You know someone’s a true legend when their competitors can’t stop talking about them.

In the case of Randall Van Dyke, founder of ToneSpec, some have gone a step further. It’s been rumored that a few companies actually bankroll fake online profiles just to bash ToneSpec on forums and social media. Sad? Maybe. Surprising? Not really—especially when you consider the fact that ToneSpec’s trade-in program has completely disrupted the pickup industry.

Think about it: ToneSpec takes in pickups from other brands as payment toward a new set—and in many cases, gives more than the original retail value for those pickups. (Yes, seriously.) That means guitar players are trading in $400 boutique sets from other well-known brands just to get their hands on a set of Randall’s pickups. No marketing fluff. No influencer hype. Just tone that speaks for itself.
👉 Explore the Trade-In Program

“I stay focused on the work, on the tone. I'll leave the hype to the others.”

-- Randall Van Dyke, Founder of ToneSpec

And that’s the difference. While others are busy bullying and worrying about social media likes, Randall is still in the lab, chasing feel, chasing harmonic detail, chasing soul. That’s why ToneSpec pickups aren’t just bought—they’re sought after.

Mastery That Sets the Bar

Often referred to as a genius, Randall doesn’t just make great pickups—he makes the ones everyone else tries to copy. His designs are used by elite players, respected by top builders, and studied by anyone serious about tone. He’s reverse-engineered the rarest vintage sets and created modern pickups that outperform them. When pros talk about “the best pickups they’ve ever played” they’re usually talking about Randall’s work—even if they don’t realize it.

Built on Truth, Not Hype

Randall doesn’t do gimmicks. No marketing fluff. No magic dust. In fact, he's tried to keep a low public profile. It's not about fame, it's the right materials, the right design, and relentless attention to the feel and response players actually care about. He’s not chasing trends—he’s creating tools for people who play for real. You can’t fake that, and you can’t outsource it.

Influence That Outlives the Moment

Most pickups have a shelf life. Randall’s don’t. Even his discontinued designs are still traded like vintage gold. Why? Because his pickups don’t just sound good—they connect. They become part of the player’s voice. That kind of influence doesn’t fade. It multiplies.

Respected by the Best in the Game

ToneSpec pickups live in the guitars of session pros, touring legends, and Grammy-winning artists from LA to Nashville. Luthiers call Randall when they want a no-compromise solution. Other builders call when they want to know how he did it. When the most trusted ears in the industry pay for your pickups by choice—when they could get other pickups for free—you’ve hit legendary status.

Find Randall on Linkedin.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/randall-van-dyke-tone-specific-guitar-pickups/

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Click the link below, to view Randall Dyke's discussion page, over on tsGuitarForum.com

http://tsguitarforum.com/randall-van-dyke-founder-of-tone-specific-guitar-forum-post/

 

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Other links featuring the work of Randall Van Dyke, founder of Tone Specific:

https://virtualstagger.com/randall-van-dyke-bio/

https://thenorthamericanguitar.com/products/marchione-59-burst-orange-burst

https://ne-np.facebook.com/TheNorthAmericanGuitar/videos/presents-episode-51-marchione-59-burst-semi-hollow/765178807549870/

https://www.facebook.com/leonardo.amuedo.1/videos/2774193736138281/

 

Pro Testimonials about Randall's work

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“Randall Van Dyke is the genius behind Tone Specific pickups. My good friend, Leo Amuedo, told me about him. Once I heard what he did for Leo's guitar, I just had to get in touch with him. I’ve tried every important pickup upgrade since 1983 & these pickups are the best by far. I want these in all of my guitars.”

-Mark Whitfield, Jazz Guitarist

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"Randall is an artist and a craftsman. The first time I played a set of his pickups I couldn't believe what I was hearing. In 40+ years of playing nothing has caught my attention like the Tone Specific pickups. I now have them in most of my guitars. I don't know how he does it, but these are the finest, most articulate, touch sensitive and dynamic pickups I have played."

-Mark Malin, Malin Amplification

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"Randall is very professional, articulate and a great guy to work with. Tone Specific is it for me. I do not own a guitar that is not loaded with these tone machines. Thanks for the outstanding work Randall!"

-Breck Philip, Guitarist

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“Randall Van Dyke's pickups sound like they have Tubes in them...almost three dimensional. They just sound really sweet. I don’t how he did 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

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"Honor, quality, craftsmanship, dedication to creating superior products that have changed the music world. Randall is one of the very very few people with whom I have done business that I can say is truly an artisan entrepreneur. I value my relationship with him and hope that we will continue to be valuable to each other for many years to come."

Victor Ratz, Red Circle Guitars

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"Randall made these pickups for me, this is a 66 Strat, I don't if the magnets got weak, but these Tone Specific Strat pickups were a huge improvement. They have that old vintage sound and agree very well with my vintage 59 Princeton amp".

-Ford Thurston, Guitarist for Randy Houser

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"Thanks so much Randall, for making the best pickups. I feel like they take my guitars to another level. My customers absolutely love them."

-Josh Williams, Luthier

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"It's like plugging into a nice Studio Tube Compressor...you hear every nuance of every note. Randall Van Dyke's pickups 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”

-Leo Amuedo, Virtuoso Guitarist

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"You owe it to yourself to check out Randall’s tele pickups. I threw out a $1000 set of Abby hand wounds in favor of Randall’s Tone Specific Tele pickups. They’re everything you could ever want from a Tele set- punch, articulation, richness, honesty… truly inspiring. I know that trying to describe tone second hand is like trying to describe the way your favorite meal ever tasted to someone else… so I won’t even try. Ok… maybe I will: Randall’s pickups are to other pickups what Tera Patrick in her prime is to your high school girlfriend. Man up, give him a try… and be CHANGED. Love and Hits to All!"

-Gunnar Nelson, Guitarist

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"Randall is the best thing to happen to guitar tone since Leo Fender. I learned more in talking to him about guitar tone in 30 minutes than I learned in the previous 30 years. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention he makes the best pickups on the planet. I consider it an honor to be one of his customers."

-Bill Weatherford, Guitarist 

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“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.”

-Mike Severson, Guitarist for Robert Glasper, Phillip Bailey

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"Installing Randall's Tone Specific Pickups in my guitar was the best thing I've ever done. He's really taken my tone to the next level! Amazing tone that somehow makes it easier to play. It's genius level stuff to be sure and it was a real honor to talk with him. I know he must be busy but he made me feel like the most important guitarist in the world, which I know isn't the case. Thanks to Randall, I now have the best tone in world."

-Wallace Decker, Musician

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“Randall, 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."

-Cali Freeman, Guitarist 

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"Randall makes amazing pickups. They really capture the harmonics of each instrument. I use them in as many of my builds as possible.”

-Stephen Marchione, Legendary Luthier

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“Randall Van Dyke always delivers a masterpiece. These responsive pickups catch the essence of my guitars & enables the musician to create the sounds he wants”

-Vincent Cleroux, Luthier

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