I want a loud/hot middle pickup for my strat. Suggestions please?

What I've been looking for is an Alnico V RWRP strat single coil, that has hot or loud output.

After leaving it 100% stock for years, I'm redoing my 1996 Strat Plus with "vintage-style" pickups (the stock pickguard with the Lace Sensors has been removed & stored, in case I want to restore the axe to stock, or (NO!) sell it). And, I use fingerpicks, so the middle PU MUST be low, basically flush with the pickguard.

The sound I have now is really different from the stock "Lace" sound, and I love it; but I would like a hotter middle PU to compensate for its low position. With these "vintage" PUs, the sound is extremely poppy & clear; very bright & full; so, I'm not really worried about "losing highs".

In weeks of searching, I haven't found such a thing, other than pricey $$$ options like some custom-made thing.

Anyone know of a seller of a hot/loud Alnico single coil middle strat pickup, RWRP? That is "affordable"? My budget would hopefully be $60 or less. Maybe a bit more could be managed.

Thanks.

IMO get a set of Tex Mex or texas specials . The tex mex are not alot of money and they sound good!! Either set used are cheap enough . Check the classified from time to time. I think Tex mex go for 80 new a set?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/fender-tex-mex-pickups-set-of-3

Thanks for that fenson. I just want the one pickup for the middle, but I will look into it.

You may want to try the so-called "Jimmy Vaughn" wiring. You switch the wiring so the bottom tone pot is wired to the bridge pickup and the middle pickup doesn't have a tone control. This makes the bridge pickup more usable and the middle pickup is definitely brighter. Cost $0.

Rio grande muy grande

You may want to try the so-called "Jimmy Vaughn" wiring. You switch the wiring so the bottom tone pot is wired to the bridge pickup and the middle pickup doesn't have a tone control. This makes the bridge pickup more usable and the middle pickup is definitely brighter. Cost $0.

+1 That's the way my Hwy 1 came. Changed to CS '54s. Very, very nice.

The Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder pickup is very hot.According to Duncan it has more than twice the power of a traditional single coil.Seymour Duncan and Fender pickups are magnetically opposite.If you put the Quarter Pounder in the middle and reverse the leads of the pickup position 2 and 4 will be humcancelling.I have owned one for 20 years and think it is a good single coil pickup if you want one with power and tone.By the way,you can get Duncans pickup wound in the direction and with the magnetic polarity you want.

I put and deMarzio SDS-1 in my '91, Amer. Standard strat years ago... Very hot.. I don't remember which way it was wound. It's like having a P-90 in it. Very loud and somewhat percussive..... Not expensive.... and it's a single-coil..

Contact Aaron at Rumpel Pickups and tell him exactly what you want and he'll wind it for you that way......at a low price to boot.....

This is the best guitar forum going (preaching to the choir?). Thanks for the responses.

Donelson, that 'RWRP' thing is or can be 'particular' to the maker. For instance, as limbe points out, SD pickups are not wound as are 'vintage' FEnder pickups. IFyou have a pickup built, the builder will need to know what pickups are in the guitar that you are going to use in a set with this new p-up you are wanting. Without knowing that, the RWRP thing is an unanswerable question....shooting in the dark...you might get what you want or you might get somethign that is not going to work for you.....even with rewirng as limbe did.