Anyone ever get any more info on the pickups? How they sound compared to the original mini-hums? How they compare to other gold foils? Any word beyond the page verbiage of "bright and articulate" or big poppa saying they're "so good?" Just chomping at the bit for these guitars, already have one on preorder.
- Thread starter NickNihil
- Start date
I got this email from from customer service a few days ago:
"Hi Nick,
Since sending this, we've actually received a description from our R&D team.
Here's a bit more on their tone.
"These pickups have a moderate, "vintage" output with a clear, chimey sound that I would describe as a big single coil. The top end is clear but smooth and the low end is rounder than a single-coil, but more defined than a normal humbucker. They are fully humbucking and potted. The bridge has a little more output and with slightly less treble and a tad more mids for a little extra horsepower than the other two.
I would put them somewhere between a single coil and a traditional PAF humbucker, more in the range of a traditional filtertron style pickup."
"Hi Nick,
Since sending this, we've actually received a description from our R&D team.
Here's a bit more on their tone.
"These pickups have a moderate, "vintage" output with a clear, chimey sound that I would describe as a big single coil. The top end is clear but smooth and the low end is rounder than a single-coil, but more defined than a normal humbucker. They are fully humbucking and potted. The bridge has a little more output and with slightly less treble and a tad more mids for a little extra horsepower than the other two.
I would put them somewhere between a single coil and a traditional PAF humbucker, more in the range of a traditional filtertron style pickup."
As much as I love the originals, I do agree they needed a little more top end. That said, I have a stealth black hhh that I swapped the tone pot (maybe both volume and tone?) for 500k and that certainly did the trick. Nonetheless, I did go ahead and preorder one of the new Goldies, I think they're absolutely stunning. I'll hopefully have it in the first week of June.
Super interesting to hear all this. I was debating putting these in my St Vincent, curious how the new pickups will compare! Fralin Big Single Mini: Huge Single Coil Sound, No Hum.
tbonesullivan
Well-known member
That's a really nice demo. Premier guitar always gets good people to do their reviews / demo. Definitely like the sounds I was hearing. I would have liked some more "totally clean" and "rock" sounds, but I'm sure other demos will provide those.
Now... if only those colors were a bit different. I get that St. Vincent has gone whole hog into the 70's music and vibe, but those colors just aren't doing it for me. I do however love the aesthetics of the gold foil pickups, even if they don't have the traditional gold foil construction, which often uses literally refrigerator magnets.
St. V did just say this about it:
Now... if only those colors were a bit different. I get that St. Vincent has gone whole hog into the 70's music and vibe, but those colors just aren't doing it for me. I do however love the aesthetics of the gold foil pickups, even if they don't have the traditional gold foil construction, which often uses literally refrigerator magnets.
St. V did just say this about it:
Last edited:
A person on Twitter posted this and then very kindly followed up with some clean comparison tones when I asked them about it!
https://twitter.com/n_retallicka/status/1399788811362607111
https://twitter.com/n_retallicka/status/1399842118714105857
https://twitter.com/n_retallicka/status/1399788811362607111
https://twitter.com/n_retallicka/status/1399842118714105857
tbonesullivan
Well-known member
Oh wow! Definitely a lot more sparkle and jangle with the new pickups.
I think you forgot the link!
Shadowvault
Member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2021
- Messages
- 7
Isnt it weird that they again chose to go with a standard tremolo? From what ive seen live STV used to be really intro fuzzy, crazy sounds and tremolo noises. Same thing with Mariposa.
Being a player into that sort of thing myself, I don't really feel like I'm missing anything. Outside of a Jazzmaster or Floyd Rose system, I think the standard can do pretty much anything, from Bigsby subtlety to as extreme as anyone would want. I think it's mostly in the setup. That said, I think it feels better somehow than, say, the Albert Lee tremolo, which, again, setup and really the size of the actual bar. Maybe because the bridge seems a littler heftier as well. The bar is thicker, has good length, good break angle-much more preferable to me than a Strat. It's a great feeling, versatile tremolo.
