Tim Lerch- Lollar 52 and Special T comparison

[@Nickpaflas]

This guy could make the worst PUPs in the world sound great.

[@TimLerchGuitar]

It's great to hear everyone's preference and descriptions. I prefer the 52s but the Special Ts certainly have their charms as well. It all depends on what you need to hear and how you use your gear. Thanks for your input.

[@jcshirke]

Just wanted to say thanks for doing this. I just ordered a set of '52s. Great playing, and thanks so much for taking the time to do this. Exactly what I was looking for!

[@GenteelCretin]

I can't express it enough how appreciative I am for this demo. Thank you.

[@TimLerchGuitar]

I use Glendale compensated saddles and I believe they are absolutely a positive benefit for getting a tele in tune. Thanks for watching.

[@ronaldjohnston3723]

You are my favorite guitar player on the net.. so smooth man

[@bulenterdem1977]

in my humble opinion, special t set is superior. it sounds more musical and resonant, and is more sensitive to pick dynamics. great work, sir! congratulations!

[@ChristopherDowning]

Both pickups have similar light winding resistance around 6.5 ohm so there are going to both sound pretty open, airy, and glassy. However the 52 is alnico 2 and the Special T is alnico 5. so the 5 is probably going to give you a bit more output and attack whereas the 52 will sound quieter. Personally I prefer the alnico 2 as I feel it's more musical and sort of compressed when you are playing. Very old school sound. most new guitars go the 5 route so you are generally going to find the alnico 2 a softer, more ringy sound and as though you are hearing the string winding more - think jangle and Rickenbacker. Personally I'd go with the alnico 2 52's which are pretty much like the pus I use (and I feel like I've been through at least a dozen different sets ups over 50 years and I'm done with changes).

[@tonyadams6985]

+Chris Downing, engaging, informative reply. I'm looking for a classic Tele tone for a Tele (ash), that I'm putting together. Thanks.

[@TheRycooder]

Excellent breakdown....!!!

[@stevestringer7351]

Chris Downing thanks. very informative reply. you put into words exactly what I was thinking but lacked the terminology to adequately express myself.

[@MrBallynally2]

I believe i can hear more harmonics w the A2, especially in the neck. And less of boomy bass one often gets w A5. Softer..

[@MrBallynally2]

i mean both in this video and in my own SD A2 pros in my tele..

[@jmclen7]

Man, there was a little magic happening on the combined setting with the Special Ts. I preferred the 52 Ts on the neck and bridge only settings. I guess you just need both! Love it and thank you for the wonderful videos.

[@esmusat]

0:58 52 Neck p.u. 1:22 Special T neck p.u. 1:58 52 both p.u.'s. 2:34 Special T both p.u's. 3:09 52 bridge 3:55 Special T bridge

[@sboy1955]

Thanks 👌🏽

[@basildog007]

Wow, I missed 11 years of this guy! Just subscribed a week ago.

[@TimLerchGuitar]

It’s all still up so you can take you time browsing. Thank for the sub

[@eddiecrutcher4766]

Perfect demo Tim thank you! You are a great guitarist! Strangely I love both pick ups but it definitely helps to hear them played side by side. Its very difficult and time consuming to choose pick ups. I really like Lollars and am glad I discovered them. Now all I have to do is choose which set.

[@erictherowe]

52 Set gets my vote for sure.

[@ChrisHarrisWaco]

Thanks for being part of the KZbin army to help others. I ended up getting the Special T's; this was very helpful.

[@allenbieber5108]

As a luthier and having meet Jason Thanks for the comparison!

[@harleykingman]

EXCELLENT COMPARISON BETWEEN THE 2 PUPS AND UR PICKIN IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE BEST OF THEM !! LOVED IT !!!!!

[@studiocat1]

Thanks so much for doing this. Very helpful, and nice playing too. Ever thought of this combo - Special T in the neck, 52 in the bridge? To my ear thats what I like, of course it totally changes the middle sound. I have a Nocaster that has been benched because the stock PU's just aren't working for me. Too dull and low output on the neck, ice pick to the ear bright on the bridge. Changing PU's may put it back in the rota.

[@tonyadams6985]

Lovely sound.. This helps a lot, as I'm putting a Tele together. Long overdue, owning a Strat, L.P., White Falcon and not having a Tele is almost criminal for what is such a versatile and distinctive guitar.

[@maskman1980]

Thanks for taking the time to record and post the video!

