Genuine Texas

“Well, Here Goes” I thought as I un-soldered the stock pickups of my 98 Les Paul Standard. The pickups in this guitar are exceptional as far as G*bson Pickups are concerned and I really love the tones I get from this guitar using them. One of the best I’ve had in my 29 years of learning to play guitar.  That is, until now...
I got a set of Rio Grande pickups recently - 'Zebra Coil' Genuine Texas for the neck and BBQ for the bridge - I bought them to put in my Firebird Studio, but on reading some great reviews and ‘thinking about it’ I decided to pop them into the ‘Burst instead, just temporary, to see what they were like.
   Temporary became Permanent very quickly as the tone, sparkle and guts of these pickups ensured that they would be staying put in the guitar from now on ! I cannot find enough superlatives to describe the sublime sheer depth of sound these pickups have and what they have done to my Tone, Playing and the Feel of my playing, it’s all been taken up to another level, maybe even another dimension if that’s not overdoing it.
   I can’t believe the response, it’s Alive!! -I pick softly, the pickup obliges with lovely whispered weepy tones- especially the neck, I hit the strings harder on the bridge setting (through my valve amp and 4x12) and it’s with me all the way; plenty of spice, and full, rounded big tones, especially on that big ringing open ‘G’ chord- wow- and don’t get me started on the solo sounds, just lovely. This guitar was great before, now it’s nigh on close to legendary. Where have I been? Hiding under a rock? I should have got some of these years ago.
  Here in England, we’ve heard that ‘Everything’s bigger in Texas’, that so obviously includes Guitar Tone.
Thank you very, very much Rio Grande.
-Craig H Reynolds, Derbyshire, England.