Strat Pick-up Suggestions

[spurgie79]

Hi all,
I have a 2008 Am. Std. Strat and think the pick-ups sound like generic rock pick ups. I don't know that much about strat pick-ups and tried a few different searchs. I couldn't find anything that would help me out. I'm looking for something full and warm sounding while still having the bell like quality. Any ideas? Also, I am fully aware that I may just have a bad case of G.A.S.

[birv2]

CS Fat 50's might get you what you want.

[sjtalon]

Tonerider City Limits

http://www.tonerider.com/pickups/stratpickups.html

[MrDJoers]

Chris Klein or Lindy Fralin are THE strat gurus in my mind. If you are in the mood for something Fender doesn't offer I suggest those.

[spurgie79]

Thanks everybody! I'll be sure to check out their websites. Does anybody make Eric Johnson clones? I'm not a huge fan but man, that guy has some tone.

Disclaimer: I am well aware of the hard work he puts into his rig as well as his bat-like hearing. I am not inclined, however, to go to Lowes/Home Depot to get screws with better tone capabilities for the bottom of my effects pedals.

[LawDaddy]

Originally Posted by spurgie79

Thanks everybody! I'll be sure to check out their websites. Does anybody make Eric Johnson clones? I'm not a huge fan but man, that guy has some tone.

Disclaimer: I am well aware of the hard work he puts into his rig as well as his bat-like hearing. I am not inclined, however, to go to Lowes/Home Depot to get screws with better tone capabilities for the bottom of my effects pedals.

I believe DiMarzio makes EJ's pups. Google is your friend on this one, lots of info out there.

Think lower output, more '50s style than '60s pups. The advice about the CS '50s pups is right on.

[Jakedog]

Not to say you wouldn't enjoy a new set of pickups, but they ain't always the answer.

I like pretty much the qualities that you say you're looking for, and I think the Am. Std. pickups are fantastic. Have you tried playing with the heights and the tilts? Adjusting a pickup just a little bit can yeild a wide range of different tones and responses.

I've had DiMarzio, Duncan, Fender CS, Fralin, Lawrence, and several other kinds of strat pickups over the years. I've found that I get the most spring, bounce, chime, and overal textbook stratty goodness out of my stock pickups. Adjusted the way I like them, I just haven't found anything I like better.

You might really need a set of pickups to get what your ears are after, or you might not. It'd be a shame to drop a ton of dough though if you could get what you wanted with a few minutes spent with a screwdriver. If yours really sound like "generic rock pickups", I would venture a guess that they are too high.

Just an idea.

[madmark]

Don Mare Super Sports all the way...

[spurgie79]

I agree with you Jakedog. It could very well be that I am just G.A.S.'ing. I have had my guitar set-up and have done all the adjusting on pick-ups to try to find the sweet spot. LawDaddy, I've googled a ton of stuff and found the most helpful stuff on this web-site. I was a silent reader for years. From what I've read, I would probably like a lower output pick-up. I've been to websites and read and read and the pick-up samples are helpful but ear fatigue does set in rather quickly. A member on this fourm has e-mailed me offering me some help. I plan on tinkering the pick-up heights again when I get home from work. Again everybody, Thank You so much for sharing your insight and experience with me.

[tazzboy]

Fender Custom Shop 69s.

[Rouse]

Lollar, they are absolutely the best strat pickups I have ever played. Look them up. They are worth the cash.

[MrDJoers]

Originally Posted by spurgie79

Thanks everybody! I'll be sure to check out their websites. Does anybody make Eric Johnson clones? I'm not a huge fan but man, that guy has some tone.

Yes. Klein S-7. http://www.kleinpickups.com/p-147-s-...aster-set.aspx

They used to be called the EJ specials but Fender stepped in and made them change the name.

Here's a vid of those pups.-

[spurgie79]

I've heard great things about the both the 69's and Lollar's. I have read somewhere that there are two different types of 69's. One is actually hand made and another is just wound by machines. The former being in the more expensive strats and the latter for lower end strats with fancy p/u's. I'm not quite sure on any of the specific's though. Just kind of paraphrasing what I've read. I have some more homework to do!

The EJ specials sound great as well. The problem with seeing vids for me is that I usually want a similar amp and guitar as well. If I had 1000+ guitars, I would be the idiot that would think "hmm...I don't have a sunburst esquire...". While I'm one this subject, why doesn't someone send me a Tweed and Blackface Deluxe to try out as well. I have trouble making up my mind as you can tell so don't expect it back anytime in the near future.

[Rouse]

Originally Posted by spurgie79

I've heard great things about the both the 69's and Lollar's. I have read somewhere that there are two different types of 69's. One is actually hand made and another is just wound by machines. The former being in the more expensive strats and the latter for lower end strats with fancy p/u's. I'm not quite sure on any of the specific's though. Just kind of paraphrasing what I've read. I have some more homework to do!

