It's pretty trebly, but not as much as the stock. Don't know if it would sound trebly if it wasn't in the bridge, though. It sounds great with distortion, but pretty thin on it's own clean. You could probably play pedal steel with this pickup, it's that kind of sound. Nice and smooth rock distortion, though. It sounds great with the middle silver pickup--loses thinness and becomes very pretty when played clean.
Like all Lace Sensors, it's low noise and extremely clear sounding and sparkly.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for whatever you need, I suppose, except maybe blues. Blue and silver are better for that. But who says you can't play trebly blues? Do what you like.

Comments: It's definitely a good bridge pickup. The Blue/Silver/Red is a good combo. Don't be scared by these reviews. Your strat will still sound like a strat, it will just sound clearer and the distortion will be smoother. The lower noise level is definitely a plus (especially with my souped-up Big Muff, which now is much less noisy). Not vintage. But still stratty. See my reviews of blue and silver laces for my comments on the folly of searching for THAT sound. Whatever sound this one is, I like it a lot.

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

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Standard Strat (mexican)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock P.O.S.
Other pickups on guitar: stock, (at least until i can afford new ones)
Artists using this pickup: Billy Corgan i hear
You musical style(s): rock, alternative
Reason for pickup change: the stick pickups had no life whatsoever...they were terrible clean or distorted.

Perceived output level: a bit hotter than stock, but it blends well with the others
Tone: trebly, but definetly in a good, pick up all ranges of sound sorta way
Sonic evaluation: I play my strat----->Dunlop Crybaby----->Fender Automatic GT amp

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: rock, alternative...lacks that deep throaty humbucker sound needed for metal, but its just right for me, and very versatile

Comments: i think i would buy it again, seeing as how anything is better than what i had in there. Ive only been playing about a year, so im still learning tons about equipment. I still would like to hear some Dimarzios or Seymour Duncans. From what i hear, those are both great pickups. I am very satisfied with the pickup, especially considering what i paid for it. Cant wait till i upgrade the others!!!!

Pickup features: passive single
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Plus Deluxe Stratocaster
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: silver and blue sensors
Artists using this pickup: don't know
You musical style(s): Rock/Blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Hot
Tone: Trebly,in a good way
Sonic evaluation: This pickup is simply the best single I've ever had to play Rock.
It sounds incredible good when distorted.This pickup likes overdrive/distortion.It's amazing to see how easy it is to pick harmonics with this pickup.And it sustains pretty well also.
It's very quiet.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It's a good choice for the bridge position.Good for Blues,Rock,maybe Metal

Comments: I've been?playing for about twenty years.I own four Strats.There's nothing in this pickup that I hate.If stolen,destroyed,I'd buy it again.I'm really satified.Some people complain that sensors are sterely.Of course they are not vintage sounding,they are not supposed to be ,but not sterely at all.This PU rules.

Pickup features: Single coil, low-noise (passive)
Impedence or other specs: don't know

Model of guitar or bass: Standard Strat (poplar body, rosewood fretboard, maple neck)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan Little '59
Other pickups on guitar: Blue, Silver lace
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, blues
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to see how the lace sounds

Perceived output level: Not as hot as I thought it was going to be
Tone: Very trebly, similar to a vintage strat, sounds good with lots of overdrive
Sonic evaluation: This pickup is ok, but I thought I would like it more. I tried it at various pickup heights to see if the output would change much, and didn't notice a difference. I play my strat througha ts-7 tubescreamer->Crybaby->boss chorus->Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. With this setup the pickup good for distorted sounds, but clean it is a little brittle.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly blues-rock, and also some modern Christian rock

Comments: I would not get this pickup again, primarily just because I have tried it once. I have been playing around 3.5 years, and my musical style varies depending on my mood. This pickup is better than the Duncan little '59, but not a real humbucking sound as advertised. I don't think I will ever be satisfied with my sound, simply because my musical taste and skill level will always be changing, and the tone that I like will probably change with it. I will probably replace this pickup with some Fender custom shop vintage style pickups, simply because right now I am into the vintage strat sound and can't afford an authentic vintage strat.

