Conference napalm::guitar

    They are called "Lace pickups" and come in three flavors,,, red, blue
    and gold to emulate different sounds.
    
    Bruce

         Thanks, Bruce.
    Have you ever experimented with these?  What do you think of their 
    sound quality compared to others?
    
    I guess I should check this out in the "electric pickups" entry now
    that I know what their called.
    
         Regards,
    
         Blair.

    Have I experimented with them ???  Not really,,, but I did buy a Strat
    Ultra that came with one of each of them. I really can't remember which
    color is in what possition but this is the only guitar that I have ever
    owned that I like the sound of the pickup closest to the neck.  It was
    supposed to emulate a humbucker if my memory serves me correct.  They
    are not in-expensive though!   My guess is that they would be over $100
    each.
    
    Bruce

   Actually, they're called "Lace Sensors".  And they're not "all white".  The
   different types have the words "Lace Sensor" inscribed on the top of the
   pickup in the color associated with the type of pickup.  I have an American
   Std. Strat with three gold Laces, and I like the sound of them.

   The gold is supposed to be a traditional-sounding pickup like a stock,
   older, Fender single coil.  The blue is supposed to be a "classic humbucker"
   sound.  The red is "mega output".  And there's a silver that's described as
   "fat Strat".  I have not used anything but the golds.  From last month's
   American Musical Supply mailorder mag the golds go for $59, and all the
   others go for $69.  In the past I've seen a Lace Sensor bass pickup in a
   classic "Jazz bass" shape, though I don't see it in the latest AMS catalog.

   -- Sam

    re .-1
    
    I know the gold ones can be had for about $60 apiece. The others
    are somewhat more expensive, maybe $70-75. 

    
    
        The Lace Sensor pickups were invented by a guy with the last
    name "Lace". They do not use pole pieces like traditional pickups.
    In a traditional pickup, the strings vibrates inside of a magnetic
    field. The field has the effect of dampening the string movement,
    which causes it to stop vibrating quickly. The affect is a loss in
    sustain. Since the Lace Sensor has no pole pieces, the string is
    free to move without being dampened, resulting in increased sustain.
    This is all theoretical, but supposedly it works. 
    
   	Lace Sensors are also a lot less noisy than traditional single
    coil pickups. This is probably the biggest selling point, and it 
    is definately a noticable differance.
    
    	Mark 	

        Mucho thanks...folks!
    
    I'm off to the music stores to pick up a set.  
    From what I've read in note 31, it looks like the "Golds" are for me!
    I'm anticipating higher prices up here though.
    Oh well....gotta have yer toys!!!!
    
    Blair.
    

    The Golds are probably a good choice; in most cases, people seem to
    prefer these.  I know several people who replaced the red, silver, and
    blue Lace sensors in their Strat+'s with golds and were happy with the
    results.
    

    Fwiw,i have a Strat Ultra.The original mixed bag of Lace Sensors.
    Neck-blue
    Middle-silver
    Bridge-red
    
    I'll agree with one of the earlier notes...blue in the neck pos is
    amazing!!
    The silver is supposed to be vintage (i thought).
    The red...higher output but no humbucker that's fer sure.
    
    -kev

    On a Strat Ultra, there are actually 2 red Lace Sensors in the bridge
    position. I believe there is also a Telecaster+ which has 2 red lace
    sensors near the bridge. It does not have the standard Tele style
    bridge.
    
    Mark
     

   I got my info (prices and "color == sound") right out of an AMS catalog I
   was looking at at the time.  

   -- Sam

    Re.-2
    
    My Ultra just has one red lace at the bridge.The dual lace is also
    available and includes a split switch for it around the pots.Mine was
    $1089 (Can.) at the time i bought it,The dual was $1499.Couldn't see it
    happening.Probably sounds great tho.
    
    -kev

    Lace Sensors were designed by Don Lace. They are manufactured for
    Fender by his company, Actodyne. The architecture of the pickup is very
    different from that of the standard single coil pickup. 
    
    Fender distributes Lace Sensors which are replacement fits for the
    standard Telecaster pickups. The neck version comes in a chrome cover
    just like the original Tele neck; the bridge pickup looks like the
    Strat version, except for the mounting. The neck comes in silver
    (apparently now discontinued), red, and blue. The bridge comes in red
    or blue.
    
    This weekend, as an experiment, I replaced my Tele pickups with a
    silver neck and a blue bridge. I'm after a vintage type sound without
    the Tele hum problem.
    
    I don't have any final opinions yet. The Lace Sensors are louder then
    the original pickups. The bridge position sounds pretty good. The
    verdict is still out on the neck. I may want to try a blue sensor
    there.
    
    I'll report back after I play the guitar for a week or so. It's too
    soon for firm impressions.
                                                                  

    I have the Lace sensors in my Tele with blue at the neck and red at the 
    bridge.  I favor the Blue for its sound. Both sensors will take all
    kinds of drive without feeding back and the sustain is amazing.  
    
    One thing I noticed was the amount of input they absorb.  If I unplug
    the Tele and plug in the gold top or Ibanez I have to cut my volume by
    at least one third.
    
