Loadin' The Axe... The WCR line of humbucking pickups is a direct aftermarket replacement pickup for any guitar with standard sized humbucking routes. Many of these pickups are used in Les Pauls, however we are going to throw in a curve ball. The guitar that we are using for the Goodwood Set testing is a Fender Squire Telecaster Deluxe (Fat Tele). Say what? This is a cool guitar customized by buddy Greg at Guitar ER, all mahogany body, carved top, with a set neck, not a bolt on. From what I understand The Guitar Doctor says install is a breeze, direct drop ins with a couple solder joints and you're ready to start sportin' some wood...Goodwood Style! Spankin The Axe... Over the hill and through the woods (well, actually across the street) to Grandmas studio I go. Ya know the drill by now, six pack, beef jerky and pedal board in hand are essentials for any review, and at least two hours of uninterrupted tone time. In my studio is a various array of amplifiers including a Marshall JCM 800 half stack, Dual Rectifier, Rocktron Vendetta and of course a faithful POD direct to board. I am using my Rocktron Vendetta head for its all tube, 4 channel diversity, through a stock Marshall straight faced cab with 75w Celestions. Testing as usual is at moderate volume for sonic accuracy, and testing is also performed dry, straight into the amp. My first tone sample is Channel III of the Vendetta Head, which is a higher gain setting but not over the top. I knew once I hit the standby switch and ripped an "A" chord that it was time to throw down. After some initial power chords, chunkin rhythms, listening very carefully to the overall body of the tone, to some minor ninth chords to distinguish how clearly subtle picking techniques were able to ring through without coloration, I'm tellin ya, it's as good as it gets. In all my years of tone searching, to me it really boils down to sounding warm or harsh. And these pickups scream with so much warmth, it will make you literally feel, warm and fuzzy. In the bridge position in higher gain settings, the Goodwoods are the bomb. Fat, warm and creamy but capable of spankin' out the nasty. You will hear over tones that you have probably not been able to hear before. These pickups resonate with the body of your guitar creating a gamut of tones that are inspiring. Leads are cutting and raspy but remain warm and pleasing to the ear. Powerful tight sustain with just the perfect amount of mid-range response allowing the pickup to cut without the harsh stuff. No chainsaw sounding pickup here. Channels I and II of the Vendetta Head are the clean settings. I was very impressed with the versatility of the Goodwoods in the lower gain settings in how sweet they can clean up. Experimenting with the volume knob, these pickups can produce a glassy, snappy clean tone that is hard to find in a humbucking pickup. In the neck position, the Goodwoods produce a tight low end and is capable of a sweet bluesy vibe that retains warmth and clarity even in high gain settings. Ancient Wagner Secret... Final Mojo... For those of you who have heard the "Fillmore Set" pickups and dug em, you will love the Goodwoods. The Goodwoods are basically centered around a PAF design but better, hotter output and fatter in the tonal range, especially the bottom end. I found the Goodwoods to be fat warm and sassy, with a tone that makes you warm and fuzzy. Extremely versatile by rolling off the volume knob and they clean up surprisingly well in both clean and over driven settings. As an English guitar player referred to the Goodwoods...These pickups can "Sing a baby to sleep, or blow the balls off a charging rhino at 100 yards"! I would concur with this statement. At $325 per set ($10 extra for 4-conductor) the Goodwoods are somewhat in the boutique price category, however a modest investment for the significant improvement in tone. After all it made a Fender Tele Squire sound like a $2,500 Guitar... Info... WCR Pickups |
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This
months product review is of the new WCR "Goodwood" humbucking
pickup set. This is my second review of the WCR Guitar Pickups line
of products. My first introduction to this fine line of hand wound
pickups was with the now famous "Fillmore Set". That set
is still pumpin' out the tone mojo in my '74 Black Beauty Les Paul
Custom. My first review of the Fillmore Set was in May of 2003.In
the past year WCR mad scientist Jim Wagner has been very busy warming
up his soldering iron, and developing new pickups. The "Goodwood
Set" is one of three new sets offered by the company in addition
to the Fillmore Set. Putting this set of pickups to the test will
see if these bad boys can produce the Good Wood! The Fillmore Set
will be a difficult act to follow to say the least. Here is what
I discovered about the "Goodwood set"... 
Jim
Wagner certainly has a secret recipe to his pickup winding. Oh I
guess that is where the secret lies, in the way these pickups are
wound. The WCR pickups really do require a massive amount of hand
winding time, and is a complex and difficult task. The Goodwoods
are wound approximately to 8.5k and 9.5k, which allows them to produce
an output of 7.8k and 8.4k respectively. Another clever Wagner trick
is the "special sauce" (as he refers to it) that he pots
with. This special sauce helps suppress squeals while allowing the
coils to resonate with the wood of the guitar.
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