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Post subject: Pickup advice/recommendations for a new player?
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 1:10 pm
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Hi everyone,

I'm a new, adult guitar player (7 months). Couldn't really afford string music lessons as a kid. Forgot about it. Found it again. Playing catch-up.

I don't know a lot about the specifics about pickups. I just know what I want. I know that pickups have been discussed ad nauseam, but I figure that a specific question might get a specific answer.


What I have:
- 2006 MIM Standard Stratocaster that is stock. I have adjusted the pickups to spec.
- Stock Fender strings.
- I'm playing through a 25W Fender Automatic SE amp.

Here's what I've found:
The Bridge pickup is OK. The Middle pickup sounds great. The Neck pickup is OK. Any combination B/M or M/N sound bland at best.

Here's what I want:
- I want as much of a clean, "singing" sound as I can get. Maybe some slight distortion (think Santana). I don't grind very much.
- I want to switch to the bridge and get down as full and meaty as I can.
- I want a clean blend of the pickups .
- I like it when the pickups sort of "bark" when you attack them hard (did that make any sense?)

I know this is asking a lot. If I can get a set that does most of that I'd be happy.

So,

- Are there any Fender pickups (past or present) that might fit the bill?
- Are there any non-Fender pickups that might fit the bill?

Thanks,

CH


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:40 pm
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Location: France
Hi, I am a similar type of player and had my MIM Strat when they were first introduced in @'91. The stock pickups aren't great (they have steel poles and ceramic bar magnets) and I have tried a few different sets of pickups to find the 'magic' tone. I am certainly no expert, but my personal advice, based on my experience, would be to change the pots and switch to the US items and try vintage voiced alnico pickups (the body wood is relatively light and might make modern voiced pickups sound too bright).
If you want more beef in the bridge the DiMarzio single coil sized humbuckers are pretty good, but again beware of anything too powerful as it might sound too harsh. Hope this helps. RJ


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:30 pm
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You should at least consider Dimarzio Area '58 or Area '61 pickups.
I can't say enough about them. They sound great clean and have that crisp stratty low end that is just wonderfull.

You can find them in combinations of 2 Area '58 and 1 Area '61 for a good price. This combo is suggested by Dimarzio using the Area '61 in the bridge, but after much testing, I like it better in the middle position.
These pickups are VERY sensitive to pick attack so you can be very expressive with them.

It's hard to get too close to a Santana sound without humbuckers and a lot of power tube saturation (his sound is actually pretty overdriven most of the time but sounds very sweet)

-Eddie


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Post subject: pickups
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:03 am
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ive always said, im not too much of a fan of seymour duncans, however hot rails can reach humbucker sound, as per their site, you can reach a balanced config, bridge hot rails, mid vintage rails, and cool rails in the neck position, as the previous poster said, these may have a harsh sound, overdriven or with distortion. fender has somarian cobalt noiseless pickups that im adding to my strat, a friend said you can even reach pinch harmonics. custom shop 59 can get you some really nice vintage tones.
youve only been playing 7 mos, and already aware on pickups. your ahead of the game.find your sound, your tone, go from there.
i can say im also a newbie, only 3 1/2 yrs-4. barely creating my own licks, songs.
same here, couldnt afford lessons earlier, learned off a video. quick lesson plan, learn your basic chords, barre chords, power chords.
also learn your basic scales. maj, min, but you want santana, he, i believe plays mostly pentatonic minor, and pentatonic blues.
painstaking, but once you know them, that is when the fun begins.


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 3:02 pm
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Thanks, everyone, for the great responses. I'll let you know what I decide.

Later,

C


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:06 pm
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Consider buying a real good tube-amp and then try the guitar and amp
at practice room or gig levels.

Peter


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:30 pm
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lostindesert wrote:
Consider buying a real good tube-amp and then try the guitar and amp
at practice room or gig levels.

Peter


+1
An amp is an important component in the sound of your guitar. The right amp will give the clean and bark when you need it too.


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