Strat pickups...

[slickcipher]

So I've had this American Strat for years, probably coming up on 6 years.

The thing is, as great as it feels and plays, I absolutely cannot stand the stock pickups in it.

After selling off a few guitars I decided I'd like to bring it back out and see what I could do to make it a player in my own ears.

For me, strat pickups and I have a love/hate relationship. For me, either they're too weak, too thin, or too brittle and harsh.

In other strats over the years, I've tried a few sets of GFS pickups (and had a few die on me...), and thought I had found gold with the Fender 57/62 set. Problem is, as sweet as they sounded, they were sorta lacking when I really wanted it to "umph" a bit more, especially with a bit of overdrive. I've tried the CS 69 set before, thought it was a great clear sound but too thin (to my ears) and I believe I've tried the '54 set (same thoughts).

So I'm back on a search for THE strat pickup tone. I like my strat pickups to be full yet clear, powerful but not roof-blowingly powerful when I need to be with overdrive. I like a bluesy sound, and I think bluesy pickups tend to be fuller. I play blues rock/classic rock.

Based on what I've described, could anyone suggest a set to me? Not sure if I should go the Duncan route (about a million possibilities, which is good and bad) or get a typical set. I thought about a Cool Rails/Vintage Rails in the neck and middle, but felt the Hot Rails may be too hot for my tastes. A friend of mine suggested Texas Specials, which sound like they kill overdriven, but I'm not sure if I'll find them too bright or too thin or "stringy". The Fat 50's sounded like a decent set, but again not sure how different they are from the '54s. Fralin Blues Specials with the bass plates were also recommended - yet from what I've heard they can be sorta bright too. I'd like to make use of my bridge pickup in a Strat, something I never do because I think that position is awful most of the time.

Guess it's all a matter of finding the right set.

[Gris]

Vanzandts. If you don't use the mid alone, get vintage + in neck, true vintage in mid and blues in bridge. If you do play mid alone, get true vintage neck, vintage + (or blues) in mid and blues in bridge. Add base plate to bridge if want a slight mid bump. You can get VZs form an ebay seller (ProAudioLand) for about $65 each w/ free shipping. They'll be at your door in like 2 days... :-)

[Totally bored]

There's only one way to really evaluate and thats the Buy it and Try it method.

After buying and trying MANY pups out there my favorites are the Dimarzio VV 61's in the Neck and Middle and VV Solo Pro. A do all setup and noiseless. Good luck.

[dzguitar10]

I looked at a few different pickups (Kinman, Fralin, Bill Lawrence...etc) when I was modding my MIM Strat and settled on the Fender Hot Vintage Noiseless set. I'm very pleased with the overall sound and tone... and they sounds tons better than the stock pu's. Of course I play blues, blues rock and classic rock for the most part but they're doing what I need and virtually there is no noise at all.

[slickcipher]

I looked at a few different pickups (Kinman, Fralin, Bill Lawrence...etc) when I was modding my MIM Strat and settled on the Fender Hot Vintage Noiseless set. I'm very pleased with the overall sound and tone... and they sounds tons better than the stock pu's. Of course I play blues, blues rock and classic rock for the most part but they're doing what I need and virtually there is no noise at all.

How would you say they sound clean and overdriven?

[slickcipher]

Vanzandts. If you don't use the mid alone, get vintage + in neck, true vintage in mid and blues in bridge. If you do play mid alone, get true vintage neck, vintage + (or blues) in mid and blues in bridge. Add base plate to bridge if want a slight mid bump. You can get VZs form an ebay seller (ProAudioLand) for about $65 each w/ free shipping. They'll be at your door in like 2 days... :-)

Heard great things about these, will definitely look into this!

[slickcipher]

There's only one way to really evaluate and thats the Buy it and Try it method.

After buying and trying MANY pups out there my favorites are the Dimarzio VV 61's in the Neck and Middle and VV Solo Pro. A do all setup and noiseless. Good luck.

I had considered the Blue Velvets (True Velvets) in the neck/middle, and Red Velvet in the bridge. Any experience with these?

[Offshore Angler]

Not to be a total jerk, but maybe a partial one, and I apologize for being blunt - I see your profile shows you use a Fender Frontman amp. I think that's where you need to start your tone upgrade. I think you'll find that with a better amp a lot of pickups will sound better.

[slickcipher]

Not to be a total jerk, but maybe a partial one, and I apologize for being blunt - I see your profile shows you use a Fender Frontman amp. I think that's where you need to start your tone upgrade. I think you'll find that with a better amp a lot of pickups will sound better.

Completely understood, and I really need to update that. I now run through a Vibrolux.

[Offshore Angler]

Cool. In that case, take what you have, lower them to the deck and then start raising them until they sound good. We all sound like a broken record here, but on a Strat adjusting the pickups makes a big difference.

[thegeezer]

The pickups on my strats are all kind of low, I have always found better tone with less.
Jerry

[Offshore Angler]

'Nuther question: Are you gigging or playign at home? Reason I ask is s we can determine if the amp is working hard enough. 6L6 amps will generally sound thin until they get to breaking a little sweat. Great clean glassy sound though. Where are your amp's tone controls and volume set?

