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Post subject: Fender Select pups
Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:42 pm
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Anyone play these? Would like to know what other Fender set they are closest to. Tried search and have scanned through the last few years of posts.

More specifically, where do the fall in relation to Fat 50's and CS69's?
Appreciate any thoughts.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Select pups
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 3:04 pm
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I have a Fender Select Strat and the pickups sound great, very "straty". I also have a set of CS69's that I recently installed. With the CS69's you do not have RW/RP middle pickup, all three are the same. I like them both, the select pickups are just a little bit hotter.

I don't know if that helps...............


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Post subject: Re: Fender Select pups
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 5:37 am
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Thanks Omar!

Would you say the selects have more of a mid-range nasal tone? From the descriptions & vids I'm guessing the 69's have less mid-range (scooped or "smile" shaped EQ?)

If that's correct, I'm thinking 69's are more of a clear articulate while the selects are a thicker, nasal tone. Is that your experience or am I off base?


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Post subject: Re: Fender Select pups
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 4:42 pm
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Ok, this is hard for me because I am not very good at describing sounds and I do not want to mislead you.

I just played both so I would have a fresh impression. Let me start by telling you what I have.

The CS69’s are in a 25 year old Korean made Harmony that is a copy of a 54 Stratocaster. I have replaced all the electronics and shielded the control cavity. It now has CTS 250K pots, a .047 orange drop cap and a treble bled on the volume control. The reason I’m telling you this is because all of this effects the tone of the pickups.

The Select is a 2012 Fender Select Stratocaster.

The select pickups have a more complex and richer tone, they sound “bigger”.

The CS69’s have a simpler tone and more of the classic “quack” that a Strat is famous for. I also think the 69’s sound better when you play harmonics, a very clear bell tone.

From your comments I think we are on the same page. I love them both; I would hate to have to choose one over the other!

Side note: I put in a DPDT toggle to switch the polarity of the middle pickup on the CS69’s. It gives you a very thin, tight sound that is great with distortion on the heavier strings.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Select pups
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 6:10 pm
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Thanks Omar, this is great intel!
I'm pretty new to Strats (long time Telly & 335 player) and you've given me just what I need.

Thanks Bro!


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Post subject: Re: Fender Select pups
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 11:05 pm
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There are several different Fender Select pickups, each with different properties. There are always trade-offs with pickups; they can be better at some things, but then they are going to be worse at something else. If it weren't so, we'd all be using The Best(tm) pickup by now.

The Select Wide Range Humbuckers (used in the Tele Select HH and Jazzmaster Select) have far stronger and more precise bass than the standard WRHs, for example, at the expense of being less "twangy".
The Strat single-coil ones are warmer and less "scooped" than most other hot pickups, in my opinion.

And most of the Select pickups have quick connector plugs, which would have been a good thing if Fender (and Gibson) had actually sold the connectors, so they could be wired in on models that don't have them. Fender doesn't, so they're pretty useless unless you replace pickups in a guitar that already has the connectors, but then you would already have the Select pickups... So for most people, it's cut and solder.

Quality-wise, they seem to be some of the finest pickups Fender have made.

The biggest drawback to Select pickups is probably that you can't just buy them, except used on eBay or as repair parts through a luthier.

For how Fender themselves described the pickups, this video has some info:



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Post subject: Re: Fender Select pups
Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2015 6:27 am
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Thanks Arth1.
I was asking about the single coil strat selects (from the 2012-2014 select strat models - flame/quilted caps, etc.) Shoulda been more specific, sorry!

I'm assuming they are the same as this set: http://www.fender.com/parts/pickups-preamps/american-select-solderless-strat-pickups/0992247000.html#start=1
and guessing they sound mid-rangey like this: (tones at intro and 2:40)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsCZkDzQ2GU

I think I'm getting a handle on them. Thanks


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