    	Mark
    

    A friend of mine also has an American Std Tele with the blue/neck
    red/bridge combination.  I thought these sounded terrific.  The blue
    in the neck seems to work especially well.
    

    I'll thro in another vote for that Blue/neck set up.Sounds amazing in
    my Strat.
    
    -kev

    Re .13
    
    Well, I've spent a week or so playing my modified Tele and drying out
    from the Louisiana flooding. The silver neck sensor has an interesting
    sound, but it's not what I'm looking for. I'm ordering a blue neck
    sensor.
    
    The blue bridge pickup is working out well. Both sensors seem to
    articulate harmonics better than the original Tele pickups. I'll report
    back after I get and install the new neck pickup.

	I used to have a James Burton Signature Tele which comes with a 
pickup setup like a Strat with Fender Lace Sensors-- Red @ the bridge, 
Silver in the middle, and Blue for the neck pickup.

	Personally, I never got too comfortable with them; the Red bridge 
pickup was good for a pseudo-Metal crush distortion, but I wasn't crazy 
about the clean sound of any of them. The Blue neck pickup was beefy but 
didn't have the twang I like from a neck pickup. Of course, I prefer a more 
traditional Tele or Strat sound....


	Brad

    Well, if my experiment fails, I still have the original Tele pickups
    safe and sound. The bridge pickup surprised me. Though the guitar is a
    reissue, the bridge pickup had a copper plated tin plate under the pole
    pieces. I'd read that fender had deleted the plate on the newer
    guitars. The plate supposedly gives the bridge piakup more "bite".
    
    Mark

    Well, I finally got and installed the blue Lace sensor in place of the
    Silver one I first tried. As reported in .14, .15, and .16 - WOW - what
    a great sound! Just what I was looking for.
    
    The blue Lace I put in the bridge position still sounds good after a
    couple of weeks. Even though the Lace sensors sound different than the
    original pickups, the guitar still has the signature Tele sound. The
    blue bridge sensor has enough "twang" factor to be convincing.
    
    Interestingly enough, I never got the same impression from the Tele
    Pluses I've tried (Blue Lace in neck, red Dually Lace at the bridge
    with an extra toggle switch for coil separation). The pluses sound
    good in their own right (a lot like a Strat+), but don't sound like more
    traditional Tele's.
    
    Could the difference be in the original Tele bridge pickup mount
    location? The original mount is angled (treble end closest to
    bridge) and very close to the bridge saddles. A Lace replacement preserves
    this arrangement. The Tele Plus pickup position is a bit farther from the 
    bridge and strictly perpendicular to the strings (like a humbucker mount).
                                                

	I'll continue the string from 3235.17(pelkster) here:

>Poul,  re: Strat pickups...

>Ever think about the lace sensors..  I know a few guys
>that swear they're much happier with their strats after
>loading red lace sensor in the bridge pickup..

>(one guy did Blue neck, Silver-middle, red-back.)

>he seems to like it, sounds pretty 'traditional' to
>me, just not thin when he uses the bridge p.u.

	I once tried these and I gave them up because I think that they
	sounded too 'cold'. On the other hand I tried out a Clapton
	strat with the special active setup and Lace Sensors - and it
	kicked ass! It had a bottom end that I would die for, and that
	hollow sound on the neck pickup...unfortunately, I didn't have
	the cash at that time...

	Anybody know if it's possible to buy the Clapton strat built in
	circuitry? But perhaps it will be difficult to install it, with-
	out cutting away too much wood...

	How about the Seymor Duncans? I'm looking for something like an
	even more characteristic 'strat sound' and a higher output...?

	Poul

well the Duncans will do that, in spades..

Problem I have with that though, is I loose that 
traditional tone.  I like the Lace-sensors (I have 
three golds on my Strat plus) because to me, anyway 
they sound very close to standard vintage style pickups..
(I guess the silvers would be the way to go...)

Interestingly enough, I did a setup on a Lonestar Strat last
week..  This configuration was pretty cool for a hot rod..
Two tex-mex specials, one at the neck, the other in the 
middle, and a duncan double stack humbucker on the ass end, 
near the bridge.  Pretty thing too, sort of a champain gold
with the pearloid pickguard, maple neck..  played nice.

This model did not have the roller nut bridge, spertzel
tunners and all,, but it did have a decent tone, albeit,
not that *traditional* tone I'd be goin for with a stratocaster.

The beauty of having 4 good electrics is that you can keep
your Strat stock, and use the paul, ibanez MC400 or the archtop
when a change of pace is desired.  (I do miss my Tele, and
I hope Mr. Waible is taking good care of it!)

    Pat Blair (remember him??) once told me (as I was bitching about my
    strats buzzing and so-on, that "This is how a Strat is SUPPOSED to
    sound".  He did post some rather clever ideas for minimizing that buzz,
    but I didn't even do those.  He has a good point - Strats are supposed
    to sound wacky...That's what we pay for.
    
    I wouldn't change the pickups in mine...  I'll put up with it.  :-)

    I think the Lace Sensors in the Strat+ are pretty quiet.