Best Mustang Pickup?

[MrCoolGuy]

Obviously this is subjective, but what's your favorite bridge pickup for a Mustang? Neck pickup?
I've always played Mustangs (among other guitars), but recently bought my dream guitar. Original 1965 Mustang.

I love it how it is, but I want a different bridge pickup (at least).

Please spare me the "don't change anything" comments... I've already thought about that, posted a thread asking opinions on altering an original guitar... and decided to install a whole new pickguard, pots, switches and pickups... and preserving the originals.

I want something with more output, but still have an interesting clean sound.
I have a cheaper Mustang with a JB on the bridge... I have also used a SD hotrails on the bridge position. Those are great, just looking for something different.
I play with distortion a lot, but also use pedals for other sounds. I like playing heavy rock, but also play kinda pedal heavy shoegazey, dreamy sounding stuff too. Those heavy humbuckers do great for the distortion thing, but lack something that I get from P90's and Jazzmaster style pickups... I'm open to ideas. Thanks!

 

[no doz]

beautiful guitar, congrats!

i have fralin vintage hot mustang pickups in mine and i love them. lots of chime and air to them when clean, they compress nicely when pushed. just really clear vibrant pickups that are very touch sensitive. i tend to play with a fairly overdriven, edge of breakup tone and think they're great

 

[telemnemonics]

I bet Rob at Cavalier would wind you a hotter flat pole pickup that fit your needs.
Strat and Mustang pickups are the same aside from the poles.

 

[Peegoo]

Consider GFS Brightons. They're voiced to emulate the Burns Tri-sonic pickup, which is a different voice compared to a typical Strat or rails pickup. The chrome covers compliment the Mustang too. Look here:

https://www.guitarfetish.com/Brighton-Rock-Vintage-Pickups--Kwikplug™-Ready_p_22006.html

 

[trev333]

this combo worked ok..... rails bridge and a mex strat neck.....

switching changed to front... 3 way.... rear splits for the HB.....

lots of tones there....

 

[Tonetele]

Is that yours Trev? I love the shorter scale lengths and mostly the clear sound of a Mustang.
See Norah Jones on Youtube ( Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow) - beautiful clear sound.

 

[trev333]

Yeah, it's a JV '99 neck on a Mustang body of unknown origin... but all parts fitted like a glove, even the pickguard holes all lined up....there's a few of them...

someone spent a lot on a good 2 pack refinish...... could be an F body....

 

[ReverendRevolver]

It depends on what you want it to sound like, but Fralin makes 2 different higher output 'stang pickup sets, and Buddha offers them too. My duosonic has Buddhas in it, A5s, wound a little hot. It alters the behavior with the volume knob and added more character (with obviously upping the output a bit from the bland strat pickups on modern duosonic/Mustangs in the $500 range).

I will say swapping the old ones will loose some of the mellow traits mustangs are known for. But theres little point in having a guitar you love the feel of if it doesn't sound how you want it.

 

[EsquireOK]

Well, if you must change it, I would say definitely go with your plan to pull the entire stock wiring harness, and replace with all new stuff.

Then install EMG SAs. They are incredibly versatile, ranging from fairly classic Fender tone up to high output, and they will even look almost stock.

But that said, I think a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster is also a good way to go. Will give you what you want, without having to change a thing on the guitar.

That guitar looks incredibly clean. Holy cow. It's a beauty.

 

[Blues Twanger]

My black Offset Series Mustang had Hot Noiseless stratocaster pickups in it. It could scream.

It was one of the last victims of the divorce fallout before I started rebuilding the collection. I miss it but it was in my arsenal at the time because I loved the neck and it was very cheap. Too bad they sell used now for more than new.

 

[Jay Jernigan]

If, as you said, you are using a lot of distortion you would probably be best served with a noise cancelling set. Which set is definitely subjective. I like the DiMarzio Area series for Strat tones, SD rails (there are a couple of choices) for rocking bridge sounds. DiMarzio offers several choices that I have not tried, but then again, so do other winders.

 

[MrCoolGuy]

this combo worked ok..... rails bridge and a mex strat neck.....

switching changed to front... 3 way.... rear splits for the HB.....

lots of tones there....

View attachment 817871

My Squier Mustang is setup kinda like that. JB bridge stock neck. Neck switch is normal, bridge switch is coil split, off, hum. Love that!

 

[Bluego1]

I put DiMarzio Cruisers in mine. I love em. Wired so I can split them, too. I stole the idea from jakedog, but he only did the bridge.

 

[twangking]

Fralins are perfect. Buy used and be patient and you won't spend as much.

 

[HotRodSteve]

The 1966 Ford Mustero was a nice Mustang pickup.

 

[Suproman]

I had a Mustang a while back that I put Dimarzio Injector pickups in, really nice. The most single coil sounding humbuckers I've tried.

https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/stacked-hum-canceling-strat/injector-bridge

 

[Matthias]

Do you play through a clean boost? My ‘67 Bronco (same pickup) takes on a much ballsier tone through one but keeps the cleans. The pickup reads 5.5k at the jack and I use an EHX LPB-1.

If you want Fender cleans I’d skip an HB. If you do the pickguard swap, I wonder if something like an early 80s Strat X-1 or a CS Texas Special would be enough beef? Perhaps one of the higher output Bareknuckles.

 

[archetype]

If you want the tone on the cheap use Tex-Mex Strat pickups. They're wound on plasic coil forms, so you can push the magnets flush with the top of the form and fit they into Mustang covers.

They sound Stratty when you set them low, but raise them a bit and you can benefit from their overwound nature. The bridge pickup is overwound more than the other two. Use the RWRP middle and bridge pickups from the set and get hum cancelling when both are engaged.

 

[gkterry]

In my recent issue Dui-Sonic I am using a red lace senor (14.5k) in the bridge and a blue lace sensor (12.8k) in the neck. That combo sounds really good to me. YMMV.

 

[MrCoolGuy]

Do you play through a clean boost? My ‘67 Bronco (same pickup) takes on a much ballsier tone through one but keeps the cleans. The pickup reads 5.5k at the jack and I use an EHX LPB-1.

If you want Fender cleans I’d skip an HB. If you do the pickguard swap, I wonder if something like an early 80s Strat X-1 or a CS Texas Special would be enough beef? Perhaps one of the higher output Bareknuckles.

I tried a clean boost... same tone, just louder. Not really what I'm looking for.
Don't get me wrong, I love the way the stock pickups sound, but I think I'd be happier with something different.