El Rayo Humbucker
Item #: 10-406-1
Ratings Snapshot
out of 5
5
(11)
4
(0)
3
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2
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1
(0)
Would recommend this product.
100%
$190.00
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Product Details
With excellent note clarity for a humbucker, we often describe the dynamics of the El Rayo® as having a percussive quality almost like a single-coil pickup. The entire frequency response is relatively flat, with increased note bloom and less compression than a typical P.A.F.-style humbucker.
Avg. DC: Neck 3.5K, Bridge 4.0K (Read about DC resistance)
Recommended Potentiometers: 500k
Recommended Capacitor: 0.022μF
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'50s-style Pre-wired Kit for Les Pauls
Upgrading the electronics in a Les Paul® yourself couldn’t be easier than it is with our Lollar Pre-wired Kits. The kits are hand-wired in our shop and meet Jason Lollar’s preferred specifications. This kit can be used in just about any Les Paul equipped with two pickups that each have their own volume and tone controls.
Whether you’re installing new pickups and want high-quality electronics to go with them, or you want to upgrade the stock electronics in your Les Paul®, our pre-wired kits are a great option. We’ve done most of the work so all that’s left for you to do is install the kit in your guitar and solder in your pickups, output jack and switch.
Pickup Dimensions
Lollar El Rayo Humbucker Pickups
All El Rayo sound files played with a Collings CL Deluxe. Clean files through a Fender Pro Reverb. Dirty Files through a Dr. Z Maz 18.
El Rayo Humbuckers—Your Questions Answered
What They Are Saying
Ratings Snapshot
out of 5
5
(11)
4
(0)
3
(0)
2
(0)
1
(0)
Would recommend this product.
100%
out of 5
5
(11)
4
(0)
3
(0)
2
(0)
1
(0)
Would recommend this product.
100%
11 Total Reviews
Stunning and Unique El Rayo
gspin
Location: NYC
Date: November 18, 2023
A stunning, modern-sounding humbucker for my HSS Strat. Very well suited to a dense pedalboard and with superb clartiy and richness playing clean. Another Lollar masterpiece.
Recommended
Perfect
Rich
Location: Puyallup
Date: June 18, 2023
Neck position replacement is exactly what I’d hoped for.
Recommended
Absolutely amazing!
Phil
Location: Nashville, TN
Date: August 5, 2022
I grew up playing on humbucker equipped guitars but had a falling out with them several years ago. I just couldn’t stand the mud and lack of articulation in PAF style pickups anymore. I’m all about being unconventional so I purchased this pickup for a Suhr Classic T with a neck humbucker. I play a lot of clean stuff so I need a neck pickup with spank and chime. The stock pickup was totally lifeless. The El Rayo was a 10 fold improvement! There are pickups out there that will fit into a humbucker sized route and make your guitar sound like it has single coils. This is not that type of pickup. Like other reviewers have mentioned, this pickup retains all the properties of a humbucker…big bottom end, smoothness and good mids for overdriving an amp…it just adds the missing treble and high-mid spank of a good single coil. You can dial it out if you want by rolling back on the tone knob. You can install a bass roll off (as I did) and make it sound like a single coil if you want. It really is the best off all worlds. This is now my favorite guitar and has made me fall in love with humbuckers all over again. Thanks Jason and team!
Recommended
El Rayo Bridge
Preston
Location: Indianapolis
Date: July 22, 2022
I purchased this pickup in order to breathe new life into my ‘83 Les Paul Custom; its stock bridge pickup was absurdly dark and inarticulate, which is the exact opposite of how I like my guitar sound: bold, brash, and borderline offensive.
What this pickup does is something quite magical: it retains all of the warmth and low end that a purist would want, and yet it adds a spank and honk that I feel most humbuckers are sorely missing, which is why I typically prefer single-coils.
In any case, this pickup is, I think, the perfect humbucker. Warm and bassy enough for the purist, while simultaneously bright and edgy enough to suit the tastes of a single-could devotee.
Recommended
Great open sounding humbucker
Surfpunk
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Date: May 17, 2022
I am quite picky with pick ups . . . and tend to prefer more 'open' sounding pick ups, often finding humbuckers a bit too compressed for my tastes and style. The El Rayo came recommended by my guitar tech and it's perfect for what I do. Really impressed.
Recommended
Perfect pickups always
C-Lee King
Location: New Orleans, LA
Date: October 18, 2020
Alright so I’m a single coil guy for the most part and my rig was always having to be changed for humbuckers because of their beautiful mid-range bump that singles don’t have. I wanted something with the humbucker punch for my Epiphone SG without being too humbucker-ish to keep some continuity in overall sound from all my guitars. Dropped the El Rayos in and my god it’s the perfect sound. Great bucker punch without the mid bump. If you’re looking to get an all around pickup that’s full, has sustain and power- look no further. Lollar knocked it out of the park
Recommended
Favorite pickup
Ashton
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Date: May 1, 2019
I have a set of these in 3 guitars: 2 Les Pauls and an Explorer. Not coincidentally, these are my 3 favorite electric guitars. Humbuckers can drive me crazy because they often lack dynamic response and are insensitive to how hard you get into the string. These not only have dynamic response, but they also have the full sound that make humbuckers great. Single coils have great dynamics, but they often sound thin compared to humbuckers. These are the best of both worlds. The other thing that is great about them is they seem to bring out the inherent sound characteristics of a guitar. All 3 guitars had the same pickups before I made the switch to the El Rayos and they sounded pretty similar. After putting in El Rayos, they sound much more distinct from each other. The specs on them are unusual, but they sound incredible.
Recommended
I can see clearly now
Juan
Location: Punta del Este, Uruguay
Date: Apr15l 28, 2019
I'm a strat player mainly, and I don't like it too bright, so every time y changed to a humbucker pickup guitar I had to change the settings everywhere to make it sound how I like it. It was always too dark and muddy. I like to hear the character of the guitar and have dynamics.