[slickcipher]

'Nuther question: Are you gigging or playign at home? Reason I ask is s we can determine if the amp is working hard enough. 6L6 amps will generally sound thin until they get to breaking a little sweat. Great clean glassy sound though. Where are your amp's tone controls and volume set?

I'm using them in a jam situation and occassional gig. For my single coils (tele, strat) I've got the treble and bass around 4.5, the volume usually sits around 3. Use the bright channel mainly as the normal channel tends to break up a bit earlier.

[slickcipher]

Cool. In that case, take what you have, lower them to the deck and then start raising them until they sound good. We all sound like a broken record here, but on a Strat adjusting the pickups makes a big difference.

I've tried playing with the pickup height before, but it's been a while. Sorta got fed up with it as I wasn't getting what I wanted out of it. Maybe I'll go back and try once more before I buy a new set...

[Gris]

My riddum guy plays Amer LP Blue Strat maple neck thru Lux. Vibe channel, bright switch OFF (it's meant only for humbucker guitars IMO), treble 6-7, bass 4-ish. After two years of thinking his tone was too thin, he finally switched to the VZs. He's been THRILLED with his sound ever since. Now, if I could only get him to upgrade his speakers, LOL.

[thegeezer]

If you are going to look for pickups check these:
www.riograndepickups.com They are excellent strat pups.
Jerry

[dzguitar10]

How would you say they sound clean and overdriven?

The cleans are very good IMHO... I've played a slew of vintage and new American made Strat's and I compare it to those. The overdriven sound is also good. Again comparing them to the above or "stock" PU's they're a whole lot better! And I have virtually no noise... actually none until I kick in a little OD or distortion and even then it barely negligible... granted they probably won't nail the "vintage" sound like Fralin's or Kinman's but you're also not shelling out close to $300 a set either. Another thing I know is that Bill Lawrence designed these for Fender. His PU's are supposed be very good too... and cheap! They’re about the same cost as the Fender offerings. The YouTube.com demos of his sound great!

Also when you do switch them out go ahead and shield the control/pickups cavities. Makes a big difference. And take my word on this… I went to Lowes Home improvement and bought a roll of 2" aluminum adhesive backed tape and used it... much cheaper than copper and does just as good as long as you overlap the seams and burnish them down good. I checked everything with a multi-meter and had continuity on entire area. Reuse the star washer ground screwed back into the body and viola! She's really quite now!

[frank thomson]

CS54's

[Russ]

Sounds like you have had most of what guys would consider some of the best pups around that would give you the STRAT SOUND. And other pup makers you seem to think are not any better (Fralin Etc.) .Most of the other guys pups wouldn't sound a whole hell of alot better than what you have tried.

IMO you Strat could be a dud or you just haven't toyed around with it long enough to dial it in , maybe the strat sound you think you want only exisits in your head. And IMO Fender amps BF, tweed ,your amp etc. really don't start to work well for Blues and rock till ya juice em up to aleast half volume, use the volume control on the guitar for clean. Even with od pedals if ya reduce the volume a bit they fatten up. If you find you lose to much treb. turning down the guitar put a treb. bleed cap resistor on the pot. IMO

[Kap'n]

Sounds like you have had most of what guys would consider some of the best pups around that would give you the STRAT SOUND. And other pup makers you seem to think are not any better (Fralin Etc.) .Most of the other guys pups wouldn't sound a whole hell of alot better than what you have tried.

IMO you Strat could be a dud or you just haven't toyed around with it long enough to dial it in , maybe the strat sound you think you want only exisits in your head.

Yep.

Like Frank T, I like the CS '54's. They can sound thin, or fat, or however, depending on how you hit them.

[thegeezer]

"IMO you Strat could be a dud or you just haven't toyed around with it long enough to dial it in , maybe the strat sound you think you want only exisits in your head. And IMO Fender amps BF, tweed ,your amp etc. really don't start to work well for Blues and rock till ya juice em up to aleast half volume, use the volume control on the guitar for clean. Even with od pedals if ya reduce the volume a bit they fatten up. If you find you lose to much treb. turning down the guitar put a treb. bleed cap resistor on the pot. IMO"
__________________I agree the most important part of a guitar relationship is Knowing what it does as with strings, pickup adjustment, and how it plays through a particular amp, some people can get good tone out of anything it seems.
Jerry

[Russ]

Yep.

Like Frank T, I like the CS '54's. They can sound thin, or fat, or however, depending on how you hit them.

Yeah I like them as well and the fat 50s , 69s, 57/62s. hell even the ones that come on the MIM classics aren't to0 bad. I have played strats with Vans, Fralins, Duncan AIIs, duncan basic vintage AVs things , Duncan 5-2s , GFS grey bottoms etc. etc. I use copperhead custom wound 5-2s currently . All great pups & all can sound a little different from each other or pretty much the same, all depends on setting and head space. And what hype ya want to believe!
All good!, most tone is produced IMO ,when using whatever in and around vintage constructed , spec.ed machine or hand feed wound pup, is regulated with or by the player . In others words and ya have heard it before tone is in the fingers. :)

[phantomman]

In others words and ya have heard it before tone is in the fingers. :)

Twew dat!

