Single Coil Pickup Shootout | Fender Texas Special vs Hot Noiseless

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

Great job! I installed hot noiseless in my 1973 strat, had to route the pickup bays 1/4", finally fit. Installed with 500k pots I get a great humbuckers sound. Another set I put in a Bexgear kit with 250k pots. Better sound but still impressive pickups what I have been looking for for 55 years!

[@justinhaught]

Since the Hot Noiseless have more mids they are more clear at high gain and more muddy and low gain. This video is a great testament to that.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

I notice that, particularly on lower notes. The demo was done using the same amp settings for both pickups. Having played a bit more with the hot noiseless and dialing in tones specifically for those pickups, I’ve found a really nice tonal balance. And you’re right on, I had to dip the mids more than I normally do on cleaner sounds.

[@bluwng]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar isn’t that always the case, you need to adjust to each pickup configuration. No two pickups are alike.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Absolutely. As much as I’d like to be able to “set it and forget it”, adjusting for different pickups is a must.

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar your clean jams are vary musicale, good reverb, good amp, good playing.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks so much!

[@bdm1000]

Great job! I much preferred the sound of your Fender Texas Special pickups. To me it really stood out. They weren't even on my radar.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Me too! The Texas Special pickups really highlight the unmistakable Stratocaster sound.

[@Jbsantos54]

Is it on the white guitar? Was that texas special? I like first guitar pickups better Great video👍🏻🎸

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Yes, the white Strat has the Texas Special pickups, Surf Green Strat has the Hot Noiseless pickups.

[@jeramynorris6522]

Dig the comparisons. The only suggestion I have is to do the same riff with both guitars back to back per segment. Every riff on one then the other is too long on each instrument. The variety of both guitars on the same riff would have more impact. I know these videos take a lot to edit and record already. Great playing and great job.

[@jeramynorris6522]

And by the way to the ceramic noiseless do it for my ear

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Jeramy thanks a bunch for the comments! I think you’re right on. At the time of making this I was worried back to back with the same riff might be too repetitive. In the future I’ll definitely do back to back for better contrast. Thanks for the compliments as well, much appreciated!

[@badbluesman69]

Excellent demo! For me, the Texas Specials left the noiseless pickups in the dust. The noiseless pickups sounded completely sterile and lacked the expressive character heard in the Texas Specials. I’d rather have a little 60 cycle hum in my sonic brew than the flat, empty sound of the noiseless pickups.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

The Texas Specials are pretty magical! Still haven’t found a better pickup for classic strat tones.

[@mollers92]

I would be very surprised if you didn't listen to this demo expecting the Texas specials to be better, mind you

[@gnoogie]

@@mollers92 its actually shocking how similar they sound IMO

[@ChanoQlo]

first video i watch that use the texas pickups with high gain, thanks

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

You’re welcome! I personally love the Texas special pickups for higher gain stuff. I’m surprised more people don’t use them for that sort of thing.

[@ChanoQlo]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar i believe the same thing dude, surely they are great in clean, but at high gain you can play a lot of 70's and 80's post punk stuff

[@Theweeze100]

There is something about the nest pick up that I can’t handle. Great video, great playing!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

In a good way or bad way? Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@pastorkev777]

Definitely a difference, more low mids and bass on hot noiseless. Nothing wrong with them actually. For me I have a Lace Sensor Silver from the 80s in the neck of my strat and it sounds quite good. Two things it lacks presence and articulation upon attack (picking). The feel is different, some say compressed, I would say it does feel more even, but it doesnt seem to reward dynamics as much. Would you say the hot noiseless neck lacks this? If so I may just wait it out for a Dimarzio Area 58 in the neck.

[@JediCrackSmoke]

Absolutely love the sound of the Texas Specials and (and your playing) having them installed soon. Did you install a dummy coil mod for them in this video by chance? Thanks!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Hey thanks for your comment! I did not have a dummy coil for the Texas Special pickups. I may go down that road at some point but for live performances I’m pretty set with the Hot Noiseless.

[@JediCrackSmoke]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar Thanks for you reply! IMO the Texas Specials blew the noiseless out of the water in your video, in fact, it's what motivated me to go with them for the neck and middle pickups in my 2017 HSS American Elite Strat. The noiseless just lack a soul by comparison, and I'm coming from originally having Noisless IV's and later Dimarzio Area 58's for the last few years.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

No prob! That’s great to hear this video helped you decide. What kind of humbucker are you using with the TS? Does it match well?

[@JediCrackSmoke]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar I'm going with a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge for maximum versatility, and it splits really well for a SSS sound.

[@mikeb5372]

It's an old video but i wanted to say great job! Good choice of songs and sounds. I loved the white strat

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks, glad it resonated with you! That white Strat really sings with the Texas Special pickups. I’ve tried many others but those PU’s just seem to make that guitar come alive.

