MIM Robert Cray strat pickups

mikethebike500 · May 13th, 2008, 06:44 PM

I recently got a Robert Cray strat. I just wanted some others opinions on the stock pickups in this guitar? and if you were gonna upgrade them...what would be ur choice and why?

I think they sound good....but I'm not overly impressed with the bass response...anyone? bueller? bueller? bueller?

thanks ...Mike

boris bubbanov · May 13th, 2008, 07:16 PM

Personally, the stock pickups in a MIM Robert Cray are the best stock pickups you can find in a MIM Strat. The best.

If you change them out, save them, or better yet, send them prepaid to me.

mikethebike500 · May 13th, 2008, 07:59 PM

lol...ok dude....consider it done!

mikethebike500 · May 13th, 2008, 08:02 PM

well...ur the second persond to tell me there really good pickups...guess I should just keep playing them thru the Dr.Z....and forget about good sounds thru the the Dr. Peavey...thanks for the input...Mike

moparmutt · May 13th, 2008, 10:17 PM

I liked those pickups as well.
My bro had that guitar and I thought it sounded great.

mikethebike500 · May 14th, 2008, 05:32 AM

I guess the reason I'm asking is because I tried a strat with 69cs pickups in it....and I thought that they sounded really good...at least to my ears....and I wondered if anyone had and comparisons like that. thanks

romo · May 14th, 2008, 08:26 AM

Mike, I put Cray pickups in my strat (an old MIM with an Allparts neck) I am pretty pleased with them. A lot better than the mim pickups, and better than the Fender noiseless pickups I have used in the past. I chose them actually based on recommendations from this forum. The only strat I have ever played that had sweeter pickups was a CS Rory Gallagher strat. I'm not sure what the pickups were but they were really smooth and creamy.

romo · May 14th, 2008, 08:27 AM

Oh and if you have a Dr Z then there is no reason to ever plug into any other amp! (unless its a different Z of course) I currently have a Carmen Ghia and used to have a Maz 38.

Twin Reiver · May 14th, 2008, 08:14 PM

The MIM Crays have Custom Shop pickups in them--cloth wiring, the works. Very well made. On mine, all I did was swap the tone from the middle pup to the bridge pup, tweak the heights, and play em. They are outstanding pickups, and some people claim they are the best Strat pickups Fender makes. All opinion of course--it's your guitar, rip em out if you want too!

mikethebike500 · May 15th, 2008, 04:40 AM

really....I thought they were custom shop made.....my biggest complaint about them is that the bridge pickup sounds a bit harsh or overly trebly to my ears, I'll fiddle around with the heights and amp settings abit more, and see what I come up with, swapping the tone control does sound like a good idea too....thanks for the opinion and input

Twin Reiver · May 15th, 2008, 06:43 AM

No problem, and it's funny, since I swapped the wire to the tone control (you move it over one post. It took longer to take the pickguard off than to make the mod), I don't really roll the tone back on the bridge it all. I think just having it connected to the tone circuit took away that nagging high-end. I keep mine mid-level low in height--not cranked up, not at the pickguard.

diego · June 4th, 2008, 12:28 PM

I have a stock Robert Cray guitar, and a partscaster with Robert Cray body and a Stratocaster classic player neck (maple/rosewood) with the CS69 pups. The stock RC is fatter sounding, but then is a pound heavier. The CS69 pickups are a lot brighter... more of a "acoustic" sound, super jangly, different not better... very cool for rhythm guitar stuff. I think the RC pups are great and wouldn't swap them out, unless there is something special you are going for.

diego · June 4th, 2008, 12:29 PM

Hey, maybe you could try a Fralin base plate on the bridge pup!

