You definitely know how a comparison video should be done, Scott. Your chordal playing is delicate, and really shows off the nuance of the pickups. I think Klein choice of the name 'Jazzy Cats' is unfortunate. They are obviously best for R&B, and the opposite of prototypical jazz tone. I wonder how many players avoid them on the basis of the name. You're correct that the closest Lollars are the Tweeds (in your demo, at least). I was surprised at how light the Kleins are. I personally liked the Lollar Blondes for more versatility. In fact, I think they are still more lightly wound than Fender's early 60's pickups, which many have regarded as a model for tone. Anyway, thanks for the very methodically done, helpful demo. I'll be looking at your other videos.
Wow Scott . . . you went " ALL OUT " on your search. Great demo. I'm the same way brother. They all sound fantastic. Glad you got the tone you wanted. The Lollar Dirty Blonde's just did it for me. I'm in Tone Heaven. oNe LovE from NYC
@@AngryMuffinMusic yes... as advertised, crystal clean and very pretty sounding but for my needs they were just too polite. couldn't get them to sound aggressive.
I like the Tweeds as having a bit more girth in the mids. The scooped sound of the Jazzy Cats is special but unless you’re playing in trio format they aren’t going to cut through.
Unless you are solo artist and play really loud I think that they are very hard to cut through band. It's the only reason I got rid of my Jazzy Cat neck pickup.
I have the jazzy cats and have made many videos with them. They are hands down the best clean tone pickups in any of my Strats. They can get nasty with fuzz and distortion but definitely need a mid humped overdrive to get any kind of cut. Great video showcasing the differences in both. No right or wrong in any case here.
Though I ultimately went with the Tweeds, its great to hear from someone who loves the jazzy cats. They're so beautifully crystal clean! Really loved them and you're right, I mostly played with them straight into an amp but a mid humped OD would really make them sing and bring more versatility to the table. I'll check out some of your videos. Cheers!
@@LeanOnYourDreams personal preference, I have owned the custom shop 69s for over 10 years, I love them but they are not as "good" for the type of cleans I was looking for. For fuzz and overdriven tones they are great.
As per your other video I thought the Tweeds were the best .i also had a set of jazzy cats and basically found them to be lacking a little in live use.They are still a lovely sounding PU .....the Klein 59s are my favourite of his . I actually thought though the Blondes were the surprise here as I thought they sounded way better than when compared on your other video.Great work again 👌
Yeah as long as the input is hot enough on the amp the lows come through a nice amount. Sometimes I do wish I had an alternate guard with blondes, but I’m happy with the tweeds
@@haskitt there is a certain dryness to them also! Can you still get those open sounds with tons of overtones? I feel like the blondes might be better there. But there is really something magical in the midrange of the tweeds. Plus I play tweed amps....
You can’t go wrong with the blondes… I just found I could thicken up the tweeds to sound the way I want in general, but it was hard to thin out the others the way I want.
Hi Scott. Excellent information. Thanks for sharing. I ask you please answer a few questions. I know that there are multiple factors involved in the final sound of a pickup; However, according to your criteria, what do you think the resistance of each pickup should be to achieve the typical strat sound of a lifetime?. I verify that the tweed lollar is 4.9K and the blonde 5.6K, both in the neck position. There is no data on jazzy cats. Now the bridge position pickup sound has always been questioned for its low output, thinness, and brilliance. What would be the ideal resistance for this position?. Finally, which of these pickups did you like the most?. Thank you very much for answering.
Hi Nilton, I really think the ideal resistance depends on the other factors of the pickup, especially the magnet used. I think the tweeds are the most “stratty” while being the most versatile, but the Kleins really do nail the Strat scoop sound just as well if not better than the tweeds. I just think the Kleins are a bit too polite, and the tweeds have a little more push. I prefer a back plate on my tweed bridge, but in general for a great stratty sound I think the bridge should be only a tad bit higher resistance than the others (assuming the same magnet and construction between all 3 pickups). Certainly a hotter bridge will give you more versatility, but I think it sacrifices a bit of the character of a strat. As far as the Lollars go, I think the tweeds are the ideal resistance for A2, and blackface are the ideal resistance for A5. Cheers!
Back again! Still digging the tweeds. The klein have a nice tone, but they don't seem as...dynamic? I could see this being useful in some situations, but if I wanted compression, I'd prefer to use a compressor. The tweeds almost "bloom," if that makes any sense.
The more I listen, it seems like there's better note separation on the tweeds. The Kleins also sound choked compared to the Lollars, but this was an advantage during the chord strumming. Blah. I like the tone of the Kleins but prefer the note separation/dynamics on the Tweeds.
