Any Stratocaster player worth his weight in synchronized tremelos and moto pickguards will tell you that there are about as many flavors of "vintage" single coil pick-ups as there are manufacturers. I’ve certainly read more than my share of ad copy touting the "vintage" Fender sound. So many, in fact, that I’m convinced that trying to actually define a "vintage" Strat tone would lead one on a futile, never-ending quest. Simply put, different ears hear different things.
As both a writer and a player, I am more than happy to tout my lack of qualifications when it comes to the technical aspects of the "vintage" Fender sound. However, as my voluminous album & CD collection will attest to, I am no stranger to the skilled purveyors of the Stratocaster, as well as their tones of choice. Such are the benchmarks which I use to equate the terms "vintage" and "classic" – esp. in the realm of the "Fender Sound".
My first experience with Wolfetone pick-ups was during summer ’06, while on holiday in the fair city of Seattle. My friend Dan had a set of "Flashbacks" installed in a newer model Strat, which I had the luxury of running through a trio of thoroughbred amps – a Fender DeVille; a Marshall DSL / 4x12; and an Orange AD series 50W 2x12 (*DB, I hope I got those right). As expected, the pick-ups through the higher gain amps produced some very impressive rock tones; but those through the Fender DeVille - - wow - - nothing short of astounding. Clean and over-driven tones both had a round, articulate quality to them – two features that I’ve found usually contend with each other in regards to single-coil pick-ups. A long weekend of playing that particular guitar and amp (*very loudly I might add) all but sold me on the "Flashbacks". Unfortunately, for me, it would be nearly a year later before I actually had a set in my possession. But good things do come to those who wait . . .
When my new set of Wolfetone "Flashbacks" finally arrived this past May, I decided to drop them in one of my favorite guitars – a 1987 MIJ Squier Stratocaster. My primary intentions on doing the swap were to turn the Strat into more of a rock n' roll player. Something with attitude. And that, my friends, is what the Wolfetones do in spades.
I chose my 1968 Fender Super Reverb for the first official test-drive of the "Flashbacks". During an evening jam session, I covered the gamut of my favorite Fender tones - - with neck hairs standing straight at attention. Sultry, Knopfler-esque tones shimmered from the "2" position with unimaginable clarity, as well as a touch of that bluesy sqawk that instantly brings you "Down to the Waterline".
The bridge position was where I was the most impressed. Running a Marshall Bluesbreaker II pedal in front of the Super, I was able to push the amp into a fat, glorious overdrive that echoed Marc Ford-era Black Crowes. Unlike a lot of *ahem* "vintage" single coils I’ve played, the voicing of "Flashbacks" appears to be well-suited to hard, driving tones. Strat afficianados also know that definition up top often equates to "ice-pickyness". Not so with the Wolfetones. The entire volume sweep was filled with rich, complex harmonics - and most impressively at the bottom end, where Strat players who like to rock need it the most
Later on, I plugged the Strat into a 5W Epiphone Valve Jr. head, and ran that through a 12" cab loaded with a Celestion Vintage 30. Running the amp at near full volume produced a delicious Class "A" grind reminiscent of Live at Leeds-era Who. Backing off the amp’s master volume, along with some deft tone / volume adjustments yielded several nifty Beck-era Yardbirds flavors. All of which were coaxed without a single OD pedal or attenuator. Nice.
Many Strat players look towards the neck position for the bulk of their live blues tones, and in this capacity, the "Flashbacks" did not disappoint. Aplomb with Texas-bred boogie, the gritty grind of these pick-ups will curl your boot-tips at full roar, yet still provide you with the tonal definition you need make those quiet blues numbers really sing. To test this out, I ramped up my Super to (4), and backed off the volume and tone a bit. I was rewarded with a clean Fender tone that bordered on the religious.
Since my initial bench test, I've put my Flashback-loaded MIJ Squier into use in a variety of situations - live playing; amps mic'ed & direct; with / without pedals; and general practice. All with different different settings and volumes. No matter what musical territory I've chosen to explore, the Wolftones have rewarded me with a fantastically expressive Fender tone. Bottom-line: a great Strat pick-up set with all the vintage savoir fare' you crave, plus a dirty little sister who will - - if you ask her . . . ;~) I'm a such a bad boy. J.
