You know a company is dominating when their competitors stop trying to compete—and start trying to discredit. That’s what’s happening with ToneSpec.
We’ve heard the rumors: fake profiles on forums, paid bashers on social media, “concerned” players suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Sad? A little. Surprising? Not at all. When you're changing the industry, it threatens people who are clinging to the old way.
Because here’s the truth: ToneSpec’s Trade-In Program didn’t just disrupt the boutique pickup world—it flipped it on its head.
You’re Not Supposed to Be Able to Do This
We accept trade-ins from other brands—even so-called “boutique” pickups. Not only that, but we often give you more than the original retail value toward a new set of ToneSpecs. Yes, really.
It’s why builders with names you recognize are quietly showing up in our inbox with trade requests. It's why loyalists from every major brand are crossing over. No hype. No gimmicks. Just pickups that expose everything else as average.
🎯 TONE PAIN: You Think It’s Your Amp, Pedals, or Technique
But It’s Your Pickups.
Most guitar pickups suck. Nobody wants to say it, but deep down you already know.
You’ve heard it before: a friend plugs in and suddenly your $3,000 setup sounds dead next to his. Same guitar. Same amp. But somehow his tone feels alive—and yours sounds like its smothered in a wet towel.
Why? Because great tone starts at the source. If your pickups are lifeless, nothing else matters. That’s why serious players trade in their entire rig’s weak link—for this.
🔥 THE CURE: Pro Tone, Finally Within Reach
ToneSpec pickups give you what you’ve been chasing since day one—clarity, warmth, articulation, and that elusive “feel” you’ve never quite found.
These aren’t knockoffs of vintage gear. They’re what vintage gear would sound like if it had today’s precision with yesterday’s soul. Every note breathes. Every chord explodes. And when you dig in, your amp doesn’t just respond—it sings.
🛠 THE PROCESS: Obsession of Tone
We don’t “manufacture” pickups. We craft them. By hand. One set at a time.
We use rare materials. Proprietary processes. Custom specs for each design. There’s no “add to cart, ships tomorrow” nonsense. You place the order. We build it like it’s going in our own #1 guitar. That’s why the tone hits different. It’s not hype—it’s physics, craftsmanship, and refusal to cut corners.
📈 THE PROOF: Pros, Purists & Pickup Snobs Agree
Don’t take our word for it.
ToneSpec pickups are the #1 choice for pro players. Session legends. Touring sidemen. Vintage collectors. They all say the same thing: once you play them, everything else sounds like a toy.
Some of the harshest critics online became our biggest customers after hearing a set for themselves. Go watch the reviews. Watch all of the Youtube demos. Just be warned: once you hear it, you’ll never be satisfied with your current pickups again.
⚡️The Choice Is Simple
Keep chasing tone with pedals and EQ tweaks—or fix the real problem. Upgrade where the signal starts. Join the thousands of players who stopped making excuses and started making music that gets noticed.
Ever wonder why people want to trade-in pickups? It's because they want something better, this is where we come in. We make what many pro players consider to be the best pickups ever made; we also give you full retail value for your aftermarket pickups.
Most players trade in full pickup sets from other manufacturers to move up to a set from our Deluxe Series. We also proudly accept working and non-working vintage pickups from Fender and Gibson.
We offer full retail trade value on most modern and identifiable pickups from trusted and recognized brands. Now you know why our customers love us and why our competitors hate us.
Our Deluxe Series is our flagship design, revered for its unparalleled tone, quality, and reliability. Chosen by more professional guitarists than any other model, the ToneSpec Deluxe Series sets the standard in the industry, consistently delivering exceptional performance on stage and in the studio. Whether you're a touring pro or an aspiring artist, the Deluxe Series offers the tonal versatility, durability, and craftsmanship demanded by today's discerning musicians.
The ToneSpec Core Series (Blues, Twang, Punch, Jazz) pickups typically have a longer wait time of about 6 months due to their affordability—priced around $100 less than the Deluxe Series. The Core Series not only appeals to professional musicians looking for the highest quality tone at a value but also attracts many beginners and intermediate guitarists eager to take their game to the next level.
Simply being asked this question is a major compliment—and there's a reason for that. Countless musicians tell us ToneSpec Pickups outperform everything else available today. In fact, vintage pickups are the only competitors worthy of mention. And when you consider vintage pickups can cost thousands more, the exceptional value and superior performance of ToneSpec Pickups become even clearer.
“You are a Genius. These things make a solid state amp sound like it has Tubes in it. They have this 3-D thing going on. I’ve tried every important pickup upgrade since 1983 & the pickups are the best by far. I want these in all of my guitars.”
"I was knocked out by your pickups! Plugged straight in, it sounds like it was going through a top shelf tube compressor—only better. I’m the luthier/owner of Stonetree Custom Guitars for over 20 years now. My goal is to craft a “brand new old guitar”. I have relied on a couple of the biggest boutique pickup makers for the most part, but your pickups are a game changer. I have built guitars for many pros including Eric ‘Roscoe’ Ambel & Joe Bonamassa."
