Let's talk about Lace Sensors

slash-ed · Post by **slash-ed** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:42 am

So, I'm in need for a S-S-S set for my Charvel Spectrum that I picked up recently. An annoying quirk is that the pickup route on these is very tight, and will only take SCs without the lip/tab in the middle. So there's not a lot of choice.

Was looking into some SD SSL-6s from ash, but also noticed these popping up on TM:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/music-instrume ... 573475.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/music-instrume ... 573346.htm

Anyone have much experience with these? What are your thoughts?

Pakehendrix · Post by **Pakehendrix** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:44 am

I had a Red Lace Sensor in my old strat. I quite liked it, but it definitely wasn't a single coil sound, nor really a humbucker. It just sounds...odd. Kinda...digital? It's hard to explain. As I said, I like the sound, but they don't quite sound like anything else IMO.

jeremyb · Post by **jeremyb** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:45 am

He's got a bunch more stock of other Lace stuff arriving shortly after NAMM, unrelated, but I'm looking into getting some Alumitones for my RG project.

slash-ed · Post by **slash-ed** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:49 am

Pakehendrix wrote:I had a Red Lace Sensor in my old strat. I quite liked it, but it definitely wasn't a single coil sound, nor really a humbucker. It just sounds...odd. Kinda...digital? It's hard to explain. As I said, I like the sound, but they don't quite sound like anything else IMO.

Hmmm, that's bad news for me. I want this weird SSS/Floyd beast of a Charvel to be fairly Stratty, so as to be even more of a confusing guitar

Anyone tried the Gold/Hot Gold sets? These seem to be more aimed towards a classic SC sound.

Post by **GrantB** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:03 am

I had an '89 Strat Plus as my main axe for 18 years. The Gold Sensors on that sounded great - very Stratty...but I think what Pakehendrix is alluding to is their reasonably linear sort of hifi sound with some amps (Red;s, Blues or Golds). Like through a JC120 they are very sterile...through a 5E3 very nice. Those are extremes but you get the drift. Another thing is you get "moar tone" because they are usually cranked right up close to the strings - no magnetic pull like the old. That means you miss out on some airiness the vintage style brings. They still have a lot of followers, I liked them a lot - they do have their own thing going on for sure.

mr_sooty · Post by **mr_sooty** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:05 am

slash-ed wrote:Anyone tried the Gold/Hot Gold sets? These seem to be more aimed towards a classic SC sound.

The Hot Gold gets a lot of love on the net, a lot of people reckon it's one of the best noiseless SC's on the market for a genuine SC tone. The Red LS was never meant to sound like a traditional single, it was more of a higher output bridge pickup. The blues were also quite humbuckery, the golds and the silvers were the more traditional SC sound. If it was me I'd be tempted to take a punt on the Hot Golds.

Kloppsta · Post by **Kloppsta** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:20 am

ive been a lace sensor fan boi from waaaay back. as with most things i tried my first set because its what my fav guitarist (billy corgan) used in his guitars. i have the blue, silver, red combo in 2 of my guitars at the moment. the blue, silver, red setup is pretty damn versatile! the silver gives you a really sweet "jangle".....very single coil sounding. the blue is nice and round, also warm and full...."PAF" like. the red is chunky, cutting and defined......to my ears all 3 pickups have a humbucker'ish tone with the edge of a single coil thrown in to sweeten the deal. they are NOT "vintage" sounding pickups. i also had the gold's (a la eric clapton) in one of my strat deluxe plus's a few years ago and didnt care for them too much, but at the time i was all about the high gain "brootz" and they didnt do too well in that regard but having another set now would be nice i reckon, they are great for low to med-gain blues, rock and they sound awesome clean. the golds are def more "single coil" sounding and more "vintage" eqsue

The Scarecrow · Post by **The Scarecrow** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:23 am

Kloppsta wrote:ive been a lace sensor fan boi from waaaay back. as with most things i tried my first set because its what my fav guitarist (billy corgan) used in his guitars. i have the blue, silver, red combo in 2 of my guitars at the moment. the blue, silver, red setup is pretty damn versatile! the silver gives you a really sweet "jangle".....very single coil sounding. the blue is nice and round, also warm and full...."PAF" like. the red is chunky, cutting and defined......to my ears all 3 pickups have a humbucker'ish tone with the edge of a single coil thrown in to sweeten the deal. they are NOT "vintage" sounding pickups. i also had the gold's (a la eric clapton) in one of my strat deluxe plus's a few years ago and didnt care for them too much, but at the time i was all about the high gain "brootz" and they didnt do too well in that regard but having another set now would be nice i reckon, they are great for low to med-gain blues, rock and they sound awesome clean. the golds are def more "single coil" sounding and more "vintage" eqsue

glad you pipped in man, I was gonna ask 'Ask Kloppsta - he has had been using them since forever'.

willow13 · Post by **willow13** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:49 am

what about duncan quarter pounds??? no "lip" and just awesome

.....(sorry ed I had to plug them)

slash-ed · Post by **slash-ed** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:49 am

I must admit to being rather impressed by this clip:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtdh5eoH4RY[/youtube]

slash-ed · Post by **slash-ed** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:11 am

willow13 wrote:what about duncan quarter pounds??? no "lip" and just awesome .....(sorry ed I had to plug them)

Thanks, but I don't really want something quite that high output, and the clips on the SD website which I listened to... I did not fancy.

Scooter13 · Post by **Scooter13** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:17 pm

slash-ed wrote: I want this weird SSS/Floyd beast of a Charvel to be fairly Stratty, so as to be even more of a confusing guitar

Get a strat. Or get some humbuckers. Poor Charvel.

slash-ed · Post by **slash-ed** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:23 pm

I already have a Strat.

This Charvel is SSS route stock anyway.

slash-ed · Post by **slash-ed** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:28 pm

Kloppsta wrote:ive been a lace sensor fan boi from waaaay back. as with most things i tried my first set because its what my fav guitarist (billy corgan) used in his guitars. i have the blue, silver, red combo in 2 of my guitars at the moment. the blue, silver, red setup is pretty damn versatile! the silver gives you a really sweet "jangle".....very single coil sounding. the blue is nice and round, also warm and full...."PAF" like. the red is chunky, cutting and defined......to my ears all 3 pickups have a humbucker'ish tone with the edge of a single coil thrown in to sweeten the deal. they are NOT "vintage" sounding pickups. i also had the gold's (a la eric clapton) in one of my strat deluxe plus's a few years ago and didnt care for them too much, but at the time i was all about the high gain "brootz" and they didnt do too well in that regard but having another set now would be nice i reckon, they are great for low to med-gain blues, rock and they sound awesome clean. the golds are def more "single coil" sounding and more "vintage" eqsue

Thanks dude.

Apparently the new Hot Golds are supposed to be better than the original Gold. I may just have to take a punt on the set, seeing as they're $220 (probably an introductory offer?) on TM vs $300ish for Duncans or similar.

Zaulkin · Post by **Zaulkin** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:29 pm

I had some lace sensors once. Would describe them the same way Pakehendrix did - Not quite single coily but not quite rail sounding. They have that single coil clang that everybody wants, but its still different.

Best SC tone I had was from a shitty unbranded pickup in a korean squier. Wish I hadn't messed with it so much haha.

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