What are some of the best pickups to upgrade my MIM strat?

Looking to upgrade the stock pickups in my MIM strat. I play classic rock mainly -- I can go up to $200. I want something tried and true, reliable and great sounding...

Texas specials

There are a million opinions on pickups. The Fender Custom Shop pickups are probably as affordable as any USA made pickup out there, and many people are totally happy with them in Custom Shop Strats, as well as upgrades.

Me, I like Klein Pickups (http://www.kleinpickups.com), but you have to know what you are looking for, to hit it right the first time when buying non-Fender. Honestly, there are a lot of good winders out there right now, and few bad choices.

A top-notch installation is something you'll want to make sure you either can do yourself or have a trustworthy tech to do. Making a wild guess, but I imagine 99% of pickup problems originate in hacked installs.

There are a million opinions on pickups. The Fender Custom Shop pickups are probably as affordable as any USA made pickup out there, and many people are totally happy with them in Custom Shop Strats, as well as upgrades.

Me, I like Klein Pickups (http://www.kleinpickups.com), but you have to know what you are looking for, to hit it right the first time when buying non-Fender. Honestly, there are a lot of good winders out there right now, and few bad choices.

A top-notch installation is something you'll want to make sure you either can do yourself or have a trustworthy tech to do. Making a wild guess, but I imagine 99% of pickup problems originate in hacked installs.

Ok thanks -- let me ask a related question: What is the best upgrade to be made on a MIM strat as far as bang for buck? I assumed it's pickups, but maybe I should ask that question first.

Im EXTREMELY happy with my Lollar Blondes. I replaces the 57/62 pickups in my AVRI 62 with the Lollars.

Check out Strat-talk.com for comments -or go to youtube and listen to some of the soundclips of DAllen pickups.

There's a direct link here at the TDPRI for David's site -at the top of the page under "supporting vendors" between Barden and Hahn.

David offers several options of Strat pickups. I have one set, the HotVintage '54 set. The bridge is just slightly hotter to balance its output with the middle and neck p/u's. Its tones are what I consider "vintage" - great note definition, a sweet Strat sound. Great quack in pos 2 & 4.

He offers everything from a Hendrix sound (Voodoo 69) to John Mayer (JM R&B) to an "Austin" sound (Austin Blues - I suspect that's more EJ than SRV) and others.

I had a difficult time making a final choice as there were SEVERAL I was interested in. After discussion with David, I finally chose the HotVintage 54's and am NOT disappointed. :grin: I'd also like to try another set in another guitar.

Email David (or call) and discuss with him what you're looking for, he'll steer you in the right direction. Customer service is topnotch and he's a great guy to deal with.

And at @ $149 for a Custom set, they're WELL within your budget.
Good luck.

Edit to add: David even made my set with lefty magnet stagger, since I'm a southpaw. :smile::grin::cool:

The first upgrade I made to my MIM strat was to replace the stock pups with Fender Fat 50's - and at the same time to make the tone control work on the bridge pup instead of the middle one.

That made a big difference to the tones coming from the guitar.

But the next upgrade cost a lot less and made just as much of a tonal difference. I replaced the stock trem block (pot metal) with a steel one from Callaham. The tonal improvement was just as noticeable as the new pickups.

And it probably won't hurt to replace the stock pots when you're changing the pups.

Honestly, you're not going to find better value than one of the vendors on here.. Half the price of most other guys that custom wind.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/vendor-forum/268971-hand-wound-pickups.html

His strat sets are all fantastic, just depends what flavour you want.

Tonerider City Limits are my favorite Strat pickups.

D Allen pickups...get the Hot Vintage 54's. Thick, juicy and sound fantastic overdriven...yet clean up very nicely.

It's not for everyone, but I put an EMG DG-20 pre-wired setup in my '91 MIM strat, and still gig with it regularly. It's not a vintage spec but any means, but it'll go from quack and spank to P90 spit and grit, and with the active mid-boost domed it gets close to humbucker territory - extremely versatile... With some luck you might find a used set within your price range.

Personally, I find stock pickups for a MIM strat very decent. I prefer a hotter bridge though.
Move the bottom tone to the bridge pickup.

Ok thanks -- let me ask a related question: What is the best upgrade to be made on a MIM strat as far as bang for buck? I assumed it's pickups, but maybe I should ask that question first.

A Mesa Boogie. But that's going to run a bit more than $200. For the money a good setup is probably the best investment.

Ok thanks -- let me ask a related question: What is the best upgrade to be made on a MIM strat as far as bang for buck? I assumed it's pickups, but maybe I should ask that question first.

As Del Pickup said the best "Bang for the buck" upgrade on a MIM Strat is a Callaham block. It only costs about $60 and is much easier to install than new pickups.

CS Fat 50s and a heavy steel block from Callaham or GFS. that's what I have on mine.

iv got Vintage Noiseless as stock on my strat, if you dial it in right on guitar and amp you can go from seriously cintage vibes to snarly thick hard rock tone. they are hum cancelling but low/medium output so if you have a good valve amp (iv got an Orange) they can be your best friends

I assume you're talking about changing out the stock MIM Std Strat bar magnet pickups?
There are endless possibilities, it really just depends on what tone you're after, and even then you don't really know what they will sound like until you get the replacement set in your guitar and dial them in.

IMO, buying used is the way to go for the best price, you can find some used alnico Fender pickups- the 57/62s sound great, if you want hotter then the newer Am Std pickups or some Texas Specials, Duncans, etc...
I saw a set of the Fender Hot Noiseless pickups on TGP yesterday for $90 shipped , and those are some great sounding pickups IMO.

The switch and pots on the later MIM Strats and Teles are the same as USA so no need to change them unless they are bad.

CS Fat 50s

iv got Vintage Noiseless as stock on my strat, if you dial it in right on guitar and amp you can go from seriously cintage vibes to snarly thick hard rock tone. they are hum cancelling but low/medium output so if you have a good valve amp (iv got an Orange) they can be your best friends

I'd have to disagree with the vintage noiseless pickups being low/medium output. They are way hotter than any other pickups I've got in any other guitar including humbuckers. My Clapton strat with these pickups (even with the mid boost set at 0) is way louder than any other guitar I've got. I'd hate to think what the hot versions of these pickups are like!

I'd have to disagree with the vintage noiseless pickups being low/medium output. They are way hotter than any other pickups I've got in any other guitar including humbuckers. My Clapton strat with these pickups (even with the mid boost set at 0) is way louder than any other guitar I've got. I'd hate to think what the hot versions of these pickups are like!

really? mine always seem quite low and you have to really jack up the amp the get a decent overdrive sound. maybe i should let a tech take a peek

For less than $20, you can rework your existing pickups. The std MIM pickups have a couple of bar magnets glued to the bottom that are touching steel poles. You can remove the magnets, push out the steel slugs, and replace them with real magnet poles. I have done this a few times, and it removes the harshness from the pickups. You are stuck with the same coil, and the MIM ones run a little hotter than traditional, so it may not be exactly what you are looking for, but it is a good starting point. I bought sets of pre-charged magnets (I like A5 vs. A2) off a supplier on eBay. I needed a little glue to hold the new magnets in place (don't have a setup for re-potting), but once done you shouldn't need to mess with them again. There are some videos out there on how to do it. This only works on single coils with plastic bobbins where the wire isn't wrapped directly on the poles.

really? mine always seem quite low and you have to really jack up the amp the get a decent overdrive sound. maybe i should let a tech take a peek

It's the other way round for me. I have to turn the guitar volume down if I go from another guitar to the Clapton strat. Maybe the active electronics boost the output even when the mid boost is set on 0 and the tbx is set to be 'normal'.

fat 50s. Not sure how much they go for now, though.

What would be a good replacement for the MIM pickups if you're looking for a stock Fender strat pickup tone from the late 60's, without having to pay for the real vintage pickups?

I bought a set of '69 Custom Shops and then bought a MIM strat to put them in. It is a great combination!

I like these!
http://www.dallenpickups.com/DAllenPickups_CS_69_VooDoo_s_single_coil_pickups_p/cs69vdo.htm

jimdandy, thanks for starting this thread! Given me a lot to think about.

Before I really got into the hunt for tone, I "upgraded" my MIM with Lace Sensors 5 years ago...can't say that I care for them. The choice of putting a red in the bridge was particularly poor in hindsight. I find myself fighting those pickups them more I work with them. I recently played a Strat with CS '69s in them and the difference floored me. Last night I played an older deluxe with SCNs. I've read the knock against SCNs sounding too sterile. They even sounded great compared to my Laces.

gibsonjunkie, I am really, really temped to order some CS '69s. Anything about them you don't like?

Since nobody thinks another amp would be the best investment I can tell you that I use Budz in everything so maybe I'm not that objective but the Budz I first bought were for my parts-strat and they sound almost identical to my '66. It's as good a replacement guitar as I could have hoped for. They are $240 a set but I'd do it again, over and over. And I'm really hard to please.

I installed a set of Kinman Mark II pickups with the K9 switching system in my AM STD Strat and couldn't be happier. Pricey ? Yes, but well worth it. It's like having a vintage strat for pennies on the dollar. Check out the sound samples at http://www.kinman.com/guitar-pickups/sounds/


Mike

Neck - Twisted Tele neck pickup from Baja
Middle - Kent-Armstrong strat neck pickup.
Bridge - American Telecaster® bridge pickup from AmSer tele
:mrgreen:

jimdandy, thanks for starting this thread! Given me a lot to think about.

Before I really got into the hunt for tone, I "upgraded" my MIM with Lace Sensors 5 years ago...can't say that I care for them. The choice of putting a red in the bridge was particularly poor in hindsight. I find myself fighting those pickups them more I work with them. I recently played a Strat with CS '69s in them and the difference floored me. Last night I played an older deluxe with SCNs. I've read the knock against SCNs sounding too sterile. They even sounded great compared to my Laces.

gibsonjunkie, I am really, really temped to order some CS '69s. Anything about them you don't like?

I'm probably the last person to give an educated opinion on these pickups because I'm more of a hobbyist player. That being said I really like the sound this guitar makes and comparing it to the original pickups there is no comparison. the CS pickups are ten times better.