Novel Foil

I absolutely love the Novel Foils, especially in the neck position. These pickups are full of touch sensitivity and respond amazingly well to playing dynamics. They're a really interesting alternative to a single coil, with the clarity and brightness you'd expect, but some extra low-end. The neck is full, with almost P90-like compression. The bridge gets some T-style twang that is honky in the best way. Together, they sound throaty: akin to a good Les Paul in the middle position. Installation was a breeze, and they were direct drop-in replacements for my H-H guitar. The only note is that they come with 2-conductor wire only, so if you're trying to wire up a phase reversal switch, that won't work. Also, if you've got shielded cavities be aware: you might have to heatshrink or tape the braided wire to make sure it doesn't ground out. Otherwise, I have no complaints.

I put a Novel Foil in the bridge position of my Charvel Surfcaster and paired it with a Royal T in the neck. It original had lipstick tube pickups that were, quite frankly, lifeless. I really wanted to use this guitar because it plays likea dream. I had to make my own pickguard but it was worth it. The Lollars simply made this guitar alive.