Poll Replacement PUP's for Mahogany American Deluxe Strat

brayks · **Posted:** Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:51 am

I originally posted this question as a general quetion in this strat topic but it looks like a good poll question. Since I couldn't figure out how to add a poll to the original post I started a new post as a poll. So here goes....

I have a red 2007 Guitar Center Special Edition American Deluxe HSS. Mahogany body, maple neck w/rosewood board. It has has Fender SCN's (neck & middle) and Fender DH-1 humbucker in the bridge.

I am not quite happy with the sound. it seems dull to me with out the snap and chime of the strat I have come to love. The bridge 'bucker sounds really thin to me.

I'm the only guitar player in a classic rock and blues band and I want to use this guitar to play some of the cleaner stuff that my other strats are not set-up for. Tunes like Sultans of Swing, Robert Cray stuff, Wind Cries Mary, Skynrd, etc.

I am playing through 2 amps; Dr Z Z28 and Dr. Z Ma Jr.

I am leaning toward Lollar Vintage Blond or Vintage Blackface but the Fralin's and Amalfitano's look interesting.

I have no clue for the 'bucker - P90 maybe?

Suggestions for single coil replacements and the bridge humbucker for this specific set-up would be greatly appreciated.

Please be specific in the model choice for a given manufacturer...Thanks

fhopkins · **Posted:** Sun Mar 29, 2009 7:11 am

Ha! You already know my choice so.... Good luck my friend!

cherokee747 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 29, 2009 7:25 am

fhopkins wrote:

Ha! You already know my choice so.... Good luck my friend!

Love my SCN's too!!

Mike

brayks · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:24 am

bump
I'm sure there has to be more opinions out there....
Thanks

joemama10 · **Joined:** Sat Jul 28, 2007 5:36 am **Posts:** 42

you probably have Tex Mex pickups in there. I have the same guitar. I emailed Fender for the specs and they came back and said my Deluxe mahogany guitar center strat has Tex Mex pickups in it with diamondback humbucker. Maybe you can email fender also and ask specs about your guitar. I thought I had SCN's in mine.
I assume that you bought it new. As I did.

Play3r · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:12 pm

Fender single coil, and Seymor Duncan HB. Good luck.

siamese · **Joined:** Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:13 am **Posts:** 248

You may be aware that, all things being equal, mahogany can be expected to yield a warmer tone. Is that model a hardtail, or does it have a trem? If trem, then I'm thinking I'd look for more snap by replacing the sustain block. That epoxy infused powdered metal thing they used might as well be made outta Silly Putty. I have'nt tried one of their new copper infused '08 models, but I suspect good old steel outperms it, too. Steel offers more sustain and "snap" over the old sustain block by a wide margin.

The steel block I put on my '96 came from GFS. Also has steel saddles instead of the stock zinc saddles. $40.00 for the whole setup, and yes, the quality is very good. Others swear by more expensive stuff...fine...I can tell you the GFS works.

So, anyway, that's where I'd start to make sure I was getting everything the guitar and whatever pickups I choose have to offer.

brayks · **Posted:** Wed Apr 01, 2009 12:06 am

Joemama; Thanks for the heads up! Man that's BS of them. I will definatley check it out; it could explain a lot.

Siamese; Great idea on the trem and saddles. I will definately check it out. I am familiar with the warmer sound of mahogany as I have a few other mahogany pieces includes some vintage Guilds.

After snooping around the web and thinking about it some more I decided I would probably never get the early Knopfler, Robert Cray sound from that mahogany body so I decided to modify the California Strat instead.

I ordered some Lollar Special Blackface pup's for the neck and middle and their Special S for the bridge. I also picked up a tortise shell pickguard from GC today to replace the white one on there now. Whole new guitar now. I can't wait for the pups to come in.

If I like the Lollars on the Cali I will either put their Special Blonde's in teh Am Deluxe or go back to Guitar Center and try to get them to give me the SCN's that should have been on the guitar in the first place.

