Fralin versus Kinman Blues Special Shootout Pt 1

[dwrdtoler2000]

The Fralins sound more like a single coil because they are.....The kinmans are STACKED noiseless (humbuckers)...Correct me if im wrong...Thanks.

[default1337]

It could be the wood which has more influence on tone. The kinman is on a poplar bodied guitar

[StratmasterB]

I have a set of Fralin Blues Specials in one of my Strats they totally rock. I can live with the 60 cycle hum. Another I have Lace Gold Hots love them no 60 cycle hum and so damn straty kind of sound like hot hot texas pups. Another has some stock 2008 American Standards I had after I replaced the 08 with the Fralins, it is an MIM with a American vintage 2" 7/32 string spread. The stock 08's sound dang good lol. A lot like the Fralins

[StratmasterB]

Can't you adjust the amp the Kinmans sound so dark and muddy. Does not make me want to pay $255.00 us for them that is for sure.

[StratmasterB]

No doubt the Fralins are much better. The others are muddy as hell

[longwhip]

Fralins sound full and rich and the Kinmans sound like you are playing through an AM radio....sorry....the Fralins are the ones!!

[O0Salmon0O]

These are not identical guitars and the differences have a dramatic impact on tone. You cannot rely on this demo to decide between the two brands. It is not a true representation by any stretch. There are other demos showing those tones coming from the alternate brand pickups. This video just adding to the confusion and it is a disservice to people by leaving it posted.

[o56kid]

You need to tune down and show that music some damn respect.  Put some effort into it. . .

[gsasko]

Kinmans all the way in this video

[francisco444]

You can tell big time that the fralins are more true to the single coil sound. Kinman are good but defitinely lose the sparkle and top end.

[duankoboi]

the neck is different , so i guess its not an even comparison . sorry to say .

[AZERTYUIOP2723]

Woods don't matter that much: I've recently emulated almost exactly the sound of a REAL 62 Strat (alder/rosewood) with my Strat (Kinman Blues set, ash body /maple neck). But I had 2 use DIFFERENT pots & 2 change the capacitance of my cable between guitar & amp. The height setting of the pups was different too. It's the "price to pay" 2 achieve the same sound with regular SC & with stacked coils / low gauss magnets / high interwinding capacitance noiseless pickups. I lack of place to say +. :-)

[yakiburger]

Just out of interest, how do the pickups sound when the guitars are in tune? ----- only kidding, very informative vid, we need more of this kind of thing on YouTube. Thanks.

[BlueSuedeTom]

Kinmans are fresh, cleaner, crisp, and just a hint . . . ."spanky"!

[MrKrownRoyale]

Fralin all the way

[BillCBurgess]

Yikes! Playing doesn't matter? Why do very subtle differences between pickups matter and playing doesn't? I actually know the answer: practicing is frustrating and tedious; you have to work beyond that.

[jplent]

Ouch!

[CCharlieB1]

Thanks for doing the video. I'm building a partscaster and looking hard at Fralins & Mares too. For what it's worth, I think you did a good job comparing the pups & liked the sound of both through the twin.

[Incubus009]

The Fralin are "true" single coils, but the Kinman are basically humbuckers, the Kinman, I believe are better with high gain, both brands are exceptional strat pickups.

[NickoLps]

@Incubus009

Kinmans are not humbuckers actually...

He uses a reverse wound bobin to cancel the hum,still a single coil..

The comparison is not so enlightening though..It would be better to listen pickups on the SAME guitar,thanks anyway :)

[lboiv001]

What would be better on a cheap tele bridge? I play country, southern rock and hard rock. I want to have as thick a sound as I can get without losing that single coil squawk.

[hafstrat]

Cool. I prefer the Kinmans here.  Nice pair of geetars.

[vocalworks]

Now I have to decide on Fralin Blues or Fralins Vintage Hot.

Did you tried both Fralins?, which one is the best?

I want the most dynamic pickup that can give me the chance to avoid instant breakup of the amp.

I'm Using mostly ash guitars, 0.10 to 0.46 regular nickel string sets, vintage fenders, marshall plexis, Fuchs train 45

[gruveb]

I only have used the blues, so I don't know. I'd try some strings by roto sound(their blues) or tomastik, their hybrid. Way cool strings, either way you go.

[rickinbutler]

Fralin Blues have just 5% more volume & 5% more bass & mids & 5% less treble. Therefore, go with Fralin Hots on a rosewood board Strat since they're brighter & balance out the darker sound of the rosewood. Go with Fralin Blues on a maple neck to balance out the brightness of the maple.

[campanis]

@vocalworks The Vintage hots are as "hot" as the blues special and wont break up your amp as fast.

[vocalworks]

On the THD both sound amazing but on the Twin the Fralins sounds like the real thing BEAUTIFUL, the Kinmans sound pristine on the Twin, great headroom and zero noise but the warm of the single coil is missing, who knows, probably the poplar body have an effect of that lack of warm .

