ToneQuest Report: June 2025 – Vol. 26, No. 8

The Inside:

Trace The Path From Craft To Tone.

The Northern Sunlight Strat – Fender Custom Shop ’58 —Riverhorse

This Custom Shop ’58 Strat began with promise—lightweight ash body, flamed soft-V neck, and Fat 50s pickups—but tonal issues led to a full rebuild. Slider’s ’59s replaced the stock set, and vintage 1950s Centralab pots and Cornell Dubilier caps completed the harness overhaul. Decked Callaham hardware and pure nickel .011s tuned a half-step down brought it to life. It now rings out with syrupy, glassy fatness and powerful acoustic resonance. Now lighting up the skies—just the way it was meant to.

Ride the Pine – ToneQuest Custom Strat / The Pine Burst Strat x Smokey B’s Harness / Sherman Stockton—Rude Moods on Eleven —Riverhorse

A 3.5-pound pine body with flame grain and a chunky soft-V ToneQuest neck set the stage. Sherman Stockton’s best kept secret, Stocktone Rude Moods pickups and Brandon Ficquette’s Smokey B’s vintage-spec harness (.022 orange drop, 250k pots) make this Strat roar. Tuned down with pure nickel .011s, it punches with clear lows, strong mids, and extra gear under the hands. From early Marley to Dick Dale throwdowns, the pine burst handles it all. “A serious can of whoop-ass.” We’ll leave it at that.

Feature Artist Greg Koch – Enter the Gristle / Fishman Fluence Collaborations—Greg Koch Gristle-Tone Single Width 3 & Telecaster Pickups —Oscar Jordan

Greg Koch revisits the Blues with a compilation featuring Larry McCray, Jimmy Hall, Malford Milligan, and the Memphis Horns. Gear includes a Fender Custom Shop Strat with Lace Sensors, Deluxe and Vibrolux Custom Reverbs, and a Fulltone Fulldrive 2. The album isn’t a throwback—it’s a statement. Greg plugs in and breaks it down—his Reverend Gristlemaster with Fishman Fluence pickups and Tone King Royalist amps delivers “pristine cleans, a slightly meatier clean, and then off to gristle land.” He’s toured Europe with them—they’re built “ready for battle.” Tone philosophy from a true player’s player.

A Phoenix of a Different Kind – 1935 Gibson L-50 —Scott Ulrichs

A neglected 1935 Gibson L-50 was transformed: top and back removed, sides shortened, cracked bracing repaired, cutaway added, and fitted with a Mojotone Quiet Coil P-90. The original finish remains. Acoustically warm and woody, amplified, it’s bold and clear. Crafted with intention and reverence, this L-50 reveals what happens when tone, history, and craft align—nothing wasted, everything earned.

Jason Lollar & Kevin Moe Of Lollar Pickups— Pickups of Future Past —Oscar Jordan

Jason Lollar and Kevin Moe reflect on three decades of pickup design—P-90s, Special Ts, and now the Super-Caster. From magnet gauss to coil height, they chase clarity, dynamic range, and tonal honesty. “Resistance is futile,” Moe jokes, but their method is serious: listen, refine, and let the tone through. No modeling, no shortcuts—just deeply informed craftsmanship. From Charlie Christian models to their ’56 Quiet Coil P-90s, Lollar’s designs capture vintage detail with surgical precision, built to reflect the hands that play them.

Lollar Special S Stratocaster Pickups—Vintage Pickups For The Modern Player —Oscar Jordan

The Lollar Special S set is the gainier sibling of the Sixty-Four—darker highs, beefier mids, and a fuller low end, yet still vintage in feel. Tested in a Mike McCready Strat into a Deluxe Reverb and JHS Violet Distortion, they responded with clean warmth, punch, and balanced quack. The bridge avoids harshness, the neck delivers comfort. Subtle compression and responsive break-up yield expressive control. Built for players chasing vintage feel with modern control.

Groovy Times – Music City Groove Master Saddles —Riverhorse

Music City’s Groove Master brass saddles replaced aging Tele parts and revealed more than expected—clearer highs, better string alignment, and improved intonation. Installed on a blonde Tele, they solved a “sitar” issue and brought the neck pickup to life—saving a pickup swap in the process. Stainless screws, micro-grooves, and dual-intonation surfaces make them adaptable. “Bolder, louder, and prouder,” as we put it. Sometimes it’s the smallest part that unlocks the sound you’ve been missing.