Twangmaster
True Fender Single Coil Tone
$175 – $350
Transform your humbucker-equipped guitar into something different and experience the Lindy Fralin-Designed Twangmasters. These humbucker-sized pickups don’t sound like traditional humbuckers, and that’s the point! Lindy specifically designed the Twangmaster to sound like a Fender Strat – with no hum. Featuring a warm and clear midrange with a familiar Fender sparkle, we guarantee that the Twangmaster will inspire you.
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Jump to Sound Clips and more Info:
Pure Fender Tone, Humbucker Looks.
Want to learn more about our Twangmaster? Here's all the information you'll need:
Features
Are you looking for an authentic single-coil tone out of a humbucker size? The Twangmaster is the pickup for you. Featuring Lindy’s unique left-right coil design, the Twangmaster features clear wound strings and round, sparkly treble strings – all with zero hum.
Our Twangmaster® uses USA-Made Alnico 5 magnets for a clean, bright tone. This pickup is the clearest and cleanest humbucker we make – clearer than our Big Single 42 and cleaner than our P-92.
Features:
- Lindy Fralin Original Design
- Clean Fender Tone in a Humbucker Cover
- Hum-Cancelling Design with hum-free operation
- Clean and clear, lots of Fender sparkle and twang
- USA-made Alnico 5 Magnets for optimal tonal balance and output
- Compensated Bridge for even volume across all pickups
- Hand-wound with our “Sectioning” technique for unique, dynamic tone
- Backed by our 10-Year Warranty on manufacturing defects
- Risk-free 30-day exchange policy
Sound
How do Twangmasters sound? Clean and bright, articulate, and expressive. They sound best on 250K pots.
Give your Humbucker-routed guitar the voice it thought it could never have: a fender-type sparkle. The Twangmaster is slow to break up, with a clean, snappy tone that’s smoother than our P-92. Featuring a Fender-type sparkle and attack, the Twangmaster accurately sounds like a Fender Strat pickup, with slightly thicker mids and zero hum. That way, you can stand out in the mix and hear more of what matters most – your tone.
Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control. Our Twangmasters consist of USA-Made bobbins, baseplates, magnets, and wire. Sure, it’s more expensive, but we want the highest-quality materials we can get. We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time, using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique, which gives the Twangmaster a sweet, clear tone. Then, we assemble each pickup one at a time, by hand. Assembling this way allows us to achieve unbeatable attention to detail. Finally, we wax-pot the pickup to prevent microphonics and preserve the pickup for years to come.
Sound Samples for Twangmaster:
About this Sound Clip:
All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.
Tonal Graph For Twangmaster:
The tonal graph below for our Twangmaster features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Attack: Bright & Sharp
Videos for Twangmaster:
Lead Color Codes
See below for our Lead color codes. For help with matching to other manufacturers, check out this resource here.
Gibson Braided Lead
Gibson-Style instruments
Phase Reversible
Coil Splitting
2-Conductor Lead
Phase Reversible
Tech Specs:
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Twangmaster.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Neck Ohm Reading (Stock): | 7K* 1 |
| Bridge Ohm Reading (Stock): | 8K* 1 |
| Polarity: | Reversible with 2-Conductor Lead |
| Magnets: | USA-Made Alnico 5 |
| Wire: | USA-Made 42 / 43-Gauge Single Poly Nylon |
| Bobbins: | USA-Made Precision Injection Mold |
| Covers and Baseplate: | USA-Made Nickel Silver |
| Baseplate Leg Depth: | 6mm |
| Available String Spacing: | 49.2mm |
| Recommended Pot Value: | 250K |
| Recommended Cap Value: | 0.02mfd 2 |
Additional Technical Info:
1 Ohm Readings can vary due to a multitude of factors, including ambient temperature, multimeter calibration, different wire batches, and other factors. Due to this, ohm readings are approximate. Learn more about Ohm Readings here.
2 We recommend a 0.02mfd Cap Value on most guitar and bass pickups. The exception is a Magic Cap, which Lindy prefers on the Bridge Pickup of Fender® guitars only. Learn More about Caps Here.
* Due to the unique design of this pickup, ohm readings are not useful when comparing to other models. This pickup is medium output, and leans to a cleaner, clearer tone.
Polarity Information:
Here's how we wind and magnetize our pickups:
If you're buying a set from us, all pickups will work together seamlessly. If you're buying a single pickup, all you need to worry about is Coil Direction.
To ensure your pickup will work, make sure you select multiple leads (2-Conductor, 3-Conductor, or 4-Conductor if available), or the 3-Wire modification so you can reverse the coil direction, if need be.
Twangmaster Dimensions:
All Twangmasters have a string spacing of 50mm.
Twangmaster FAQ's
General FAQs
Here are quick answers to common questions we get:
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What Ohm Readings does your Twangmaster have?
