I have built and modified seven of my guitars with the SCN pickups and S1 switching. The clarity and range of tones is quite good. I base my assessments on a comparison with a VG strat I have with the american standard pickups. One of these days I will put a set of SCNs in the VG also.

Jim Mez

Fitted SCNs into my Highway (no s1 switching)

Found them to be absolutely quiet as advertised. Unfortunately, I also found them to very bland. Very hi-fi like and a little insipid. I also thought they sounded under-powered given their output rating - especially the bridge pickup. So, really not for me and I replaced them with a nice noisy set of Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro2s. Now, that's more like it! Sounds like a Strat again.

Just my 2p worth - I understand many people like them. It's all very subjective..

I chose an American Standard over the deluxe based on the sound. I guess folks used to humbuckers seem to like the SCN's more, but I started with single coils, and I like a little more twang. Even with distortion, I tend to like the bridge pickup more than any of the other settings.

I've had an American Deluxe (HSS) strat for two years now and really enjoy it.

I wanted this guitar to be my "workhorse", that is, I wanted it to give me the widest possible vairety of sounds possible in a single guitar.

Between the 4 extra sounds available with the S-1 and the humbucker at the bridge, that's exaclty what the guitar delivers. If your going for something very specific (like intense country "twang" or something) then maybe the SCNs aren't the right choice, but I'll bet they meet your needs in 9 out of 10 cases. They're also legitimately noisless, which comes in very handy in the studio and clubs with iffy wiring.

Well if there good enough for Beck and Clapton there good enough for me. People like to put a bum wire out on things just because they heard someone else say it.This is the Gods honest truth if SRV just for a joke had said in the studio he wraps a rubberband above the nut whrn he records because it gives him better tone and sustain on tape you would have thousands of guys doing it and swearing it does. Personally I hate 60 cycle hum and I know everyone else really does to but on certain pups it does give that deffinitive tone that you cant get without it and when you are playing you cant hear it but it drives me nuts. I love the way SCN pups sound .You adjust and play with them you will get a great tone but then some people truthfuly dont like them and others just read or hear it so they dont like them probably without ever hearing them. The bottom line is you have to go and play a lot of guitars and pick what you like. You cant go on a forum and ask about something as personal as a guitar because you are going to get different answers. You can get pointed in the right direction and get great advice and if you know enough then you can understand exactly what someone is saying but only you can make your choice.