Lace Music Products California Special

passive single coil pick ups that have a softer side than the silver Lace

USA Strat neck, MIM Strat body that I have set up for my playing likes
I have 3 California specials, neck, mid and bridge. No other pickups installed, duh!
The pick ups I replaced were Hot Rails
I doubt any other "artist" would like the sound the way I do
I changed the pickups because I like the Lace approach to a single coil pickup and found the California Specials had that sound I was looking for

The output is very smooth as you gain in volume and tone. Very, very quiet.
I play mostly through a 1980's Fender Princeton Reverb (tube) amp
The tone you ask? Smooth like an aged whiskey, soft as a baby's breath, and as laid back as you can get.
My style of music must be a classic rock/folk rock/folk style not unlike Bob Dylan, but he sings better than I.
I find the pickups with a 3 way switch or a newer standard 5 way works just great. I use a 3 way and I am very happy with the combos set up the way they are.

Destroyed or stolen? You bet ya I would go Lace again
I have been playing for just over 40 years
I love the nice soft, mellow sound they give me and I hate the fact that I have to change to one of my other guitars to play anything by Metallica, or Guns and Roses or ...
I have used and heard Seymour Duncans, Lace, Fender, DiMarzio, Dean Markley and on and on so you could say I compared it to most pickups on the market
Nothing I wish that it had but there are more than just one sound when you play music so I think we all should have at least 4 electric 6 string guitars

Pickup features: Noise cancelling single coil pickup
Impedence or other specs: unknown ... AGI are pretty secretive about them specs!

Model of guitar or bass: MIM Fender Standard Stratocaster
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan Classic Stack
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio Virtual Vintage standard (neck), Silver Lace Sensor (bridge)
Artists using this pickup: No clue!
You musical style(s): Varied!
Reason for pickup change: couldn't stand the muddy Classic Stack any longer

Perceived output level: Slightly higher output than the Classic Stack - then again it's set closer to the strings!
Tone: Clear and bright with a slight emphasis on the bottom end - not muddy at all.
Sonic evaluation: I sometimes wonder if that pickup wouldn't be better suited for the bridge or neck position ... not that it sounds bad in the middle, it's just that I'm never sure which pickup to use in that position!
The VV sounds best in the neck position, thus this is where it stays ... mind you I COULD try to put the VV in the bridge, the Silver in the middle and the California in the neck ...
Position 2 sounds in phase and nice, reminds me a bit of Robbie Blunt's tone on "Big Log". Position 4 is out of phase (go figure) and reminds me a bit of Mark Knopfler's tone in his early work (think Sultans of Swing).
Overall, I'm happy with it!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: A varied mess of Folkish Rock, Blues Rock and pseudo psychedelic Rock.

Comments: If it were to short out or fry I might consider another Lace Silver Sensor instead.
Fact is, I originally had bought 2 California Specials, but one wasn't working. So I returned that one, but Steve's didn't have any more California specials in store, so I chose a Silver Lace Sensor, which I ended liking a bit better than the California ... which isn't to say I don't like it, I just prefer the slightly brighter tone of the Silver is all!

Pickup features: passive Humbucking TranSensor in single coil form factor
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Giles KL-200 polymer composite stratozoid
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: ...
Other pickups on guitar: ...
Artists using this pickup: ...
You musical style(s): inept noodling
Reason for pickup change: Evaluation set

Perceived output level: more than single coil, less than Gibson humbucker
Tone: like a warm single coil, no hum
Sonic evaluation: feh.

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

Comments: The California Specials are humbucking TranSensors with higher output
than the original TranSensors and less sensitivity to the Volume pot
value. I use an off-tolerance pot at 370K and it sounds just fine,
balanced, a bit warm. A 500k pot might be a little bright for some people. The bottom end is stronger than earlier TranSensors, but a little soft and without the usual bite of your standard
single coil. Despite that, they sound more dynamic, less compressed than the original TranSensors. I give it an 8 only because I'd like better definition on the bottom three strings and note that there is a steel baseplate under the top three strings. These Cal.Specs. would be best in a more percussive guitar like a Telecaster or a hardtail Strat type.

Pickup features: passive single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Squier Pro Tone strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Generic, cheap single coils
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: don't know
You musical style(s): rock,santana blues, etc
Reason for pickup change: Fender put in some lousy single coils. I decided to change
the pickups right from the time I bought it.

Perceived output level: A little less than a humbucker, warm output
Tone: Balanced, very trebly in position 1 for blistering leads
Sonic evaluation: I play a Squier pro tone strat, replaced with these AGI Lace Californa Special pickups through a Fender Princeton Chorus amp. Sounds pretty lively on Chorus mode.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Santana blues, rock, alternative, the pickups are a pretty good match for this type of music. HOwever, I would not suggest getting it for hard rock like Metallica. Pretty good in all positions.

Comments: If these were destroyed or stolen, I would probably buy something else like a combination of SD Hotrails or some other hotter sound. I would consider getting Fender Texas Specials, but I would really have to test some out before I get replacement. These pickups are good though, NOt too hot or too generic, just right.