SRV Strat

Holvenstot · **Joined:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:00 am **Posts:** 2

New Member...not sure if this is the right forum. I want to assemble a replica SRV Strat from a licensed-part destributor, for my own use only. I'm not trying to pass off a knockoff. So what exactly is Fender using for the Tex-Mex pickups? Can I order them from Fender? Thankx.

lomitus · **Joined:** Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:01 pm **Posts:** 1598

That's exactly what those pups are called...Fender "Tex Mex" pickups. You should be able to order them from any authorized Fender dealer. If you look at Musician's Friend, they are currently going for $85 a set plus shipping. You could probably find them even cheaper on Ebay or something. Just do a search on "Tex Mex" and you should find what you're looking for!

Peace,
Jim

realpro40s · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:44 am

SRV had many Strats. The one that got the most photog attention was the road-worn Fender Standard Strat with an oval neck and Rosewood fret board, one-ply Black pickguard - customised with Texas Special single coil pickups.

hamms30 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:48 am

thought i heard somewhere that SRV had Van Zandt pickups in his guitar and that the texas specials were created when the SRV signature series was created

realpro40s · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:14 pm

hamms30 wrote:

thought i heard somewhere that SRV had Van Zandt pickups in his guitar and that the texas specials were created when the SRV signature series was created

I counldn't varify the Van Zandt pickups, but I'll take your word for it. SRV and all the greats tweeked their axes with mods - Hendrix, Clapton, Townsend, Van Halen, on and on. The Fender artist series went too far with SRV engraved in the pick guard. Stevie put some dollar store stick on letters on one of his "original" Strats.

texasguitarslinger · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:19 pm

I'm not 100% sure but I heard that SRV had stock '59 pickups in his strat. He told Fender he wanted more bass, hence the overwound Texas Specials. So the Texas Specials weren't what he played, but what he would have played if he had lived a couple more years. I'm not sure what the difference is between the Tex-Mex pickups and the Texas Specials.

cwpainter · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:16 pm

hamms30 wrote:

thought i heard somewhere that SRV had Van Zandt pickups in his guitar and that the texas specials were created when the SRV signature series was created

It is absolutely true that SRV had little or nothing to do with the Texas Special pickups that are being sold as 'his pickups'. They could not be further from the pickups in his #1 and I personally don't think that he would have liked them at all. Clapton tried them in one of his Strats on a Hendrix tribute album and said that he was very unimpressed.

realpro40s · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:00 pm

cwpainter wrote:

hamms30 wrote:

thought i heard somewhere that SRV had Van Zandt pickups in his guitar and that the texas specials were created when the SRV signature series was created

It is absolutely true that SRV had little or nothing to do with the Texas Special pickups that are being sold as 'his pickups'. They could not be further from the pickups in his #1 and I personally don't think that he would have liked them at all. Clapton tried them in one of his Strats on a Hendrix tribute album and said that he was very unimpressed.

Guess only his road manager would know for sure. Could have started with '59ers, then went to Van Zandts, and then took an interest in other PUs before his untimely passing. Sure miss the guy's music; he was one awesome guitarist.

Twelvebar · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:55 pm

texasguitarslinger wrote:

I'm not 100% sure but I heard that SRV had stock '59 pickups in his strat. He told Fender he wanted more bass, hence the overwound Texas Specials. So the Texas Specials weren't what he played, but what he would have played if he had lived a couple more years. I'm not sure what the difference is between the Tex-Mex pickups and the Texas Specials.

This is true.

Stevie originally had what are sometimes called 'hot wound' pickups.They were 59's. due to the technology at the time, some times a pickup would receive up to as many as 200 too many turns. The increase in copper would make em hot. To make the SRV strat Fender used the Texas special, the SRV ones have 600 windings per coil.

Bluestube · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:57 pm

realpro40s wrote:

The Fender artist series went too far with SRV engraved in the pick guard. Stevie put some dollar store stick on letters on one of his "original" Strats.

right before Stevie died the pickguard was engraved with SRV instead of stickers, so i don't believe they went too far with that.....

realpro40s · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:58 pm

Twelvebar wrote:

texasguitarslinger wrote:

I'm not 100% sure but I heard that SRV had stock '59 pickups in his strat. He told Fender he wanted more bass, hence the overwound Texas Specials. So the Texas Specials weren't what he played, but what he would have played if he had lived a couple more years. I'm not sure what the difference is between the Tex-Mex pickups and the Texas Specials.

This is true.

Stevie originally had what are sometimes called 'hot wound' pickups.They were 59's. due to the technology at the time, some times a pickup would receive up to as many as 200 too many turns. The increase in copper would make em hot. To make the SRV strat Fender used the Texas special, the SRV ones have 600 windings per coil.

Would you know whether Stevie might have wound his own pick-ups or might he possibly had a great equipment manager maintaining and improving his gear?

Twelvebar · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:23 pm

They came like that. They were a factory mistake.

He had Rene Martinez as his tech/equip manager.

I had friend whose brother worked for them. Rene, is a master.
He even used a Dremel tool to modify Stevies bridge saddles. Then he would slide plastic insulation from electrical wire over the strings to protect them at the break point on the saddles.Apparently the #1 used to like to break the E and B strings, possibly because of it being a lefty trem, strung right.

Holvenstot · **Joined:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:00 am **Posts:** 2

Holvenstot wrote:

New Member...not sure if this is the right forum. I want to assemble a replica SRV Strat from a licensed-part destributor, for my own use only. I'm not trying to pass off a knockoff. So what exactly is Fender using for the Tex-Mex pickups? Can I order them from Fender? Thankx.

Fellow members, thanks for the input re: SRV pickups. The info on the 'factory overwind x 200' sounds about right, but I don't think there is any reson Fender or any other manufacturer could't do the same thing. I do know the repro SRV strats have a wonderful array of overtones and I intend to look into the Fender Texas Special Strat package. For everyone's benefit, I also found a Left-coast aftermarket site that's put together a custom Strat pick-guard with Texas-Specials, pots, switches and wiring complete. It's named after what you plug your ax into...
Another question...as a cheap-guitar afficianado I am wild about my Chinese made Squire butterscotch Tele. The fit and finish remind me of the early Fender originals, even though the body is slightly thinner. Does anyone know what kind or model pickups are being used? Everyone should run, not walk, to buy one of these. For the price you can't go wrong!
I did a Keith Richards 5-string job on mine which leaves my regular tele in standard tuning. Thanx. Holvenstot

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