The EJ specials sound great as well. The problem with seeing vids for me is that I usually want a similar amp and guitar as well. If I had 1000+ guitars, I would be the idiot that would think "hmm...I don't have a sunburst esquire...". While I'm one this subject, why doesn't someone send me a Tweed and Blackface Deluxe to try out as well. I have trouble making up my mind as you can tell so don't expect it back anytime in the near future.

Kind of an extension of what you're saying: People tend to buy new guitars thinking it will help their sound, when, in fact, a new amp is so much more important. The majority of your tone is in the amp, I would rather have a squire with a great amp than a top-notch Strat with just an ok amp. People should worry about their amp more than they worry about their guitar.

[spurgie79]

I have a relic '59 bassman. An original Marshall JCM 800 2205 and a Vox AC-15. Most of my bases are covered. I use a little delay and a little phase for Waylon stuff. In all honesty, I'm at a point where I have more than I could have possibly dreamed of 10 years ago. Now, I'm going through a "Keep what I've got and tweak it to my liking" phase.

[grinchmonkey]

I love the Kinman Strat pickups that I have. I think some people dislike the noisless pickups, but I love the sounds they give me and regularly get compliments from people who have never heard of them.

[Jakedog]

This might help you with adjusting the stock pickups, it's how I do mine. It may or may not work for you, but it does wonders for me. Now your strat is quite a bit newer than mine, mine is a '95, and the Delta-Tone pickups and circuit in yours are slightly different, but I like those a lot too, and played an '04 stock for a number of years.

I do not care for the factory pickup adjustment. It's purposefully "beefed up" IMO, to get people who think strats should "rock" more to buy them.

Mine get progressively higher from neck to middle My neck pickup sticks up out of the guard just a hair over a 16th of an inch on the bass side, about twice that on the treble side. Mid pickup is about a 32nd higher on the bass and the treble side than the neck pickup is set. Bridge pickup is set about 3 16th's on the bass side, and the treble side so close to that I can't really measure it. It's a touch higher, but really, very close to flat.

I find with this setup, I have to get more of my juice out of the amp, but it sounds tons sweeter. It really turns this into a whole 'nuther guitar when played next to one with factory pickup adjustments.

Several things happen- First of all, stock strat bridge pickups have next to NO balls, but when you set one like this, and get your juice from the amp, it balances with the neck and middle very nicely, and sounds a tad beefier while still retaining dynamics and a nice cut.

If I get the neck and middle pickups much higher than where I run them, they start to sound flat and lifeless, and if I get them too high, they cause all kinds of intonation and other weird problems. The bridge pickup can be higher, because it's so close to the bridge, the string is really stiff there, so the pickup just can't pull it as far. With the neck and mid pickups run low like this, you will hear a noticeable difference in sustain, harmonics, and general openess and air in your sound.

With these settings, my other guitars are quite a bit louder than the strat when used with the same amp settings. But the strat sounds super sweet this way to me. And with the bridge pickup up a notch over the mid pickup like I have it, the quack and inherent "strattiness" of the mid/bridge combo is really cool. It's got plenty of bite AND plunk.

If you decide to give this a chance, and don't dig it right off the bat, remember to re-adjust your amps to try to get what you're after. They will need a little extra goosing because your guitar will have significantly lower output than it will with stock adjustments, but to me, the payoff is well worth it.

[spurgie79]

Jakedog, I'm at work right now but I cannot wait to get home and try your set up. I'm not worried about twiddling with my amp. In fact, I'll give me even more of a reason to turn up. BTW, for the most part, on my amps, depending on the room, etc. I tend to put everything around 12 and use the controls on the guitar. It works especially well with less pauls. I can dial in a sound on the neck and a similiar sound on the bridge with a little more volume for leads and stuff. Those knobbie thingies work great for stuff like that. I'm beginning to think the people who put them there had an idea about what they were doing....

[Jakedog]

Originally Posted by spurgie79

Jakedog, I'm at work right now but I cannot wait to get home and try your set up. I'm not worried about twiddling with my amp. In fact, I'll give me even more of a reason to turn up. BTW, for the most part, on my amps, depending on the room, etc. I tend to put everything around 12 and use the controls on the guitar. It works especially well with less pauls. I can dial in a sound on the neck and a similiar sound on the bridge with a little more volume for leads and stuff. Those knobbie thingies work great for stuff like that. I'm beginning to think the people who put them there had an idea about what they were doing....

Man, you ain't just whistlin' Dixie...

I recently discovered (after twenty plus years of gigging) that Strats have tone knobs... Who knew?

My '95 has the TBX on the bridge pickup, and holy cow, actually using that thing yeilds some serious results. I got into it because I've been doing a lot of downtown pub and restaurant gigs where I have to travel really light. A lot of nights it's just the Strat, an OD, and a small amp. Those knobbie thingys really do a butt load! I went from using none for more than twenty years, to using all three of them all night long. It's like having five amps and ten guitars with you!

[Jakedog]

So did you try it? It's ok to say you hated it if that's the case... You won't hurt my feelings...