Musician Gear & Tech Discussion

Does anyone here have any knowledge or experience with Fender Noiseless pickups? When I first read about them, it seemed like they would be good, but lately I've read some reviews that say they're kinda quiet and dead sounding. I'm a Strat player, and I was just wondering if they would be worth the investment. Any thoughts? Thanks

The young man at the music shop I use at times said he was not impressed with the tone or flexability whatever the hell that means.
If you get a chance to check em out a review from you would be cool.

I do not like noiseless.

Although, I am eccentric. I like old jap pickups with professionally lined cavity in copper.

I did one but hated it. I had it redone and then I was in LOVE.

New fender stuff = garbage (with french accent) lol

I have a couple of Strats. I wasn't really impressed with the noiseless pickups.

It really kind of depends on what kind of music you play. I have some strat '57 reissue PU's that everyone swears by, but I couldn't stand the bridge PU. They sound like a dying cat screeching 2" from your ear-drum when distorted.

Personally, the ones I found to be the most versatile were DiMarzios. The HS series are really nice. If you want a humbucker sound, try the stacked (side by side) series.

One recommendation I would give you. Drop a Lace Sensor Silver in the middle for recording. For clean channel they add a lot of versatility to the mix. Every time I've ever been to a recording studio, it has always been used in one way or another by the engineer to record clean channel tracks with. It's extremely clean, and sounds very natural by itself (kind of like when you play a guitar in a quiet room unplugged). Or if one of your bridge or neck pickups seem to be a little too much, pair it with the silver, it'll tame it. I have them in the middle of every guitar I own, and it never disappoints.

That's just my personal opinion, and experience. Pickup advise is always really hard. There are so many factors involved.

Hope this helps.

I have a couple of Strats. I wasn't really impressed with the noiseless pickups.

It really kind of depends on what kind of music you play. I have some strat '57 reissue PU's that everyone swears by, but I couldn't stand the bridge PU. They sound like a dying cat screeching 2" from your ear-drum when distorted.

Personally, the ones I found to be the most versatile were DiMarzios. The HS series are really nice. If you want a humbucker sound, try the stacked (side by side) series.

One recommendation I would give you. Drop a Lace Sensor Silver in the middle for recording. For clean channel they add a lot of versatility to the mix. Every time I've ever been to a recording studio, it has always been used in one way or another by the engineer to record clean channel tracks with. It's extremely clean, and sounds very natural by itself (kind of like when you play a guitar in a quiet room unplugged). Or if one of your bridge or neck pickups seem to be a little too much, pair it with the silver, it'll tame it. I have them in the middle of every guitar I own, and it never disappoints.

That's just my personal opinion, and experience. Pickup advise is always really hard. There are so many factors involved.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, Shredd6.
Bottom line, I was thinking about getting a Deluxe Player's Strat, and they come with the Noiseless.

Yeah, there are a lot of variables. In the past I just had stock PUs in a Mex Strat, & I was fairly satisfied. As far as the kind of music I play, or want to play.....I want a set that can handle almost anything. It's a lot to ask, I know, but I've found the Strat to be the most versatile guitar I've played that also feels good in my hands. So, I just wanted to make it a little better by "upgrading" my pickups.
All/any of these would apply. Rock (Hendrix to Pink Floyd to My Bloody Valentine to Pumpkins) Blues (SRV, Buddy Guy) twang, jangle, bell cleans (think the Edge), what I call a "plunk" sound (a la Robert Smith of the Cure), also some good funk tones, what I call "spank"

From what you and many others have said, it sounds like Lace Sensors are the way to go for me, but we'll see...

Still open to more opinions from more of you peeps!!

I have two Strats with noiseless pickups and one with custom shop 60's. One of the Strats has vintage noiseless and the other has SCNs. I like the vintage noiseless for heavier blues and rock. I don't really like the SCNs (samarium cobalt noiseless) all that much. If you are looking for the classic Strat sound - chimey, glassy, quacky tones you probably want to avoid the noiseless pickups. If you want a hotter sounding pickup that sacrifices some of those qualities the vintage noiseless are pretty good. There are also a lot of good replacement pickups out there such as Jason Lollars and Lindy Fralins.

I have a couple of Strats. I wasn't really impressed with the noiseless pickups.

It really kind of depends on what kind of music you play. I have some strat '57 reissue PU's that everyone swears by, but I couldn't stand the bridge PU. They sound like a dying cat screeching 2" from your ear-drum when distorted.

