Tokai Stock

Pickup features: single coil passive
Impedence or other specs: n/a

Model of guitar or bass: 1989 Clapton Strat
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: gold lace sensors
Other pickups on guitar: all are Tokai
Artists using this pickup: n/a
You musical style(s): poprock,R+B, rockabilly
Reason for pickup change: gold lace sensors were simply awful - no chime - no character

Perceived output level: clear - ringing, warm strat tone - natural chorus
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: my favorite strat pu so far - have tried about 6 others. I use a bad cat cub amp

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Have played 40 years. Now in a cover band. The only non useful sound is the bridge PU as a stand alone tone. But so what ! Who cares? All the others are divine. And my bridge pu combined with my budda phatman gives great crunch.

Comments: doubt I could find these PUs again. I have had these PUs on my strat for about 8 years. No need to look for others.

Pickup features: single strat
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: tokai spring sound ts50
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: duncan/fender/vanZandt
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: stevie Ray Vaughan
You musical style(s): all kinds
Reason for pickup change: back to normal

Perceived output level: these are the stock pickups that came with the guitar, output between 5 and 6 kohm
Tone: balanced, warm and spongy
Sonic evaluation: These are the stock U stamp pickups that came with the guitar and thinking that those tokais are great guitars but the pickups could do better I immidialty replaced them with my own favorite mix: a vanzandt blues (neck) a fender 1983 (middle) and a duncan antiquity texas hot (neck). though I still think those pickups are the best for there resp. position, there is something anoying about souped up pups like the vanzandt has signature SRV all over but you dont want that all the time.. well anyway.. just for fun I put the original tokais back in and whooaa... not flashy big-as-texas (vanzandt) or throaty roar (the duncan) but a very articulated, warm, "springy" voice. Exactly what you expect from a nice early sixties strat. Because of the neutral sound I miss a bit of character like the hollow mids that become "ragedy" when overdriven from the pups of my early seventies strat but then again, that guitar exels in one thing but is not your best choice in best overall sound. I never get bored with the understaded voice of the U stamps.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play everything between Gene Vincent en Robben Ford.

Comments: Sometimes you see them pop up on ebay and go for a steal and it just make no sence to replace them with brothers from the same ballpark (duncan anlico II/Fender Custom Shop Custom '54/fralin vintage). Glad I didn't sell mine.