[@psb962]

The Hot Noiseless are POWERFUL. I find I'm playing mine with volume on about 7 to get traditional stratty tones, and get great rock tones above that. In the video I notice that the Texas Specials have that vintage polepiece height setting which was originally for a wound G, but of course we don't use wound Gs anymore, so they will be very present on the G string.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Great insight and great observation about the vintage pole piece height, thanks for commenting! IMHO, the only time I really notice the string balance is off is in the bridge position. Other than that I really enjoy their sound and don’t find them to be unbalanced.

[@carsgunsandguitars]

I love Tx Specials and building a new parts caster and this just sold me on the hots, great vid!

[@carlossanteliz5293]

Hi there. Thanks for the video. I did not get to hear to much of a hum on the Texas Special's set. Was there a considerable ammount of noise? Greetings : )

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Hi, my pleasure, thanks for watching! Regarding the Texas Special hum, it isn’t really loud in my studio. That said, I’ve had instances where the hum was so loud at certain venues it was unusable. It really depends on a number of factors like light dimmers, bad wiring, shielding, playing close to a computer monitor, etc.

[@Late2theShowagain]

I own 3 Strats one with the TS pickups and it sounds really nice. I also have the Hot Noiseless in another Strat with 500K pots and a tone saver and they are super high output. They both have their place. If I'm playing something bluesy or melodic, I go for the TS Strat. If I'm playing in a really loud gig (with really loud players and hard hitting drummers) I usually go for the the Hot Noiseless since they have a scorching output. Nice playing and a good demo. Thanks.

[@alangolias8628]

I can get both tones out of the hot pus no sense playing if you can't be heard....I turn the volume know to 0 and adjust the Amp to dial in My sound. None of that tinny tone for me !!

[@DaDamuse]

you and i have a very different definition of high gain lol. Thanks for the video nonetheless!!

[@Wooburnmusic]

This is a cracking video with cracking sounds ! One of the best demos i have seen and heard, thankyou. 🙂👍🇬🇧

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Wow, thanks!

[@woodenfly4quids168]

I have bad tinnitus. This made choosing the best Strat (for my needs) a few months ago a bit of a trial. I ended up choosing a Mexican Player Plus HSS. This comes with Fender Noiseless pickups and a pushbutton split on the bridge tone button to bring the humbucker up to single coil tone. It does everything I want and doesn't drive me crazy with extra noises.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Great to hear the tinnitus hasn’t stopped you on your quest for tone. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience!

[@uncleozzy]

When I needed a Strat, I played every one in the shop (literally), concentrating mostly on the clean neck position (since that's the Strat sound I was after at the time). I wound up settling on a guitar with Texas Specials (a 2011 MIM Roadhouse Deluxe). Knew nothing at all about them, but they were far and away the best clean Strat sound at this shop. Haven't let me down since.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

That’s cool to hear they bested all the different Strats! They’ve definitely got that magic sparkle.

[@ThemFuzzyMonsters]

Excellent demo! The Jeff Beck Strat sounds the most Strat-esque to me, every single time. That said, I have never liked the Texas Specials and never understood what people heard in them: blurry, muffled, and lacking in quack. They never sounded like SRV to me either, and awful on those Dire Straits bits … so this test confirms things (for me). The Noiseless, on the other hand, were impressive: bright, quacky, open … FWIW - my Strat pickups of choice are the Ron Ellis 50/60 with a 280k volume pot … bright and “weak”.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

To each their own! The JB Strat sounds fantastic and is dead quiet. Interesting to hear about your set up, I’d love to hear that combo!

[@danmercer214]

Hi, I liked the hot pickups. My question is do you get any hum with those? I use a peavy JSX 2x12 combo high gain amp. My strat has 59s and the hum is so bad the guitar is unusable. It’s a toss up between the noiseless hot fender or Seymour Duncan hot rails. Interested in your opinion. Thank you.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

That Hot Noiseless don’t have any 60 cycle hum. They’re as quiet as a a humbucker. Personally, I prefer the Hot Noiseless over the Seymour Duncan Hot Rails because I like a more traditional sound. If you lean towards a more modern, high gain sound, you might be better off with the Seymour Duncan Hot Rails or even one of the Dimarzio rail pickups. I’ve really been loving the Dimarzio Cruiser DP187. Very versatile and it can also come pretty damn close to those classic single coil tones.

[@bobubastardbbqandmetal9908]

Texas Specials all the way, But the noiseless sound very good too

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Yep, the Texas Special might be my favorite single coil I’ve played. Currently trying some Suhr V60LP’s and really liking their sound as well. Need some more playing time to see how they stack up against the TS.

[@LouisCiarlo]

I Agree 100%. I really like the Texas Specials but just can't deal with the 60 cycle hum. For that I would chose the Hot Noiseless.

[@kanjinha]

Im sorry couldnt find out, which pickups are in what guitar? Thanks

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

I had the Texas Special Telecaster pickup set on a Telecaster and they were the best but on a Strat those noiseless pickups on the Green Strat are sounding great.

