Favorite pickup replacements/upgrades for Strato-copies?

tonguy · September 18th, 2006, 01:19 PM

What are your favorite pickup upgrades to drop into your Strat copy? I'm also curious how many just got pickups, or got a full pickguard + pickups + controls subassembly. Thanks!!

epistrat · September 19th, 2006, 02:28 AM

I got a Carvin fully-loaded pickguard to put in my Epiphone Strat. I couldn't use the actual Carvin pickguard though, I had to have everything transferred to the stock Epiphone pickguard because it was smaller than the Carvin pickguard. And I recently got a Carvin Twinblade for the bridge position.

bek · September 19th, 2006, 07:19 PM

I really haven't done much of that, but what I found was that I put a couple Van Zandts into a Strat-type (Blues in the neck, Rock in the bridge) an a Fender American Standard in the middle and it worked out great. Real good but not as "big" (more wiry and sharp) is a Squier Bullet I have. To me, the secret ingredient in both was a Deaf-Eddie Fat-O-Caster switch. My motto: "Don't play a Strat without one." If I was buying Strat pickups now, though, I would probably try a set of Keystones from Bill Lawrence. I'd solder it up myself as I did before. Deaf-Eddie saved me with some sage email advice, so he could take care of you, too.

photoweborama · December 5th, 2006, 11:46 PM

GFS baby! The best pickups at rock bottom prices. Perfect for clones. Makes no sense putting pickups in a clone that cost more than the guitar.

I have GFS Texas premiums in my Squier. Killer!!
And they only cost $63.00 a set!

riggergreg · August 13th, 2007, 02:04 PM

Hi Ya'll, New here and just thought I'd add my $.02.

I just built these two pine bodied twins, and put Bill Lawrence Keystones in both.

Couldn't be happier. About $65 for the tele and $75 for the strat

Strat-Talk · August 13th, 2007, 03:46 PM

Bill is right proud of the Keystones and he has told me that he thinks that paying too much for pickups is stupid. He set up the Keystone deal to make great pickup affordable again -- and I believe him when he says it.

I've never heard them, but I've spent time with Bill and he is a guy that knows more about guitar pickups than anyone out there. He's forgotten more about pickups than most other folks know.

Also, to answer the OPs question even though it was a year ago. I put some Fender CS '57 pickups in my '79 Strat and I really liked that clear bell tone I got from them. I think the pickups in '57 were underwound. More windings makes for more output but less fidelity and dynamic range.

bek · August 14th, 2007, 01:24 AM

DANG, rigger, that is one GORGEOUS pair of Pinecasters! All the way down to the pickguards. Never liked white that much. Wow!

bobthecanadian · August 14th, 2007, 09:11 AM

Yup, the GFS and the Keystones are good pups.

What about the mighty mite stuff?

Bob

riggergreg · August 14th, 2007, 03:05 PM

Thanks bek, I figured if I couldn't find a strat to fit my style and specs, I'd just build one. It's a GuitarMill pine body painted real close to Fenders Desert Sand color with a satin finish. Has a master volume/master tone (to keep the volume control out of my way), Hardtail, 5 way switching, and has an Allparts Fat neck, and the best thing is, it only weighs 6.3 lbs. Love these Keystones...Best bang for the buck I've tried yet

scottb · May 8th, 2008, 06:33 PM

Another vote for GFS.

I've got a couple sets of their strat pickups and like them a lot.

I've got two guitars with their P90s in humbucer cases which I love and I've used their humbuckers as well.

For the money I don't know of any better pickups.

jcwu · May 9th, 2008, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riggergreg

That's a beautiful pickguard! What's it made of, and where'd you get it?