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

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Standard Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fender Gold Lace Sensor
Other pickups on guitar: Gold Lace Sensors in neck, middle
Artists using this pickup: Billy Corgan
You musical style(s): Rock, punk, alternative, others
Reason for pickup change: I loved the sound of the Gold Lace Sensors - both clean and distorted, but I wanted a pcikup with a lot more sustain. I don't particularly like the sound of humbuckers, but I needed one pickup capable fo longer sustain.

Perceived output level: higher than stock or Gold Lace, not as high as a humbucker
Tone: Very trebly
Sonic evaluation: Fender Standard Stratocaster through Zoom 505 and a number of small practice amps. The Red Lace Sensor has a very biting, trebly sound that is well suited for lead guitar. It also has a lot of sustain, comparable to a humbucker. It picks up harmonics extremely well. It does NOT have the sort of thick, crunchy sound that a humbucker does, so if that's what you're looking for, stay away. Sounds OK clean, but is best distorted or overdriven. Extremely quiet pickup. My Zoom 505 can be a fairly noisy effects box, so the quietness of the pickup really helps.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Not harsh enough for metal, not the best clean. Anything else should be fine.

Comments: I would probably get the same pickup again, at least for this guitar. I am getting another guitar with Lacw's Holy Grail pickups, which are supposed to sound like a vintage 54 Strat, but I'm not that concerned with "vintage", just that they are quiet and sound good, which this pickup does. I would prefer even more sustain, but I can achieve that with effects. For me, this is an almost ideal pickup. My rating is a little lower because I think many people would expect it to sound more like a humbucker.

Pickup features: single-coil passive
Impedence or other specs: hell if I know!

Model of guitar or bass: Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock (WEAK!!!)
Other pickups on guitar: Gold Lace-Sensors (middle and neck)
Artists using this pickup: Billy Corgan
You musical style(s): Alternative, Metal, Punk, almost anything labeled "xxxrock"
Reason for pickup change: My stock single coils were weak.

Perceived output level: Very Hot. Almost humbucker-hotness (but has more high-end than a HB)
Tone: It has more high-end than most (although, this is in the bridge), but it isnt tinny.
Sonic evaluation: I have a seriously modified Harmony Strat clone. Hell, its my first electric, and Im in high-school, I havnt got THAT kind of money to spend on a guitar right now...
I have a Marshall solidstate combo, and an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff ramshead (im not talking RI, either). This pickup is great in the bridge. Its clean sound is not all that great. This is the only area that my stock pu's were better. However, the distortion is incredible. I have gold lace sensors in the middle and neck, and when the middle is switched on (4th position, middle and bridge), the tone is fattened up immensly. Sounds like a normal humbucker. These pickups have much less magnetic pull, so your notes tend to sustain longer, and you can mount them closer to the strings without getting the normal problems associated with single-coils. As for hum, they hum much less (and I think that they would hum less if I would move my amp from its perch on my fridge!). These pickups are great. I tried a guitar with the blue/silver/red combo, and liked how it sounded. Ive noticed that the lace-sensor pickup has fallen into the love/hate category, which is almost too bad, because depending on the review, they can be 'turned on' to the pickup, then try it out and hate it, or they can read a bad review, and never try the pickup at all! All I can say is try out all the pickups that you can (on guitars similar to your own) and see what works the best for you.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It works good for pretty much all styles, well, except for anyting involving a lot of clean guitat sound.

Comments: Well, I havnt heard any stories on having your pickups stolen, with the theif leaving the guitar, but if somehow the pickups (or the whole guitar was stolen), I would track down the theif and promptly make them paint the ground red. Then I would check my gear to see if it was OK. If it wasnt, well the theif would have a lot more coming...
Ive been playing for, eh about 9 months, and through intensive woodsheding, I would say that I have a 'respectable' command over the instrument, but Im no EVH or Hendrix. As for gear, I also own a very old classical guitar, which for all I care could get stolen, because it is the worst representation of a classical guitar that I have ever played (ever heard of a 'Westbrook'? ha). Thats about it, as Ive said before, Im a poor high-school student (not for much longer!)
Im satisfied with the pickups. I compared it to what Di Marzio and Seymour-Duncan has to offer, and I think that they are far superior to EMGs. 'That' sound? Well, a JCM800 2203 or a Mesa Dual Recto would be nice (or a POD), but I dont have that kind of money to spend. These pickups are versitile. They can get a wide range of distortion, and the Gold lace-sensors clean sound isnt too shabby (read my other review), and the middle gold with the red, wow. Even that sounds good on the clean channel.