[@deonhooper1048]

I’m brand new to owning a strat and after this video, I’m going with the hot noiseless .. I just preferred the sounds and for me would be more suited to what I’m doing

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Deon, that’s cool to hear! A Strat with Hot Noiseless pickups is a very versatile instrument. You’ll still get very close to those classic sounds but also have enough output on tap for more modern styles, and no 60 cycle hum!

[@marybrowning5657]

I know it a matter of personal preference. I prefer the the noiseless. Imo the trade off is worth it especially if you are playing something with high gain. The noiseless might not sound exactly like a true single coil but is close enough to keep me happy

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

The Hot Noiseless really do sound great, especially when you adjust your EQ for them specifically. In a live context, very few people would even know they aren’t true single coils.

[@MatteMike2345]

Nice demo! Thanks for the time and effort you put into this. Much appreciated. Really nice playing also. I liked the Noisless for the bridge position and the TS for the other two. Did you feel that the Noiseless bridge pickup compressed the sound a little more?

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

My pleasure and thanks! I agree, the noiseless in the bridge wins by a bit and it does sound and feel more compressed. Personally, I like that in a bridge pickup, but some may be drawn to the more open, less compressed sound of the Texas Special.

[@465marko]

Dumb Q, but what is the song at 3:05?? (Middle pickup; Clean). It's just not coming to me...!! Edit: Nope, got it - John Mayer... lol Thank yo9u very much for this video. It's the Texas Specials for me, 100%.

[@nunoharris]

Hi. Whats the brand of the strings? Thanks

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 9-46.

[@neilritson7445]

What's the amp + settings? I only have a small Marshall and no pedals!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

For most of these clips it was the either the Fender Super Reverb or Vibroverb amp models in the Fractal Audio Axe FX III. Sometimes with the addition of a tube screamer in front. The clips that had the most gain were the Friedman HBE model. For both amp models I tend to keep the gain around 5, bass very low, mids around 4, treble 6, presence 4-6. Master volume higher on Fenders, lower on the Friedman.

[@Doomlord777]

Great demo. I came to watch as im considering some hot noiseless but they both sound great. Which would you recommend for hendrix and general fuzz fun? I have a 2000 usa standard with rosewood board. My only criticism is it would have been handy if you edited the video to demonstrate each pick up setting on each guitar. By the time i was enjoying the hot noiseless part i had forgotten all the tones from the ts part. 😄

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks! For Hendrix I’d recommend either Texas Special or the Fender CS69 pickups. Both will get you really close. The Hot Noiseless can get pretty close to those tones as well but may take more tweaking. Regarding the back to back comparisons you’re right, that would’ve been better. For this one I’d suggest using the time stamps in order to hear back to back comparisons.

[@jasonism123]

Awesome review. What song is that at 4:40?

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks! That’s “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

[@LoveUnderWill]

I love your SRV style. It's very original and also incredibly his style as well. 🎉🎉

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thank you for the kind comment!

[@roelheijmans]

The Texas specials have that bit of magic the noiseless lack

[@rojocinco]

Is there anyway to download the axefx3 presets that you have used, please?

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Unfortunately not. These presets were dialed in on an older firmware and I’ve made a lot of changes as Fractal has added new features. I can say that their factory preset “Machine Gun” is a great starting place!

[@philipnelson3206]

Been thinking about the noiseless but, I gotta say, the Texas really caught my attention 🤔

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

The Texas are…special! Haha. As far as I’m concerned they’re both great, just depends on your wants and needs. If you’re going true single coil, it’s hard to beat the Texas Special, in my opinion. If you’re playing in places where 60 cycle hum is overly intrusive or you like more output and a thicker sound, the Hot Noiseless really excel.

[@MrJack8782]

Great comparison 👏

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks Jack! Which pickup do you like better?

[@MrJack8782]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar I just bought the Texas specials!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Awesome!

[@royboy84]

What am I looking for in a pickup? I don't know,...towing capacity, durability, horsepower? OH right, guitar pickups... I'm outta my element but I dig the Custom Shop Texas Special's ever so slightly more.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

HA! You forgot bulletproof and battery powered! I have to agree, the Texas Special are just classic sounding.

[@frankrandolph1507]

I think they both sound fantastic and if you have two Strats, why would you want them to sound exactly the same anyway??? I can think of songs that each guitar would shine more on.

[@guyfeldman4404]

Great video, thanks for doing this! I would be interested to see how they compare tone-wise if the amp gain was dialed back slightly on the hot noiseless.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks, my pleasure! I thought about doing that in this vid but really wanted people to be able to hear the difference in output. Dialing the gain back with Hot Noiseless gets even closer to the sound of true single coils. If you ride the volume knob a lot, I highly recommend having a treble bleed on your volume pot. Great way to maintain the sparkle as you lower the volume knob.

[@jamestayler388]

I skipped your intro and had to go back to find out what pickups were in each guitar. I definitely liked the white strat better without knowing.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Sometimes the blind taste test is the best way to go!

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

Vary similar, two good pickups. Great playing on this demo.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Yes, they’re surprisingly similar in some clips. Both great pickups IMHO. Thanks!

