Best Single Coils?

  • Which are the best SC PUPs for each of the following types of music (particularly through the KPA)? Chime in for those you have experience with.


    Jazz
    Country
    Pop
    Rock
    Metal
    Blues

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

  • The most amazing single coil pups I've ever played are made by Ron Ellis. They take about 8 months to get, once you order them; but, they are worth it for any kind of music. He winds all kinds of tele and strat models. The earlier - 50's - neck versions (especially the tele) will nail the early jazz tones.


    Check youtube for videos for examples. They are currently fetching over 2Xs the original cost - used - on ebay; so there is really no downside to placing an order for them. 8)



    P.S. he is now winding some humbuckers that are off the chart too. :thumbup:

  • The most amazing single coil pups I've ever played are made by Ron Ellis. ...


    P.S. he is now winding some humbuckers that are off the chart too. :thumbup:


    i have one of these lee roy parnell '57 les pauls, which is equipped with ron ellis humbuckers. as far as i'm concerned this guy seems to know what he's doing!

  • The only SC i have is a Gibby P-90 in HB format at the Neck of my PRS SE Custom Semihollow and I love it for everything from Jazz to Blues.

    "Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" Serghei Rachmaninoff


  • On my old Strat I had some Leosound Pickups and was quite happy with them. (Together with a Suhr Backplate.)


    In my latest Strat project I am still undecided about the Kinman Impersonators. They somehow seem to be quite amazingly good...

    www.audiosemantics.de
    I have been away for quite a while. A few years ago I sold my KPA and since then played my own small tube amp with a Bad Cat Unleash. Now I am back because the DI-profile that I made from my amp sounds very much convincing to me.

  • I like the Fender CS 69's for pretty much anything...


    DiMarzio's Area pickups are also quite great for noiseless pickups... their VV 54' Pro model as well.


    I can recommend those for anything from Pop/Blues to (Hard) Rock.

  • still undecided about the Kinman Impersonators. They somehow seem to be quite amazingly good...

    Any more infos on those? I'm quite interested.
    From the reviews and ads I've read, these seem to be the first Kinman's that actually feel and sound like real SC, minus the hum. The previous Kinman models supposedly were a bit "stiff" feeling, not as open as true singlecoils...

  • Any more infos on those? I'm quite interested.
    From the reviews and ads I've read, these seem to be the first Kinman's that actually feel and sound like real SC, minus the hum. The previous Kinman models supposedly were a bit "stiff" feeling, not as open as true singlecoils...

    When you play them directly through an acoustic guitar amp (AER compact, whithout the KPA) it becomes quite obvious that they certainly are kind of capped on the top end. But actually not in a bad way. In a crunch sound with a 59 Bassman profile they somehow have just the right amount of chime though. I am always very fond of this high end sizzle in singlecoils - and they definitely have it! Not like the Avn-56 which I also had and which was quite too much muffled to my taste.


    What I am not really decided about is if they are really as expressive, flexible in tone like real SC. They certainly are versatile - but I have no real A/B comparison here with real singlecoils yet.


    AISB - I am still not decided but at the moment I tend to say they are really, really quite close to it. Anyway all these doubts are really just very much into tiny details. The Impersonators are certainly better than the Avn-56! But if I would have to pay a tiny little bit more expressiveness with the usual singlecoil hum and buzz I guess I would go with the Kinmans.


    I am waiting for my Warmoth parts to come over - so I still have some time to decide...

    www.audiosemantics.de
    I have been away for quite a while. A few years ago I sold my KPA and since then played my own small tube amp with a Bad Cat Unleash. Now I am back because the DI-profile that I made from my amp sounds very much convincing to me.

  • I just ordered some Don Mare Super Sports for one of my strats. Reviews look really positive. Anybody here have them?

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

  • I just ordered some Don Mare Super Sports for one of my strats. Reviews look really positive. Anybody here have them?


    I don't think you will be disappointed. Dons work is magic. Although, I must say, I have never tried any of his strat PU's. I have had his super sport tele set in my tele for the last year but I recently swapped the bridge for his 0038 10k. That one just smokes!! Fat tele twang! The best tele pickup I have ever tried and it's staying.


    I would very much like to try some of his stat pickups, tell us what you think. :)

  • I don't think you will be disappointed. Dons work is magic. Although, I must say, I have never tried any of his strat PU's. I have had his super sport tele set in my tele for the last year but I recently swapped the bridge for his 0038 10k. That one just smokes!! Fat tele twang! The best tele pickup I have ever tried and it's staying.


    I would very much like to try some of his stat pickups, tell us what you think. :)


    I'll post an update after I get them. Should take about 3 weeks, but then they still need to be installed ...

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

  • thanks a million for the detailed review, fretboardminer!

    I just disconnected the Tone knob in my Strat for a test and this really improves the high-end chime quite a lot!


    PPS: Now (oneandahalf hour later) I have followed this instruction here (because I read so many posts that the original Fender No-Load-Potis are minor quality and also because I did not have one of those here at hand to test it myself) and burnt my fingers (I am not a soldering king) but after all it just works fine!!!

    www.audiosemantics.de
    I have been away for quite a while. A few years ago I sold my KPA and since then played my own small tube amp with a Bad Cat Unleash. Now I am back because the DI-profile that I made from my amp sounds very much convincing to me.

    Edited once, last by fretboardminer ().

  • Having used them for a couple of weeks now, I can say that the Don Mares Super Sports are very articulate. Great strat tone. :thumbup:

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer