Texas Custom Shop Pickups

Hey Guys!

I just have a quick question. After a while of thinking it over, I think I've decided to got the Texas Custom Shop strat pickups. I hear that they have a good blues sound, but is that really what I want? Does anyone have them, or does anyone have any experience with them? What do you like or don't like abou them? I would use them for Zeppelin, or some more modern rock my band writes, so if anyone could help me out, it would be great!

I have played them numerous times... I myself have a set of Custom Shop '69s in my number 1 Strat. The Texas Specials are the signature pickup of Stevie Ray Vaughan... They're a basic '57/'62 stock pickup... over wound. That means that they over wound the wire to boost the output. It gives it a little bit of natural distortion and makes it growl a lot more when you boost the gain or add your own distortion. They're blues/rock pickups mostly. They do sound great and they should be versatile enough to get a Led Zep tone. You have to remember though, Page played LP's and LP's have humbuckers... and they're made of Mahogany... which is a lot more dense than alder, poplar, or ash of a Strat body. So the tones that you get from a Strat aren't going to be exact. But you can get close nonetheless. I can get just about any tone with my Custom '69s... which are a little less output than the Texas Specials... but more than the '57/'62 pickups. the '69s get a little more response in the treble zone but sound a little flatter on the bass side... I counteracted that by putting some super thick gauge GHS Zakk Wylde Boomers on there... I love the tone. I know you'll like the Texas Specials too. They're one of the most widely used pickups made Fender and they're great for everything from blues to rock.

Well, it's your decision, but since you asked for opinions :) I have to say I can't stand Texas Specials! They're the worst CS pickup by far. I'd go for almost any other aftermarket pickup before I bought Texas Specials--Fralin, DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan, Bare Knuckle, Lollar, CS '69s--anything!

I've got Lindy Fralin pickups in my Strats and love them - vintage tone but a bit hotter....