Langcaster Lo Impedence Pickups

Okay, unlike alot of other guys that submit reviews for langcaster stuff, I've used these pickups for about a year so I've come across all the ups and downs of these pickups.

First things first,
These pickups are HOT! I mean you can plug headphones into them!

This makes for very nice clean sound and is very crisp and clear (amazingly so!)

Also the lead tone you get out of it is really quite beautiful!
(I will add that because the pickups are so high output you can run all your gain levels really low and it will still sound full and soaring)

When you get into heavier stuff (higher distortion levels an the tinny end of a wah pedal are the killers) is when it turns to custard,
Squeels everywhere!!!
Really quite a mission to acheive anything in the heavy metal area.

Also, I found that the sound was too full for playing very full rythm unless you're really trying to dominate the show.
(great for your bon jovi - metallica power chord stuff though)

Good match for what I play, sort of Gary moore/phil keaggey/Yngwie Malmsteen improv stuff

Overall, I like the sound as I'm not a metalhead.
They knock the pants off a strat (only in my opinion of course)and are much clearer than a humbucker.

They can really crank some singing leads as long as you watch the gain level.

And no matter how many effects you put on it, reverb, chorus, delay etc you still have each note very clear and very clean.

So in closing, if you want death and distortion these are NOT the pickups for you.

But, if you want a very tight, clean tone for soaring lead or clean picking or something like that, definitly worth a shot at these.

These pickups are very different to whats on the market!

Completely handmade pickups by Joh Lang in New Zealand. His website (www.langcaster.com) explains the science behind his active pickups as to impedence and negative hum/noise capability.

I have these pickups in both a Langcaster guitar AND a Langcaster bass. The guitar has 3 pickups and the bass has 2 pickups. I decided to review the pickups separately as they are pretty unique. Note that Joe Akkerman uses a Langcaster and many "guitar gods" own them even tho their sponsorship deals don't allow them to play the guitars in their shows.

Very high output on these! I play rock, metal, R+B and some jazz. I am running thru Laney gear for both the guitar (MXd120 amp) and the bass (RB9 amp). All sorts of effects also. The thing about these pups is they deliver a really clean, almost scintillating and accurate note with a lot of power. Instant sharp atack, excellent slow decay by the way. On the other hand, they can scream or deliver a really beautiful melody. This, to me, sounds like it then enhances the quality of the effect(s) I am using also. In a word, think LEAD, whether guitar or bass--it is definitely a LEAD tone, which means the rythme then is really really nice as well. Think strat from another dimension for guitar and for bass think of a sword.

I have been playing since 1972 and have had many instruments and much equipment pass thru my hands. For guitar---these pickups can give you everything. For bass, some may find them just a hint on the bright side when flat EQ'd. A little tweaking and you can pretty much get everything else. I only say 9 here instead of 10 because some tastes may prefer a darker sound and should look elsewhere. I think of fresh air with these pickups, others may want some funk in the air. Just the fact the same pickups are so sweet and unique for guitar AND for a bass should tell you something.They are not cheap, but real, custom quality never is.