Thoughts on the "VA Booster" set-up

[John C]

Hi guys,

While I'm new to the Anderson Forum, I've been around on the (soon to be shuttered) PRS Forum and some other places. I'm currently using a Suhr as my strat, but I will freely admit it was a tough choice versus the Anderson and lately I've been having some regrets. My Suhr is pretty classic: maple neck, ash body, SSS with his V60 Low Peak pickups. Also, this is only the third time I've gone with the maple neck; I normally prefer rosewood and am thinking of going back to a rosewood board. Of course, that reopens the "strat search" for me. :)

Before getting the Suhr, I tried out an Anderson Classic with an ash body, rosewood board that had the "VA Booster" set-up: VA12/VA12R/VA23. What are the pros/cons of this versus a more "vintage" pickup set (VA1/VA1R/VA12)? I kind of liked the sound I got from the Classic with the VA Booster, but in the end went with a vintage set up.

Has anyone really done a serious A/B between the VA Booster and the standard VA set-up? I'm not even sure which setting I preferred, but I think it was the vintage setting as opposed to the hot setting.

Thanks for any opinions.

John C.

[Stan Malinowski]

John,

I haven't done an A/B between the "traditinal VA" setup and the "booster VA" setup but I'll give you my theoretical input.

Both of my classics have the VA1/VA1R/VA12 setups. Personally I find them very traditional and reminescent of 50's type lower power strat pickups - very sparkly and chimey. If I raise the pickup height I tend to get more of an agressive early 60's strat sound (ala SRV). My guess is the booster setup will give you this early 60's agressive setup at lower pickup heights and perhaps alate 60's/early 70's at higher pickup heights.

If you a really intersted call Roy and Anderson and he will spend a considerable amount of time on explaining the tonal differences to you!

[John C]

Stan,

Thanks - I would probably do the more common VA1/VA1R/VA12 set-up; when I tried out the Anderson with the VA Booster set-up I really gravitated to the lower-power setting. However, I was also trying out Suhrs, Fender CSs and Tylers in a one-hour time frame at Make'n Music in Chicago, primarily through amps I wasn't totally familiar with so the memory of different tones has faded over time (this was back in March). I was just fishing for a little user input, if any was out there.

John C.

[Stan Malinowski]

John,

What differences did you hear between the Booster and non-Booster modes? I'm unfamilar with this option, can you switch back and forth easily between the two modes?

[John C]

Stan,

It's just a toggle switch on the pickguard. In fact, last week's "Guitar of the Week" had it:

http://www.andersonguitars.com/images/guitarImages/11,01,2003_08-46-27.jpg

I spent virtually all the time with the switch in the down mode; to me that sounded like the regular VA1/VA1/VA2 set-up. In the up position, it was a hotter sound - a little hotter but sweeter than Fender Texas Specials, but not as hot as the (and I'm showing my age here) old aftermarket pickups from back in the '70s. Also, this was a swamp ash body/rosewood board Classic. I never have played and Anderson Classic with either SAs or SDs, I've only tried them in Drop Tops (balanced to go with H2+ or H3 bridge humbuckers).

I don't know if I would use it; it seems like the higher output setting was hotter than the late '60s/early '70s Strat tone. I was really just seeing if anyone else had tried the set-up yet.

John C.

Edit: sorry, couldn't get the picture to post the first time. JC

[tom]

the down position is exactly the same as the VA1,VA2 combo. the up position adds more wire to all pickups, they are tapped. it makes them all fatter, but the goal was to retain the character of the vintage sound. for some guys like myself, who could never quite make vintage pickups be big enough, it is very fun to play. roy says that when i grow up i'll be able to play the VA's in a classic. it's just a bit more friendly to a cobra guy like me. by the way, i've been playing a 3 mini humbucker equipped cobra special for the past few months, and the strat sunds are killing me, in a good way of course

[Stan Malinowski]

Tom,

Any thoughts of adding mini-hbs as an option?

[John C]

Tom,

Thanks for your response on the VA Booster! Also, mini humbuckers sound pretty cool for a guy like me who spent most of his time with Strat-type single coils.

John C.