Fralin Wide Range Humbucker Market Survey

[BTL]

***DISCLOSURE: I’m a Commercial Seller, and this post is being created in order to solicit user input and opinions regarding a POTENTIAL new product in development.***

I have been using Fralin pickups in my builds for years and I just noticed Lindy now offers the Wide Range Humbucker for six-string guitar. I would LOVE to see him offer a 4-string version for bass.

Am I alone in this, or would others love to see this happen just as much as I would?

A boy can dream…

Wide Range Humbucker - Fralin Pickups - Handmade, Handwound

The Lindy Fralin Wide-Range Humbucker: Bright, Clear, and Articulate. Made with USA-Made parts and made by hand in Richmond, VA.

www.fralinpickups.com

 

[BGroovy]

I'm a big Fralin fan. Don't know how these are voiced but you know I'd want it in a 5 string if it happened. Humbuckers I like to have series/parallel/split options on because why not?

Bonus points if it fits in the big single route...

 

[Michael Jewels]

I haven't heard Fralin bass pickups, but I have a Michael Kelly Telecaster with Fralin pickups, and it sounds very nice.

I never A/B Ed it with a Fender Telecaster, but from what I can glean from videos, it sounds a little smoother.

Mike

 

[Michael Jewels]

My Fralin equipped Michael Kelly

 

[Sharko]

Yes please

 

[manchego_eggo]

Stonewall pickups makes a bass wide range humbucker

 

[BTL]

Stonewall pickups makes a bass wide range humbucker

The covers are plastic. I’m a chrome pickup guy.

Also, Lindy’s approach to voicing pickups just seems to suit my ear. I have never heard a Fralin I didn’t love.

 

[Lammchop93]

While you’re at it, have him make some thunderbird pickups too! I concur that every Fralin I’ve heard just suits my ear.

 

[Water buffalo]

Curtis Novack make a sweet version of the wide range humbucker.

WRHB-Bass

My version of the famed Fender Wide Range Humbucker bass pickup. This is a from the ground up vintage correct build all the way down to the NOS bobbins with the serial number stamped into the bobb…

www.curtisnovak.com

 

[Fender_Bender]

He tackled one of these for a rewind on his YouTube channel. I recall something about nobody making the CuNiFe magnets or screws or something anymore.

 

[BTL]

While you’re at it, have him make some thunderbird pickups too! I concur that every Fralin I’ve heard just suits my ear.

I’m working on it!

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

I wish someone would make a bisonic in a wide range profile…

 

[WillKrauseBass]

Curtis Novack make a sweet version of the wide range humbucker.

WRHB-Bass

My version of the famed Fender Wide Range Humbucker bass pickup. This is a from the ground up vintage correct build all the way down to the NOS bobbins with the serial number stamped into the bobb…

www.curtisnovak.com

Yes- This is a great version of it- I swapped it with the original pickup from a 1970 Tele bass, and felt absolutely wrong doing so, but it made the bass much more useable. The FAT option makes it even more useable!

 

[1Kay]

Brad, I came here from looking at the Fralin humbucker offerings that might work for an HH bass, so, YES!!

Peace.

 

[BTL]

Brad, I came here from looking at the Fralin humbucker offerings that might work for an HH bass, so, YES!!

Peace.

Thanks! My current favorite in Lindy’s lineup is the Big Single. It’s a humbucking sidewinder. He does a custom version of that for me under a P90 cover with no holes.

 

[1Kay]

I am routed precisely for a PAF-sized H. I've run Gibson Tbird Plus (MASSIVE, but one-dimensional), and Lawrence L-90s (a significant improvement over Gibson, but in the 4H/6H set they are too hot and piano-like). I'm looking for versatility, warmth, and touch sensitivity.

 

[BTL]

I am routed precisely for a PAF-sized H. I've run Gibson Tbird Plus (MASSIVE, but one-dimensional), and Lawrence L-90s (a significant improvement over Gibson, but in the 4H/6H set they are too hot and piano-like). I'm looking for versatility, warmth, and touch sensitivity.

I’d trust @BGroovy to offer his perspective on the Big Single. He’s spent a fair bit of time with it and a wide variety of other options. I’m a little biased, and also easily pleased by any of Fralin’s offerings.

 

[J Wilson]

I'd think Lindy Fralin could do such a thing, but the case would have to be made they'd sell enough of them to be profitable. And if they'd have production capacity to add them.

Tone-wise I'd have a lot of faith it would be just great.

But for me the catch would be the size: I'm going to guess the 4-string version would be the standard Gibson humbucking size rout, fits those rings, etc. Then, what do you do for a five or six-string version, if it ever came to that. There's never been a real settlement to the five-string Precision-style pickups, some are 3+2 wide shells, some are 3+3 size. And aside from Steinbergers, I can't think of many installs for guitar humbucker-sized bass pickups.

Could be great IF the business case could be made for it. We'll have to see.

 

[BTL]

The Wide Range Humbucker is larger than a standard humbucker…it is its own thing. It would be a four-string-only offering. I think the biggest hurdle is going to be the baseplate. The tooling cost to punch four holes in the cover vs. six is minimal and the bobbins can be 3D printed with HP PA12.

 

[BGroovy]

I’d trust @BGroovy to offer his perspective on the Big Single. He’s spent a fair bit of time with it and a wide variety of other options. I’m a little biased, and also easily pleased by any of Fralin’s offerings.

It's hard to imagine what the descriptive words mean to each person, but warmth and touch sensitivity are definitely words I'd use in describing the big singles. I have them in two basses. A 32" Lowe 5er and a 30" Offbeat 30". They're my favorite bass pickups. I've been a big Bartolini fan for a long time (and have Barts in numerous other basses) and there's a tonal quality connecting the Barts and Fralin Big Singles, but the Fralins have more versatility and range.

If anyone is ever in the Denver area message me and I'd be happy to let you try them out.