Product: Tonerider Alnico III Blues
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted
11/01/2005
at
02:08pm
by
Chris Friedrich
Email: daddyfriedrich at comcast<dot>net
Features
:
Pickup features: Single coil, modified vintage stagger poles
Impedence or other specs: See the website for the gobbledegook
Instrument
:
Model of guitar or bass: Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Fender Vintage Noiseless
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, pop
Reason for pickup change: I was not happy with the FVN set. There is a very annoying metallic twang in the bridge position when I dial up morte than 50% gain on my tube amp.
Sound
:
No Opinion
Perceived output level: Slightly more output than FVN, about the same a Fralin Blues model
Tone: Crisp, good low end, retains definition at mid to upper mid gain. Good volume knob roll-off behavior.
Sonic evaluation: I use a franken-strat. Junk body, maple/rosewood neck (80's Squire tone-pro model in very good condition) and an aftermarket two point fulcrum six saddle bridge. Basic 5 way switch, master volume and master tone knobs only (500k each) I use either a Crate Vintage Club 50 head with Groove Tubes 12at7 in all preamp positions, and Groove Tube EL-84 in all power amp sockets (they are "5"s on the Groove Tube scale) or a Flextone II into a 4x10 cabinet (custom, two Carvin Vintage 10's, two Jenson C10Q's twin port).
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play covers that range from "Long Cool Woman" and "All Right Now" up through "Slither" and "Plush". My rig manages everything (finally) with one guitar!!!
Overall Rating
:
10
Comments: I obtained these pickups in a very generous demo program through Andrew Cunningham of Tonerider pickups. I was skeptical about wheter they would turn out to be custom shop quality or just some off-shore crapola. Call me nuts, but my buddy has a very nice Fender American Strat with Fralins on it which to my ears and fingers are no better than the Alnico III set. Andrew even has a special neck position model available with a more narrow pole spacing. This really helps if your neck/bridge spacing is narrow. It will greatly improve the string response during bends when using the neck pickup.
