Thanks for the replies guys (and gals ?). I'm seriously considering the Dimarzio combination. What I think I would like to do is grab a pickguard and some new pots as well and just build the whole shebang and just drop it in. I may be forced to get one pickup now and another in a few weeks and so on. This way, when it is done, just solder a few wires and I should be good to go. Any recommendations on pots ? Can I just get another set of stock fender pots ? Also, I'm pretty new to this so I hope this isn't a dumb question. I see there are 250k pots and 500k pots. Just wondering what the difference is (and PLEASE don't say...250k..hahah). I think I read that the Dimarzios work best with 250k pots and I believe that is stock on my mim strat ???

Thanks again.

I found the 250k work the best for these (as long as you're talking about the Area pups). If you go with any of the VV pickups with Alnico V, you want to use 500k or 1 meg. I used both with the Area 58/61, and i eventually put 250k back in.

You can get them at pretty much any guitar shop, or online. The pots are about $5 each, and the 5 way blade switch about $12.

I prefer the lower output Alnico II over III or V. It has a more "strat" sound than III's, which have a more modern sound. I also find that I can do more with lower output pickups than hotter ones. If I need more output, I dial it in at the volume knob on the guitar itself, or on the amp, or I'll use a stomp box, I use a MXR Dyan Comp, and more offten than not, I use it as a boost, keeping the compression low, and turning out the output. Lower output pickups are better for clean sound, and believe it or not, I find that they handle gain/distortion better, I know that is in direct contradiction to why people use hotter pickups. I also find they handle effects better. Plus, these being noiseless, I'm able to use more gain without having to battle the 60 cycle hum that comes with a standard single coil. I always preferred the tone of regular single coils, because stacked humbuckers (noiseless single coils) always compromised tone for the hum cancelling feature, until I tried the Dimarzio's. I'm planning on getting another strat, and putting them in there, although it wont be the same setup. I'll probably go with the Pro 54/bridge, and I havent figured out what Im going to put in the neck/ middle. Good Luck.

Thanks for the advice. Can you recommend a good source for parts (pots, 5-way switch, knobs..etc.) ?