Lorne Lofsky - Which Pickups?

[Doug B]

Could someone pls. help me identify the pickups that Lorne Lofsky uses in this video?

Thanks

Doug

[neatomic]

fender vintage noiseless





cheers

[Jim Soloway]

I believe that's actually a guitar that he borrowed for a workshop at the CAAS. His main guitar for years has been an Ibanez Roadstar.

[jzucker]

he's a member of my facebook forum. Join up and ask him. I featured him as artist of the week a couple months ago...

[Doug B]

Thanks.

fender vintage noiseless





cheers

[Doug B]

Thanks, Jack, but I don't do facebook-ever.

[pcjazz]

Thanks, Jack, but I don't do facebook-ever.

You can reach Lorne via Lorne Lofsky – jazz guitarist

[neatomic]

lofskys thing is he likes the traditional setup and look of the standard strat 3 pickup type guitar..but doesn't like the single coil hum

he replaced the pups on his ibanez with barden (single coil sized) twin rail humbuckers..and has used emgs as well


whether the white strat in op is his or not, the pups are fender noiseless..i included pic so you could see/match the logo on the pup covers


cheers

[Doug B]

lofskys thing is he likes the traditional setup and look of the standard strat 3 pickup type guitar..but doesn't like the single coil hum

he replaced the pups on his ibanez with barden (single coil sized) twin rail humbuckers..and has used emgs as well


whether the white strat in op is his or not, the pups are fender noiseless..i included pic so you could see/match the logo on the pup covers


cheers

Thanks for helping. Barden pickups were one of my first guesses believe it or not. All i can say is Oscar P has good taste in guitarists! :-)

[archtopeddy]

I know we can't see it but does anyone have an opinion on the amp? Amazing sound.

[neatomic]

not absolutely sure if it's on the op's vid..but there are vids of him using a borrowed tube standel w 15" jbl..which is a pretty hard amp to beat for clean delicious huge tone...other vids have him with a small zt lunchbox type amp

the standel tho is a beautiful beast


cheers

ps- canadian gold..bickert and lofsky

[archtopeddy]

Thanks for the info about the Standel neatomic. I agree, while we can't tell what amp it is, I don't think it's the Lunchbox which was in the other video. To my ears, the tone sounds too rich to be the Lunchbox.

[Bromando]

Just FYI if Lorne was borrowing Ed's Standel, I'm relatively sure it was one of the solid state ones... Standels were one of the first solid state amps from what I understand, I don't think their tube amps were as well known. Wes used a solid state one near the end of his career (think 2x12?) and I think Hank Garland also used one with the 15" at some point.

If I'm wrong and you know for sure it was a 25L15, my apologies!

I have a friend with a solid state one, cool amp. Funny little colour coded "modules" inside that are some sort of epoxy made to cover the schematics so no one copied them haha. Think the idea was you could replace the whole module with a factory part. Probably the best sounding solid state I've heard, though they don't weigh less then a tube amp...

[neatomic]

no no...it wasn't eds ss standel..lofsky borrowed a white tolex tube standel 25L15 type..(probably a requisite reissue)..there's a pic around!

but you are exactly correct on all else..bob crooks founder of standel amps..which goes back to leo fender days..and from same so-cal area....he epoxied his solid state components so "competitors" couldn't copy!!!...zany!! but decent sounding ss amps at the time...until they fried!! and were basically unfixable

and chet and grady martin and hank all played through the original tube ones...and pedal steel guys as well!!

cheers

ps- check this link about original standel amps innovations

Standel | Story

pss- ok here's lorne vid with tube standel and white strat!

[mayrandp]

he replaced the pups on his ibanez with barden (single coil sized) twin rail humbuckers..and has used emgs as well

Are you sure they are Joe Barden? They look more like Seymour Duncan.

[David B]

Co-hosted a masterclass with Lorne here in London yesterday and caught his gig this afternoon.

His guitar on this trip is his #2, a recently-acquired Ibanez Roadstar identical to the guitar he's been playing for 30+ years. Both have Seymour Duncan hot rail pickups and an active mid-boost on a push-pull pot. Strung heavy, 13-56 round wounds with a plain G.

He mentioned that his main amp for the last 35 years has been a Yamaha G50.

[Jim Soloway]

Whatever he plays and whatever he plays through, his sound is always beyond stellar.

[Doug B]

Both have Seymour Duncan hot rail pickups

Funny, but I always thought of hot rails as a loud hard rock type of pickup. Guess not.

[neatomic]

yeah the duncan hot rails are wound hot..almost 11k for neck..and with strong ceramic magnets...i assume he rolls back the guitar controls quite a bit whilst playing..and has an extremely light touch! humbucking tho..so quiet

good info david b!

cheers

[Esport]

Speaking of Standel amps, my dad had an SG Systems that was his only amp for decades. It was a joint venture between Gibson and Standel, I think, and was a short-lived venture based on what I can find online. Hybrid SS and tube, it had the Maestro phaser and a terrible OD/dist onboard. It’s still at my moms house under its cover, unplayed for probably 10 years. I remember it being heavy...I should go rescue it and give it a warming up.

[David B]

yeah the duncan hot rails are wound hot..almost 11k for neck..and with strong ceramic magnets...i assume he rolls back the guitar controls quite a bit whilst playing..and has an extremely light touch! humbucking tho..so quiet

Yes, plenty of volume and punch available when he turned up in a band setting. He does have a light touch - he loves the tone of a Fender Rhodes and strives to get close to that. Long nails on his right hand. Single note lines are played alternating between thumbpick and first fingernail.

[gregj64]

Hi, all

First time post. Long time reader. I am the person who sold Lorne the number 2 Ibanez. I also included two Duncan Cold rails, which is what he has in his number one. Unless he changed his mind, they are not the hot rails. I've been taking lessons from him on and off, so I wanted an Ibanez RS like his ended up buying another and sold it to Lorne. He's a superb teacher and highly accessible. We talked a lot about his Ibanez.

Will there be any video of the London Master class? That would be fantastic.

On a related note, Ibanez made a RS 335 in 1983 in black and cream/white. The neck pickup is the same as in the original Ibanez Lorne plays, the one he removed for the Duncan. These are superb guitars and can be found in the US for $250. I own one and it's every bit as good sounding as the RS Lorne plays. Not as pretty!!

Cheers,
Greg

[gitman]

Yes, plenty of volume and punch available when he turned up in a band setting. He does have a light touch - he loves the tone of a Fender Rhodes and strives to get close to that. Long nails on his right hand. Single note lines are played alternating between thumbpick and first fingernail.

Point-in-case : when I first heard a cut from "The Paul Desmond Quartet live at Bourbon Street" (with Ed Bickert) on the radio I thought they had made a mistake and it was a piano , not a guitar ..... I loved the sound he got and how he edited his comping , playing these close voicings with pick and fingers. He is using a lighter gauge string though
from what I hear and his tone has very good sustain and definition.

[David B]

Hi, all

First time post. Long time reader. I am the person who sold Lorne the number 2 Ibanez. I also included two Duncan Cold rails, which is what he has in his number one. Unless he changed his mind, they are not the hot rails. I've been taking lessons from him on and off, so I wanted an Ibanez RS like his ended up buying another and sold it to Lorne. He's a superb teacher and highly accessible. We talked a lot about his Ibanez.

Will there be any video of the London Master class? That would be fantastic.

On a related note, Ibanez made a RS 335 in 1983 in black and cream/white. The neck pickup is the same as in the original Ibanez Lorne plays, the one he removed for the Duncan. These are superb guitars and can be found in the US for $250. I own one and it's every bit as good sounding as the RS Lorne plays. Not as pretty!!

Cheers,
Greg

Good to hear from you Greg!

Thanks for the clarification about the pickups - I'm sure you are right. I saw they were Seymour Duncan branded rail pickups and could only find the "hot rails" on the website when I posted earlier.

Lorne mentioned how happy he was when you pulled that guitar out on a lesson and a deal was done!

He's obviously a great teacher. He gave a great masterclass - one of the best I've been involved with. He played a little with one of London's finest, Nigel Price. I only have a few photos as it was a very casual situation.



He was in town to play with Canadian vocalist Lauren Bush (based in London) and Londoners Miguel Gorodi, Adam King and David Ingamells, exploring the repertoire associated with one of his many notable employers, Chet Baker.

[neatomic]

ok, think poster gj64 ^ (welcome!) is referring to duncan cool rails..tho the neck pup is still near 10k output..with strong ceramic mags...a bit less than hot rails tho...i think important thing for lofsky is humbucking/noiseless aspect!...which any of these twin rail pups deliver... that and heavy midrange tone!!..



cheers