What Strat Pickups for Duo Sonic?

[Hoodster]

Just curious what people think some good options would be. I'd like something vintage output for the neck and a little hotter but still fairly traditional for the bridge.

I tend to prefer Alnico 2, so one option would be the Duncan Antiquity Texas Hots.

 

[archetype]

If I were me, I'd go with Strat pickups that could be used with the Duo-Sonic covers. American Standard used to be, and Tex Mex pickups still are, wound on plastic coil forms instead of having traditional fiber flatwork on magnets. This means...

You can press the magnets down flush with the top of the coil form, without damaging the coils, and fit them into the Duo-Sonic covers. They perform like Strat pickups that don't have staggered magnets. You gots options...

1. Get two Tex Mex or get a set. They're cheap new and cheaper used. Neck and middle (RWRP) are the same wind, but you'd run the neck pickup lower than the middle (now in your bridge position). If they're low enough to the pickguard they are near the classic Stratty tone, but with a bit of midrange attitude. If you want more punch, the bridge pickup is wound darker. Use the middle (RWRP) and bridge pickups. Either combination is hum cancelling in the middle position.

2. Use an American Standard neck pickup at the neck and a Tex Mex middle (RWRP) pickup at the bridge. This combination is hum cancelling in the middle position.

3. Use an American Standard middle pickup at the neck (RWRP, I think) and a Tex Mex neck or bridge pickup at the bridge. I think this combination is hum cancelling in the middle position.

4. Cheaper still is the 62z set from Guitar Madness. Use neck or middle pickup at the bridge and the bridge pickup at the bridge. No hum cancelling with these.

Or you can just put Strat pickups and covers in there. IMO a Duo-Sonic needs to look like a Duo-Sonic and that includes the solid pickup covers.

 

[archetype]

If I were me, I'd go with Strat pickups that could be used with the Duo-Sonic covers. American Standard used to be, and Tex Mex pickups still are, wound on plastic coil forms instead of having traditional fiber flatwork on magnets. This means...

You can press the magnets down flush with the top of the coil form, without damaging the coils, and fit them into the Duo-Sonic covers. They perform like Strat pickups that don't have staggered magnets. You gots options...

1. Get two Tex Mex or get a set. They're cheap new and cheaper used. Neck and middle (RWRP) are the same wind, but you'd run the neck pickup lower than the middle (now in your bridge position). If they're low enough to the pickguard they are near the classic Stratty tone, but with a bit of midrange attitude. If you want more punch, the bridge pickup is wound darker. Use the middle (RWRP) and bridge pickups. Either combination is hum cancelling in the middle position.

2. Use an American Standard neck pickup at the neck and a Tex Mex middle (RWRP) pickup at the bridge. This combination is hum cancelling in the middle position.

3. Use an American Standard middle pickup at the neck (RWRP, I think) and a Tex Mex neck or bridge pickup at the bridge. I think this combination is hum cancelling in the middle position.

4. Cheaper still is the 62z set from Guitar Madness. Use neck or middle pickup at the bridge and the bridge pickup at the bridge. No hum cancelling with these.

Or you can just put Strat pickups and covers in there. IMO a Duo-Sonic needs to look like a Duo-Sonic and that includes the solid pickup covers.

Edit: These are all A5 magnets. Twist the tone control the slightest bit counterclockwise until your brain thinks they're A2.

 

[Hoodster]

Thanks for the response.

I actually don't care at all about the look of the pickups and probably even prefer exposed mags.

 

[Dan R]

Hoodster, I like the Duo Sonic/Mustang type of Fender. I owned a '66 Mustang for several years. I don't have a recommendation, but I am tempted to go like you and make one sound like I want.

 

[Mincer]

The Antiquity Surfer in the neck, with a Texas Hot in the bridge is a great combo as well. They are out of phase with each other, so you'd have to swap the hot and ground on one of them.

 

[Hoodster]

The Antiquity Surfer in the neck, with a Texas Hot in the bridge is a great combo as well. They are out of phase with each other, so you'd have to swap the hot and ground on one of them.

I've heard about that combo and it's definitely of interest. If I swap the wires, would the middle position be hum canceling?

 

[Zepfan]

A Strat bridge pickup would do well in the bridge of a Duo-Sonic or Mustang with the shorter scale and heavier string gauge, less bright that way.

 

[sothoth]

Try the bare knuckle Irish tour bridge/middle. Absolutely the best single coils of all the types I tried on my duo sonic. Not at all thin or brittle, but beefy without losing the single coil magic.

I tried some Fralins and Lollars and some GFS. None of them were bad but the BKPs were like a smooth, thick, creamy dream. (Pickup porn, sorry)

If you have the duo with a bridge HB, I tried another duo with the DiMarzio 36th Anniv PAF in the bridge and paired it with the Irish tour neck. It matches the BPK pretty well. The DiMarzio is the first of that brand I’ve used. It’s a pretty balanced sounding HB. Not super punchy but matches the single coils well to my ear.

I have a mustang with p90s and got two “woodies” from Sunday Handwound, which are Jazzmaster pickups but he did them custom in a p90 config. Love those, too.

 

[EsquireOK]

True Velvet Middle and Bridge. Or, if you want the bridge hotter, then use a Red Velvet there instead.

 

[Mincer]

I've heard about that combo and it's definitely of interest. If I swap the wires, would the middle position be hum canceling?

My thought is no, they wouldn't be. You should be able to order one direct from SD with the polarity you need, to avoid this.

 

[whoanelly15]

Call me crazy, but if I had a duo sonic, I’d put Jag pickups in it.

There are some Alnico II pairs or combos that use Alnico II bridge for Jag sets. Lollar, SD to name a couple (no affiliation). From the Lollar Jag description:

“Wound to sound similar to original early-60s pickups, our Jaguar style pickup offers improved bass fidelity and definition in the neck position. It also delivers a fuller, fatter tone in the bridge position. Made with vintage style cloth covered lead wires, and available in white covers with chrome-plated metal claws attached and wax potted on. The neck uses an Alnico 5 magnet, and the bridge uses an Alnico 2.

DC: Neck 5.8K, Bridge 6.3K”

Haven’t played these, but they sound cool.

 

[lineboat]

I had a Duncan SSL-5 (or 6, the flat pole version?) in the bridge of mine, and an SSL-2 in the neck. That was an awesome little guitar.

 

[EsquireOK]

Just remember that with a Duo-Sonic and Mustang, whatever pickups you choose, you want one pickup RW/RP for them to work as originally intended. Mustangs used parallel wiring, and Duo-Sonics used series wiring; both had one pickup RW/RP.

 

[jvin248]

.

I'd want to try:

Strat neck, Jaguar bridge (Jaguar is between Strat and Tele kohm winding output)
Danelectric-type Lipstick neck (may need some pickup cover whittling, Tele bridge (would need body carving)

If you wanted to go a little further off the beaten path, look for reproductions of the 'gold foil' type of pickups (you can find some on ebay for cheap or spendy from your favorite boutique builder). I'd put one on the neck position and still use a Tele bridge pickup or a P90 on the bridge. 4-way switching like a Tele to get the easy series. Here's a tune with 'gold foils':

 

[Zepfan]

Some Gold Foil's, Filtertron's or Firebirds might be cool in one of these guitars.