PRESENCE - Volume 54

Inspiration For Guitarists

I need your ears on something.

I’ve been experimenting with the pickups in one of my favorite guitars — a Lambdin Clio model built by my friend Trey Hammond.

It’s a beautiful guitar, and I absolutely love how it plays and feels.

Right now it has Trey’s Tele-style pickups in it, and they sound fantastic.
But here’s the problem…

I already have those same pickups in my black Tele that you’ve probably seen in a bunch of my videos.

After playing a few other guitars Trey has built, we started talking about trying something different in the Clio.

And this is where things get interesting.

Trey designed this guitar with a clever system that lets you swap pickups quickly — without rewiring the whole guitar every time.

So I did a proper shootout.

In the video, I play the same guitar with:

• Tele pickups
• Mini-humbuckers
• Firebird pickups
• Trey’s Phoenix pickups (a humbucker-sized Firebird design)
• P90s

Same guitar.
Same player.
Same amp.
Different pickups.

I’ve always believed pickups are the single most important factor in a guitar’s sound. More than the body wood. More than the finish. More than almost anything else.

Now I’m curious what you hear.

Which set sounds best to you?
Which would you keep in this guitar?
Did one surprise you?

Watch the video here:
LAMBDIN PICKUP SHOOTOUT

Then hit reply and tell me:
Which pickups win the shootout for you — and why?

I really want to know what you think before I make the final call.

And I encourage you to follow Trey on Instagram, @treymakesthings. He is always building cool stuff!

Talk soon,
Dustin

P.S. This guitar might end up being my main stage guitar, so your vote could actually influence what stays in it. Help me choose wisely 😄

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PS: I’ll be opening my Office Hours coaching sessions in March. It’s a small-group space for guidance, feedback, and staying focused with your practice. I’ll share details when it’s ready.