Tone rider pickups

[Micko]

How much better are the tone rider pickups for the pitbull st style guitar. I just built a st-1 and was wondering if the upgrade in pickups are worth it.
This is my first single coil guitar. How do the standard pitbull single coils compare?

[Simon Barden]

Toneriders are correctly constructed Strat style pickups, with the correct type of wire (to replicate the pickups they seek to emulate) and alnico magnet pole pieces. Whilst I expect they are machine-wound, the machine is programmed to replicate a hand-winding/scatter-winding process.

The kit pickups use ceramic magnet bar magnets stuck on the bottom of six steel slug pole pieces, and probably the cheapest wire that works, wound on a standard winding machine that packs the coiled together tightly, with no capacitance-reducing randomness.

The kit pickups work, but they are functional rather than interesting. The Toneriders will make the kit sound so much better, with proper Strat tones with depth and dynamics. I woudn't have a second thought about upgrading (I normally fit IronGear pickups to my guitars rather than Toneriders, but they are pretty much the same thing). If you have the cash available and can afford to do it, then I'd definitely say yes. So many people here have done it and say just how good they sound, and that are just as good as
the stock Fender units and almost as good as most boutique pickups.

They aren't a lot of money for what you get. If it were me, I'd upgrade the pots and selector switch at the same time, but you don't have to, it won't affect the sound, just the reliability.

[Andy40]

I totally agree with Simon

Tonerider pups are eons better than the stock kit pups.

For the price they are, you ought not be disappointed.

[Joe Garfield]

Too bad there's not more info about Entwistle pups. Pit Bull offers these as well. They're also constructed of correct materials and scatter-wound. I chose them for my guitar but I haven't built it yet. I was really impressed with what I read about Entwistle and the few samples I listened to on YouTube.

[Micko]

Thanx guy
I have been playing guitar for 30 years and have never owned a single coil guitar.
Although the pitbull pickups are clear they do lack depth. But that could just be because I have only ever played humbuckers. I have nothing to compare them to right now.
I will I will be getting a T style kit as soon as the come back in stock. I will most definitely do the upgrade then.

[Simon Barden]

Single coils are certainly different to humbuckers but can provide a lot more expression when played clean. I was mainly a humbucker person until the mid 90s, and now I'm both. And P90s are very different again to Fender style single coils, so there are two new roads you can go down!

[fender3x]

...so there are two new roads you can go down!

"...but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on."

I see where you were going with that ;-)

[DrNomis_44]

I've got a set of Tonerider Hot Classics Telecaster pickups installed in my Fender Mexican Telecaster, and I absolutely love them to bits, they are wound hotter than the standard Telecaster pickups installed in Fender telecasters, with lots more midrange in the tone, you still get the Telecaster "twang" out of them though, I highly recommend giving them a try if you're planning on doing a Telecaster build at some stage.

[Bakersdozen]

Tonerider Hot P90's in my LP Goldtop conversion and they are awesome. Highly recommended for the $$ you cannot go wrong.

[dave.king1]

I've got Tonerider Hot Classics in my Tuff Dog tribute Tele, they are close to Texas Specials to my ears and as noted by Doc they are glorious.

I also have Tonerider Pure Vintage pups in The Count ( PB ST-1 ) and love them equally, have recorded with both guitars