@@thesucculentcity yeah, funny I was going to mention the Kleins but I don't think they'd stand up to the imperial, as they're really not punchy at all, in a good way, but too smooth for me. Cool on the tweeds!
Came here expecting to love the Kleins...and they do sound great but I prefer both sets of Lollars...I like the Blondes best of all. Great playing and great demo, thank you!
They all sound good and can do IT all with the right pedals and EQ. It's a matter of musical taste🍷👍🥂🍾🎸 I saw Mayer playing on a cheap Squier and he sounded like Mayer👍
Good is subjective of course, but my goal is for my guitars sound the way I like, plugged straight in, no pedals, into my tube amps, (my amps have very minimal eq, which I also like). I’m sure Mayer sounds like himself through a cheap squier, but would he want JUST that squier? Of course not! He wants to play the guitar that brings out the best in him. I’m no John Mayer, but I want the same from my guitar, and I can’t afford to have 10 strats for any mood I’m feeling 😂 cheers!
@@haskitt Yes well spoken at the end you Just want the best for your feeling and taste👍 BTW have you ever tried Smitty pickups from Holland? I have the 64 pickups really really Nice.👍 ua-cam.com/video/xhkvR-HRxwA/v-deo.html
I ended up with the tweeds in my guitar... liked them the best! I agree about the focus and output. It’s interesting you mention the compression, playing them I felt like the jazzy cats were not as dynamic as the lollars... Soft stuff felt great, middle dynamics felt great, but hitting them hard, they didn’t really give any more. I think the Lollars sound tighter which might sound like compression, but playing them, I felt more dynamic freedom with the Lollars. I suspect the jazzy cats are using Alnico 3, but he doesn’t disclose that info on the site, I could be totally wrong! Cheers!
@@haskitt yes you’re right, compression is not the right word. They’re just focused, tighter on the lows and very full sounding and loud in comparison. The kleins here just sound dull in comparison to my taste. I had the kleins 62 and the dirty blackfaces. The kleins were very good, I’ve never played a 60s strat so I cannot really compare but they were not mind blowing they were just very good. On the other hand the blackfaces sounded super special, these days I listen to my recordings with those pickups and it blows ny mind, like wow is that me... but as far as I recall the Blackfaces were also a bit dark sounding. I recall the neck pickup was a bit too dark to my taste.
It’s really interesting how the playback sounds so much different than actually playing the pickups, especially with some time between playing/listening. The Blackfaces just sound so good, but I much prefer the feel/response of the Tweeds when I’m playing. I do like those Klein’s, they’re so pristine.
agreed on the better bass, and I can easily see someone liking the blonds the most. I found the jazzy cats to be unbelievably scooped though, super pristine. I think to your point though, having more bass on the blondes gives the scoop more of a reference point. I found the tweeds to be the happy medium.
Hi Scott, in your opinion, what would be the best humbucker to pair with the tweed? I have a hss strat and i’m really digging the tone of the tweed. Please share your opinion 🙏🙏🙏
I’m between the Blackface’s and the Blondes. I play Blues and Rock mostly. Hendrix, John Mayer, etc. I like a bright, crisp, chimey tone with punchy tight bass. I hear the Blondes are amazing for cleans but I’m concerned they might not have enough umph for heavier leads on the neck pickup. Thoughts?
Yep. Kleins have the lowest, then tweeds then blondes. I tried steel backing plates on the Kleins too. Helped a little but for me still were a little too polite
For my money, the tweeds sing and say STRAT more than the Klein’s-and the blonds for that matter. Most of all it makes me think, if you want to play a strat, why not really sound like a twangy, quackie strat?! For me that’s the tweeds. Another thing I thought is that the rosewood may help give a little warmth to the bright, sparkly tweeds because I watched a few other demo’s of people playing strats with tweeds and maple, and it just wasn’t nearly same. Hmm 🤔
completely agree... tweeds are strat through. Strange, when I got the tweeds for the comparisons, I didn't expect to like them because every demo I'd seen they seemed bright and thin. Treat these right through a tube amp and they just sing. Nothing like em!
They are not noiseless… no more hum than other traditional Strat pickups… less hum than bar magnet MIM pickups. They do hum cancel in positions 2 and 4. Cheers!
If I'm picking the winner, it's the Tweeds. The Jazzy Cats sound nice in the 1-3-5 positions but a bit muddy in 2-4. The Blonds are also nice and sound better than the Jazzy Cats in 2-4 and as good in 1-3-5. The Tweeds are the most articulate in all 5 positions without being harsh. I always prefer a bit more edge and articulation and I can roll the tone a bit if I must.
