Hey all,

Let me just start out by saying that in the last 10 months I've created an absolute monster of a rock machine out of an Ensenada Strat. I love how she feels in my hands, I've fine-tuned the float on the bridge, threw a Callaham trem block in it, put Klusons on it, and upgraded the pots and switch. It's pretty much perfect, except for the PUs.

The Standard PU's are actually quite nice sounding for blues and riff work, I like the response and the range of sound I can get when I'm doing technical stuff. The problem is really that I love texture and strumming when I'm singing, and the things just have way too much midrange when strummed. I usually have to tweak my amp from time to time to cut that out, but that takes a lot of the magic out of the Strat sound as well. Basically, I need new pickups.

I've got it narrowed down to two sounds that I really, really freaking love. The shimmer and shine of the 57/62's just blow me away, I love how they sound and I think my style is pretty vintage to begin with. I tried those out on an AMRI 57 and I loved the glassy yet smooth tone they have (by smooth, I mean even the bridge doesn't get shrill and tinny). They just sound amazing, and I know that they'll get a slightly deeper and fuller tone in the 3-ply pickguard versus the 1-ply on the AMRI.

I also love the American standard PUs, they're not quite as glassy but they sound a little bit punchier and fuller, which I guess to my ear makes it sound a little newer. When they're strummed on, it sounds a little closer to that awesome Tele strum sound than other PUs I tried (which for me is OK cause I was thinking about getting a 69 thinline before I realized I already had a kick@ss guitar and didn't need another).

They're very similar overall, and I want to get the right ones for me. I know a ton of you must have one or both of these pickups, and your experience with them would be more helpful than 30 mins in the store with each. My style is pretty diverse, I jam bluesy/reggae/funk sometimes but mainly my personal style is very textured and diverse (think Radiohead, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine [without all the fuzz], Beatles, Smashing Pumpkins...) I rarely OD or distort, I do use a bit of delay sometimes, a bit of reverb sometimes, but mainly it's just me and my clean Strat.

Which should I do? I'm open to suggestions for other setups as well, but I'm going to probably avoid boutiques...Fender's been great for me so far.

Thanks so much everyone!

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Gear list:
2004 Epiphone Casino
----Peerless, USA electronics
2001 "Firewood" ES-335
----USA electronics, Gibson and DiMarzio PAFs
2001 Cort NTL20 Jumbo Acoustic
2007 Hofner Copy
Vox AC4TV/V112TV
Voice
Fingers
Cowbell

Me personally, I would go with the American Standards.I like the 57/62s for that vintage vibe (i almost bought a 60th anniversary a few years back), but they come up a little on the thin side.The American are a good match for more modern tones IMHO.I have an American strat with them in and they really sound good overdriven especially.They also do glassy quite well.A real versitile pickup.Just my opinion.

I have Fender Custom Shop '54s in a Mexi Strat and they are what I consider the best sounding Strat pups. However, they are vintage style so their output is a little lower than the Americal Standards and they are not noise cancelling. They are glassy, sparkly, bright, with great harmonics. They are also very touch responsive I find. I prefere to play mostly clean or with some overdrive - blues / classic rock tones and for that the '54s are sweet! It turned my mexi strat into my go to guitar!

Some are probably sick of hearing me say this, but I want to put

Neck: DiM' Area '58
Midd: DiM' Area '58
Bridg: DiM' Virtual Vintage '54

I've been itching to try this out for a while. I like this combination because my luthier has this same combo in one of his strats.

It makes for an awesome rock lead guitar for soloing, and really punchy riffing on the '54. The cleans are also sparkley and tight, but not thin.

My favorite part is that, when rolling off the volume knob a hair, and with a capacitor'did volume pot, I'll be getting a ballsy blues tone in any position.

I really want this guitar to be bi-polar. I'm probably the sickest Richie Kotzen fan, which my board-mates are probably tired of hearing(reading), and thats where my inspiration for this idea comes from. Killer leads, and tons of soul in the blues tone.

Edit: All this in a (2007) MIM Classic 50's Strat.

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-Kc
"Payin' dues."

The Vintage Lindy Fralin pups, along with the blender pot, works great for me as a rhythm- vocalist player. The'89 Am Std reacts very well to the volume and tone pots through mid '60 Fender amps(rarerly use a pick) ART

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None of Us are free, if One of Us is chained !

I know you said you were trying to avoid boutiques but splurge a little and got for some Kinmans. Get the Traditional Mk-III Set - Zero Hum. You won't be sorry and it'll change how you view all other pickups forever.

I can honestly say I've never heard this one before.

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You dig?

Of course, a thousand pardons! I must have been having a, "senior moment".

Yet, I know for a FACT because I read it somewhere on the web that they can't compare to OEM Starcaster pickups as they are without a doubt, the "yardstick of tone" which ALL others are judged by!

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You dig?

Black gives you that SRV tone that so many people are looking for these days.White gives you the Jimi tone.Everybody knows that.

thanks guys for the quick response! yeah, I heard some 54s and while they are great, they sound a little tinny for my taste. also, the 69s are great but i think that they might have a little too much of that Woodstock vibe for my alternative/spacey taste.

I thought a lot about checking out the DiM combo, those all sound good, and the Fralins I checked out last month sounded really good also.

Does anyone own 57/62's?

(Oh and the pickgaurd...laugh all you want, but to my ears at least, 3plys sound a little fuller than 1 plys...maybe thats cause the 1 plys ive tried all have lower output pickups)

Thanks!

_________________
Gear list:
2004 Epiphone Casino
----Peerless, USA electronics
2001 "Firewood" ES-335
----USA electronics, Gibson and DiMarzio PAFs
2001 Cort NTL20 Jumbo Acoustic
2007 Hofner Copy
Vox AC4TV/V112TV
Voice
Fingers
Cowbell

The other guitar player in the band i play in has 57/62's in his MIA Strat..But i would suggest as someone else has said either the Vintage Fralins our my personnel favorites John Suhr V60's..The John Shurs are about $60 to $70 cheaper than the Fralins and IMHO give you better tone..They are considered boutique but you can get a set for $240 on Ebay

If you like the vintage sound of the 57/62s and the extra punch of the Am Std, try out the Fat 50s.

Guys, listen to his live performances with Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino (John Mayer Trio). He's not hiding behind anyone there and his guitar playing is steller. Also, Eric Clapton invites him to play with him live often - what does that tell you? Check out the Crossroads DVDs (Antigua benefit) concerts. John Mayer plays some wicked guitar. Like him or not, you cannopt deny - he has serious chops! Get over all that other nonsense about his early acoustic "sensitivity", his looks and his favor with the ladies.