I heard your video in a professional studio with genelec  and Adam monitors to have the best approach that youtube can give it to me, next time upload the video in HQ that have a slight improvement on the audio

[gruveb]

I personally like the fralins better...without doubt. I know the wood makes a difference, and all of those other little differences. But the fralins are awesome. They're even better now that the twin reverb is working properly!

I need to get some good recording stuff to make a good video one of these days. :D

[vocalworks]

Excelent video.

Right now I'm deciding to change the pickups on my 62 Stratocaster and I'm trying to decide between Fralin Blues, Fralin Vintage Hot, Suhr V60LP and Kinman.

Most of the reviews that I heard and see (also the ones made by Fralin himself) point me to the Kinman's but your video gave the decision for Fralins.

[TheSAJ11]

fralin sounds better . keeping in mind that poplar bodies suck , also one guitar has maple finger board and the other has rosewood .

[TheSAJ11]

i think your guitar is out of tune .

[Rich915]

I have both sets also in different guitars. AVN Blues & the Blues Spls. I love Fralin pickups...but I also like the quiet factor, Hard to pick a winner! Fralin Vint Hots are great sounding too...

[teofaouaz]

Fralins have more output and focus. On the other hand, Kinmans are noiseless. However, as you already said, the guitars are too different. Fralins win this time. I hope I can watch the part 2 in the near future.

[peterm3964]

tune up ffs

[poindexter3000]

I like van zandt pickup's in my strats they kick ass!!!

[nirvana613]

you dont sound like stevie ray vougn

[henriv00]

and you can't write SRV his name correctly

[OPChip2008]

:-))) Great

[cihancil]

are these kinman pups noiseless really?

[jp6l6]

Normally, you need the same fingerboard on both guitars or your comparison means nothing. I own Fralins with a rosewood fingerboard and these sound warmer than here.

[4711shaun]

kinmans all the way for me in those 2 examples.. ideally though, the best way to really know is to swap the pups between those 2 guitars and see how things differ compared to the first examples...

[bluepouches]

the THD sounds so good I wanna cry

[gruveb]

Unfortunately I sold the guitar with the kinmans before I swapped the pickups. I don't think you could go wrong with either, they both have positive points that the other pickup is lacking in. But for my sloppy play, I preferred the fralins, or at least the guitar with the fralins in it.

[zouavefrench]

Yes,The different woods do make a difference.The Fralins sound better with distortion up than the kinmans.I have Fralins in my Squier Strat with a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Plus at bridge.Sounds Awesome with a Tube screamer

[bloozelover]

not really a fair comparison both guitars are made out of 2 diffrent types of wood with diffrent fret boards and that has an effect on tone

[worshipgzs]

i think the fralins sound more srv. sound great though and are more "open".

[allupinit123]

kinmans by far

[jstuka1234]

Fralins and tks for posting!

[mastermetx]

When one pickups improve your guitar sound you fell in love with the pickups, i personally prefer the Fralins, for me are the best.

[brownbigb]

the kinmans are much better. the fralins get muddy

[markJaggi]

OK so I gotta ask....which set do you like best?

[darek277]

good job!

[Dovetailcustomshop]

Fralin no doubt... Thanks for the comparison. Good idea - Nice video.

[esuterik]

id say the fralins sound alot better

but u have to remember that guitar with the fralins looks alot better built than the other one...

also maple vs rosewood is a very different sound al together so its pretty weird to compare to the two

[dorielementary]

Why are you using the middle position? Nobody ever uses that position. On any strat with any pickup configuration that is the worst sound possible.

[O0Salmon0O]

@dorielementary This is just ignorance with attitude. The middle position is used quite often. Not only is it used in combinations with the bridge or neck but it is used by itself. How many guitarists and how wide a range of playing styles do you pay attention to? It sounds like you have a very limited point of view.

[dorielementary]

@O0Salmon0O You have 5 positions on a modern strat. Positions 1 and 5 are the most commonly used, followed by 4 then 2. The middle position (3rd) is by far the least used. You chose to do a demo with the least used position. That makes your video far less useful than it should have been. When demoing pickups you should demonstrate ALL of the pickup combinations. And if, for some reason, you only want to demo one configuration it is far more useful to demo a position that is commonly used.

[IPushHard]

@dorielementary

WTF are you talking about? Ever hear of QUACK? The middle positions on a Strat are where the quack lives.

THOUSANDS of tracks have been cut using a middle position on a Strat.

Ever hear of the Red Hot Chili Peppers?

So, YOU don't use the middle position on a Strat and suddenly you're some cool know it all? ...who can tell the world which pup positions to use?

I'd guess that you were born without a clue, cuz you obviously don't have one now.

