My Strat is really bright. It's sounds quite good clean, but with OD or distortion I always have to roll off the tone control quite a bit. Turning down the treble control on the amp just doesn't yield the same results(and I don't have a 2 channel amp anyway). I use my volume and tone controls quite extensively. Any time I play another Strat I immediately notice the difference. Other Strats sound more ballsy, for lack of a better word. My question is: I replaced the stock pickups with Fender Vintage Noiseless. I didn't change the pots or caps or anything(a guitar tech did it actually). From other posts I've learned that the pot values can change frequency response. I don't know what I have in there now. It seems like I remember maybe 1meg 1meg 500k - not in that order. I think I'll change the strings tonight and have a peak under the hood to give you guys some specific info. Before doing so, is there any info in particular you guys need that I could get you while I'm in there? Any advice would be much appreciated. My OD suffers...

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2010 American Deluxe Strat Sunset Metallic - Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle, Dimarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge.
PRS Custom 22 with solid rosewood neck
Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne 1x12 combo
DRRI

Hate to say this Mr Prince but its the VN pickups.

I had a very hard time making them work. They are really piezo through a hifi sounding. I tried various pots and caps. Then installed a mid boost and experimented with the TBX control. In the end I settled on a 250k regular tone control. A longwinded way aroundd making a pickup usable. If I still had the MIM ceramic's they'd be in the guitar now. Foolishly I gave them away.

You may do well with a cheap eq pedal to remove the excessive highs. Danelectro make a great unit for as near nothing as you'll pay for a pedal. I think its called the fish and chips.

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No no and no

Thanks nikininja
I've heard many people say they disliked the Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups.
When I first got my Strat, stock "pre-upgraded"2006, and my DRRI, I bought a TS-9 for a little dirt. I sounded like garbage! Clean sounded great. So, in my ignorance I buy a Fulltone Fulldrive Mosfet. Still sounded like garbage! I buy the Vintage Noiseless pickups. OD is still garbage! The guitar player in my band comes over to load my drums up in the band's trailer and says, "Hey! Let me check out your DRRI!" He uses an original 1965 Deluxe Reverb by the way. He plugs it up and says, "Wow! You have a really bad microphonic preamp tube. Here, take one of my spares."

And there it was. The sweetest overdrive you've ever heard coming from the Fulltone Fulldrive and the DRRI. But still, I feel my overdrive could be better without this harshness.

And so it was, my Strat has the Vintage Noiseless pickups.

Nikininja what pickups do you like the most? That's what I'll put in my Strat this weekend.



I know how you guys like pictures! Me too.

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2010 American Deluxe Strat Sunset Metallic - Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle, Dimarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge.
PRS Custom 22 with solid rosewood neck
Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne 1x12 combo
DRRI

Mr Prince

My prefered pickup is the SCN. Its not the answer for you though, it still has a element of the VN harshness and doesnt sound as good for spanking super clean sounds. I find it incredibly usefull though, that harshness suits my playing. I'm either ripping the guts out of the guitar or barely tickling it.

If noiseless is a requirement you may like the dimarzio area pickups. I think the humble lace sensor range is a underrated pickup in the noiseless stakes too.

If your not worried about being noiseless the world is your oyster. Theres a multitude to choose from.

If your not averse to modding, it could be worth putting whatever pickups you like in and a dummycoil too. It will alter the pickups sound slightly but will also get rid of loads of hum. Theres the very upmarket John Suhr system too.
http://www.fralinpickups.com/bpssc.asp

Its essentialy a dummycoil in your backplate.

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No no and no

I mostly play in my bedroom, so hum isn't an issue. If I can scrape up enough cash, I may go with some Fralin's. Maybe the Vintage Hot? I'll have to look at thier website again. Thanks for the info.

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2010 American Deluxe Strat Sunset Metallic - Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle, Dimarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge.
PRS Custom 22 with solid rosewood neck
Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne 1x12 combo
DRRI

LOL I knew when he asked you what pups do you prefer you were going to say noiseless Nik. Hollis dont give up on them yet, also try adjusting the pup height in both directions as a lot of people love these pups after tinkering with the height. There are quite a few back post on this subject