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Post subject: I just dont get it. pick ups?
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:44 am
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I have a standard Mexican Fender Stratocaster and I want more life out of it. Currently I am looking into changing out the pickups. I have narrowed down my selection to

1. Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's Strat Pups - I like what I am hearing about these nice Bass response with out harsh mids. middle pick up is reversed to cancel out hum. But do I want that 50's tone? I Still want versatility.

2. Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials - OMG who doesnt want that beefy bark that SRV had. It was killer and still is but I dont want to limit my tone to just Blues and country. O loved SRV's tone but I dont want to replicate it. I wouldnt mind replicating his guitar though, which brings me to number 3.

3. Vintage '57/'62 Strat Pups - These seemed to be the most versitile with "glistening highs and warm lows that are unqeustionably vintage" but what about mids? Also the middle pickup is not reversed so you gonna have some hum. So what exactly is this hum were talking about? The Ground hum when you touch the strings it goes away?

Has any one got just a basic opinion? I would love to hear it
Thanks
from another local tone junkie.


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Post subject: Re: I just dont get it. pick ups?
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:37 pm
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Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:11 pm
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Location: Australia
I had/have a 2004 Mexican Standard Strat, which I struggled with for a number of years thinking it was the player not the guitar.

To improve the tone I swapped out the standard zinc cast block for a Callaham steel block and tremolo bridge. This improved the sustain and loudness marginally as any steel block would but still something seemed lack lusher.
I changed the pickups for Lindy Fralin Blues Specials, this again improved the tone of the guitar and I was happy for a while.
However one day I visited a guitar shop which just happened to have a selection of Fender custom shop Strats. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor after playing these guitars. The custom shop strats are acoustically alot louder, have more sustain and a bell like ring and in general play and sound great.
In comparison the 2004 Standard strat with mods has an almost banjo like sound quality and is hard work to get a decent performance from this guitar. I believe this is due the very thick finish applied to the body which just seems to kill the tone.
The 2010 Standard models are a lot better but you do not say which year. I also have a 2010 American Standard Strat HSS with a soft V deluxe neck (I changed the neck) which is very good (sounds like a strat not a banjo). But my custom shop 2010 60's NOS Strat has a more open bell like quality and is slightly louder again.

My advice is save up for a better guitar if you can or when you are ready. The 2004 Mex Standard was holding me back for a number of years. Hope this helps. :)


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Post subject: Re: I just dont get it. pick ups?
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:02 pm
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Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:43 pm
Posts: 523
Location: Oakland Tennessee
morbe wrote:
I have a standard Mexican Fender Stratocaster and I want more life out of it. Currently I am looking into changing out the pickups. I have narrowed down my selection to

1. Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's Strat Pups - I like what I am hearing about these nice Bass response with out harsh mids. middle pick up is reversed to cancel out hum. But do I want that 50's tone? I Still want versatility.

2. Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials - OMG who doesnt want that beefy bark that SRV had. It was killer and still is but I dont want to limit my tone to just Blues and country. O loved SRV's tone but I dont want to replicate it. I wouldnt mind replicating his guitar though, which brings me to number 3.

3. Vintage '57/'62 Strat Pups - These seemed to be the most versitile with "glistening highs and warm lows that are unqeustionably vintage" but what about mids? Also the middle pickup is not reversed so you gonna have some hum. So what exactly is this hum were talking about? The Ground hum when you touch the strings it goes away?

Has any one got just a basic opinion? I would love to hear it
Thanks
from another local tone junkie.

Custom Shop Texas Specials aren't just limited to Blues and Country. They'll get pretty dirty with the right amp/effects and proper settings. I have a set in my Am Standard and I love 'em.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"


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