[@JohannesLabusch]

Your Telecasters sound amazing, and your voice sounds like Jeff Bridges.

[@mikesteelheart]

I was gonna say that lol

[@scottmatthewson3140]

I think he sounds more like Tim Lerch

[@animalboy71]

Hi Tim: Thanks for the gear demo. I've decided to go Special T based on this. I love Lollars!!! Cheers & great playing too!

[@Mr.World52]

Thank you Tim, This was very helpful…52’s for me.

[@styleomatic]

Thanks Tim for a very well done comparison, one of the best. I'm not sure why most guys feel like they have to talk for three minutes at the video intro, and continue rambling every time then change pedals, sounds, etc...

[@BreauxBobby]

Sweet playing. Sounds great! Thanks for the demo.

[@garyharrison8891]

I liked them both. The clarity was just slightly better with the 52s but, I loved that aggressive bite on the special T bridge, and when playing both specials at the same time. For most things I’d probably like the 52s, if was doing a Texas blues style, I think the Specials would be great.

[@davidreed6722]

Brother, I don't think it matters what pickups YOU use. You've got godlike tone in those fingers.

[@marcopirelli5831]

Thanks a lot for posting this helpful video.I would buy the 52 pickups,even if they both sound great.Nice playing and nice guitars,too.Happy New Year from Italy.

[@lucianolucidi8624]

I 52 hanno più carattere per me. Suonano veramente bene.

[@jayceburns8246]

I like the 52 neck and T bridge!

[@jayceburns8246]

Not sure if they would be balanced that way, though...

[@crazyb3fan]

This was really helpful. My ears go right to the 52s and say YEAH! That's some sweet tone going there. Thanks telebasher for this throwdown of lollar tele pickups.

[@kj053910]

Awesome review, I think I liked the neck Special T better, but I liked the bridge 52 better. I'd love to see a shootout between the '52 and the Vintage T, trying to decide between those two at the moment.

[@natalirivero467]

I thought the same but maybe because tone was all the way up, I'd like to hear the 52 on the neck with the tone roll off by a little.

[@weenerdoggs]

Thanks! Great chops! Very tasteful and soulful!

[@toolpool]

Thanks for putting this together. I am looking at the Vintage T, which probable sits between the two types which you demonstrated, in terms of output.

[@johnhodge3676]

I happen to have 2 Nash Telecasters with the Specials T's that I play live in a busy country band thru a variety of amps. Your video confirms my thinking. The special T's are higher in output and drive an amp more. They are a superb choice for blues & rock and even jazz specifically with the neck pickup, and seem to have more midrange and bass punch and send an amp into breakup better/faster. The 52's like stock Tele p/u's, have more top end, brightness and twang - probably better for straight country licks than the Special T's. I love the versatility of the T's as well as the unique voice they give a Tele.

[@AlexisGitarre]

+John Hodge for me the Special T is more harsh in the very top end. It has more output und seems smoother in the mids but listen closely to the very top end and harmonics, they seem more brittle.

[@johnhodge3676]

+AlexisGitarre The fact we are having this conversation mean we are obsessed with tone. I am guilty. With my personal experience - not the video - I would say the top end in more "powerful" but I don't experience "brittle". Again, these p/u work best in gain situations, not clean tele twang.

[@Tahquitz]

One of the best comparison vids I've seen. Good recording and editing.

[@margovallen]

I love the Fender "Original '52's" on one of my Teles. Alnico-3 magnets.

[@guitartec]

I have a Lollar 52t neck pup along with a Fralin Blues Special Hybrid. They are paired perfectly as far as output goes. I'm running them through a Acme ToneShaper in a Koa tele I just built called a Hexomorph Volcano. It's an exceptional guitar.

[@loverleyjubberley]

Thats exactly what i was looking for as i'm currently considering some new pups for my tele. Many thanks for your time and effort, great playing too

[@Stratman6969]

What a brilliant demo, great playing as always Tim.

[@evilsheepguitarpickups9936]

fab playing and loads of charisma. Emphasises the importance of not over-winding. great sound. Wish I could play like that........

[@elvisbumped]

I have fallen in love with the 52s. Looking forward to getting them.

[@vulveeta]

I'm building a telecaster from a Stew Mac body and Mightie Mite neck.It is really hard to decide on the pickups.Lollars are made near me but Mojo Tone Klein and Iron Gear are in the running.Great playing Mr Lerch.

