Anderson VA singlecoils

[Supasso]

I have my eyes on an Anderson Classic with three singlecoils for a while. It has VA1, VA1R, and VA2. I have very little idea about the anderson VA. I know that they suppose to be vintage-sounding pickups, and that's all I know.

Anyone having tried them, how do you like it? Do they hum? I would rather prefer noise-less pickups although I can live with anything that sounds good.

[Stan Malinowski]

I have 5 "true" Strat-type guitars. The 2 Anderson Classics have VA1/VA1R/VA12 pickups, the rest of my "Strats" have Fralin Blues Specials. Over the years I have also tried Kinman (noiseless) and Van Zandt.

My personal rating would be a tie between the Fralins and the Andersons. The Fralins may sound a tad (and I mean a tad) warmer than the Andersons. On the other hand the Andersons are MUCH more sensitive to height adjustment and can be warmed up quite easily by raising the pickup slightly (Anderson tends to set the pickup height on the low side at the factory). I will be honest with you I HATE noiseless pickups. I had a set of Kinmans in a Melancon Pro Artist, they wer the most bland, uninspiring pickups I have ever heard. Both the Melancon and the Kinmans are history.

As to the noise, yes, Anderson VA Series, like any true single coil will have some degree of noise. To me that is part of the cahrm and the sound of a single coil.

[Brad Scott]

Originally posted by Stan Malinowski
As to the noise, yes, Anderson VA Series, like any true single coil will have some degree of noise.
Stan,

Aren't the combination settings (2 and 4) of the VAs hum-free?

[Stan Malinowski]

Aren't the combination settings (2 and 4) of the VAs hum-free?

Yes, as long as you have the VA1R in the middle position you will have "noise-free" operation. I just meant that like all true single coils selecting them individually will produce some level of noise.

[John Price]

I have to say that they are fantastic sounding pickups! They really capture that vintage vibe!