Thanks to all for your help.

StratMatt777 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:13 am **Posts:** 52

brayks wrote:

After snooping around the web and thinking about it some more I decided I would probably never get the early Knopfler, Robert Cray sound from that mahogany body so I decided to modify the California Strat instead.

Well, now I don't have anything to respond with that you haven't said already!!!

You read my mind!

Do you find your mahogany strat to be warmer sounding than your other strats? And is it heavier than your other strats?

I had a mahogany strat for 24 hours and returned it because it was even brighter and more sterile than my maple fretboard strat!

It was also extremely light so I'm wondering if the one I tried was a bad (light) piece of mahogany. Is yours heavy?

thanks

brayks · **Posted:** Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:38 am

Hey StratMatt
My mahogany strat, like most mahogany guitars is much more middy sounding wihich translates to a warmer, some might say darker sound.

It almost sounds like the guitar you are talking about was made of ash?

It seems most strats these days are made of Alder which is smoother and mellow compared to the more agressive Ash.

Ash is lighter than Alder and I believe Mahogany is heaver. If the guitar is not heavily laquered you can compare grain patterns, they are quite distictive and the diffrences are pretty obvious.

I found a site that did a direct comparison of a pick-up when played on an Ash and an Alder guitar. I can't seem to remember which pup mfg had it but if I remember I will provide it.

The Ash guitar definatley sounded brighter and more steril than the Alder to my ears; not what you would expect to get from mahogany.

Of course this is all my opinon through my old ears. Your mileage may vary.....

Below are a couple of good sites to check out.

Cheers

Info on the various wood used for guitar bodies/necks/fingerboards and their tonal charastics:
http://www.suhrguitars.com/wood.aspx

Comparison of different Mfg Pickup's:
http://www.acmeguitarworks.com/Strat_Pickup_Sound_Clips_W1.cfm

joemama10 · **Joined:** Sat Jul 28, 2007 5:36 am **Posts:** 42

I think the Tex Mex pickups are standard on those strats. When Fender emailed me back with the specs. They mentioned that since these guitars were selling well, they decided to keep producing them but put in Tex Mex pickups to keep the price point lower. They are actually Deluxe strats but with no SCN's in them. Mine is a '05. Bought for under a grand. now they are $1600. jeez. Mine is on the heavy side. and darker sounding like you said.

tavy · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:54 pm **Posts:** 1

brayks wrote:

I originally posted this question as a general quetion in this strat topic but it looks like a good poll question. Since I couldn't figure out how to add a poll to the original post I started a new post as a poll. So here goes....

I have a red 2007 Guitar Center Special Edition American Deluxe HSS. Mahogany body, maple neck w/rosewood board. It has has Fender SCN's (neck & middle) and Fender DH-1 humbucker in the bridge.

I am not quite happy with the sound. it seems dull to me with out the snap and chime of the strat I have come to love. The bridge 'bucker sounds really thin to me.

I'm the only guitar player in a classic rock and blues band and I want to use this guitar to play some of the cleaner stuff that my other strats are not set-up for. Tunes like Sultans of Swing, Robert Cray stuff, Wind Cries Mary, Skynrd, etc.

I am playing through 2 amps; Dr Z Z28 and Dr. Z Ma Jr.

I am leaning toward Lollar Vintage Blond or Vintage Blackface but the Fralin's and Amalfitano's look interesting.

I have no clue for the 'bucker - P90 maybe?

Suggestions for single coil replacements and the bridge humbucker for this specific set-up would be greatly appreciated.

Please be specific in the model choice for a given manufacturer...Thanks
What you have is a Diamondback Humbucking at the bridge and 2 Tex-Mex single coils at the neck. The Special Edition Guitar Center Mahogany HSS Deluxe does not come with the SCNs or DH-1 humbucker, but the American HSS Deluxe does[/i][/b][/url]

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