Personally, the ones I found to be the most versatile were DiMarzios. The HS series are really nice. If you want a humbucker sound, try the stacked (side by side) series.

One recommendation I would give you. Drop a Lace Sensor Silver in the middle for recording. For clean channel they add a lot of versatility to the mix. Every time I've ever been to a recording studio, it has always been used in one way or another by the engineer to record clean channel tracks with. It's extremely clean, and sounds very natural by itself (kind of like when you play a guitar in a quiet room unplugged). Or if one of your bridge or neck pickups seem to be a little too much, pair it with the silver, it'll tame it. I have them in the middle of every guitar I own, and it never disappoints.

That's just my personal opinion, and experience. Pickup advise is always really hard. There are so many factors involved.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, Shredd6.
Bottom line, I was thinking about getting a Deluxe Player's Strat, and they come with the Noiseless.

Yeah, there are a lot of variables. In the past I just had stock PUs in a Mex Strat, & I was fairly satisfied. As far as the kind of music I play, or want to play.....I want a set that can handle almost anything. It's a lot to ask, I know, but I've found the Strat to be the most versatile guitar I've played that also feels good in my hands. So, I just wanted to make it a little better by "upgrading" my pickups.
All/any of these would apply. Rock (Hendrix to Pink Floyd to My Bloody Valentine to Pumpkins) Blues (SRV, Buddy Guy) twang, jangle, bell cleans (think the Edge), what I call a "plunk" sound (a la Robert Smith of the Cure), also some good funk tones, what I call "spank"

From what you and many others have said, it sounds like Lace Sensors are the way to go for me, but we'll see...

Still open to more opinions from more of you peeps!!

Well..

I really only recommended the Silver Lace in the middle.

The blue Lace in the neck pos. is fine. I've always liked the sound of them too. There were times when Hendrix would use his neck PU and turn his tone knob half or all the way down for certain leads. The blue Lace has a good sound for that. And when paired with the Silver, it's killer for clean channel (Tone knobs at 10). It a good neck PU .

But the Red Lace really isn't a very good PU. If you're going to go for an all Lace setup, I would recommend the Gold over the Red. But neither of them impress me all that much in the bridge. Personally, that's where I would go with a Dimarzio.

If you want to try to create a really versatile guitar, try a single coil humbucking Dimarzio in the bridge. (You might want to read up on their single coil Humbucking models.) That way, if you really wanted to have some balls in the bridge, it's there. You'd have a humbucking bridge sound. But if you want to tame it a little, pair it with the Silver.

For even more versatility, add a toggle for the Bridge and coil tap it. Dimarzio Pu's are typically 4 conductor wiring and allow it (Laces only have 3 wires and can't be modified), then you can also have a true single coil sound in the bridge if you want it as well. Now instead of 5 selectable sounds, you have 7.

Also, if you're going to go with Lace Pu's, go the extra mile (and by mile I mean about $7) and get a TBX tone pot. It really is a must have for Laces. That's another item I put in all of my guitars religiously if they fit. (My LP doesn't have one).

If you're going to modify, go for everything at once in one shot. 'Cause chances are you won't do it again for a while. Even the extra steps I mentioned, would only cost an extra $50 or so (as opposed to just dropping 3 Laces), and it would be worth every penny.

3-Laces= $130 and change
1-TBX= $15 and change

Roughly $150 and you basically have a Strat plus.


2-Laces= $90 and change
1-Dimarzio= $80 and change
1-TBX= $15 and change
1- toggle= $3 and change

Roughly $200 and your guitar sounds as pimp as anyones.

(provided you do the wiring yourself.)

HATE noisless. should call them toneless. they must be destroyed.
no sub for tubes, no sub for a real single coil... but here's what you can do if you want the best of both worlds...

one of my strats is set up with the standard three singles setup... I took another old pickup(reverse wound) and put electrical tape all over it... then I placed it inside the pickgaurd-cavity. I re-wired a tone pot to a push pull - on/off for this pickup.
so if I turn this p-u on in pos 1 or 5 on a 5-way... it turns on the "dummy" pickup which cuts all hum and yeilds the closest thing I've ever been able to find to a single coil with no - hum -> no sound from the dummy p-u cause it's elec taped and under the pickgaurd.

beats minihums, lace sensors, noiseless gen 1 or 2, etc.

ps... I've re-wired that strat 10,000 times - literally....
since I wired it this way it has stayed this way.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge everybody. Sound like the Noiseless PUs aren't a very good option. Save Strat Tone!

strat p/us wouldnt be the same if they were noiseless. just gotta us dynamics