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Post subject: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 5:10 am
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I bought a Squier Bullet Strat HSS as the first guitar for my older daughter. It is a HSS configuration, as she plays not only rock, but also metal on it. Sincerely, the guitar is much better than expected, with some proper setup I did it plays quite good. What for a difference can I expect if I buy her Affinity or Mexican Standard in the future (from sound perspective), as all these 3 have in the spec the same description:
Bridge Pickup: Standard Humbucking
Middle Pickup: Standard Single-Coil Strat
Neck Pickup: Standard Single-Coil Strat

Should this mean, that the pickups are really the same between Bullet, Affinity and Mexican Standard?


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Post subject: Re: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 5:15 pm
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Hi, and welcome to the forum!

What they mean is that all 3 guitars have the same type of pickup in each position - bridge humbucker and 2 single coils in the neck and middle positions. They are not the exact same pickup, but Fender is indicating that each model has the "standard" pickup for their model line.

I'm not sure as I'm not up on Squiers - I don't know if the Bullet series has its own line of pickups and the Affinity series has a different line of pickups or if the Bullet and the Affinity have the exact same pickup set as there isn't much price difference in the two. The pickups will be made by whomever Fender is currently contracting to build the Squier models (they contract with a couple of different factories in Asia for these).

The MIM Standard Stratocaster will have pickups made by Fender in their factory in Ensenada, Mexico - it will have different pickups than the Squier models. As a bit of history - Fender only owns their factories in Ensenda and in Corona, CA where the USA guitars are made; they contract with factories in other countries for other models.


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Post subject: Re: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 1:17 am
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It's a real jungle...
Even under 'Fender' name, FMIC has the habit of selling same pickups under different names (like DH-1 humbucker variations).
And, in this time of generic pickups, I wouldn't be the least bit surprized if pickups with the same name, same part number would be different depending on the eventual subcontract manufacturer.
Used to be that some Squier's different models had stock pickups carrying the series name (e.g. Fat Affinity Strat had 'Affinity Bridge pickup'), but these days, who knows.
And after all, the American Standard Strat pickup pack says 'made in Mexico'...

But one thing to ponder: you say this HSS Bullet plays nice and serves it's purpose. So, when planning the second guitar, why should it be "just another" HSS Strat at all? Think Telecaster (there's J5's; HH's; Blacktops...), Jaguars, Jazzmasters, Mustangs (Cobain...) and whatnut even in the FMIC menu.


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Post subject: Re: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 9:16 am
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Thank you both for the info. My daughter plays Strat because she likes how Strat looks like - she do not like the other guitar forms. I assume her next guitar would be a HH mexican Strat.
I was asking about the pickups, because I really don't know what to expect from a Strat as I play just metal and my own guitar choice is not Fender (I hope I will not be banned for that).
If there will not be noticeable difference in the sound between her HSS Bullet and HSS Mexican Strat, there is no need to upgrade, because the playablity is already quite good on her Bullet Strat after the setup.


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Post subject: Re: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:18 pm
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yordan wrote:
If there will not be noticeable difference in the sound between her HSS Bullet and HSS Mexican Strat, there is no need to upgrade, because the playablity is already quite good on her Bullet Strat after the setup.

Yes, there will be differences in sound, but will you be able to hear it?
The variations and inconsistencies of a new player will be far more significant to the sound.
The amp will also have a much larger effect on the sound.


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Post subject: Re: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 9:59 am
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Standard is a word Fender loves to use a lot, it's a vintage word that definitely did not originate in a Stradivarius workshop, or a custom shop.
'Standard' is a simple word that is designed not to confuse or scare people; 'oh it's standard, ummm OK'... and has associations with: regular, ordinary, generic, unchanged, normal, thereabouts, or 'somewhere in the ball park' which is not where people hang if they want to be 'somewhere over the rainbow.'

So a 'standard humbucker' should give you a warm secure feeling that whatever you play is normal.

At least that is my humble approximation :?

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Last edited by Johnny Soniq on Sun Jan 22, 2017 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 10:13 am
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"Designed not to confuse"...
OK, explain why American Special series was below American Standard series..?
:lol:


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Post subject: Re: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 3:51 am
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jmattis wrote:
"Designed not to confuse"...
OK, explain why American Special series was below American Standard series..?
:lol:

Yeah I know haha, that 50 year old marketing catch, Gibson have been doing that same format.

Right now I'm just awing at the non-standard bold beauties on display at NAMM to celebrate the Custom Shop's 30th anniversary new additions. I could leap for a Jazzmaster next. Scott Buehl's Frosted Duco Strat is a marvel, and amazed how they got that steel pickguard to match. Almost there with what AlsaCorp have been into with custom paint effects.


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Post subject: Re: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 6:02 am
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arth1 wrote:
Yes, there will be differences in sound, but will you be able to hear it?
Yes, you will (or should). Not only that, you will "feel" the difference as well.
When I took the loaded pickgaurd out of my Squire Bullet to put a loaded pickgaurd out of an 06' Hwy 1 HSS...the Bullet's pickup's and pots were "tiny" (almost toy like). I had to route the bottom tone pot cavity just to get the Hwy. 1 pot to fit into the Basswood body.

The difference between the Bullet and Affinity (as far as electronics go), is none...the difference between the Bullet and an MIM or USA Standard is HUGE.


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Post subject: Re: What does "Standard Humbucking" means?
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 7:56 am
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White Dog wrote:
arth1 wrote:
The difference between the Bullet and Affinity (as far as electronics go), is none...the difference between the Bullet and an MIM or USA Standard is HUGE.

This is already good to know, thank you. For a Fender she should learn to play some bits more :) Maybe an intermediate step would be a SD humbucker, which cost around 90EUR.


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