Pickup features: Single Coil (passive)
Impedence or other specs: Don't know. Pretty darn hot.

Model of guitar or bass: Peavey Destiny
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: stock Peavey single-coil
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan Little '59 (neck), stock Peavey hot humbucker (bridge)
Artists using this pickup: Billy Corgan, I think.
You musical style(s): Rock, Metal, Blues, Fusion, a bit of Jazz
Reason for pickup change: stock single coils had very poor output, and were sort of washy sounding
in any case-- I have nothing at all against single coils, only crappy ones.

Perceived output level: Hotter than the hot humbucker in the bridge, but hardly insane.
Tone: Kinda compressed. A pleasant sound clean or with low-to-moderate distortion.
Sonic evaluation: The Peavey Destiny (I have one of the high-end ones, with the pretty wood and the Kahler Spyder whammy bar) is definitely a shred-type guitar. (strat-shaped body, configured S-S-H) I've had the pickup in about a week, and haven't gotten the chance to run it through my big 'ol Fender M-80, but I've played it through the store's amp, which was a Trace Elliot, I think, and through a little Peavey Blazer I use for practice and one of the tiny old-fashioned Pignoses. It's a very focused tone. As I said before, sort of compressed sounding. Very quiet, like Laces tend to be. Almost reminiscent of an active pickup like an EMG. It sounds ok clean and distorts really pretty well (I can get musical feedback at conversational sound levels). The surprising thing I discovered is that if you fingerpick and really pluck the strings, you can get *nice* blues tones clean or mildly distorted. Distorted, it sounds kind of Jeff-Becky. (recent Beck, that is. Guitar Shop, Who Else, etc.)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a bit of everything. Rock, blues, metal. A bit of fusion and jazz. Even did the punk thing for a while while I was in college. It's fairly adaptable, which is nice. I have it in the middle position, which is probably pretty atypical. It's prob

Comments: If it were destroyed or stolen, I'd probably get something else, but that's more to do with wanting to constantly hear different sounds than with any bad stuff about this pickup.
I should point out that it sounds a bit muddy and not at all clucky in the "in-between" positions. Haven't used those as much since having it put in.

Pickup features: single coil (passive)
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: standard Fender Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: suckey stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: FLS (silver) middle / FLS (blue) neck
Artists using this pickup: Billy Corgan, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck
You musical style(s): alternitive, punk, classic rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pick-ups were to noisey and thin.

Perceived output level: This pick-up is avertised as hot, and i would have to agree, it's not too hot but it does a hell of a job for a single coil, its perfect for me.
Tone: This pick-up is very trebly, perfect for bridge positions, very good harmonics, good output.
Sonic evaluation: Well im using a Fender Princeton chourus Amp, VOX wha,wha, EH big muff, and thats about it. the pick-ups work very well with my setup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Well i play alternitive, punk, and classic rock, these pick-ups whould not be suitable for heavy metal or country but they work just fine for my style of music.

Comments: there's not much else i can say, these pick-ups ar great for my style i really cant ask for any thing better.

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

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Standard Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: neck and bridge standard pickups
Other pickups on guitar: standard mid
Artists using this pickup: billy corgan, james burton (i think)
You musical style(s): ROCK, EARLY alternative (none of this new matchbox 20 alterna-shit)
Reason for pickup change: i wanted a lower end on my strat, some more crunch and gain as well

Perceived output level: HOT
Tone: real bassy when distorted, but rather muddy when "clean", seriously muddy when distorted in neck position
Sonic evaluation: Fender Standard Strat w/ (in order) crybaby wah, danelectro fab tone, daddy-o, zoom505, to a fender automatic gt (25w giant)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: works for rock, the tonic and smashing pumpkins type, i dont reccomend putting a red in the neck cause it's just insanely muddy and deep in that position, even though that's what i did.......

Comments: I would definitely buy this pickup again, only i wouldnt put another red in the neck, i've heard that blue lace sensors are good in the neck, but i wouldnt know. i've been playing about 2 1/2 years, but i've had these pickups for about a year now. i also have a '96 am standard tele, and that takes care of the clean sounds that i lose with these pickups, so i cant complain. they DO take away the clean sound of your strat. either play distorted, or dont play at all. I am very satisfied with these pickups overall.