Results 1 to 22 of 22

Thread: Strat pickup suggestions please.

  1. #1
    Forum Member phil47uk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    ENGLAND
    Posts
    232

    Strat pickup suggestions please.

    I'd like a few suggestions please re pickups.
    I have just re-finished a Strat. Japanese model 62 rosewood neck.
    I already have one Strat with E.M.G's so I have got quite a punch in those. I also have a Les Paul for out and out crunch, so I would like something in this one, that was fairly vintage in sound, but with a bit of extra kick in output.. Warm but also with a nice bright top when I need it.
    I have asked this question in the Strat forum and lots of people have mentioned Van Zandt... Trouble is they seem very hard to come bye over here in the UK, plus they would probably cost a mint....... Everything in this country costs a mint..
    I was thinking of Semour's vintage staggered for Strat.. Anyone got any idea about these and how do they compare to the Van Zandt's.
    I would use this guitar for Country rock... Blues..General middle of the road stuff.... No heavy metal....
    Any suggestions guys... regarding a complete set or a good mix.
    Thanks,
    Phil.
    Last edited by phil47uk; 11-17-2003 at 05:45 PM.

  2. #2
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    11,288
    I use and highly recommend Fralin Vintage Hots.

    I don't know how available they are in the UK, but I consider them to be the standard sweet vintage sounding pickup for a strat.

  3. #3
    TFF Stage Crew
    Moderator
    Cogs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Burpleson AFB
    Posts
    6,992
    Just buy these & get it over with... you know you want 'em!

  4. #4
    Forum Member phil47uk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    ENGLAND
    Posts
    232
    71818....How did you guess!:lolspin :lolspin :lolspin
    Must admit, I have never heard of them..Will check them out.

    Don.... I'm not sure about Fralin over here..I have a look on line for those too.
    Thanks,
    Phil.

  5. #5
    Forum Member chaz498's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Paris of the East
    Posts
    508

    Kinmans!!!

    You know, I can't remember seeing a bad review of Kinmans, whereas most others get both good and bad. They ain't the cheapest, but if you want the best... Search this site for more comments.

    Check out the site <www.kinman.com>, loads of great info, and he has a lot of dealers in the UK.
    "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained as stupidity"

  6. #6
    Forum Member TremoloKing's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    262
    I was thinking of Semour's vintage staggered for Strat.. Anyone got any idea about these and how do they compare to the Van Zandt's.


    I use both Van Zandts and SD in a couple Strats. Both are very good vintage style pickups. On Fenders I'm strictly a single coil kinda guy.

    The thing about Van Zandts is that you can get basically the same pickup in several different variations. I use the Vintage Plus and Blues.

    In an old early 60s Strat I have SD SSL-1 (vintage staggered) for the neck and middle and a Van Zandt Blues for the bridge.

    I have another set that is pure Van Zandt but they aren't in a guitar right now because I sold the Strat they were in with a CS54 set in it to keep the Van Zandts. That set is

    n=Vintage Plus, m=Vintage Plus, b=Blues

    The standard by which I judge Strat pickups is my old '65 L-series that has the sweetest sounding pickups I've ever heard in a Stratocaster.

    After many years of dicking around with pickups and doing A/B comparisons to the '65 I came to the conclusion that the SD SSL-1 are very close the '65's pickups. Next to most new vintage style pickups they sound darker, but that's because most new pickups sound much brighter than 40 year old pickups.

  7. #7
    Forum Member phil47uk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    ENGLAND
    Posts
    232
    Thanks Chaz498..I'll certainly check those out.

    TremoloKing...Very interesting reading what you had to say.
    Yes, it's a bit of a dilema choosing pickups.

    As I mentioned before, I already have a Strat with E.M.G's in and that's a great all round sound.
    My Les Paul takes care of the real ballsy blues stuff and this time round I wanted to put something in this Strat that was different again.. Something vintage sounding...Warm... with depth, with also a bright top end and a little more balls than the standard single coil, without being muddy.
    It's hard, because you can't get to hear many of these pickup's.
    You can hear Semour's, but I haven't found a site to hear the rest of the competition..
    I live out in the wilds of southern England and the nearest street light to me is two miles away. Not the best of places to pop into a local guitar store.....LOL.
    I 'll just have to look around for a good deal on a set....
    Hey. You are not selling your Van Zandts are you?....... :tw59
    Phil.

    P.S.... As a matter of interest how much do Van Zandts and Semours go for round your neck of the woods?
    Everthing here in the UK is so bloody expensive with all the tax they slap on us....Hell!.... When you consider we pay around $6.65 for a gallon of gas for your car. Imagine what it's like trying to buy parts for your Strat.:flush
    Last edited by phil47uk; 11-21-2003 at 10:45 AM.

  8. #8
    Forum Member TremoloKing's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    262
    phil47uk

    If you're looking for vintage style Strat pups with a more shimmery high end, I'd go with Custom Shop 54s.

    Van Zandts are about $60 each on the internet. I don't know any stores that sell them, though I'm sure there are.

    SD's are about $45 ea these days I think.

    The CS 54s are hard to beat on price/performance. $119 / set at

    Angela Instruments

    To me these sound like new vintage pickups, that is, how a great set of vintage pickups sounded when they were new. I love them.

