CS '69 Strat Pups vs 2009 Am Std

[Vodka]

Hey,
Let me begin by saying my '09 Am Std is the nicest feeling, playing, & sounding Strat I've ever had... and I've had many.
When I ordered it, I also ordered a set of '69 Custom Shop pups as that was my era and, I figured I'd be replacing the OE pups immediately. Wow... was I wrong!

Anyways, the OE pups are a keeper (for the 1st time in 40 years)... I will not change them out! They absolutely love my 100 watt Marshall and equally love my DeVille. Fender must have hot-rodded them somewhat from older versions of American Standards.

Today, I pre-wired a new pickguard to try these '69CS'ers out in my Am Std. Three hours later, I am just plain stinkin' blown away by their tone. I know my Hendrix medley has a bit more credibility to it.
They are not better than the 2009 stock pups - they are just very different in a totally satisfying way.

I can't say with any certainty that these pickups sound like when I was 18 and doing the Cream/Hendrix thing. Something just put a grin on my face and made me go down memory lane...

I will now be searching for Fender bodies and necks to load this pre-wired pickguard in.
There is one negative!
Fender gives you countersunk pickup screws... guess what... the pickguards are only countersunk for mounting screws - minor hassle, but the countersink cost me $15.00.

[chuckocaster]

you could also just go to the hardware store and buy some 6-32 screws. usually 2 bucks for a bag of 15.

[phantomman]

I've got some extra screws from a set of DiMarzio pickups. They're chrome panhead (round) phillips -- same pitch and diameter as OEM Fender, just a skosh longer than stock. Yours for the asking.

[Vodka]

Thanks for the tip and offer! The job's been done... I always wanted me one of these countersink gadgets.

[chuckocaster]

they come in really handy around the shop, alls ya need now is a unibit.

forgot to say congrats. it's nice when you get some gear you like.

[gibsonjunkie]

I was at a Guitar Center last year and they had a set of 69 CS pickups for $90 (how could I refuse?). I ended up finding a nice MIM strat and we did the whole pickguard swap thing. It's a smokin' guitar!

[5er Driver]

I was thinking about getting a set of CS 69's. Is the middle pup RW/RP? I read somewhere that someone had hum in all 5 switch positions.

[gibsonjunkie]

Mine are dead quiet.

[lineboss58]

Ive lusted after CS69 pickups since i heard them on a strat in a shop a few years ago however they cant beat the ones i have in my strat.

[melody]

Yea I've been wanting to try a set myself, I may just order a set now..

[gibsonjunkie]

I lucked out - I found a set on a closeout at Guitar Center for $90. I didn't even have a Strat at the time, but I knew I was going to eventually get one.

[melody]

I just picked up a used set for $75.00 us off CL! The guy said they where too hot for him. So I pulled the GFS 60's repro's ( BTW The GFS are hotter pups ) outta my MIM 60's strat all I got to say is WOW these pup's deliver in spades. Nice rich clear high's thumping low's harmonics are much more defined to they have it all turned a great guitar into a somkin axe. I think they going in my MIJ strat next string change I wanna see how they sound in that.


Thanks for the head's up!

[tmmblues]

The middle pup is not RWRP so you won't get noise canceling in positions 2 and 4 but they are no noisier than other pups. However, periodically you can find a RWRP CS69 or order one from the CS. I'm in the process of adding a fourth CS69 pup to my Am Std and wiring it so that I can pair it with any of the three other pups.

[melody]

You fellas find them a bit unbalanced? The neck pup seem's a bit louder than the other two pickups I dunno maybe I have them installed backwards?

[Gold Strat]

I put a set In my parts-o-caster that I made and realy like them in the neck and middle, for the bridge poss. I placed an older vintage reissue ('57-'62) in it because off the higher output and better balance, the CS '69s are all the same and the ballance is better with a some what higher output in the bridge, the neck is still the loudest which is normal and the pick-up hight should be the lowest to compensate for this, I realy like the set in my strat now like this and I have the tone control on the neck and bridge with the middle wide open!

[wingnut1]

The CS 69s are my favorite Strat pickup. They have such beautiful bell like tones and quack. I have a set in my Am Dlx Strat and I just love them.

[thegeezer]

The CS 69s are my favorite Strat pickup. They have such beautiful bell like tones and quack. I have a set in my Am Dlx Strat and I just love them.

1+

[Gold Strat]

+1 for quack !!

[chewie]

I got a set of CS69s to put in an 84 japanese strat.

Definitely nicer than the existing pickups(obviously) but I was never quite happy with them. I eventually went with a set of Fat 50s and have never looked back. Have them in my 2 strats now, 84 jap(rosewood) and 2001 Jimmie Vaughan(maple neck). Also the middle pup is reverse wound, pretty reasonable too on ebay..

[teleman55]

I've got a set of the lefthanded '68 reissue ones in a lefty MIM (I play lefty). When I saw them about 5 years ago they were so cheap I had to call Fender to verify they were real, even though they were from Musicians Friend. They said they were basically the same as a CS69 but lefthanded. Overstock from some discontinued Hendrix tribute model or something. I love these pickups. Sound/feel like an old Strat I used to have.