[@BITESIZEJONES]

The 52s have a vibe. Great pickups

[@Danthehorse]

May I say what a fantastic demo. Two guitars the same, same amp, all the pups covered, excellent work. Love the 52s.... Thansk bro.

[@RootballJohnson]

I have the Special T's and love, love, love them, but I'm more of a blues guy, so that colors it a bit for me. They drive really well. To my ears they are both amazing. Thanks Tim!

[@Rushscored4]

nice teles,and nice playin too.the special t's suit my style more I think.thanks for a great demo and for helping me choose the picks up I want

[@jackgriffith9229]

Tim, Your playing tone is fantastic and I simply can’t tell if there is a sound difference or tone difference between the two guitars which I attribute to you just being a good player and having learned how to sound rather good…………!

[@2ndshiftgarage]

I like them both...but the 52's seem to be a little more articulate to my ears. It's so hard to tell without actually playing them myself. Nice demo of both sets, and the playing is excellent.

[@TheAndyT13]

I picked the 52's based on all your pickup demos, so thanks for the great work!

[@fdcentrella0069]

Love the pickups especially the Special Ts

[@ludocipriani]

both sound great to me... but I guess the main part is in the hands... :-) Awesome playing and touch...

[@ShaneStoneOfficial]

My dream pickup set is a special t bridge and a royal t neck. Just pricey!!!

[@TimLerchGuitar]

@TheGradeZShow Sorry about the tendinitis, I struggle with it too. The short scale Teles that I have played have their charms especially if you like a creamier thing but they definitely don't have the snap or the chime. I'd love to be proven wrong since a shorter scale sometimes looks appealing when my hands are tired and sore. but...

[@jlr022159]

In this comparison video I gravitated towards the 52 set. I thought they had a bit more of that “spanky” quality (to borrow from a lot of common descriptive phrases), without sounding too thin. I also thought the 52 set blended well together... the middle position was amazing.

[@MOSKII58]

the 52 lollars sound more like what i would want my tele to project, but i don't think there is a tremendous diff in the two sets, i guess its like you say, it depends on what ans how you are going to use them and with what other equipment..what about Lindy fralins, do you have an opinion on those pups??

[@woodandguitars]

Tim, this just really isn't a fair comparison, you could make a trash can sound just as good man!

[@eyedoc1956]

Good demo, and helpful to many. Thank you! Question: will the higher output pups cause more amp noise?

[@ranvon]

Very nice...found this after ordering a set of the 52's just based on the clips at the Lollar site...this helped to validate my preference. Hoping they will make my Gatton Sig model tele shine....Many Thanks!

[@TimLerchGuitar]

Hi, I don't notice any tonal change with the Stainless Steel frets, but there is a very different feel and certainly more evenness across the board. A nice improvement actually.

[@rayenantheny]

I love Special T! Do you have any suggestion of what Lollar Pickup should I pick if I want my Tele sounds krank-up if I turn up the Gain? Just Like Switchfoot or Zeppelin. Thanks!

[@rajadaturbo]

Thanks for the vídeo Tim!I've decided por the Special T set.Cheers from Brazil =D

[@danilogiannibirolo1187]

very good!! Where r U based?

[@danhope77]

Both great, I would choose both, maybe the special T ...no sure

[@OldSethOnetooth]

that was some lovely playing

[@TimLerchGuitar]

Thanks Penguin, Glad you like them and I hope they are helpful.

[@macdaddyblues1]

Hey.. that tele with the special T's used to be mine!!!!! Cant buy them now for that price, for sure.. It's nice when you can enjoy something and it doesn't depreciate!!!! Do you still have it Tim?

[@TimLerchGuitar]

I sold it to a student a while ago. He still enjoys it.

[@reddsflies]

Love your play style great demo!

[@tonejam9]

Thanks Tim, very helpful indeed.

[@173guitarman]

Awesome job Brother ♫ I have an American Tele Deluxe with S1 switching and NOT happy with the Sc3 Noiseless pickups (both B & N) I want the most throaty, twangy Tele bridge and powerful neck for playing anything I throw at it. I'll watch a few more videos and make a choice ?? Which do you like most ?

[@eburns-nc]

Great demo, thanks!

[@gabrielcordero5922]

Have you ever try combine the Special T bridge and a 52 neck???? If you do please tell me... I am considering make that kind of upgrade to my Tele. Nice playing by the way :) !!!