May 13th, 2008, 06:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
mikethebike500 Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: eau claire Michigan Age: 36 Posts: 178	MIM Robert Cray strat pickups I recently got a Robert Cray strat. I just wanted some others opinions on the stock pickups in this guitar? and if you were gonna upgrade them...what would be ur choice and why? I think they sound good....but I'm not overly impressed with the bass response...anyone? bueller? bueller? bueller? thanks ...Mike

May 13th, 2008, 07:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 6,397	Personally, the stock pickups in a MIM Robert Cray are the best stock pickups you can find in a MIM Strat. The best. If you change them out, save them, or better yet, send them prepaid to me. __________________ Bubban0v

May 14th, 2008, 08:14 PM	#9 (permalink)
Twin Reiver Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 564	The MIM Crays have Custom Shop pickups in them--cloth wiring, the works. Very well made. On mine, all I did was swap the tone from the middle pup to the bridge pup, tweak the heights, and play em. They are outstanding pickups, and some people claim they are the best Strat pickups Fender makes. All opinion of course--it's your guitar, rip em out if you want too! __________________ never got a flash out of cocktails....

May 15th, 2008, 06:43 AM	#11 (permalink)
Twin Reiver Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 564	No problem, and it's funny, since I swapped the wire to the tone control (you move it over one post. It took longer to take the pickguard off than to make the mod), I don't really roll the tone back on the bridge it all. I think just having it connected to the tone circuit took away that nagging high-end. I keep mine mid-level low in height--not cranked up, not at the pickguard. __________________ never got a flash out of cocktails....

May 13th, 2008, 07:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
mikethebike500 Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: eau claire Michigan Age: 36 Posts: 178	lol...ok dude....consider it done!

May 13th, 2008, 08:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
mikethebike500 Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: eau claire Michigan Age: 36 Posts: 178	well...ur the second persond to tell me there really good pickups...guess I should just keep playing them thru the Dr.Z....and forget about good sounds thru the the Dr. Peavey...thanks for the input...Mike

May 13th, 2008, 10:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
moparmutt Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: honolulu Posts: 531	I liked those pickups as well. My bro had that guitar and I thought it sounded great.

May 14th, 2008, 05:32 AM	#6 (permalink)
mikethebike500 Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: eau claire Michigan Age: 36 Posts: 178	I guess the reason I'm asking is because I tried a strat with 69cs pickups in it....and I thought that they sounded really good...at least to my ears....and I wondered if anyone had and comparisons like that. thanks

May 14th, 2008, 08:26 AM	#7 (permalink)
romo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 135	Mike, I put Cray pickups in my strat (an old MIM with an Allparts neck) I am pretty pleased with them. A lot better than the mim pickups, and better than the Fender noiseless pickups I have used in the past. I chose them actually based on recommendations from this forum. The only strat I have ever played that had sweeter pickups was a CS Rory Gallagher strat. I'm not sure what the pickups were but they were really smooth and creamy.

May 14th, 2008, 08:27 AM	#8 (permalink)
romo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 135	Oh and if you have a Dr Z then there is no reason to ever plug into any other amp! (unless its a different Z of course) I currently have a Carmen Ghia and used to have a Maz 38.

May 15th, 2008, 04:40 AM	#10 (permalink)
mikethebike500 Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: eau claire Michigan Age: 36 Posts: 178	really....I thought they were custom shop made.....my biggest complaint about them is that the bridge pickup sounds a bit harsh or overly trebly to my ears, I'll fiddle around with the heights and amp settings abit more, and see what I come up with, swapping the tone control does sound like a good idea too....thanks for the opinion and input

June 4th, 2008, 12:28 PM	#12 (permalink)
diego NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 2	I have a stock Robert Cray guitar, and a partscaster with Robert Cray body and a Stratocaster classic player neck (maple/rosewood) with the CS69 pups. The stock RC is fatter sounding, but then is a pound heavier. The CS69 pickups are a lot brighter... more of a "acoustic" sound, super jangly, different not better... very cool for rhythm guitar stuff. I think the RC pups are great and wouldn't swap them out, unless there is something special you are going for.

June 4th, 2008, 12:29 PM	#13 (permalink)
diego NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 2	Hey, maybe you could try a Fralin base plate on the bridge pup!