  9. #9
    Forum Member phil47uk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    ENGLAND
    Posts
    232
    thanks TremoloKing. I'll check those out too.
    I think that I'll just have to come over to the States for another holiday and go on a shopping spree. The trouble is, my wife is quite likely to hit the old credit cards with vengance too.... And it won't be in any guitar store.....

    :lolspin :lolspin

    Phil.

  10. #10
    There are a LOT of great pickups available. Fender pickups the BEST bang for the $$$$. 57/62,Texas Sp. etc.... can't go wrong for the price. Fralin's a cut above, but cost double the price, not double the sound.You MIGHT be happy with the Fenders.
    Noiseless: Kinman good all around.Bardens very good too, but more expensive.
    Try to HEAR any pick up first.Pick what YOU like always BEST. Not what someone else likes. you are the one going to play the guitar.

  11. #11
    Forum Member phil47uk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    ENGLAND
    Posts
    232
    Old Dog New Trix.
    Yeh I quite agree with you there about hearing them first. Trouble is, as I said, is that I live out in the sticks here and any journey to a guitar store within range doesn't give you the choice. Only what they are trying to sell on the day, If you know what I mean.
    That's why I think I'll probably stick to Semour's to start with... At least you can hear them on line and I have a CD with all the Strat pickups on.
    I have a Duncan 59 in the neck on my Les Paul and a Classic in the bridge. I did have a Jeff Beck in the bridge, but I found it too lacking in seperation for my styles. I listened to some more on line and chose the one I have now..... Great pickup, and I'm very pleased with the sound I get...
    It's a pity that more pickup makers don't have this service, as although it's not a 100% faithful reproduction of the tone you will get as an individual, it's certainly a great way to get a ballpark idea of the sound.
    Phil.

  12. #12
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    14

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    Kinmans IMHO are not the best. They are noiseles but also souless AND completely overpriced. To sound like a Fender single coil, use Fender single coils and practise every day.

  13. #13
    Forum Member cooltone's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Duluth, MN. Birthplace of Bobby Zimmerman
    Posts
    2,557

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    I would like something in this one, that was fairly vintage in sound, but with a bit of extra kick in output.. Warm but also with a nice bright top when I need it.
    GFS '64 stagger Texas grey bottoms.
    "If you're cool, you don't know nothin' about it. It just is...or you ain't." - Keith Richards

  14. #14
    Forum Member blackonblack's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    point of reason between tacky and tasteless
    Posts
    1,263

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.


  15. #15
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,462

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    Wow! Kinmans are so early 2000's. The new rage is like, totally GFS.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  16. #16
    Forum Member bonso's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    56

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    Quote Originally Posted by phil47uk View Post
    I'd like a few suggestions please re pickups.
    I have just re-finished a Strat. Japanese model 62 rosewood neck.
    I already have one Strat with E.M.G's so I have got quite a punch in those. I also have a Les Paul for out and out crunch, so I would like something in this one, that was fairly vintage in sound, but with a bit of extra kick in output.. Warm but also with a nice bright top when I need it.
    I have asked this question in the Strat forum and lots of people have mentioned Van Zandt... Trouble is they seem very hard to come bye over here in the UK, plus they would probably cost a mint....... Everything in this country costs a mint..
    I was thinking of Semour's vintage staggered for Strat.. Anyone got any idea about these and how do they compare to the Van Zandt's.
    I would use this guitar for Country rock... Blues..General middle of the road stuff.... No heavy metal....
    Any suggestions guys... regarding a complete set or a good mix.
    Thanks,
    Phil.
    FENDER57/62,SC69,fralin's/gfs/SD antiqueties/dimarzio real singlecoils.

  17. #17
    Forum Member demioblue's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    The Little Red Dot
    Posts
    892

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    Quote Originally Posted by 71818 View Post
    Just buy these & get it over with... you know you want 'em!
    Hank Marvins? Whahaha... I would have recommended Traditionals or Blues, cos I find the AVn-59s a bit thick sounding to my ears. Nice though... But my vote is for the Blues set.

    BTW, that HX85 pup he makes is really amazing... It's my fave pup of all, but I'm a bit afraid to go for a full set of HX85s. I'm afraid my amp will explode... heh...

  18. #18
    Forum Member demioblue's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    The Little Red Dot
    Posts
    892

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    dang... I just realised how old this thread originally was... heh. I suppose I posted a bit too late... :P

  19. #19

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    This thread will never die - and why should it?

  20. #20
    Forum Member stratcat62's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Melbourne Florida
    Posts
    670

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    Second vote for the blues set.
    _____________________
    Shut up and play yer guitar - Frank Zappa

  21. #21
    Forum Member refin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    4,753

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    "John Brown,had a little Kinman...
    John Brown,had a little Kinman....
    John Brown,had a little Kinman...
    That's not his favorite pup!"


    (just funnin')


    Go with the hot alnico staggered by GFS.
    "My flesh and my heart fail...but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
    PS. 73:26

    MY JAMS--
    http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...&content=music

  22. #22
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    704

    Re: Strat pickup suggestions please.

    I would like 1 ginormous tiesco p'up smack in the middle..

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •