im debating between ceramic and alnico single coils. im looking for that stevie ray vaughan high pitched intense phasing in position 2 and 4. parts of "little wing" are a perfect example. i know the texas specials are alnicos and so are EMG SAs. but i always thought ceramic pickups had stronger highs.

Im using an EMG classic 58 in the bridge and debating between SA or S pups for neck and middle. which one would give me more of what i described?

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10 LTD M-350NT (duncan custom4/jazz2)
99 LTD m-100 (duncan distortion/gibson 496R)
71 les paul deluxe gold top(mojo)
peavey vypyr 100, 85 red-knob, bad monkey, peavey iphone amp kit

I love my Texas Specials on my '62 Strat copy.

I went with a slab rosewood fret board, stained 4.5 lbs alder body and Texas Special Pickups.

Paris

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1975 Sunburst Stratocaster rosewood finger board
1979 Stratocaster with roseowood finder board
2001 Candy Green Clapton Stratocaster
2007 Andy Summers Inspired Telecaster
2007 '51 P-Bass
2012 Taylor 110
2015 Mystic Ice Blue Deluxe Stratocaster Plus

The SRV model of Strat comes equipped with the Texas Specials. He had spent a fair amount of time discussing with Fender which pickups to put in his signature model. They ended up choosing the Texas Specials however the Custom Shop Fat 50's are closer to what was in his number one. Either pup should likely steer your tone in the right direction but putting that aside, Stevie also used non-standard string guages and tunings and also used an army of different models of amps daisy chained together ... and then there was his hands. The odds don't favour you nailing his tone.

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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.

I think that the '57/'62s may be the best for that as SRV and Jimi both used L-series Strats to get the original tones.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

what exactly does "L-series" mean?

looks like im gonna get a pair of texas specials and a custom custom.

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10 LTD M-350NT (duncan custom4/jazz2)
99 LTD m-100 (duncan distortion/gibson 496R)
71 les paul deluxe gold top(mojo)
peavey vypyr 100, 85 red-knob, bad monkey, peavey iphone amp kit

+1

I will agree with this.

Get some '57/'62 pickups. You will love them.

"L Series" are Fender guitars from the 1960s whose serial numbers started with the letter "L."

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

O.O. is right about the L series,they were made from '62 til the CBS takeover in '65.Some L series were made even after the takeover to use up existing stock.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Cool, thanks to you and O.O. for the explanation.

are the 57/62s really hot?

also which duncans are comparable?

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10 LTD M-350NT (duncan custom4/jazz2)
99 LTD m-100 (duncan distortion/gibson 496R)
71 les paul deluxe gold top(mojo)
peavey vypyr 100, 85 red-knob, bad monkey, peavey iphone amp kit

No, the opposite, they are fairly low output, which is what you want for that bell-like sound.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

what about the 50's?

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10 LTD M-350NT (duncan custom4/jazz2)
99 LTD m-100 (duncan distortion/gibson 496R)
71 les paul deluxe gold top(mojo)
peavey vypyr 100, 85 red-knob, bad monkey, peavey iphone amp kit

No the '57/'62's are not hot at all. They're low output as already mentioned. Seymour Duncan Antiquity's would be the comparable model. I have Duncan Antiquity I's in one of my Strat's and really like them. There's the Antiquity I series which are '50's pickups, and the Antiquity II's which are '60's pickups. Some people consider these to be the best vintage sounding pickups available.

As far as Fender's '50's pickups, I don't have any expirience with any of them except the '57/'62's but I would expect a fairly low output from the Custom Shop '54's and a bit higher output from the Custom Shop Fat '50's but that's just a guess.

what about the duncan SSL-1?

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10 LTD M-350NT (duncan custom4/jazz2)
99 LTD m-100 (duncan distortion/gibson 496R)
71 les paul deluxe gold top(mojo)
peavey vypyr 100, 85 red-knob, bad monkey, peavey iphone amp kit

Fantastic vintage-y neck pickups, but I've no idea how well 3 of them quack in the 2 and 4 positions.

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!