Navigate to our Tech Specs Tab for complete Ohm Readings and more useful information.
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Will this pickup fit my instrument?
Check our "Sizing" tab for the size of the pickup. No Sizing tab? Check under the product image gallery for dimensions.
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Is your Lead Time of 2 Weeks accurate?
It depends on the shop capacity at the moment, and the size of your order. Feel free to give us a call for an accurate lead time. We always try to beat our estimated Lead Times.
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What pickup height do you recommend setting your Twangmasters to?
Our recommended Pickup Height is 1/8" (3.175mm) on the Bass Side and 1/16"( 1.5875mm) on the Treble Side. To measure, hold the correct side down at its highest fret. Then, measure from the bottom of the string to the top of the pole piece.
Product FAQ's
People frequently ask these questions about our Twangmaster. If you have a question that you don't see listed here, click "Ask" in the Quick Links section above.
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How do I orient the Twangmaster in my guitar?
The Twangmaster features a Raised D pole piece. Make sure the tallest magnet is under the D string.
Pickup Pairing
Our Twangmaster pairs well with the following models:
High Output Tele - Bridge
Starting At: $ 120
Pair the Twangmaster with a High Output Tele Bridge for a killer H-T combination
P-92 - Bridge
Starting At: $ 175
Use the Twangmaster as a Neck pickup and the P-92 as a Bridge pickup for a Fender-tone in the Neck, and a P90 tone in the Bridge
Split Blade Tele - Bridge
Starting At: $ 135
The Twangmaster pairs well with a High Output Split Blade
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
48 Genuine Reviews for Twangmaster
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Twangmaster stock neck: Great vintage tone, no hum. Very nice! Now I need to upgrade my bridge pup to match the jangly yumminess.
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I have a Twangmaster 9200 in the bridge position of a PRS Vela. It delivers the clean crisp single coil tone I was looking for. I used a 470k resistor in parallel with the hot lead to ground to mimic a 250k pot while keeping the 500k pot for the benefit of the stock neck pickup. It balances fairly well with the stock neck pickup but makes the stock pickup sound a bit dull. Wish Fralin made a Twangmaster in a mini-humbucker size so I could put it in the neck position of my Vela! Bottom line, my Twangmaster delivers the twang I’m after!
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Great tone, but really bright
The pickup sounds amazing, like a fat Tele bridge pickup! It has tons of bite and a tight low-end snarl for snappy chicken picking and it soars with overdrive or distortion applied. My only issue is when installed in my Ibanez Roadstar II (model RS335BK), the single-coil in the neck was not bright enough to compete with the high end this pickup produces. If I set my amp so that the neck pickup sings clearly (which it did with the stock humbucker installed), the Twangmaster has too much high end, and if I dial the amp in for the Twangmaster, the neck single-coil is too wooly. After messing with pickup height, angle and tilt (the Ibanez Super 6 single coil has a 3 screw adjustment so you can tilt it towards the bridge or the neck) to balance them to no avail, I’ve decided that since the Super 6 is very warm on its own I’m going to have the tone pot wired to only the Twangmaster in the bridge. Then I can get the fat, warm sound of the neck pickup straight through with no tone control, and adjust the tone pot hooked to the bridge to taste. Once I do that, I believe this will be a very versatile guitar! Fat, warm Strat-like tones from the neck, fat and biting Tele-type tones from the bridge, and a sweet, snappy tone in the middle. Overall it’s a great pickup, and if I find a guitar that needs the bite of this pickup more I may swap it into that guitar and have a P-92 or Big Single installed in this guitar. -
Great Pickup!
I put this pickup in my 2017 Godin A6 Ultra guitar. My guitar has a Humbucker in the neck position and it was boomy and muddy. Tried an EJ21 Custom Eric Johnson Humbucker pickup and it helped some and had a bit more highs and more output, not a major difference. So I called Lindy Fralin and asked what would be a better sounding Humbucker neck pickup with the Telecaster twang. They suggested the Twangmaster neck pickup. Man what a big difference!! It woke up the highs and calmed down the lows. I Highly recommend this pickup if you’re looking for more highs in your neck pickup and just a smoother sound altogether. Thanks Jeremy Winn -
Great bright & fat pickup
I’ve had the set in a twenty test old PRS CE 22 mahogany which is a great player, but had terrible pickups. I’ve had some PAF style pickups in it, but the output was still too much for my small tweed amps. Ik was looking for a more spanking sound and found the Twangmasters (regular wound). The neck pickup sounds like a fat strat, parallel in between sound is Tele like and the bridge pickup sounds like something fatter (like a brighter really low wound PAF). With a push-pull tone pot, I can switch the pickups in series which is a great sound with slightly more output.Having a fat single-coil sound without noise feels a bit weird, but it’s great to have this. Cuts great in the band mix, more than enough sustain. I use low wind P90s in my other two guitars, and it’s great not to have to change amp and pedal settings and be able to use this guitar instantly.
