Does anyone own this guitar?
limited edition fender stratocaster direct mount pickups.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Limited-Edition-Stratocaster-with-Direct-Mount-Pickups-Electric-Guitar?sku=517592

If you do have this guitar please tell me what you think of it and would you recommend this axe.

Yes, I have this guitar in black with maple neck, cream pickup covers and knobs. This is a good guitar and was bargained at MF for about $300 (MSRP was $640) a couple years ago. I hadn't had a Strat for nearly 30 years so I took the plunge on the limited edition (250) model. The maple neck model is very comfortable to play, though I've upgraded to a 57 RI because of the 7.25 neck (and a few other choice features). I would say the stock pickups are in the quality range with the standard Strat, not powerful, sort of thin. But it's a quality Strat and easily equal to the Standard. I don't play this guitar so it will eventually be sold.

I remember seeing those at Guitar Center a few years ago. I should've bought one then, but I wasn't really into them at that time. I'm kicking myself now, cause I've been looking for a used one, but I can't find them anywhere.

mmm... let me know if you wan't to sell it! I am looking for a strat SSS without pickguard and the is no much choice...

direct mount strat are very very rare, i only saw 3 for sale on ebay this year

when available, no one wants them, when discontinued, everyone wants them...

but about the " direct mount vs pickguard mount " debate, most people can't hear the difference except EVH...

anyone can tell me the difference in tones ?

That guitar somewhat confuses me. Without some kind of fancy top wood and a translucent finish the rear loading seems a waste of time to me. Having owned a rear loaded Strat before (2004 AD-QMT) I can testify that there is very little sonic difference attributable to the rear loading. I doubt most players would hear any difference at all. What little differences I heard could easily have been attributable to the SCNs alone. I suppose there is a slight cool factor to this one on topic with it being a little different but losing one tone control would cancel that out pretty quick for me. That's OK, though. FMIC makes a whole lot of models I fail to understand the need for.

2 cents

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

found these photos on ebay......

Not a big fan of those types of guitars. To me, they look almost homemade as if there was something missing or not quite finished. I'm sure they sound great, but just not what I'd want in a strat....

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The difference in tone is incredible, amazing, the greatest thing you ever heard, dripping with overtones you can't get any other way.

But it only works if you keep the pickups lubricated with plenty of snake oil. You can usually find a can or two on your next snipe hunt.

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Jim Bordner
Gravity Music - www.gravitymusic.com
Composer, producer, Egnater Artist

I'd like to try one. I think if body wood is going to make an impact on the amplified tone; its more likely to do it on this guitar than a standard strat with pickups floating in plastic. You definitely have more contact with the body. It may not change tone much, but it may. I think if there's a difference, itd be with sustain, and harmonic overtones.

i would love to hear a sound clip............

this is the only video i can find http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVGSLFo-nLU

some of the comments i found from other forums about direct mount..

Crunchyriff 08-28-2007, 11:01 AM
There is a difference in how a guitar sounds with direct-mounted pickups as opposed to those in a pickguard IMHO.

For example, to my ears, the difference between how a rear-loaded strat and the more traditional (pickguard) strat is HUGE. Something about the pickguard on the body affects the overtones & harmonics quite a bit.... in a good way, IMO.

I like the "heavy" sound of directmount pups myself. :hmm:

Not to derail the thread, but when it comes to singlecoils, I want to hear them in a pickguard slapped on the face of the guitar (and with vintage routing, not the oversized or swimming pool route!); and preferably with a Fender Synchronized (vintage) trem.

YMMV.


Teleguy 08-28-2007, 08:54 PM
Eddie Van Halen had a pickup directly screwed into his cheap taped up strat styled Ibanez partsocaster, nd claimed it helped the tone.

So naturally it started a trend.

A solid mounted pickup can be affected by the guitar bodie's vibrations. I believe suspended pickups can be so affected too, but probably with different resonances.

I'm not sure I could be able to hear the difference unless somebody demonstrated it live to me and told me what to listen for.

EVERYTHING will have some effect on sound, from the pickups through to the speaker's curve, and the room it's in besides! :yoda:



Tech Player 10-07-2007, 03:28 PM
I am in agreement with the prevalent posts, that direct mount single coils give the guitar/pickup a thicker wider-spectrumed response, a more direct sonic (not quite as immediate and punchy though) quality, darker or woodier sound, and just possibly more sustain.

Ibanez uses them alot, and all the other guitars with fancy tops and no plastic guards, as was indicated.

The Strat really started something different. Suspended pickups for assembly and cost efficiency.

And when copied by Tokai, they sure got it right when they called it "Springy Sound". lol

Is the swimming pool soggy? On that topic, it is a little more open, acoustic and jangly.

When diving from the board into the pool, what you want and get is headroom. :yikes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnQYoRYedF0

ge smith telecaster, talking about direct mount on the ge smith tele, around +6 minutes

i have to say, after watch the video, i was in love with the sound.... i play mexican tele & never thought tele can sound so fat.....

Egman thinks everything is snake oil, must suck to lose out on something because everything new and different is "snake oil".

I dont think ive read one post in the last two weeks that didnt have some negative condicending, patronizing aspect to it.....
Thank God everyone didnt think like this, we'd all stil be playing archtops. He'd be one of those guys telling Les Paul that a solid body will never work, or that a locking tremolo is a waste of time that no one will want.