Hi All,


I have been lurking around Fender for some years (including these forums) and I think I am finally able to buy my first strat. Problem is, I live 3hrs from the nearest music store. So as much as I would like to take the time and just keep playing different models/guitars until one picks me, my hands on time is severely limited to a few hours at most.

I am trying to find a strat that can do nice warm, glassy and jingle sounds for clean and overdriven stuff ranging from John Mayer, John Frusciante, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Andy Timmons, etc.

Now the limitations:
1) Colour; I'm in love with tobacco sunburst/maple neck
2) quiet pickups; all my other guitars are humbucking (dead quiet) and I love the sound coming from my brother's tele (MIM Blackout) but the pickups have too much hum for my liking; which model/pickups have the least amount of noise while still giving the characteristic strat sound? I was seriously considering the AM Deluxe but read that it sounds "stratish" but not 100% typical strat
3) funds; the lower the better lol but I am thinking around $1100 or less is my comfort zone, especially since I just bought an Axe Fx Ultra. I don't care if its a MIM or AM, just something that I will love for the next 40yrs and that I can hand down to my kids


I have read all the topics for the last year but I haven't really seen any discussions about which model has nice quiet pups that still sounds 100% strat. I am fairly clueless about single coil guitars. Thanks for any insight.


Cheers,

rkbrock

Welcome.

Here's my two cents:

None of the Fender Noiseless stack pickups shall meet your requirements so buy whichever Strat you like without the pickups being a factor.

The closest you are going to get to the Strat sounds you require in a humbucking, stacked design will only be found among DiMarzio's Virtual Vintage Area series or among Kinman's.

As always, this is merely IMHO where YMMV.

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You dig?

Hi,

Thanks for the reply and information. I just wanted to clarify one thing, I do want SSS but I am trying to find which stock pups have the least amount of hum while still being straty. I don't really want to mod a new guitar.


Cheers

I don't get much noise from my Texas Specials, they have exactly the sound you'd be looking for.

Only if you're sitting right next to the amp do they give you any semblance of grief. Even playing a few feet away from it, you're OK.

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'01 American Deluxe HSS Strat.
'87 Japan HSS Strat.
'11 Custom Shop FMT HSS Strat.

"Without music, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines and dates by which bills must be paid."

All single coils hum the same amount. The source of the hum is well outside the guitar. Not inside it. Basically the environment governs the amount of hum. One single coil pickup will hum just as much as another in the same environment.

It's what single coil pickups are for. Get used to it.

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No no and no

How about RWRP pickups and use only the bastard positions 2 and 4.

You should find a trusted dealer on eBay. Ask every question you can before bidding/committing. Also, try a Highway One. They have so many pros, and they're pretty cheap as far as top of the line Fenders go. The average one is like $750 or so. If you don't like the pickups, just switch them out for what you like.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

+1

I own two DiMarzio-equipped Strats.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

You're welcome. As has been said, all single coils hum. In terms of Fender brand single coil Strat pickups, they all hum relatively the same due to the fact that even though there are several different models, they are all more similar to each other than not. In other words, they are all variations of one primary design. So at best, if you buy a Strat with a RW/RP middle pickup, well, you know the rest. Or, you can buy a Strat with a 'regular' middle pickup and install a dummy coil which when installed properly and appropriately, will minimize the hum from all three stock pickups.

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You dig?

Thanks everyone who has responded. This is very helpful and much appreciated. One quick question about RWRP, I just checked the AM STD specs and I can't tell if it has one or not.

Im leaning towards this one as it comes with that really nice case which I would end up buying with the highway 1 or AM special. I still plan on trying them out though as you never know which one will be "the one". Kinda like women

The Am Std does have the RW/RP middle pickup.

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You dig?

Well it's not looking good that i will be near any music stores for some time (ugh), so if I want a strat in the forseable future i might have to fire blind. Should I have any concerns ordering an AM STD, is there much of a chance that I could get a lemon? I really want to try them out before buying but I've been waiting for so long I don't know if I can go much longer. It's been over three years since ive fallen in love with strats and the heart wants what the heart wants!

Also, looking at what I want the strat for, is the AM STD a good choice to get the sounds I want? This gas is killing me...

Fender's quality control is fantastic these days, I've not played a 'bad' new Strat for quite some time.

I'd personally say the American Deluxe is worth the extra few dollars... amazing guitar, not just for the money, but period. I'll never forget when a UK magazine ran a shootout back in 2004 with the 50th Anniversary Deluxe- it wiped the floor with all its rivals, including a Melancon and a Tom Anderson... obviously, this was concerning all aspects (i.e. price, playability, versatility, tone). They said the Anderson had the best neck (but not by much) and the Deluxe had just everything else covered too well.

If that helps... I can always get some photos, I keep all my reviews that I like in a big folder.

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'01 American Deluxe HSS Strat.
'87 Japan HSS Strat.
'11 Custom Shop FMT HSS Strat.

"Without music, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines and dates by which bills must be paid."

I would go with the 2-color-sunburst Buddy Guy Strat. It's basically a Clapton Strat with gold lace sensors and in 2-color-sunburst. I own an older Clapton Strat with the lace sensors and for my money it's the most versitile Strat out there. Overdriven with the mid-range boost you get great Gilmour and Clapton tones. You can also play it super clean and it sounds beautiful. Also the pickups are pretty quiet.

I'm not sure that Fender produces this guitar or not, but you might be able to find one on e-bay.

This one has everything you want. Except for the price.

http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargallery ... S11132405/