"These are the best pickups I've ever used. I'm so happy to have these in my guitars. They are better than vintage pickups. I was shocked to discover they are even better than the Arlo's. They just feel & sound amazing. Man you are a Genius. "
“It sounds like the have Tubes in them...almost three dimensional. They just sound really sweet. I don’t how they do it but they even feel sweet. Just like vintage pickups but with more sustain and less noise. They are just amazing”
-Mike Gallaher, Legendary Guitarist - Joe Cocker, Leon Russell
"Just like vintage pickups only better. They have this dynamic thing going on kind of like a great tube amp. I imagine this is what new vintage pickups sounded like back in the 50's & 60's"
-Dani Robinson, Blues Guitarist (Performs Jimi parts w/Billy Cox Experience)
"Something about the way they feel when you play...the way they make you play& respond to you guitar is so important because it's inspiring & let you play better. They are the most sensitive pickups I've ever played...the best!"
"I love your pickups. I put them in my guitar and it is exactly what I was looking for. We play old honky tonk and Western swing, so I have to cover a lot of ground between twang and warm arch top tones. The ToneSpec bridge pickup is the first one that has made me happy other than an original 55 bridge pickup. The whole set has that great 50’s sound and feel. I don’t use any pedals and the combo sounds awesome plugged straight into my Princeton. Keep doing what you do!"
"I can't thank you enough for my pickup set. They are an answer to a prayer that I could create the perfect guitar. I spent a great deal of money for a Strandberg only to find the sound was not up to par. Now, it is fabulous. Thanks Again & God Bless You."
“It's like plugging into a nice Studio Tube Compressor...you hear every nuance of every note.Randall Van Dykemakes pickups that are more dynamic sounding, I'd say they're organic sounding. With other pickups you don’t get that. They sound very fat but very clear. When you hit it harder you hear the dynamics you want to hear. I’ve been trying for years and with other pickups you don’t get that. They sound like vintage pickups”
“Fascinating recording the Les Paul Gold Top with the 57/61 Deluxe PAF's and comparing to my other Les Paul with stock pickups! At higher gain levels the ToneSpec set has great definition. There are harmonics coming out of the amp in the room I’m not used to with when using the Tone Spec pickups & it translate's beautifully when recorded! Interesting!!”
"I wanted to thank you again for making these great pickups. At first I thought it was a subtle change, but the more I play, the more I can’t STOP playing! These things are sounding better every day. Anyhow, I am totally in love with these! I now own 2 sets & I can't get enough. I just bought another set for my brother."
“I’ve had over 8 different sets of pickups in my guitar…I can honestly say without a doubt…these are the best sounding pickups I have ever heard... Well done gentleman…thanks for ending my tone search.”
“I noticed the difference right away. I’ve tried every pickup you can imagine and the these pickups exceed everything else. Hands down the best pickups on the market. Just pure tone…the only pickups I’ll ever use”
“You guys are Geniuses. I can’t put my guitar down...the response is very Tube like..very 3-D sounding. I just played a gig with the Tone Specific’s and I got so many compliments. It’s really amazing what you guys are doing over there. You've made all other pickups obsolete."
“These pickups respond just like vintage pickups. What makes them better than vintage pickups is that each set is consistent. You don’t don’t get that with vintage pickups…some are great & some are duds. The Tone Specific’s always sound amazing. There's nothing else like these on the market.”
-Dan Courtenay, Vintage Guitar Expert/Buyer in NYC
“You are a Tone Wizard. My guitar has never sounded or felt so good. They respond to my playing in such an incredible way. It's just like playing an incredible tube amp. These pickups are so much better than everything else out there.”
“They bloom just like a vintage tube amplifier. There are just really vintage sounding pickups. Super warm, dynamic & they sustain forever. They just agree with all of my amps. There's nothing else like them. I put them in all of my guitars, even my vintage guitars.
-Ford Thurston, Session/Touring Guitarist based in Nashville, TN
“These are the quintessential sounding P.A.F. style pickups. They give you all of that warmth, bloom & sustain you’d expect in a vintage pickups without being overly wound.”
“These pickups sound absolutely fantastic. Perfectly matched and more versatile than my vintage pickups”. (He likes them so much, he put the box sticker on his guitar)
-Steve Ouimette, Session Guitarist - Alice Cooper, Guitar Hero, Public Enemy
“Tone Specific always delivers a masterpiece. These responsive pickups catch the essence of my guitars & enables the musician to create the sounds he wants”
“Randall Van Dyke makes the best pickups. The sustain and warmth is incredible. They are very dynamic, very tubey. They destroy all other pickups. They go in all of my guitars. It's kind of like plugging into and old Neve console”
-Mike Severson, Guitarist for Robert Glasper, Phillip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire)
"Your pickups are killer. I've played a lot of guitar in my life but these pickups are the best I've played. I know you've worked hard at your craft but you should be very proud. You deserve all the kudos you get. Thank you very much".