I’ve rated it four stars because I haven’t compared it to regular single coils and I think they are quite clear, especially when ordering from Europe. Great recommendable pickup if you need to brighten up a humbucker-equipped guitar and if you’re sure you’re done with humbucker sound. -
I have an ASAT Bluesboy; I put a Steel Split Pole in the bridge position, a stock wound Twangmaster in the neck position, with a 300k volume pot and a blender pot instead of a tone control. My mind is blown; I can’t stop smiling when I play it.
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I put a Twangmaster in the neck position on my Aria pro (ES 335 copy) a while back. Phenomenal pickup! Bridge sound was good on the guitar, but despite trying several other pickups, it’s always been too dark sounding in the neck position. Twangmaster has a bright full tone, but not harsh at all – without 60 cycle hum of a single coil! This is now my #1 gigging guitar. Pickup is worth every penny.
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I installed neck and bridge Twangmasters in a Guild Bluesbird Guitar. I replaced with new 250k pots, 0.022uf caps and a treble bleed cap. I was wanting a single coil tone flavor from guitar, and I am very pleased with the outcome of the installation! The Neck has the sparkle/chime tone, and Bridge has that Tele bark and twang without the shrill highs. The neck and bridge together have a good single coil quack. I’m very pleased with the tone and output of these pickups! Highly recommended if you want a single coil tone from a humbucker.
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Dig it! Bright and beautiful.
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Thank you!!! The Twangmaster is the best pickup for me!
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Great sounding set of pickups. Tangy! Er, uh, I mean twangy. Seriously though they are exactly what my client asked for. Nice sounding single coil for a humbucker space.
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Awesome! You know they had more output than I had expected and sounded a little different than I had expected but I gotta say I didn’t know I wanted that until I had it! Great pickup!
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Awesome. Love the voice of these pickups and Fralin staff very helpful when I was picking them out. Thanks!
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Made my guitar come to life
Popped a set of the Twangmasters (7800 neck, 8600 bridge) into an Eastman AR-371CE-2, which is an ES-175 copy. Made previous pickups sound dull and lifeless by comparison, even though people were giving me all kinds of compliments on the tone BEFORE the mod. This was just a decent hollow-body guitar, and I am so glad that these pickups have now made it an irresistible guitar amongst the dozen or so that are in constant rotation. Truly amazing! -
Pure Sweetness: 8200 neck and 9000 bridge. I can assure you the tone is round, very wide range slinging single coil, breaks up the amp, very sweet not harsh. Do yourself a favor and get these if you want a single coil sound on your humbucker-sized guitar.
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Frankly, the Twangmaster is a giant sleeper pickup.
Replaced with this in my Les Paul Jr. Admittedly an unusual choice for conventional thinking.
Beware…work with several caps on your tone pot if you have a definitive sound palette in your ears.
We settled on a .5 (.47) Orange drop that delivers a dynamic parametric feeling in this guitar’s tonal landscape.
Now this Jr has a spot in my ‘always’ tour rig. -
I ordered one of these with 8,000 winds, because I was going for a really strat-like sound. It delivers exactly that at this wind level! Bright and snappy! It also has plenty of body and bass. I have played at my home with it for about 2 weeks now, and played 2 shows with 3 different amps, and it sounds very similar to my 62 RI strat with early 60’s winds. Again, a little more body and bass, but PLENTY of top end to cut through a band mix with heavy bass and keys.
* Reviewed for 8,000 winds.
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Killer sounding pickup, completely true to the description above. Sounds exactly like a neck pickup of a strat but with output that easily matches my Gibson bridge pickups and zero noise. It has a great balance across the strings and it basically saved my HH strat that I just couldn’t get to sound right in the neck position no matter which pickup I would try. Lindy Fralin makes incredible stuff and their customer support is GREAT.
Now I gotta save some money and buy a bridge pickup from Lindy as well. It only makes sense! -
I bought a Twangmaster neck for my Fender Telecaster, it use to have a SD Jazz but I wanted something with more definition and suitable for 250K pots (I can’t take 500K pots on tele bridge pickups). AWESOME= pure tone great hi fi for wound strings warmth for treble strings. Anything that Lindy Fralin touches translates into pure ballsy sound and this pickup is no exception. Outstanding option for Clean AND distorted tones in warm music as jazz, blues, funk and classic rock. Hum? NO! Tone? Yes! If that sounds about right to you, go for it.
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I bought a Twangmaster for the neck pickup of my ’84 Tokai flying V. I was going for a big ‘strat’ like neck tone and boy was this the right choice! I actually chose the 9,400 turns more common of the bridge position, and it sounds great. It has a beautiful big clean tone and with some grit it’s perfect for the ‘texas’ boogie. Its also dead silent with zero hum, highly recommended! I need another!
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