[@gerardoromano3436]

Hi is it me or in some positions the Hot noisless sounds brighter than Texas Special ? For exaple, the bridge position in high gain. What is your opinion about that ? thanks great video. You´ve earned 1 sub and a like!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Spot on, the hot noiseless are definitely brighter than Texas Special. Thanks!

[@iancurrie8844]

Funny, when listening to the playing, I never heard any 60 cycle hum with either one. Funny how that works.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Great observation! I’m lucky that the wiring in my studio doesn’t produce much noise. I wish the 60 cycle hum was that minimal at shows. Unfortunately not the case more often than not.

[@joserdiazalmodovar1898]

Wow Awesome dude. It reminds me how much i have to learn ¡🤦‍♂️🤣🤣🎸🎸 but also very instructional very very nice brother. Awesome Tones and Chops¡

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it! Always more to learn!

[@JeremyJames_studio]

Hey Colin - noticed you put an LSR nut on the white strat as well…do you find they change the sustain on the guitars at all. Obviously they’ll help tuning but I’m wondering about sustain - currently trying to get a little more sustain on my strat to make a ‘how-to-play’ type video. You look to have upgraded the saddles on the white strat too? Cheers

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Hi Jeremy, yes I thought the roller nut along with locking tuners and string saver saddles would make a big difference in tuning stability. It did for the most part except like all strats the g string just can’t seem to be tamed. I can’t say that I noticed any difference in sustain. I used to have sustain issues when making videos as I was only using IEM’s. Once I switched back to having a real speaker with a bit of volume my sustain issues went away. Nothing like pushing a bit of volume to get the sustain up!

[@JeremyJames_studio]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar Yes you're completely right, using a speaker will definitely help. Seems common sense but I'm using a captor x so often don't bother plugging in my speaker. Cheers for that! How do you find those hot noiseless pickups generally? For $200 they are a significant upgrade to a mex strat that cost $300! lol

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

I really dig the Hot Noiseless! I have them in a backup guitar, they’ve really saved me at gigs were the single coil hum is really bad.

[@JeremyJames_studio]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar Cheers Colin, Ever try the vintage noiseless? It seems to me the hot may be a bit too...ummm....hot

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

I’ve never tried the vintage noiseless. I’m also curious to try the Gen 4 noiseless. They seem to be getting better and better.

[@stratdx]

That was some great Mayer.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks! These pickups can really nail that tone IMHO.

[@Dandelion-32]

I really like, that you have so much variation in your right hand picking techniques and also some really good tone stuff going on in your left hand too. No pick-up can give that range of expression without the input from the player's hands.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

That’s very kind of you, thanks so much! I agree, so much of tone is in the hands. The right gear goes a long way though!

[@roberthd8954]

I have CSTS but Noiseless I think they sound warmer and I think about changing, this movie convinced me

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Can’t go wrong with either! Personally, the only thing I don’t absolutely love about the Noiseless is position 4. It’s still really good just, not quite as smooth as the TS in that position.

[@comment_below]

similar but the noiseless were making me cringe a bit .... i disagree that the noiseless are more balanced -they were getting a bit harsh on the high end -and overall sound less full and more "plastic"/artificial .... to me

[@spider5001]

I got lost on which was which. I really didn’t here much noise out of either. I definitely preferred the green guitar

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

They are pretty similar in some clips. Regarding noise, I’m lucky enough to be in a studio with good wiring and not much noise pollution. When gigging with the Texas Special pickups, they can be quite noisy at show volume. Especially with gain. The Hot Noiseless work really well in the live context.

[@matthewmorter7803]

I have fender ultra hot noiseless pickups on my strat right now and I have just been unsatisfied with them, the bass really takes over and I can’t get a classic strat chime for the funky stuff I like. So I am thinking of getting classic single coils, this is the first video I have come across that directly compares what I need! Thanks for that. Does anyone recommend these Texas specials over the custom fat 50’s? Those were what I am leaning towards right now. But the noiseless can be great for good ol rock for sure.

[@PauloFerreira8]

they're similar, really, but not equal. I have both on my strats. Texas Specials cut a bit above on the highs... noiseless are very balanced and you still can achieve any sounds. I would favor the Texas for hot sounds, and choose the noiseless to play anything low down and mellow.

[@josemariatrueba4568]

Very similar. Your playing style makes much more difference than the pickups. I imagine that any different settings on your amplifier will make a major impact, pickups have much less impact for sure. Noiseless pickups rob a small amount of brightness, like if you had set your tone control a little down. Texas special do have the typical brilliant sound that we expect from a Stratocaster, but you may kill highs if you wish, reason why I think that these pickups are better.

[@maxmustardman298]

Call me stupid but whose riff is that @ 7:00 ? Jimi ? And yes, I am gonna go with the texas specials as well, more clarity overall

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Yep that’s Jimi! It’s Spanish Castle Magic from the Axis Bold As Love album. I’m sure the Texas Specials will treat ya well. You’ll have to come back and let me know if you can feel that mid range magic I was talking about! I haven’t been able to get that from other single coils.