[@ghwhitcher]

thanks so much for this video. PERFECT side by side

[@tpzid]

I hear some Robben Ford tones with the 52 set.

[@TimLerchGuitar]

Remember to “like and subscribe” to get notified when new video are posted.

[@riffrobin474]

Great playing! Which Glendale saddles? They make Al or Brass for diff strings..about 15 different types..which do you use? Thanks and love ur videos!

[@TimLerchGuitar]

Brass Intone, or Brass Wide Intone for low tunings.

[@danilogiannibirolo1187]

I try to find high output neck tele picks more swing jazz rockabilly 50s sound.

[@bluesman4270]

pickups are not worlds apart, people get caught up in it sometimes, and I have in the past, I choose a pickup on output, hotter for faster breakup, vintage for getting a louder clean, and its not big difference in that department either, as tone wise its minimal difference, every little helps |i guess, if their was such a big difference it would sound like another guitar, all teles tend to sound like tele's and strat's are the same, u know it's a strat a mile off, no matter what singles r in it

[@STWhiting]

These videos are so useful! Thank you :D

[@Tonetwisters]

Special T is not as bright as the 52. Both sound really good, but I prefer the darker tones of the Special T. Thanks.

[@superelectic45]

They sound lower output, but I love the warm chime of the 52's (wow this vid was from 13 years ago)

[@Manderson263]

Great playing, sir! I think that helped me decide.

[@Grant_Ferstat]

Tim, thanks very much for this. Would it be too presumtous to ask you to compare the Specials to the CC's?

[@JasonWilliams-nm4qq]

Love your blues style Timothy!

[@raypolakovic1290]

Hmm. Very tough to pick up nuance on YT, but for what I want out of my tele, the 52's hit the spot more, I think. Question though: In a pinch, can you overdrive those 52's for a little bit of growl? I'm not looking for a roar; I'll switch guitars if I need a P90 attack. But I still want to pull out a little grit and dirt on the tele.

[@iancosgrove]

Great video and playing, I prefer the 52's. You sound like Jeff Bridges btw

[@kimersitch]

A man of taste and economy.

[@Xantulle]

Thanks for this comparison video! My choice would go to the '52 lollar neck pup combined with the Special T bridge, awesome! I might buy a 50's Squier Classic Vibe tele soon and put these lollars in + graphtech nut, callaham bridge, CTS pots and a switchcraft jack.. that would make a killer guitar for the money!

[@mrmagic1989]

Thank you saved me so much time!

[@Hexspa]

Dude. You could give God guitar lessons.

[@ozzie-sk9dh]

Both sound more like strats than Teles to me. Still great tones. That's my perfect Tele colour.

[@1mihayes]

The special Ts sound better to me. Clearer response and sound than the 52s in my opinion.

[@georgefromgreece4119]

The 52 is better, more chimey and dynamic It's always about these two for me, dynamics and chime/harmonics. No matter the genre. I will use different parts of the rig if I want a more modern/ aggressive sound. But I want the fundamentals to be musical.

[@yumadapaka]

You're an amazing player. Both guitars sound amazing.

[@alnico68]

Thanks Tim for the excellent review as usual. I dig both, maybe the 52 a bit better..seems a bit more open and more clear in the high mids, but it could be the SS frets too...would do say the SS frets are a bit brighter than standard frets ? Thanks again and keep up the great playing, always such a treat to see you play. Cheers!

[@telecasterman18]

I love that you're playing some good ole Ray Charles licks

[@ValiRossi]

I just built a Warmoth tele and put the Lollar special Ts in it. Awesome.

[@Dellis803]

What mic is that you’re using? Sounds nice.

[@titanium667]

I have 52’s in my K-Line Truxton, and I think they’re perfect!

[@GuitarCailuong]

Great review! It's very helpful and handy. I'm looking for a good set for my next home build tele and I think I nailed on the 52 :)

[@mateo2006]

The Special Ts sounds a little bit more subdued and perhaps break up a little bit earlier and warmer to my ears. The 52 have a brilliance about them that I would be looking for in a tele pick-up though. I'd go for the 52s for sure according to this sound test. They got the mojo.

[@menamestom]

Great tones, I'd like to try the 52's out to compare to my BareKnuckle Blackguards

[@joelstauffer1950]

It's the Lollar 52's hands-down to my ears...for what it's worth.