Red/Blue Lace Sensor, comparable to anything else?

Jaded

I’m thinking of getting the red-silver-blue set but I’ve seen some pretty conflicting opinions on how the Red sounds from a high output humbucker to other saying it’s quite similar to a SD Quarter Pounder.

I’m hoping it’s the latter of the two as I had a set in a Jaguar and loved them! 

Is there anyone with experience of both who can chime in? 

As as for the Blue in the neck, does it still have the traditional Strat chime/jangle?

Funkfingers

Jaded said:

I’m thinking of getting the red-silver-blue set but I’ve seen some pretty conflicting opinions on how the Red sounds from a high output humbucker to other saying it’s quite similar to a SD Quarter Pounder.

I’m hoping it’s the latter of the two as I had a set in a Jaguar and loved them! 

Is there anyone with experience of both who can chime in? 

As as for the Blue in the neck, does it still have the traditional Strat chime/jangle?

The red Sensor was always my favourite in the bridge/Treble position - especially through an overdriven valve amplifier.

In the neck/Rhythm position, the blue Sensor singularly fails to chime or jangle. Too much bottom end and not enough top.

In my opinion and recent experience, the Burgundy-Silver-Light Blue set is closer to a Fender sound. Great if you always use overdrive. Lacking if you expect glassy clean tones.

If you require convincing Fender jangle and quack, get something with individual rod magnet polepieces. i.e. The Lace Holy Grail Sensor set with the Hot bridge position pickup.

Megii

I have the red-silver-blue set in a strat, and like them very much. But basically what he said above - the blue sensor in the neck is closest to a PAF humbucker kind of tone, the way I hear it - I'd say a very nice tone if that's what you want. There is just a tad of stratiness in there as well, and you do get a little of the quacky character, and more of a single coil kind of sound when it's selected with the silver middle pickup. But traditional strat chime and jangle? - no.

Jaded

Thanks for the info guys! 

Bad choice of words on my part regarding the blue in the neck. I don’t mind a non-traditional tone (partly why I’m interested in going back to Lace Sensors) I’m just worried from reading reviews that it’s all bass and mid-range with little high end. I guess a light blue would be the answer there then? 

As for the red, I can’t find many clips of them played clean would you say they’re maybe closer to a hot rails (very bassy and mids) or is there still some treble/twang hidden in there? (I guess I don’t like overly bassy pickups!) 

As a frame of reference I used to own a strat plus with a set of golds and the TBX tone control and currently have a Jaguar with an emerald in the neck and silver in the bridge which I really enjoy  ...I’m also on a bit of a Pumpkins kick and love those cleans at the beginning of Today and Cherub Rock. 

Megii

It's very hard to answer, not knowing what kind of sound you would like. But I would say that I find neither the Lace Blue, in the neck position, nor the Lace Red in the bridge, too bassy, at least for my tastes. They're obviously not going to be exactly the same, but I think I'd equate the Lace Blue with a 7K-ish PAF humbucker type pickup, and the red is more like a medium hot wind humbucker, without being super-hot in output. So there is treble there, just like with a decent humbucker, but the tone is not by any stretch of the imagination what you could call "classic strat".

On the other hand, when you combine the blue or red Lace pickups with the middle position Lace Silver, then there is definitely some strat quack and single coil character making itself felt, and the Lace Silver on it's own is kind of a full bodied, strong version of a strat tone. Overall, I find the red-silver-blue set to be extremely versatile - I guess it gives broadly similar results to what one might get with an HSH pickup guitar, and I'd say there is a smooth, hi-fi kind of quality in general, which may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really like it. I've not once regretted fitting these pickups. But you might be right about the light blue being better for your tastes - which I guess would mean the "Blue Fire" set: http://www.lacemusic.com/Blue_Fire_Set.php

fretfinder

If you want a ‘normal’ Strat sound, you really need normal Strat pickups imo. And as said above, Lace Sensors sound OK when overdriven but not really Strat-like when played clean. Not in my experience anyway. Although your ears will be the best judge ultimately....