[@sixtythreechevy]

Very much a quality video and helpful as I was looking at this guitar only newer.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thank you! Great to hear it was helpful!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thank you! Great to hear it was helpful!

[@micahshackelford2804]

I need some advice. My father passed 4 years ago, and left me an old Squier hss stratocaster. I would like to convert it to a sss, but don't know which of these would be better for country and blues to maybe rock.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Sorry to hear about your father Micah. I’d recommend the Texas Special pickups for country, blues, and rock. The Hot Noiseless are a close second in my humble opinion.

[@evanpaulsmithfalconfogolin6147]

Those hots are insanely awesome.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Agreed. They’re great pickups for a variety of styles.

[@NomarKddus]

very good sound I ask you a question what height do you recommend me in the texas special

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks! I’d start with the pickup height recommendations from Fender or Seymour Duncan. From there you can fine tune them for your preferences. For my tastes, I always have the pickups lower for the low E side. Just slightly above the pick guard height. As for the top end, I like them just shy of the fretboard height. Maybe a bit lower for the Hot Noiseless. Really like the balance I get that way.

[@NomarKddus]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar tanks bro

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

My pleasure!

[@j.a.s.1416]

Great demo/video. Love the hot noiseless in my little ol squire. Didn't see anyone mention that they're Ceramic magnets. Almost like an in-between a strat and a P90. 🎸

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks! I too love the hot noiseless and those ceramic magnets really do add a special character to the sound. Almost passed on them before even trying them but glad I gave them some time because they’re awesome pickups!

[@JohnWhite-xc3md]

The noiseless pickups are surprisingly close. They've come a long way since the stacked humbuckers and Lace Sensor days.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Agreed!

[@fullmoonfool]

damn thats clean pickin!!! So which do yourself prefer I gave a slight edge to the Texas Specials but you are using different guitars. Concerning the 60 cycle hum I have 3 or 4 of Pyle PHE400 hum eliminators purchased at Amazon that do a decent job for around $25 or$30

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks! I agree the Texas Specials are just a smidge better. That being said I think the Hot Noiseless get about 95% there. I don’t miss it in a live context but recording it’s more apparent. Regarding the 60 cycle noise, most of the time I’m able to gate it out with the Axe Fx III. There have only been a couple of instances where it was too overwhelming to play with gain, even with the gate. Thanks for the tip about the Pyle PHE400, I hadn’t heard of them before. Gonna have to give it a try!

[@darkface15302]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar I didnt use the method that @fullmoonfool used but I used the faraday cage insulation method with copper tape and it worked very well. The hum isnt completely gone but that super annoying "Version" of it is. I'd say 70-80% of the hum is gone. Thanks for the awsome video!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Very interesting! Excited to learn more about this method. Stoked this video was helpful for ya! Thanks for watching and chiming in about the Faraday Cage Method!

[@samuellamp8886]

I feel dumb lol what are you rippin at 5:24 and 6:19? Very nice!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Lol I don’t think you’re dumb but you may have some awesome new tunes to discover! At 5:24 it’s “Always On The Run” which is a colab between Lenny Kravitz & Slash. 6:19 is “Scuttle Buttin” by SRV.

[@VideoDetection]

Great video and comparison of the pickup sets! I went out and ordered a set of Texas Specials after hearing this comparo. As I understand it the center pickups are reverse wound so these pickups humbuck in positions 2 and 4. So I guess you could say these pickups are semi noiseless :)

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks! I think you’ll be really happy with those Texas Specials. Yes, the middle pickup is reverse wound, reverse polarity. No hum in position 2 and 4, 2 out of 5 ain’t bad!

[@aureliusandthespiral]

Good demo. The Texas specials for the win

[@robroufla]

the difference seems the most obvious between these two, I checked several times to see if it wasn't a mistake 6:02 Neck/Middle Pickup HIGH GAIN 1 11:52 Neck/Middle Pickup HIGH GAIN

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Spot on. You can really hear the difference in output in these examples.

[@Pedalbored]

TSvsounds better imo

[@Storm-ov3yq]

@@Pedalboredagreed

[@marksguitars5617]

Glad I stumbled across this video, I have a stock Jeff Beck Stratocaster with Hot Noiseless and a partscaster with Texas Specials, I like both and find that they are versatile, the Hot Noiseless works well for straight up classic rock and blues with more gain. Despite a lot of people trashing both, I get plenty of mileage out of them for gigging. Thanks

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Mark, I’m with ya! I ended up installing the noiseless in another guitar because I liked them so much in the JB. Still like my TS just a smidge more but playing live I don’t notice as much as I’m not comparing side by side. I think it’s crazy how much people trash both pickups. Personally, they give me everything I hope to get from a strat.

[@marksguitars5617]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar yes sir, not sure what it is, there i a lot of tone snobbery, I think if you play well and what's appropriate for the song the it's all good! I haven't done any really deep comparisons in a recording studio with vintage amps with isolated tracks which is probably where most of the differences would be revealed I just need to sound good at gigs!

