Kent Armstrong Texas Vintage

Pickup features: Single coil over-wound Alnico Strat passive replacement
Impedence or other specs: 6.8k neck and 7.0k middle. Alnico magnets

Model of guitar or bass: WD Component Stratocaster based upon the original Fender Jeff Beck Signature model.
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Neck AND middle pickups being replaced. A pair of late 1970's Ibanez single coils from a Blazer.
Other pickups on guitar: Kent Armstrong HRO-1A humbucker at the bridge
Artists using this pickup: Not enough.
You musical style(s): Blues, primarily British inspired but maybe the choice of Texas Vintage might just suggest that a certain Mr Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Reason for pickup change: Frankly the Ibanez PUs were a stop gap. I had them, they were not being used and I needed to fit something to the WD Strat I was building. The Ibanez PUs run to about 7.5K each and have a whopping great ceramic magnet glued to the underside of the coil. Result is a relatively high output but tonally lacking single coil sound.
I wanted Alnico magnets to match the Armstrong HRO in the Strat's bridge position. Simply there is a sweetness that only Alnico can produce. Sure this sounds like an adman's BS - but it is true. So all three PUs on my Strat have Alnico magnets and there is a calibration of coil impedances [6.5k neck; 7.0k middle, 7.5k in the tapped humbucker].
The main reason for the change is that in positions 2 and 4 the Ibanez PUs simply did not cut the mustard. No edge, no cut, no subtlety. Compared to an American Standard Strat mine sounded flabby and insipid. Something had to be done.

Perceived output level: Perceived output level: Hard to comment objectively about output level. All I can say is that the two Texas Vintage PUs balance very well indedd with the tapped bridge humbucker. Moving from bridge to neck in single switch increments betrays no jumps in volume, only the expected tonal changes. The Texas Vintages sound mightily impressive through a Hiwatt DR103 which adds some warmth but leaves the intrinsic sound intact.
Tone: The problem is that the PUs making way for the Texas Vintage pair were so loud and mushy it is hard to be objective about the tonal qualities of the Armstrongs. The middle alone is bell-like and the neck has a nice woody quality with a bit of volume rolled off and the tone knocked back. Together they sound just a Strat should, only more so. There is no brittleness, no harshness, but bite if you want it. Dig in hard to the strings and these PUs respond, stroke the strings and they simply sing.
Sonic evaluation: The WD Strat through my Hiwatt DR103 is awesome. Even through a Marshall MG30DFX (clean channel) the sound is impressive. For added dirt I use a ProCo RAT2 which allows the inherent sweetness of the Armstrongs to come through. Probably the best sounding Strat in our circuit in southern Lincolnshire, England.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, classic rock, even touches of C&W. Superb for what I [try to] play. Not on the starting grid for metal though.

Comments: Undoubtedly I would use the Texas Vintage again. I have played a number of other people's US, Mexican and Squier Strats and not one sounds as good as my Armstrong equipped brute. However, I must say that I haven't yet tried Fender Texas Special or the new Fender 'Noiseless' pickups yet. But within the parameters at my disposal the Armstrongs are without doubt the dog's nether parts. The combination of over-wound coils and Alnico V magnets makes for the best compromise between power, punch, clairity and versatility. SUPERB pickups. And when you consider the almost stupidly low price....

Pickup features: Passive single coil Strat pickups with Alnico V magnets and over-wound calibrated coils.
Impedence or other specs: Neck PU is rated at 6.5 kohm and middle at 7.0 kohm. Alnico V magnets.

Model of guitar or bass: WD Component Stratocaster based upon the original Fender Jeff Beck Signature model.
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Actually it's the neck AND middle pickups being replaced. A pair of late 1970's Ibanez single coils from a Blazer.
Other pickups on guitar: Kent Armstrong HRO-1A humbucker at the bridge.
Artists using this pickup: I don't know any 'names' but KAs should appeal to any guitarist who wants tonal quality and supreme value for money.
You musical style(s): Blues, primarily British inspired but maybe the choice of Texas Vintage might just suggest that a certain Mr Stevie Ray Vaughan has at last penetrated this thick English skull!
Reason for pickup change: Frankly the Ibanez PUs were a stop gap. I had them, they were not being used and I needed to fit something to the WD Strat I was building. The Ibanez PUs run to about 7.5K each and have a whopping great ceramic magnet glued to the underside of the coil. Result is a relatively high output but tonally lacking single coil sound.
I wanted Alnico magnets to match the Armstrong HRO in the Strat's bridge position. Simply there is a sweetness that only Alnico can produce. Sure this sounds like an adman's BS - but it is true. So all three PUs on my Strat have Alnico magnets and there is a calibration of coil impedances [6.5k neck; 7.0k middle, 7.5k in the tapped humbucker].
The main reason for the change is that in positions 2 and 4 the Ibanez PUs simply did not cut the mustard. No edge, no cut, no subtlety. Compared to an American Standard Strat mine sounded flabby and insipid. Something had to be done.

Perceived output level: Hard to comment objectively about output level. All I can say is that the two Texas Vintage PUs balance very well indedd with the tapped bridge humbucker. Moving from bridge to neck in single switch increments betrays no jumps in volume, only the expected tonal changes. The Texas Vintages sound mightily impressive through a Hiwatt DR103 which adds some warmth but leaves the intrinsic sound intact.
Tone: The problem is that the PUs making way for the Texas Vintage pair were so loud and mushy it is hard to be objective about the tonal qualities of the Armstrongs. The middle alone is bell-like and the neck has a nice woody quality with a bit of volume rolled off and the tone knocked back. Together they sound just a Strat should, only more so. There is no brittleness, no harshness, but bite if you want it. Dig in hard to the strings and these PUs respond, stroke the strings and they simply sing.
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: