Recommend some Strat pickups

  • Thread starter Thread starter Webb
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Webb

Webb

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Hey - I just picked up a 2008 Fender American Deluxe Strat and was thinking about switching out the pickups since I have a couple other Strat's with stock p/u's. Just looking for a little different flavour while still keeping the basic strat characteristics.

I was doing a little research on some of the boutique type-makers (Lollar, Fralin, Kent Armstrong), but it's kinda overwhelming with all the different varieties. I was also pretty interested in the Dimarzio Cruiser after seeing an Andy Timmons YouTube clip.

Thoughts/opinions/recommendations would be appreciated.
 
have you considered the dimarzio injector?
their area pickups are nice too
 
Really happy with the Dimarzio Injector line thus far. The Cruiser is a GREAT-SOUNDING hum-cancelling single-coil factor pickup as well. Also, as a result of a recent purchase of a Fender American Special Strat I'm LOVING the Fender Texas Special pickups. I always intend to swap out the bridge pickup for the Dimarzio Air Norton S (my favorite single-coil form-factor bridge pickup) but every time I think of replacing that Texas Special it just sounds SO good I can't bring myself to do it. People listening have repeatedly mistaken it for a humbucker.

Hope this helps,
 
My Partsocaster project has a Heavy Blues in the bridge, an Area 67 in the middle and an Area 61 in the neck. I spoke with Steve Blucher over at Dimarzio at length and thats what he recommended for me and hes never steered me wrong. My goal was to have a set that would sound great through the gain spectrum and still retain stratiness..

Kage
 
I'm not a huge strat guy but I really like Klein's stuff. Played the S5 for awhile and really enjoyed it. It's at least worth looking into!
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I listened to a few clips of the Suhr ML's and like what I hear. I'm gonna check out the others as well.
 
Depends on what you're looking for. Your '08 Deluxe, if stock, should have Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pups designed by Bill Lawrence. My old '06 had 'em and they were pretty punchy without any 60 cycle hum. The N3s on the current Deluxes are not completely noiseless. I thought the SCNs were pretty decent, but some cork-sniffers will tell you they must hum to get the classic Strat tone. If that's what you want, I would recommend Fender CS Fat 50s, or a loaded EJ pickguard from ebay since you can't buy the EJs separately. Both have a nice full sound, but the EJs have a hotter bridge. Rumor also has it that Eric made Fender design like 17 different sets before they got it right for him.
 
How straty is stray enough? I have never heard a noisless, stacked, railed anything that sounded like great classic strat tones imho. They all seem to be missing some of the nice shimmering highs present in single-coils.

I really like Duncan QuarterPound and alnicoII's. Rio Grande make some nice single-coil's as well.
 
Man, these questions are always tough, depends on what you like, amps and kind of music you are playing, if you have other Strats, you should have a set of Custom 69s and I will second the DG20s as well.
 
chunktone":3635e3s7 said:
How straty is stray enough? I have never heard a noisless, stacked, railed anything that sounded like great classic strat tones imho. They all seem to be missing some of the nice shimmering highs present in single-coils.

I really like Duncan QuarterPound and alnicoII's. Rio Grande make some nice single-coil's as well.
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I used to run my SCNs through a little Champ 600 and they shimmered real nice. Maybe not quite as clean as my EJs, but they were still pretty good. I think the cleanliness of the amp plays a large part as well. The Hot Noiseless' don't sound Straty at all in my experience. Much darker, if that's the word for it? It may be optimal to go noiseless if playing through an already noisy PA system in a bar. I've never had a desire to do the mod, but I've heard that shielding the pickguard and cavity may alleviate the hum though.
 
After trying a bunch of strat pickups , Arcane 69 experience (underwound or not) is the best !
 
Bare Knuckles are real close to vintage pick-ups I tried apaches next to 5 pre-cbs strats was kinda impressed it was 90% of the way there
 
The Suhr single coil pick up sound sinsanely shrill and thin in my Modern
 
Gainzilla":ldgs5fve said:
My Partsocaster project has a Heavy Blues in the bridge, an Area 67 in the middle and an Area 61 in the neck. I spoke with Steve Blucher over at Dimarzio at length and thats what he recommended for me and hes never steered me wrong. My goal was to have a set that would sound great through the gain spectrum and still retain stratiness..

Kage
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Strong vote here as well--I have a similar setup in another Strat and it sounds great. Another great combo is Virtual Solo Bridge, Area '61 middle, Heavy Blues neck.
 
yo Race have you compared your Dimarzios to Bareknuckles? Curious
 
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