Help me find the right pickup for my Strat, please.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rex Rocker
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braintheory said:
Given that you already tried so many Duncan's and Dimarzio's and wasn't satisfied, I'd try something else and would still think at some point it may just be the guitar itself not being able to get the tone you want. I've been there myself many times doing countless pickup swaps and eventually just realize the guitar inherently can't get the sound whether it lacks tightness, attack, low end presence, good tone or whatever it is. You can hear those qualities (or lack there of) generally when playing it unplugged
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Acoustically, it's fine. I mean, it sounds like a Fender. It's stringy and zingy. While it doesn't sound thin either, it certainly doesn't have the muscle of a Les Paul, but it doesn't sound bad. Plus it also plays like a dream with the Flat Oval neck with the jumbo frets, and I've kinda bonded with it after so many mods that I've enjoyed making on it.

The problem here is every time I think I've found "the right pickup", I play it, I love how it sounds, then I play my Les Paul with the 500T, and realize how much more I like the sound of the Les Paul.

I'm not really trying to make my Strat sound like a Les Paul either. I just wished it had more of that aggressive crunchy attack than the Les Paul has, and I'm sure that's in part because of the pickups the Les Paul has. I've also had a couple of the pickups I've listed here on different Les Pauls or Les Paul types, and none of them have had that magic I feel 500T has (with the exception of maybe the Black Winter).
 
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Rex Rocker said:
Acoustically, it's fine. I mean, it sounds like a Fender. It's stringy and zingy. While it doesn't sound thin either, it certainly doesn't have the muscle of a Les Paul, but it doesn't sound bad. Plus it also plays like a dream with the Flat Oval neck with the jumbo frets, and I've kinda bonded with it after so many mods that I've (enjoyed) making on it.

The problem here is every time I think I've found "the right pickup", I play it, I love how it sounds, then I play my Les Paul with the 500T, and realize how much more I like the sound of the Les Paul.

I'm not really trying to make my Strat sound like a Les Paul either. I just wished it had more of that aggressive crunchy attack than the Les Paul has, and I'm sure that's in part because of the pickups the Les Paul has. I've also had a couple of the pickups I've listed here on different Les Pauls or Les Paul types, and none of them have had that magic I feel 500T has (with the exception of maybe the Black Winter).
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It won't make a world of difference, but a thicker neck plate or tougher material for one can help add a little muscle to the sound IME. One tech I had somehow got one of my pickups to be short leg, so maybe it can done to your 500T to better work in your Strat. If you still don't like it as much as your Les Paul with the same pickup I'd probably give up myself

Maybe instead of trying to make it compete with your Les Paul you can just play more to its natural strengths and make it something very different but equally cool sounding to your Les Paul in its own way. If it sounds stringy or zingy, something like a Lundgren M6 can possibly play it up to be a very articulate and attack-y guitar. A vintage Dirty Finger might be the beefiest sounding pickup I've tried so far if that's what you want and IME does work great in the super Strat type guitars I've had
 
I have a strat I have also moved the bridge pickup slot back on as it was too far from the bridge IMO, I got a cheap regular SSS pickguard and routed the slot to match my other guitars. It did help.

I have a bill and Becky L500XL in it at the moment, and it’s great sounding. It’s a very thick pickup though, might bottom out in some guitars. I reconnected the tone knob for that pickup as it’s pretty bright.

I haven’t tried a Lundgren in it as I don’t have any 6 string Lundgrens. The M7 is my favorite 7 string pickup though. Very big, loud, bright, and stiff/punchy attack.

The straight 9.5” fretboard radius is a bit annoying at the higher frets side, since the pickup height varies wildly per-string, which I think can sometimes impact the sound. Most of my other guitars have much flatter fretboards.
 
mnemonic said:
I have a strat I have also moved the bridge pickup slot back on as it was too far from the bridge IMO, I got a cheap regular SSS pickguard and routed the slot to match my other guitars. It did help.

I have a bill and Becky L500XL in it at the moment, and it’s great sounding. It’s a very thick pickup though, might bottom out in some guitars. I reconnected the tone knob for that pickup as it’s pretty bright.

I haven’t tried a Lundgren in it as I don’t have any 6 string Lundgrens. The M7 is my favorite 7 string pickup though. Very big, loud, bright, and stiff/punchy attack.

The straight 9.5” fretboard radius is a bit annoying at the higher frets side, since the pickup height varies wildly per-string, which I think can sometimes impact the sound. Most of my other guitars have much flatter fretboards.
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Mine has a 12" board. :D
 
Greazygeo said:
Put a single coil pickguard back on it and use Hotrails.
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I used to have a Hot Rails on my Squier Esquire, and I didn't like it. It was very dark and had like no attack at all, even with a single 500K volume pot. I didn't try with one meg, but getting a new pickguard is a bit more involved than just finding the right full-size hum in there, especially risking on getting a pickup that I didn't like the Tele version of in the first place, I fear.
 
braintheory said:
It won't make a world of difference, but a thicker neck plate or tougher material for one can help add a little muscle to the sound IME. One tech I had somehow got one of my pickups to be short leg, so maybe it can done to your 500T to better work in your Strat. If you still don't like it as much as your Les Paul with the same pickup I'd probably give up myself

Maybe instead of trying to make it compete with your Les Paul you can just play more to its natural strengths and make it something very different but equally cool sounding to your Les Paul in its own way. If it sounds stringy or zingy, something like a Lundgren M6 can possibly play it up to be a very articulate and attack-y guitar. A vintage Dirty Finger might be the beefiest sounding pickup I've tried so far if that's what you want and IME does work great in the super Strat type guitars I've had
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Yeah, the Lundgren does seem like a good option. I'll keep an eye out for one. THanks.
 
Rex Rocker said:
Yeah, the Lundgren does seem like a good option. I'll keep an eye out for one. THanks.
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If you want attack, clarity and tightness it's hard to rival IME besides some of the good vintage Bill Lawrence's. Great cleans too, which no one talks about lol. It is a more scooped voicing though
 
A pickup with double screws would allow you to follow the radius with the poles at least.

Some steel saddles could make a difference depending on what you have.

But some guitars just don't got it, no matter what pickup is in it. It can be real frustrating.
 
In a strat it’s either a JB or a Custom 5 for me. Both with 500k pots
 
Sounds like EMG time. I’ve had guitars that I’ve put 5-6 pickups in and nothing worked. Time for actives as much as don’t like them certain guitars just don’t have the mojo for passives.
 
Rex Rocker said:
I used to have a Hot Rails on my Squier Esquire, and I didn't like it. It was very dark and had like no attack at all, even with a single 500K volume pot. I didn't try with one meg, but getting a new pickguard is a bit more involved than just finding the right full-size hum in there, especially risking on getting a pickup that I didn't like the Tele version of in the first place, I fear.
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Pickups don’t always work the same in different guitars. Hot rails were made for strats. If you want something aggressive for a strat, they are agressive.

Have you contacted Duncan and asked them what they recommend? They give you a 21 day trial period.
 
Try an original (old) Gibson Dirty Fingers. Very similar to the 500T IMO.
 
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