'69 strat question

[Reinhard]

I have been playing my buddies 69 strat and can't get over how good the pups sound. The are just so very smooth.

Do you guys think I can get similar tone with my maple neck 90's Japanese strat? At the moment I have Texas Specials in it, which are obviously hotter. Can pups alone get me there? The 69 has the vintage pups, old wood, rosewood board etc going for it and sounds so damn good I want to get close to that tone.

[Mesotech]

I'd first try simply adjusting your pickup heights down towards the body to reduce the 'hot-ness'. See where that takes you. Try measuring the output level (not DC resistance - but volume) of your friends Strat per pickup and adjusting yours to as close of a match as possible.

[Gold Strat]

I have been testing a lott of pickups lately in my parts-o-caster and I wanted the sound of my brothers "relic". The thing I learned is that most of the character is from the guitars wood and pickups (if made well) are only making very minor differences, I think that what makes the most difference is the sice and thicknes of the Neck, the thicker the Neck/ the fatter the tone and every Neck sounds and sustains differently because of the nature of the material. A good Body to Neck fix is very importent as well!!