If those Klein's are that bright fingerstyle, imagine with a pick. No thanks. I have blondes and blackface, looks like I need a 3rd strat for tweeds. 🤔
The Lollar Blond pickups sound just AMAZING!!!
Makes me want to dig in!
I know it's pretty randomly asking but does anybody know of a good place to stream newly released movies online?
Subtle differences at best.
You definitely know how a comparison video should be done, Scott. Your chordal playing is delicate, and really shows off the nuance of the pickups.
I think Klein choice of the name 'Jazzy Cats' is unfortunate. They are obviously best for R&B, and the opposite of prototypical jazz tone. I wonder how many players avoid them on the basis of the name.
You're correct that the closest Lollars are the Tweeds (in your demo, at least). I was surprised at how light the Kleins are.
I personally liked the Lollar Blondes for more versatility. In fact, I think they are still more lightly wound than Fender's early 60's pickups, which many have regarded as a model for tone.
Anyway, thanks for the very methodically done, helpful demo. I'll be looking at your other videos.
Thanks so much for the nice comment! I agree with all you said about the jazzy cats. Kinda bad for jazz!
Really useful video.
Thank you so much!
Wow Scott . . . you went " ALL OUT " on your search. Great demo. I'm the same way brother. They all sound fantastic. Glad you got the tone you wanted. The Lollar Dirty Blonde's just did it for me. I'm in Tone Heaven. oNe LovE from NYC
Cheers! There's a good reason Nash uses the dirty blond set in all those strats!
@@haskitt Yes Sir. Stay Safe brother.
@@haskitt Did you find that the Jazzy Cats sounded kinda sterile, thin, and tooo clean? Like vanilla?
@@AngryMuffinMusic yes... as advertised, crystal clean and very pretty sounding but for my needs they were just too polite. couldn't get them to sound aggressive.
I like the Tweeds as having a bit more girth in the mids. The scooped sound of the Jazzy Cats is special but unless you’re playing in trio format they aren’t going to cut through.
Great comparison video and your playing was realky perfect for this! I think I prefer the Tweed then Klein then Blonde.
Thanks Brendon! Toss up for me between klein and blond... the blond have more oomph but don't come close to the kleins in clarity.
Awesome video with no pauses between pups - perfect way to demo 👍 Blondes FTW.
Agree. He does a phenomenal job with these comparisons.
The Jazzy Cats sound so perfect to me, scooped mids are the sh*t! Great review man, thanks so much
Thanks Bruno, glad it helped! They're some amazingly refined sounding pickups!
Unless you are solo artist and play really loud I think that they are very hard to cut through band.
It's the only reason I got rid of my Jazzy Cat neck pickup.
I have the jazzy cats and have made many videos with them. They are hands down the best clean tone pickups in any of my Strats. They can get nasty with fuzz and distortion but definitely need a mid humped overdrive to get any kind of cut. Great video showcasing the differences in both. No right or wrong in any case here.
Though I ultimately went with the Tweeds, its great to hear from someone who loves the jazzy cats. They're so beautifully crystal clean! Really loved them and you're right, I mostly played with them straight into an amp but a mid humped OD would really make them sing and bring more versatility to the table. I'll check out some of your videos. Cheers!
@@LeanOnYourDreams personal preference, I have owned the custom shop 69s for over 10 years, I love them but they are not as "good" for the type of cleans I was looking for. For fuzz and overdriven tones they are great.
As per your other video I thought the Tweeds were the best .i also had a set of jazzy cats and basically found them to be lacking a little in live use.They are still a lovely sounding PU .....the Klein 59s are my favourite of his . I actually thought though the Blondes were the surprise here as I thought they sounded way better than when compared on your other video.Great work again 👌
Interesting! As far as I remember they were basically the same settings. Curious about those 59s.
I've used JC and Blondes. I am partial to the blondes.
I like klein in this video, more overtones
Yeah the Kleins definitely have some special/smooth high freqs going on. Tweeds just gave a little more bite.
Interesting. I used to like the blondes as clear and bright, but in this demo O prefer the tweeds as more articulated maintaining good lows.
Yeah as long as the input is hot enough on the amp the lows come through a nice amount. Sometimes I do wish I had an alternate guard with blondes, but I’m happy with the tweeds
I preferred the warmness of the kliens. The lollars sounded kindof ice picky... perhaps.the height just need to be adjusted..?
Thanks for the demo. Lollar Tweed sounds sweet and crispy at the same time! I am thinking Tweed N+M and Strat Special in the bridge!
Sweet and crispy is a great way to describe the tweeds.
@@haskitt there is a certain dryness to them also! Can you still get those open sounds with tons of overtones? I feel like the blondes might be better there. But there is really something magical in the midrange of the tweeds.
Plus I play tweed amps....
A year later and I'm back. anyone else think these sound more alike than different?
I was leaning the Loller Blondes but now... dunno.
You can’t go wrong with the blondes… I just found I could thicken up the tweeds to sound the way I want in general, but it was hard to thin out the others the way I want.
Pretty close and did like the tweed/jazzy cats for a few of the examples but overall the blondes take the cake for me
I have a set of Jazzy Cats on my strat, they are special.
All three are fantastic, but I would go Klein then tweed then blond.
Hi Scott. Excellent information. Thanks for sharing. I ask you please answer a few questions. I know that there are multiple factors involved in the final sound of a pickup; However, according to your criteria, what do you think the resistance of each pickup should be to achieve the typical strat sound of a lifetime?. I verify that the tweed lollar is 4.9K and the blonde 5.6K, both in the neck position. There is no data on jazzy cats. Now the bridge position pickup sound has always been questioned for its low output, thinness, and brilliance. What would be the ideal resistance for this position?. Finally, which of these pickups did you like the most?. Thank you very much for answering.
Hi Nilton, I really think the ideal resistance depends on the other factors of the pickup, especially the magnet used. I think the tweeds are the most “stratty” while being the most versatile, but the Kleins really do nail the Strat scoop sound just as well if not better than the tweeds. I just think the Kleins are a bit too polite, and the tweeds have a little more push. I prefer a back plate on my tweed bridge, but in general for a great stratty sound I think the bridge should be only a tad bit higher resistance than the others (assuming the same magnet and construction between all 3 pickups). Certainly a hotter bridge will give you more versatility, but I think it sacrifices a bit of the character of a strat. As far as the Lollars go, I think the tweeds are the ideal resistance for A2, and blackface are the ideal resistance for A5. Cheers!
I like the tweed best
Back again! Still digging the tweeds. The klein have a nice tone, but they don't seem as...dynamic? I could see this being useful in some situations, but if I wanted compression, I'd prefer to use a compressor. The tweeds almost "bloom," if that makes any sense.
The more I listen, it seems like there's better note separation on the tweeds. The Kleins also sound choked compared to the Lollars, but this was an advantage during the chord strumming. Blah. I like the tone of the Kleins but prefer the note separation/dynamics on the Tweeds.
@@thesucculentcity yeah, funny I was going to mention the Kleins but I don't think they'd stand up to the imperial, as they're really not punchy at all, in a good way, but too smooth for me. Cool on the tweeds!
The jazzy cat has a better tone when playing funk, whereas for Lollars the overdrive tone sounds better.
yeah, jazzy cats are so sparkly for the funk.
Came here expecting to love the Kleins...and they do sound great but I prefer both sets of Lollars...I like the Blondes best of all. Great playing and great demo, thank you!
ha, definitely a toss up between them but I chose the Lollars too! cheers
They all sound good and can do IT all with the right pedals and EQ. It's a matter of musical taste🍷👍🥂🍾🎸 I saw Mayer playing on a cheap Squier and he sounded like Mayer👍
Good is subjective of course, but my goal is for my guitars sound the way I like, plugged straight in, no pedals, into my tube amps, (my amps have very minimal eq, which I also like). I’m sure Mayer sounds like himself through a cheap squier, but would he want JUST that squier? Of course not! He wants to play the guitar that brings out the best in him. I’m no John Mayer, but I want the same from my guitar, and I can’t afford to have 10 strats for any mood I’m feeling 😂 cheers!
@@haskitt Yes well spoken at the end you Just want the best for your feeling and taste👍 BTW have you ever tried Smitty pickups from Holland? I have the 64 pickups really really Nice.👍 ua-cam.com/video/xhkvR-HRxwA/v-deo.html
You can take my Lollar Blondes out of my cold, dead hands.
Which did you like better? It sounds as if the lollars have more output and focus, slightly more compression.
I ended up with the tweeds in my guitar... liked them the best! I agree about the focus and output. It’s interesting you mention the compression, playing them I felt like the jazzy cats were not as dynamic as the lollars... Soft stuff felt great, middle dynamics felt great, but hitting them hard, they didn’t really give any more. I think the Lollars sound tighter which might sound like compression, but playing them, I felt more dynamic freedom with the Lollars. I suspect the jazzy cats are using Alnico 3, but he doesn’t disclose that info on the site, I could be totally wrong! Cheers!
@@haskitt yes you’re right, compression is not the right word. They’re just focused, tighter on the lows and very full sounding and loud in comparison. The kleins here just sound dull in comparison to my taste. I had the kleins 62 and the dirty blackfaces. The kleins were very good, I’ve never played a 60s strat so I cannot really compare but they were not mind blowing they were just very good. On the other hand the blackfaces sounded super special, these days I listen to my recordings with those pickups and it blows ny mind, like wow is that me... but as far as I recall the Blackfaces were also a bit dark sounding. I recall the neck pickup was a bit too dark to my taste.
It’s really interesting how the playback sounds so much different than actually playing the pickups, especially with some time between playing/listening. The Blackfaces just sound so good, but I much prefer the feel/response of the Tweeds when I’m playing. I do like those Klein’s, they’re so pristine.
Thank you, i also liked tweed best...
yesssssss
Wow!! Thank you
Loller blonde, hands down...has better bass and scooped mids
agreed on the better bass, and I can easily see someone liking the blonds the most. I found the jazzy cats to be unbelievably scooped though, super pristine. I think to your point though, having more bass on the blondes gives the scoop more of a reference point. I found the tweeds to be the happy medium.
Hi Scott, in your opinion, what would be the best humbucker to pair with the tweed? I have a hss strat and i’m really digging the tone of the tweed. Please share your opinion 🙏🙏🙏
Sorry for the late response, I’d go with an imperial, or a low wind imperial. The normal imperial isn’t very hot so it could work with the tweeds imo
the blond seems to sound familiar... almost like the stock neck pickup. lol
omg john mayer commented on my video and he only has 5 subs!!!
@@haskitt hey calm down
I’m between the Blackface’s and the Blondes. I play Blues and Rock mostly. Hendrix, John Mayer, etc. I like a bright, crisp, chimey tone with punchy tight bass. I hear the Blondes are amazing for cleans but I’m concerned they might not have enough umph for heavier leads on the neck pickup. Thoughts?
Klein yells John Mayer,
Lollars sound country
I can hear that… some twang in the tweeds. Lollars were much easier to get to rock out though.
What do you mean? Is there a difference in output gain?
Yep. Kleins have the lowest, then tweeds then blondes. I tried steel backing plates on the Kleins too. Helped a little but for me still were a little too polite
@@haskitt Okay thanks for the info. Maybe ill just settle with ssl-5s cause i need my strat to rock a bit more.
For my money, the tweeds sing and say STRAT more than the Klein’s-and the blonds for that matter. Most of all it makes me think, if you want to play a strat, why not really sound like a twangy, quackie strat?! For me that’s the tweeds. Another thing I thought is that the rosewood may help give a little warmth to the bright, sparkly tweeds because I watched a few other demo’s of people playing strats with tweeds and maple, and it just wasn’t nearly same. Hmm 🤔
completely agree... tweeds are strat through. Strange, when I got the tweeds for the comparisons, I didn't expect to like them because every demo I'd seen they seemed bright and thin. Treat these right through a tube amp and they just sing. Nothing like em!
@@haskitt Do you think they can sound that great with a maple board? If played through a tweed bassman?
nice! what model strat is that?
Thanks! Fender MIM Standard 2001 - I compared the stock pickups with Lollars here: ua-cam.com/video/LgQO6Emv74Y/v-deo.html - cheers!
Been through about ten Strat sets over the years and the jazzy card where my least fav of the lot. Just uninspiring
Interesting... what do you have now? I thought they delivered what they were supposed to, but somewhat a 1 trick pony. A bit too polite.
Unfortunately, I’m having the same experience w them.
How’s the hum on jazzy cats? Are they noiseless?
They are not noiseless… no more hum than other traditional Strat pickups… less hum than bar magnet MIM pickups. They do hum cancel in positions 2 and 4. Cheers!
I don't like the attack(the start of the note) of the Lollars. Klein so much sweeter.
Glad you liked the kleins… I wanted just a little more punch than they could muster. Really beautiful sounding pickups though!
Tweed is balanced
If I'm picking the winner, it's the Tweeds. The Jazzy Cats sound nice in the 1-3-5 positions but a bit muddy in 2-4. The Blonds are also nice and sound better than the Jazzy Cats in 2-4 and as good in 1-3-5. The Tweeds are the most articulate in all 5 positions without being harsh. I always prefer a bit more edge and articulation and I can roll the tone a bit if I must.
My thoughts exactly - I went with the tweeds and haven’t looked back since!
@@haskitt Did you get staggered pole pieces or flat? Great content BTW.
If those Klein's are that bright fingerstyle, imagine with a pick. No thanks. I have blondes and blackface, looks like I need a 3rd strat for tweeds. 🤔
yeah, they're bright! I love the tweeds, haven't looked back.
Omelet du fromage.
I had to look this up… lol