Favorite Strat pickups

[bb]

OK....I guess I'll get the ball a rolling here. What are your favorite strat pickups? Do you like vintage winds or something a bit hotter? Regular old single coils? Noisless stack design? Dual blades?

I've used quite a variety over the past 25 years or so. From stock Fenders to Duncan Alnico 2's to Lawrence pups wired in a "Hendrix Harness" to Carvin AP 11's to Dimarzio Blue Velvets, Class of 55's, VV's to EMG'S to Lollars. Right now, I have a set of import pickups that are surpisingly very, very good. Nice vintage tone and the quack is pretty amazing. I have a deaf-eddie Chromocaster in place of the middle tone control and that really opens up a wide variety of tones.

I must say, the Lollars have proven to be the most toneful, touch responsvie pickups I've used....although I sat in with a band one night and used the guitar players Fralin equipped strat. They sure sound good. I'd like to spend a bit more time with a vintage wind Fralin set.

I sold the Lollars in a fit of brokeness and regret it everyday! For my next hand wound set, I'll give Benny at Truetone a call.

So...a nice, low output vintage wound set seems to do it for me. What say you? Fralins? Lollars? GFS? Dimarzio? Duncans? Kinman? What floats your boat in the wonderful world of aftermarket strat pups?

[singlecoil]

I'm in the process right now of finding a replacement for my NOS60 Time Machine Custom Shop strat. It came with 60s custom shop pups. I'm considering Dimarzio Virtual Vintage 2.

[Bonneville Bruce]

I'm a beginner, and have only had three sets of Strat pups as a basis of comparison. They are 1) thee original MIM pups in my '50s Classic that have those classic bell-like ringing tones; 2) the stock pups that came with my MIJ Stratocaster XII, also with those classic bell-like ringing tones, which, by the way, I favor over the grittier hotter wound pups; 3) the Vintage Noiseless that are currently in the '50s Classic. I thought they would work out better with recording in a hum-rich environment, which they do, but I yearn for the ultra-clean tones of the original single coils. I like the clean foundation of the original Strat pups which can then be dirtied up through power tube distortion. I suppose this is a more David Gilmore/Robin Trower approach to tone, but what is so bad about that?

Bonneville Bruce

I own a 50th Anniversary Deluxe with S-1 Switching and SCN pickups . . . sounds pretty good. BUT! they can't compare with the Kinman Woodstocks and blend kit I put in my MIM last summer. I've tried or purchased many but I have to give the Kinmans 1st place for me (IMHO). I do like the Vintage noiseless Seymours on my Tele though.

[weelie]

In my very limited experience... I've enjoyed the 57/62 and the Robert Cray MIM strat pickups the best. Never owned either, mind you.

[OSdave]

My favorites are the Fender 57/62's. Just a beautiful sounding pickup...

[singlecoil]

I hate to keep harping on it, but the pre 98 pups which came in 62 reissues sounded absolutely great to me. I don't like the new ones as much.

[totallyfrozen]

I have Seymour Duncans in my '93 MIA Standard Strat. I'm undecided as to how much I am still enjoying the JB Jr. in the bridge and the Hot Rails in the middle.

I DO; however, like the Cool Rails in the neck. I was never able to get a warm Jazzy tone in the neck position until I installed the Cool Rails in there. It's a single coil sized humbucker with a more Low and Mid tone than High tone. It also allows me to get a good, thick, over-drive rythmn tone out of my Marshall amp. Before the Cool Rails, the neck just couldn't give me the 'beef' that I needed for those Hard Rock and Metal rythmns. The Cool Rails also lets me pull out some GREAT clean Jazz tone.

The Hot Rails in the middle is loud and punchy and gives me a good Santana like tone. I could take it or leave it, though. The stock Fender single coil in the middle gives good biting solo tone already.

The JB Jr. in the bridge is loud but it is a humbucker and doesn't quite give me that sparkling twang that the single coil did. I'm thinking about switching back to the Fender pup in that position. I may try one of those Vintage Noiseless that I've been hearing about. Would that return that single coil clarity without the 60 Hz hum?

[Tom A.]

Originally Posted by OSdave

My favorites are the Fender 57/62's. Just a beautiful sounding pickup...

Same here. I love the ones in my new "57 Ri. I also like the Fralin's Vintage Hots.

[Old Wood]

.
OK, in order of preference...

Lollar
Rolph
Voodoo's (Peter Florance)
Fralin (Vintage Hots)

Some of the best and worst I've heard came from Fender so I didn't know where to put them on the list.
.

[jkats]

This is pretty subjective, with a lot of strong opinions, but I'm very happy with the (newer, beveled magnet) 57/62s that I placed in my sunburst 1998 50s Classic. I've also had good results with a set of Duncan SSL-1s in a 1989 MIJ 1954 Reissue. I get a very vintage-style tone from my homebuilt Strat (1986 MIA 62 Vintage Reissue neck with medallion/3.25 lb. Warmoth 3-piece body) using a newer 57/62 neck, Duncan-rewound 1970 Fender middle and Duncan SSL-1 bridge.

[highway jammin]

Being honest, the best pickups, in my opinion, were stock on my buddy's squire standard strat. They were great; perfect mid-range, jammin' type pickups. Not bassy, not brittle, but very balanced.

A close second would be the big dippers, on my recently acquired John Mayer Strat. Very well balanced, as well, with the mid-scoop.

[GuitarSlinger]

I like my scn's right now. I've heard good things about the Fat50's ~ does anyone have experience with those?? I'm looking to switch out the stock pickups on my old MIM.

[tazzboy]

I'm between the CS 69 and DiMarzio FS-1 and Class of 55 pickups

[ne4tt]

54 Custom Shop in my 91 USRI 57. Heard em first in a 54 RI. Not brittle sounding like the 57/62s that came in mine. Thinking about an ash body to replace the factory alder.

Jamie

[sinnerboy61]

OC Duff.

[photoweborama]

GFS Texas Premiums. I used to write for a magazine, so I've had a lot of pickups. I like the GFS's the most., and they are cheap!

[archiennc]

:D and my number one has two SSL-1 at the neck/mid- I like the vintage sound as well and I have a SH-2 Jazz/split at the bridge. That's the most versatile set-up on either of my Strats (5)

Now ironically enough when I want a dark, Bluesy Strat for some moody music or some David Gilmoue Timbres, believe it or not, my JB Player Pro-Series Strat delivers in spades. This is the 80's US made version with the Floyd Rose on it. It has EMG Select SES Stacks at the Neck and Mid and a split DiMarzio PAF at the bridge. The creepy little baby will howl! That's the only set of EMG's I've ever played that I like.

[J_48_Johnson]

I have Duncan's in all three positions:

NECK: Duckbucker
Middle: JB JB jr.
Bridge: Cool Rails

The JB JB jr. in the middle position sounds great, as does the duckbucker in the neck position. The Cool Rails gives off sparkling highs and has a VERY bright voice to cut through almost anything.

I'm very happy with all three of them.

[GibSG61]

I think Tex-Mex's have to be my favorite, but I have used Samarian Cobalt Noiseless and I must say they are wonderful. But I still think the ovewound, high-output Tex-Mex's are second to best. The Best is probably the Samarian Noiseless.

[Ryno]

I have not played a lot of strats, but I really like the lace sensors on mine. I got the guitar from my brother in law and he ordered it from the factory with them - back in the 80s when he was in a big hair rock band. I go for a totally different sound then he does but the lace sensors deliver a really powerful and clean signal.

[djinn1973]

I just installed a set of Fender Hot Noiseless in to a new MIM Standard strat. The clean tone is crisp, and the distorted tone is smooth and articulate all with out 60 cycle hum. They turned a good guitar, in to a serious player

[tazzboy]

I have change since my last post. Now it's the Custom Shop 69s.

[bmgbluz]

I have played stratocasters for over 30 yrs. I love the Manilus 60's set I just put in my 62 reissue MIJ strat. They are not rwrp as I requested. Enormous strat tone and quack for days. They are the closest thing to a vintage sound I have heard. Mick is a great guy as well. He will try to please you and your tastes. He's reasonable too.

[xStonr]

Custom Shop Fat 50's.

Not anymore. I decided to sell the CS Fat 50's and replace them with a set of KeyStones. I think these sound much smoother and more articulate than the CS Fat 50's. Not to mention half the price.

[bobthecanadian]

My favorite current strat pickups are the set of EMGs that I recently purchased. I have others that I like, but these are doing the job right now.

Bob

[Dion]

Fralins
Lollars
O.C. Duffs
Budz

Haven't tried Tonerider's Strat pups but they make a really decent Humbucker

[campfire]

Has anybody tried the Harmonic Design strat pups? Also, any opinions on the Fender "American Vintage Strat" pups? The latter is what came in my new Hot Rod '62. Thanks for any opinions!

Larry

[campfire]

Hello? Anybody? Does anyone read this forum?

Larry

[nvosmeier]

57 /62's and CS 69's

[Strattysteve]

Hi all, my first post here. I have settled on Bareknuckle "Apaches" in my main Strat. They are vintage Strat- at least to my ears. I did have a set of EMGs in it but although I liked the tone at first, I found it to be a little lifeless and I also hated having a battery in the guitar.rather than put the originals back in I thought I'd give the Bareknuckles based upon a recommendation. Very very happy with it.

[mustang_steve]

GFS 64 Vint