Better Guitar

player opinions

Name: Doug H.
Band: -----
Model Year: -----
Price Paid: $170
Performance
As advertised, the neck Tallboy is well known already to most. It delivers that “quack”: clear, penetrating, and sweet, The middle Halfbreed is strong and direct; loud and clear. The bridge is a Muy Grande humbucker. It works well if coil tapped, but mine is a bit disappointing in humbucking mode alone.
Performance Rating: 8
Sound Quality
The neck pickup is impressive and quiet. In a Strat, only the 2, 4 positions give very minimal hum, but the neck Tallboy coupled with middle or bridge (my Strat has a Fralin blender pot) sound great. With the Tallboy neck blended out, the bridge coiltapped is fine: sharp, crisp, powerful and twangy. With the neck blended in, the combination is really exciting since you can get as much or as little as desired.
Sound Quality Rating: 8
Construction
These are top quality pickups! The black tops are fine with me, though they do not fit Fender stock pup covers. Who cares ? The hit’s in the grooves! My luthier builds Lindy Fralin’s custom Strats and he is biased toward Fralin pickups. But he remarked how well balanced the Rio Grande set is. I have a good ear for tone and the neck Tallboy is a 10; m=7, b=6.
Construction Rating: 10