As both a writer and a player, I am more than happy to tout my lack of qualifications when it comes to the technical aspects of the "vintage" Fender sound. However, as my voluminous album & CD collection will attest to, I am no stranger to the skilled purveyors of the Stratocaster, as well as their tones of choice. Such are the benchmarks which I use to equate the terms "vintage" and "classic" – esp. in the realm of the "Fender Sound".
My first experience with Wolfetone pick-ups was during summer ’06, while on holiday in the fair city of Seattle. My friend Dan had a set of "Flashbacks" installed in a newer model Strat, which I had the luxury of running through a trio of thoroughbred amps – a Fender DeVille; a Marshall DSL / 4x12; and an Orange AD series 50W 2x12 (*DB, I hope I got those right). As expected, the pick-ups through the higher gain amps produced some very impressive rock tones; but those through the Fender DeVille - - wow - - nothing short of astounding. Clean and over-driven tones both had a round, articulate quality to them – two features that I’ve found usually contend with each other in regards to single-coil pick-ups. A long weekend of playing that particular guitar and amp (*very loudly I might add) all but sold me on the "Flashbacks". Unfortunately, for me, it would be nearly a year later before I actually had a set in my possession. But good things do come to those who wait . . .
When my new set of Wolfetone "Flashbacks" finally arrived this past May, I decided to drop them in one of my favorite guitars – a 1987 MIJ Squier Stratocaster. My primary intentions on doing the swap were to turn the Strat into more of a rock n' roll player. Something with attitude. And that, my friends, is what the Wolfetones do in spades.
I chose my 1968 Fender Super Reverb for the first official test-drive of the "Flashbacks". During an evening jam session, I covered the gamut of my favorite Fender tones - - with neck hairs standing straight at attention. Sultry, Knopfler-esque tones shimmered from the "2" position with unimaginable clarity, as well as a touch of that bluesy sqawk that instantly brings you "Down to the Waterline".
The bridge position was where I was the most impressed. Running a Marshall Bluesbreaker II pedal in front of the Super, I was able to push the amp into a fat, glorious overdrive that echoed Marc Ford-era Black Crowes. Unlike a lot of *ahem* "vintage" single coils I’ve played, the voicing of "Flashbacks" appears to be well-suited to hard, driving tones. Strat afficianados also know that definition up top often equates to "ice-pickyness". Not so with the Wolfetones. The entire volume sweep was filled with rich, complex harmonics - and most impressively at the bottom end, where Strat players who like to rock need it the most
Later on, I plugged the Strat into a 5W Epiphone Valve Jr. head, and ran that through a 12" cab loaded with a Celestion Vintage 30. Running the amp at near full volume produced a delicious Class "A" grind reminiscent of Live at Leeds-era Who. Backing off the amp’s master volume, along with some deft tone / volume adjustments yielded several nifty Beck-era Yardbirds flavors. All of which were coaxed without a single OD pedal or attenuator. Nice.
Many Strat players look towards the neck position for the bulk of their live blues tones, and in this capacity, the "Flashbacks" did not disappoint. Aplomb with Texas-bred boogie, the gritty grind of these pick-ups will curl your boot-tips at full roar, yet still provide you with the tonal definition you need make those quiet blues numbers really sing. To test this out, I ramped up my Super to (4), and backed off the volume and tone a bit. I was rewarded with a clean Fender tone that bordered on the religious.
Since my initial bench test, I've put my Flashback-loaded MIJ Squier into use in a variety of situations - live playing; amps mic'ed & direct; with / without pedals; and general practice. All with different different settings and volumes. No matter what musical territory I've chosen to explore, the Wolftones have rewarded me with a fantastically expressive Fender tone. Bottom-line: a great Strat pick-up set with all the vintage savoir fare' you crave, plus a dirty little sister who will - - if you ask her . . . ;~) I'm a such a bad boy. J.
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