[dorielementary]

@IPushHard WRONG! Quack comes from positions 2 and 4. I can't find a single example of Frusciante using the middle position. Under the bridge starts with 5th position and then switches to 4th, There's even a video of him on youtube teaching the song.

[IPushHard]

@dorielementary

Get a clue man. Youre talking about one song? Are you serious?

In the first place, I was talking about 2, 3, 4 but what makes u think u have the right to criticize someone for choosing one pup position over another?

I stand by what I said. Youre clueless.

[dorielementary]

@IPushHard I have the right to criticize anything I want to. If you don't like it move to Cuba.

[guitaaress]

I have had Kinman Blues special P/U in my hardtail strat for about four years now. I am constantly asked by amazed sound and recording engineers what pick ups I use because of the fabulous sound I get. Really full rounded bluesey sound with no background rubbish to spoil the tone. Fitting Kinman's was the best thing I ever did. Especially regards the bridge pick up. The Kinmans here are far and away the best; to my ear anyway. But then these things are subjective and personal.

[yinyangthang]

Nice playing! Thanks for the demo, great comparison between the two sets. Too bad we couldn't hear them loaded into the same axe, but I know what a hassle that would be. Thanks for your efforts.

[skateorganica123]

the fralins sound fuller and richer to me. but kinmans are a great pickup. if i was going to choose between the 2 i would probably choose the kinmans just because of how convenient noisless is. but you could make a nice combination of fralins in the bridge and neck and a kinman in the middle in case you happened to be at a bar with lights and tvs everywhere.

[Whoisfind]

Both sound great to me. I'm looking at getting Kinmans for my Telecaster. Any advice guys?

[skatebueno123]

i think the main difference is the wood. maple necks and ash bodies always have a real clean crispy sound to them while alder and rosewood have a darker srv sound. both are great sounding guitars and switching the bodys would clear a few things up.

[zaksnaporaz]

actually both are sounding great, each one in its own style. Fromwhat I hear I have a slight preference for the kinmans, but they sound like being a bit too close to the strings: why don't you try lowering them down half a mill' ?

[nikoniko84]

Kinman muddy, Fralin clean n crisp. Easy to pick other...

[groovadelicrelic]

Nice demo - I can't get over how Kinman's and other types of noiseless pickups have a hollow quacky tone. Not a bad quality, but just not as open and expressive as a true single coil. They sound like a milder version of the 2-4 strat position in the 1-3-5. Then in the 2-4 in-betweens, they sound super quacky.

[digitalldeath]

ken kinman? isnt his name chris, or is this someone else

[surfco]

The fralin sound amazing!!!!

Ah'll get those.

[mariogia]

the only way to compare pickups is to use the same guitar - otherwise, you could be listening to the differences in the wood between guitars, not the electronics.

[jensenbell]

The Kinmans have much more mids and upper minds. They are a lot less wooden sounding. That can be great for live when you need to reach into the pit before the mains really push your sound. I prefer the reedy sound of the blue guitar here. I guess in this test, with this mike and those woods, The Fralins are clearly the superior "recording"/studio pickups. I'd also be happier with 'em through a close miked amp in most settings where tone is critical. Thanks for this informative video!

[joesl8]

They do sound similar. The wood on the body and neck may have a little tonal flavor adding to the mix as well, maple necks are "supposedly" brighter sounding and popular isn't a choice wood for many. I think they both sound great but overall the Fralins do sound better in this vid...IMO. I've had the VH and now have the Blues Specials and they're both great

[gruveb]

This is a good observation. Unplugged the blue guitar sounds better because of the ash body mostly.

[nanooman]

Once again, you sound great! But let us hear more in 9 minutes. Am I mistaken by saying that I didn't see the pickup selectors move? That means that you only compared the neck pickups, when the difference between the bridge pickups could be huge. One set may be better balanced than the other.

[gruveb]

I do play through all of the positions. At first I mentioned which pickups were being used, but then it was lost when I edited the video. Absolutely a good idea though, I should show what's being used where.

At the beginning, it's the middle position that's used. Then it's neck only. Then I used neck/middle combo. Then bridge/middle combo...not sure if I ever used bridge only though, I almost never use it anyway so probably didnt' think of it.

Thanks for the comments.

[livelystork]

Fralins all the way! They are more organic and have a nice raunchy tone with all the strat sweetness. The Fralins are not really noisy at all either.

[hooptyndablowfish]

I was planning on getting the fralins but after seeing this video I'm now leaning towards the kinmans. I'm interested to see what happens when you switch guitars.

[JKryanX]

fralin's. fralin makes the best pickups in the world, imo. i have some paf's on my modded tele!

[gruveb]

I'm really fortunate...I have three sets of great pickups...fralins, kinmans, and bareknuckle punches.

[jonizefox]

I prefer the Kinman strat, for SRV Sound (I love SRV's sound). More fat.

Try playin Hey Joe on the THD and enjoy !

I wait for the switched pups ont the other body.