[@psb962]

A treble bleed mod on the volume pot of the JB helps to get more traditional strat tones out of the JB as it lets you play with vol at 7 or so without treble loss.

[@marksguitars5617]

@@psb962 thanks for that, do you know what cap/resistor values are used for Hot Noiseless?

[@jaethomasmusic]

I'd like to see the hot noiseless at about 1 or 2 volume steps lower - the hot noiseless had more fatness, and sounded great. The TS had more "juice" tho.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Good point. I didn’t gain match the examples because I thought it was important to note the difference in output. Both great pickups but I have to say the Texas Special have just a bit more mojo in my humble opinion.

[@icu469]

They both sound really good. I'm going with the hot noiseless. Why well because they are noiseless and I like playing with high gain, and just hate the buzz of single coils with overdrive.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Agreed! The hot noiseless love gain and yes you won’t have any issues with 60 cycle hum. They’re very versatile pickups as well. It’s surprising they don’t get more love!

[@sowhatsowhat4128]

freaking good review, thanks

[@fabioaugustoalvesdesouza6384]

Hi, did you use the same posts in both guitars? If yes, wich one did you use for tones and volume?

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Hi there, volume/tone pots in both guitars were 250K.

[@fabioaugustoalvesdesouza6384]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar Thank you for the answer. I think the Noiseless with 500k could be much similar the SC, specially the brightness, what do you think? Oh, you cold make a video comparing the Hot noiseless and the Vintage noiseless. Thank you again and nice to see you playing!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

You’re welcome! I think the Noiseless with 500k might actually be too bright. Usually that pot value works best with stacked humbuckers but Fender recommends 250k for their Noiseless. Depending on your setup and gear you’re playing through, 500k could work well. Especially if you’re playing through a somewhat dark sounding amp or overdrive. I would love to compare the hot noiseless to the vintage noiseless! Hopefully I can get my hands on them sooner than later. Thanks for your comments!

[@fabioaugustoalvesdesouza6384]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar Hi again, Colin. One last doubt... What kind of capacitors you're using with the Hot Noiseless? (Orange drop, Oil, other...?)..... And what value? I Think it's a detail that make difference. Thank you since now again.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Good point, the capacitors really do make a difference! I’m not sure if it’s orange drop or oil or something else. I can tell you it’s whatever comes stock on the Jeff Beck signature Stratocaster. The wiring diagram shows a 0.22K on the middle tone pot.

[@nunya3399]

immensely helpful. i think it depends on what you play, but if you play a little bit of everything those noiseless pickup are pretty impressive. too bad they don't have those as an option when you build a guitar from scratch on the fender site.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Great to hear this was helpful! You’re right, it does depend on the style you play. The noiseless are surprisingly versatile. Though for some reason they don’t get much love on the internet…go figure. What a bummer Fender doesn’t offer them in custom builds! Seems like a tremendous oversight.

[@TheFreeman4955]

I just got a 2010 American Deluxe with SCN Pickups. Was looking to upgrade to a more modern noiseless. After this comparison I’m going with Fat 50’s to give them a try. I have Texas specials in another Strat and love them. The noiseless just sound muffled. Even the newest noiseless. Great video!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Haven’t got my hands on the Fat 50’s yet, hope you dig them. Thanks for the comment!

[@carlosfernandoramirezsanto4417]

I would've liked this with same fingerboard specs and side by side comparison instead of one setup first and then the other.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

If you cut a CD of you cruzing through those Hendrix jams I'd buy it. Sounds vary musicale.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Very kind of you to say, much appreciated! I’d love to do a project like that someday…

[@colinparks619]

Blend I have noisless bridge and middle and fat 50 neck, best of both worlds and position 4 is amazing

[@Vizzie87]

The texas specials has something special, its more sweeter sounding man just more enjoyable haha

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

I agree! Some midrange magic that’s sort of hard to define but you’ll absolutely feel it when you play the Texas special.

[@guitarsunite2399]

They both have great and similar characteristics, I thought the Texas Middle pickup probably had to much bite?? which would say has the more tight and controlled bass?

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Yes they do! Personally, I don’t think the Texas Special has too much bite. Of course it will depend on what you’re playing through. Definitely has a tight bass response and doesn’t get “flabby” unless you push too much gain and bass on your amp.

[@scottburgoyne595]

Great video 👍

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks a bunch!

[@elninjadelaguitarra4794]

Hi what is value the potens of the noisless..500 k??? Thank you

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Hi there, the noiseless have 250K.

[@Edu_VOICELAB]

Texas Special CS.. Thank for your Review

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

I concur. Thanks for watching!

[@thomasfoster2936]

Got a set of texas specials,& i find their more raw then the noiseless,but their both nice.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Agreed!

[@metalhead_1996]

The Texas Special sounded a little thin to me, although the noiseless ones had more oomph but less clarity, hmm I wonder if they could make pickups that have more balance

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

I’ve heard the newest generation of Fender Noiseless has improved dramatically. Haven’t had a chance to test them myself yet.

[@metalhead_1996]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar yeah me too, I think the Fender Ultra Hot Noiseless ones do it for me, although could be even more interesting if there was a comparison for those two though! :D

[@massimilianopersico1283]

Thanks for this interesting video comparison. Actually I own an American Special Strat equipped with those fantastic Texas Special Pickups.... it’s definitely magic! The dynamic you can achieve with Texas is incomparable. As you said at the end of the video, it’s all a matter of feeling and sensitivity while playing. Plug those Texas into a Blues Deluxe and you’re done!! Thanks so much for your insights sir. Regards, Max 🤘🎸

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

My pleasure, glad you found it interesting! I’ve been playing the TS for many years now and still love them after all this time. I’ve heard some people refer to them as “harsh”, but I personally feel they’re smooth, dynamic, and expressive. You’re right, into a Blues Deluxe is a beautiful sound with the TS!

[@recklessrocker1096]

How do Texas Specials sound in the middle position through the Blues Deluxe, since I have a strat and a Blues Deluxe too? I love the Noiseless single in the neck for jazz and the stock Alnico II humbucker for rock and some country in the bridge, but looking for a middle pickup that could cover more blues and rockabilly territory. Thanks.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Personally, I love the Texas Special middle position tone. Really well balanced with great definition and not too bright.

[@recklessrocker1096]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar Thanks. I watched some clips of Los Lonely Boys and their guitarist Henry Garza had some sweet lead tones out of the middle position of his strat and he also uses Texas Specials. Gonna plop those in my HSS strat now.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Nice! Gotta love those Los Lonely Boys tones.

[@LS-wc6mr]

Had vintage noiseless in my roadhouse strat and swapped them out for texas specials and haven't looked back. The VN were very balanced but kind of lifeless and meh. The TS for me have way more character. More hum of course but it's a tradeoff I'm ok with.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Spot on.

[@sunnysonny4914]

perfect demo

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@wrigleyx]

Noiseless are hotter, Texas are more twangy. i've test one day Clapton Strat vs SRV strat, that's what i've felt ;

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Spot on!

[@Allison_Chaynes]

Right away the noiseless seem a bit neutered. 🤔 Those Texas specials are nice. Great video. Subscribed. Also, I think I could fool myself in to liking the noiseless pick ups if they didn't say "NOISELESS" on the pick ups. That actually annoys me for whatever reason.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks for the comment! Interesting observation, what do you notice to be missing most from the noiseless? It’s funny you mention the “Noiseless” logo on the pickups, when I installed them in another strat I spray painted over them haha.

[@Allison_Chaynes]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar There's a frequency missing and I'm not even saying sound is really in that frequency. Maybe it's just the air being pushed. It sounds like there's a bit of a cap on it. Almost as if a compressor pedal was on. Now I know you can find beautiful sound with those. I'm just comparing the openness of those TS pickups to those. Still sounds great though. Noiseless will always sound great for what they are.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Got it. I agree, they’re not quite as open and dynamic as the TS.

[@allansmith6715]

Great video. I love those 2 and 5 positions on the TS. All of this sounds great. Im still trying to figure out out to keep my amp from humming with horrible static while on in my house 😔

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks for watching! Personally I love the neck sound of the TS but over time I’ve actually been liking position 2 of the Hot Noiseless a smidge more. My tonal tastes seem to be ever changing haha. Do you get the static at your house with humbuckers too or just single coils?

[@allansmith6715]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar i think im really talking more about the amp period. Once the guitar chord is in it hums. With guitar plugged in it hums. With a fat strat it hums with the hb or the single coils.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Hmm sounds like maybe a grounding issue. Are you able to test out any other amps in there? If others do it too I’d look into an Ebtech Hum Eliminator. Also a noise gate gate like the TC Electronic Sentry could help with most types of noise.

[@mgsguitars5660]

My solution was improve ground cable of the entire room. ( puting a cooper wire direct in ground)

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Right on, glad you found a solution!

[@stratotonefm]

Awesome playing and presentation. What year is that Jeff Beck?

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks! The JB Strat is a 2005, which is right around the time Fender updated it. The previous JB model had a different nut, a really thick neck, and different pickups.

[@stratotonefm]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar I have a 2010 Jeff Beck Strat. It's my favorite guitar.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Awesome, I can see why! Looks, plays, and sounds great. I thought I’d miss having true single coils in there, but those hot noiseless have beautiful tone.

[@thesay5663]

No comparison the vintage hot noiseless have more clarity truly superior pickup

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Great sounds for sure. Close enough to a single coil for live use without the 60 cycle hum.

[@joshualewis8572]

I use the hum playin live it just makes for a more realistic old school sound

[@joshualewis8572]

Ps. I would love to sit and jam with you

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Cool to hear that! Always down for jammin if you’re coming through the Bay Area

[@christophervincent8420]

Did you do one on the tex mex?

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

No, I don’t have access to those pickups at the moment. Hopefully in the near future!

[@christophervincent8420]

You will be pleasantly surprised at how good they are for how inexpensive they cost.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Nice, I’m excited to get my hands on them sometime soonish!

[@robertobellomo9078]

Nice video thanks, indeed TS are more sparkly, however I own the hot noiseless too, i see a huge difference on the neck. you tryied the TS with a maple and the Hot Noiseless in a rosewood, there are huge tonal difference within the necks. Maple tend to resonate the high end more than the rosewood wich tend to be more wamr(dark).IMO. 1 last point, as Noiseless are stacked dual coil, made a lot difference to install pots with 500k instead 250k.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Glad you enjoyed it! I recently installed the Hot Noiseless in a Strat that has a maple neck and I agree that it seems to be brighter compared to rosewood. Very interesting that you chose 500k pots! I went with Fender’s recommendation to use 250k and I’m happy with that choice. Seems like the 500k would make the Hot Noiseless way too bright as they’re already quite bright with 250k, especially in position 2 & 4. Are you using 500k volume and tone pots?

[@robertobellomo9078]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar Hi Colin, when i used the Hot Noiseless on the Maple neck i used 3x250k and .22 Capcitor and was fine, in the rosewood (rosewood fingerboard in quartersaw maple) they was quite darker (and a bit muddy) exactly like your video (2 and 4 brilliant like you). So what i do is 3x500k +.47 capacitor (middle tone pot is no load the other just tape) last but not least a treble bleed in series with a 2000Pf capacitor and 150k resistor. Consider 500k pot don't really increase the high they just add more Q on the PU EQ curve to around 5dB (like normal PU) Noiseless have a normal Q of 3dB.Cheers!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing!

[@robertobellomo9078]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar Pleasure!

[@ImJEllisAF]

@@robertobellomo9078 when you say "add more Q on the PU EQ curve" are you talking about the bandwidth?

[@fenderdude0bob109]

I think the Texas Specials sound warmer, and I'm honestly surprised. I expected the Hot pickups to have more warmth, but they sound a bit more "bitey" to me.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

I totally agree. The Texas specials have a smoother high end and a different mid range peak. That being said, this comparison was done with the same amp settings for both pickups. Dialing tones specifically for the hot noiseless, it’s easy to reduce the bite.

[@fenderdude0bob109]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar Oh absolutely. I've gotten to where I leave my amp settings the same for humbuckers and single coils. I just replace the bridge single coil with something "bigger" sounding.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Right on. What’s your favorite bridge single coil that gets that bigger sound?

[@matthewbarr5274]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar I know you didn't ask me, but a Fralin Steel Pole 42 or 43 will get that fatter bridge sound--Approaching P90 tone. Haven't tried his Split Steel Pole which is noiseless. Great demo--really informative!!

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Very interesting! I haven’t had any experience with Fralin but I’d love to try some of their stuff. I’ve heard great things. Glad you found this video informative!

[@arnieg65]

The Hot Noiseless sound great, till you hear the Texas Specials and then you can tell the difference. I rather have the hum, unless I'm recording with it .....

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Yep! I’d argue if you don’t hear them back to back one could be pretty happy with the Noiseless. I have them in one of my Strats because there are several live venues I’ve played where the 60 cycle hum is so loud I just can’t use real single coils. They sound great live!

[@itsmorphed6416]

I liked both but the t s moved me a little more .

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

They’re hard to beat!

[@travismontejano]

I can stand the hum of a single coil,for me I’d rather sacrifice a little tone for the clarity no doubt the tone of the Texas pickups are fantastic I’m just OCD when it comes to feedback and hum.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

I get it! Especially in places with bad wiring/dimmers etc…Sometimes the hum can be as loud as the notes you’re playing. In those cases I use a noiseless pickup and don’t miss too much tonally speaking.

[@RaviLogan86]

Thanks man

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

My pleasure!

[@briancampbell4700]

I thought the Hot Noiseless sounded better than the Texans with overdrive. My ear prefers the steel magnets (Tx Spec.) on the clean tones though.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Noiseless seemed to have a bit more definition with overdrive, TS just a little darker. Did you hear the same or is there something else that stood out?

[@briancampbell4700]

@@ColinGaileyGuitar the Texas specials and many other single coils seem to convert that nice treble presence into a midrangey fizz that obscures the notes a bit. Fralins don’t do that. The Ceramic Magnets in the hot noiseless PUPs sound like the notes are more direct and the distortion tone is more full, beefy. It’s a tone character thing, something that probably appeals to many and bothers a few.

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

I hear what you’re saying. You’ve really got me curious about the Fralins!

[@gatorgrass3]

Awesome video the fat pickups sounded so good man as the noiseless sounded better with mid tone riffs I think EQ could make these different sets very close not many people play at 12oclock on their amps

[@ColinGaileyGuitar]

Thanks Johnny! You’re absolutely right, EQ can make these pickups sound very close to one another. With a bit of patience and the right EQ, I’d bet most people wouldn’t know the difference unless they heard them back to back.