I live very far away, so I usually go for something that's always very good. No chance for changing stuff!
I was recommended Lollar for its consistency first, and then they recommended me El Rayo's.
They nailed it! Every time I plug the guitar I'm amazed on how pleasing it sounds.
It took the dirt out of the glasses! Thanks!
Recommended
Super Sweet Sound
Riley
Location: Australia
Date: May 16, 2018
Installed these in my 2004 SG Special Faded, the guitar wasn't getting much use as I found the stock pickups too muddy and undefined but wasn't ready to part with it. The El Rayo's completely blew the stock pickups out of the water. These pickups have a sweet, clear bell like tone but still have plenty of bite and are especially responsive to right hand picking dynamics. The best change is i find myself using the tone and volume controls far more for a wide tonal palette. Very satisfied.
Recommended
Amazing!
Damo
Location: Golden, Co
Date: February 7, 2018
Just dropped a pair of these in my SG. Wow, sound amazing!!! Definitely get the right amount of twang I was looking for.
Recommended
Custom built Red Rocket T-Style Guitar with El Rayo in Neck Position
Mark
Location: North Carolina
Date: February 16, 2017
I have a Custom Built Atomic Red Rocket T-Style Guitar with a Lollar El Rayo in the neck position complimented with a Fralin Steel Pole in the Bridge. This guitar has a magnificent tone. I enjoy playing in all positions. The neck position is warm with sweet top end harmonics. Highly recommend this pickup.
Recommended
11 Total Reviews
Standard Covers
Nickel
Chrome
Gold
Black Chrome
Lightly-aged Nickel
Lightly-Aged Chrome
Lightly-Aged Gold
Uncovered Double Black
Uncovered Zebra
Uncovered Reversed Zebra
Satin Gold
Satin Nickel
No-hole Nickel
No-hole Chrome
No-hole Gold
No-hole Black Chrome
No-hole Lightly-aged Nickel
No-hole Lightly-aged Chrome
No-hole Lightly-aged Gold
No-hole Satin Gold
No-hole Satin Nickel
Colors shown here may vary slightly from actual colors due to differences in computer monitors.
Made-to-Order Covers
Choose any combination of Cover Ring and Top shown below.
NOTE: Pickups with Made-to-Order covers may require additional time to build and fulfill.
Chrome/Tortoise
Chrome/Pearl
Chrome/White
Chrome/Matte Black
Chrome/Gloss Black
Chrome/Parchment
Chrome/Cream
Nickel/Tortoise
Nickel/Pearl
Nickel/White
Nickel/Matte Black
Nickel/Gloss Black
Nickel/Parchment
Nickel/Cream
Gold/Tortoise
Gold/Pearl
Gold/White
Gold/Matte Black
Gold/Gloss Black
Gold/Parchment
Gold/Cream
Black Chrome/Tortoise
Black Chrome/Pearl
Black Chrome/White
Black Chrome/Matte Black
Black Chrome/Gloss Black
Black Chrome/Parchment
Black Chrome/Cream
Colors shown here may vary slightly from actual colors due to differences in computer monitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a sound difference between pickups with covers and without?
Metal covers can have some effect on tone, though it is often subtle. The metal parts can attenuate some of the highs, meaning that covered pickups will be a touch darker and warmer. Uncovered pickups are a bit more bright or focused.
Note that we do not recommend removing your covers to compare the difference. Breaking the solder joint that attaches the cover will void your warranty.
What’s the deal with single versus four-conductor pickups?
Single conductor leads have a hot lead inside a braided metal exterior, which functions as ground. Single conductor wiring is appropriate for traditional Les Paul-style wiring with a three-way switch and separate volume & tone controls for each pickup.
Four-conductor wiring gives each of the humbucker’s two coils their own leads. This enables you to take advantage of more complex switching like in/out of phase, series/parallel, or coil splitting. If your guitar has extra mini-switches or push/pull pots for these options, you’re likely going to want four conductor.
Can I get unpotted pickups?
Though most manufacturers did not wax pot their pickups in the 1950s and 60s, we choose to pot our pickups because of the strength and stability it adds to the coil. We frequently see coils shifting in vintage and modern unpotted pickups which often leads to the need of costly repair or outright replacement. We feel that the added stability and protection of the coil outweighs any perceived improvement in tone.
What values of potentiometers and capacitors do you recommend for humbucking pickups?
The most common/traditional choices are 500k pots (both volume and tone) and .022μF caps—and these are the values we typically recommend. That said, there are no hard and fast rules. You can read more about how different pot and cap values affect tone in this two-part blog post: Part I - Pots, Part II - Caps.
How far from my strings should I set my El Rayo pickups?
Generally, as close to the strings as possible while avoiding picking hand interference or magnetic pull.
Do I need F-spaced pickups?
F-spacing means that the pole pieces are slightly further apart so that they’ll line up better with the pole pieces on guitars with Strat or Tele-style bridges. The best thing you can do to be sure is to measure your string spacing at the bridge – approximately 53mm between the 1st and 6th strings is typical for F-Spacing. Regular humbucker spacing is closer to 50mm. If you have F-spacing, we offer an F-Spaced El Rayo, and several of our other humbucker models also offer F-spaced versions..
F-spacing is really only important at the bridge, where the strings are further apart. As they taper toward the nut, your neck pickup should be fine with regular pole piece spacing.
Our F-spaced pickups use four-conductor leads by default, which can be wired like a single conductor by insulating the red to white leads and green lead to ground.
Which way do I orient my humbuckers during installation?
The conventional orientation is with the screw sides of each pickup on the outside (closest to the bridge and fingerboard).
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