Rose Pickups: I Bought Some for my Teles

[Commodore 64***]

Disclaimer: I'm making this post with the hopes that it will provide the motivation I need to finally attempt to do a video clip so you folks can hear the PUPs.

So I've heard about Rose PUPs by reading various guitar forums. From what I understand, Ken, a guy in Cali, hand winds PUPs and also sells a few sets of maufactured ones on the cheap (e.g, Mariposa).

A few weeks ago, I ordered Rose Westerland neck and bridge pups. These are manufactured PUPs. I got the set for $45 shipped as Rose was blowing out the neck PUPs as blems (there is a tiny divet in the chrome cover). I put the set in my 2008 MiM Tele, replacing the stock ceramics. Stock, the 2008 MiM sounded very, very similar to my '94 MiM Squier Series which also has a rather hot set of ceramics, so I figured I'd have a side by side good comparison opportunity. The Westerlands are Alnico V Rod based PUPs. I don't rightly know how to describe the difference...but there is more clarity to the Rose PUPs than the ceramics. They aren't what I would call super twangy, but they are sweet sounding.

I liked the Westerland's so much that I went ahead and ordered a Rose Alba for the bridge, and a Bourbon for the neck. When I ordered the Alba, the Bourbons weren't yet listed so I ordered a second Westerland for the neck. A few days later I saw the Bourbon so I ordered it. The Alba and the Bourbon are hand wound by Ken, and he includes a frequency diagram for each pickup he winds. I got the Alba 2 days ago and he wound my Bourbon yesterday, so I hope to have that set soon.

So, this means I can possibly do a demo using:

1. '08 MiM with Rose Westerlands (250k pots)
2. '94 MiM SS with stock Ceramics (500k pots)
3. '94 MiM SS with Alba and Bourbon (I'll rewire it to 250k pots when I do the swap)

I think this will be a good basis for people to listen to the tonal differences. I'll also restring both guitars with new strings probably Ernie Ball or D'addario 10s.


Earlier this week, I tuned the '94 MiM to Open E and have been working on Gimme Shelter as shown in the tutorial here:




That's not me playing obviously. But I was TOTALLY diggin' the '94 ceramics on the neck PUP for this song...until I decided to put the '08 MiM in Open E as well with the Rose Westerland. I like that even more, and I think everyone would be able to hear a difference in the PUPS. So I think this would be a good basis for my first video, which I hope to do this weekend.

[Perfect Stranger]

I bought a set of P-90's from Rose Pickups and love them.
Very nice....

[Commodore 64***]

So I tried to recording myself using a Flip on Saturday, doing some of that Gimme Shelter. Holy cow I sound awful, just awful. The buzzing of the strings from poor barre fretting etc. Embarrassing. Horrible. No way I can put it up here.

In fact, I can't believe I actually am rehearsing with a band in 2 weeks. I gotta tell you, my confidence is shaken. I'm gonna give it another try or two here in the next few days.

[Algonquin]

Post when you feel comfortable doing so, but remember this is the Fret... not Harmony Central.

I've posted some less than perfect clips, and always been treated well by the fellow Fretters here.

[Eric***]

So I tried to recording myself using a Flip on Saturday, doing some of that Gimme Shelter. Holy cow I sound awful, just awful. The buzzing of the strings from poor barre fretting etc. Embarrassing. Horrible. No way I can put it up here.

In fact, I can't believe I actually am rehearsing with a band in 2 weeks. I gotta tell you, my confidence is shaken. I'm gonna give it another try or two here in the next few days.

I understand. When I recently got one of my guitars, I made a recording with my Zoom H2 playing the same riff on each guitar and briefly posted it before deleting the post. It was, shall we say, not so great.

That said, I still play every week in church and with some other people, so I guess I don't really care. More than anything, that experience highlighted the difference between live and recorded music to me.

[Commodore 64***]

I've got a spare Rose Westerland neck PUP. I ordered an extra one when I ordered an Alba bridge PUP...because at the time the Westerland was the only neck PUP he had for tele. Two days later I was on the site and saw he released a "bourbon" so I ordered that too.

TLDR: I have a spare Rose Westerland tele neck PUP. Who wants it? My treat.

[MAXIFUNK]

I've got a spare Rose Westerland neck PUP. I ordered an extra one when I ordered an Alba bridge PUP...because at the time the Westerland was the only neck PUP he had for tele. Two days later I was on the site and saw he released a "bourbon" so I ordered that too.

TLDR: I have a spare Rose Westerland tele neck PUP. Who wants it? My treat.

Your Treat really???? after seeing your post I checked out their site if no one else wants it I do. I am just wondering if it is a hot over wound pickup or not?

[Commodore 64***]

It's not hot or overwound. It's a very nice Alnico neck PUP, an upgrade to any ceramic if you prefer alnico to ceramic tone.

[MAXIFUNK]

It's not hot or overwound. It's a very nice Alnico neck PUP, an upgrade to any ceramic if you prefer alnico to ceramic tone.

would you say it would be an upgrade over these in My CV Thinline Tele?:

2 Custom Vintage Style Single-Coil Tele® Pickups with AlNiCo V Magnets (Neck & Bridge)

[Commodore 64***]

I would think they would be similar as they are both Alnico V. I would expect that it would match up well with that bridge PUP. PM me your address and I'll send it.

[MAXIFUNK]

I would think they would be similar as they are both Alnico V. I would expect that it would match up well with that bridge PUP. PM me your address and I'll send it.

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