+1



I'm all over the place with pickups......Fender Custom Shop, SCNs, 57/62s, DiMarzios, HBs, P-90s. They all sound great to me, albeit a skosh different dependin' on how I hit 'em. Also depends on which amp I'm plugged into. Basically I sound like me no matter what.

Jus' mah 'pinion, y'unnerstan'......

[Russ]

Twew dat!

+1



I'm all over the place with pickups......Fender Custom Shop, SCNs, 57/62s, DiMarzios, HBs, P-90s. They all sound great to me, albeit a skosh different dependin' on how I hit 'em. Also depends on which amp I'm plugged into. Basically I sound like me no matter what.

Jus' mah 'pinion, y'unnerstan'......

+1

[thegeezer]

I don't know I sound a lot different through my DRRI than I do through my Bjr.
Jerry

[Wilko]

Custom Vibrolux reverb?

I can't get any beef out of that amp. way too thin and weak sounding on it's own. SS rectifyer, NFB circuit change. Whatever. That amp just won't do that fat warm sound for me.

Also, How you play makes a huge difference in how your guitar will sound.


(notes from another broken record)

[thegeezer]

How your equipment sounds effects how you play too. It is a growing process.
Jerry

[deepblue1963]

You want the best?.....look no further.

http://www.sdpickups.com/

Tell him Patrick sent you.

[sting7777]

I went through a bunch of stuff over the last 10 years or so - and came back to the 57/62's on all my strats.

The CS69's were too thin and harsh. 57/62's set really low just sound perfect to my ears - sweet tone.

I don't think you will like the SD stuff - the Vintage Rails are quiet but also very dead sounding to me.

Try the Texas Specials - you can pick up a set fairly cheap on the bay and they are anything but bright. Most describe them as dark (and as such aren't very popular around here). Drop them all the way to the deck and see what they sound like.

[dzguitar10]

I have to agree with the posts above about the pickup height... I tweaked on mine for several weeks before finding the proverbial sweet spot. Once I did it made a big difference... now the volume knob does most of the "clean-to-dirty" dancin' for me!

[thegeezer]

String Gauge changes tone drastically too.
Jerry

[majwild1]

I was looking through some stuff that I had printed off the net and thought this would help some guys as a guide to what to look for when looking for vintage pickups.

1954 to 1967 Fender Stratocaster Pickup Specs Year Ohms Wire OD Insulation Turns WD MP Wound
1954 5.76k .0030" Formvar 7956 TL/TG North Hand
1955 5.89k .0029" Formvar 7844 TL/TG North Hand
1956 5.98k .0029" Formvar 8012 TL/TG North Hand
1957 6.02k .0029" Formvar 8105 TL/TG North Hand
1958 6.20k .0028" Formvar 8350 TL/TG North Hand
1959 5.95k .0030" Formvar 7925 TL/TG North Hand
1960 6.33k .0028" Formvar 8293 TL/TG South Hand
1961 6.19k .0029" Formvar 8119 TL/TG South Hand
1962 6.22k .0028" Formvar 8220 TL/TG South Hand
1963 6.37k .0028" Formvar 8319 TL/TG South Hand
1964 6.25k .0027" Formvar/Enamel 7980 TL/TG South Hand
January 4, 1965, CBS bought Fender Musical Instruments.
1965 5.80k .0026" Plain Enamel 7626 TL/TG South Machine
1966 5.76k .0026" Plain Enamel 7630 TL/TG South Machine
1967 5.88k .0027" Plain Enamel 7656 TL/TG South Machine
Year Ohms Wire OD Insulation Turns WD MP Woun

[phantomman]

This is great data, MajWild......should prolly be a "sticky" to go with the other historical posts.

Thanks!

[Russ]

You want the best?.....look no further.

http://www.sdpickups.com/

Tell him Patrick sent you.

IMO if you want the best and made in canada www.copperheadpickups.com

[majwild1]

I found the web site that I was looking for, there is a lot of info here about old strats.

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html

[coldsteal2]

The new Dimarzio Virtual Solo is one of the
best bridge pu's i have used in years, and i have
tried alot. Has a great vintage sound to it, not unlike
Hendrix's/Blackmores bridge pu's. and hum canceling

I actualy got it on a fluke, i havent used Dimarzio
since the 70's, you should check out the virtual pickups

[5965]

slickcipher, you didn't say which neck you've got. If it's maple, that may be what you're hearing.

Some people feel Vibrolux-Reverbs work better with humbuckers than single coils and use Pro-Reverbs for singles. It's not a rule, but it suggests a tendency.

The Fat '50's are similar to the '54's, but they have a rw/rp middle. If you're sensitive to high-end content, you may hear rw/rp as thin or less mellow in the 2/4 position.

Generally, the higher the output, the less high-end and more mid-range a pickup will have. TS's may work if you keep them low, but they are (or at least, were) rw/rp middles.

And make sure you've got the strings high enough that they're not dragging a bit on the board.