I'm planning on changing my "Fender 57 Reissue Stratocaster MIJ Since 1993" 's Pickup.

First of all, here's how the original pickups I have now on my strat sounds like (with newbie setup and newbie playing skill):
http://www.4shared.com/mp3/abYkX4S7/Sound_Test.html (playing through different sections on my Roland Micro Cube amp)
http://www.4shared.com/music/9ypt7VnU/I ... In_Am.html (pentatonic Improvisation in Am using Roland Micro Cube amp)

I'm looking for a noiseless / single coil size humbucker pickup that doesn't buzz but still has the clean single coil sound, and more thick sounding. NOT one that's really distorted and made for metal, but capable to get distorted to play rock songs. I'm kind of on a limited budget. Not looking for the best pickup ever, just that it doesn't buzz and sounds better than the ones I have now then it should be fine. I play blues / funk / jazz / rock.

And these are some examples of the tone I'm looking for:
(Just an idea, not expecting to get this tone out of a micro cube amp, but pretending / thinking of it like as if I were using the big decent amp in concert / gig, what pickup would make tone similar to these?)
John Mayer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q0tFCQVvEY
Jimi Hendrix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhGok78T ... re=related
Sixx AM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFa1f_W ... re=related

57/62s are sweet. That said, I would definitely recommend playing around with the pickups you have for a while before you change them out. I was a bit confused by the first part of the sound clip, but then when you switched back to a normal electric sound I went "ahh." I think the pickups sounded fine. As your playing develops, you'll also develop an ear that'll be able to better recognize very subtle differences in pickups. For the time being, I would recommend starting here: http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2011/Jun/Adjusting_Stratocaster_Pickup_Height_Pt_1.aspx

or search for the "nickel method" of adjusting pickup height. Try it like that, and then maybe fine-tune the heights to what sounds best to you. You may be surprised at how big an influence pickup height can have on your guitar's character. That said, I just splurged on a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquities in one of my guitars, and I love them. Very sweet, chimey sound. The SSL-1s are a little less $ but will also give you the vintage, low-output sound.

You have great pickups, probably not adjusted right.

If adjustment still doesn't satisfy you, then I seriously recommend Lace Sensor Golds!
They rock!!!

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

I've tried a number of noiseless pickups over the past 20 years or so. I started with Fender OEM Don Lace Sensors, moved on to Vintage Noiseless and also the Samarium Cobalt. I've not owned the N3's but I have played them in stores. For Fender products I consider the VN's to be their best effort. I have also tried about a half dozen other models from various makers like Seymore Duncan, Kinman and Dimarzio. The Dimarzio Area pups are the closest to a true single coils sound in a stacked bucker I have ever come across. I heard about them here on this forum from Martian who is considered by many to be the pickup guru of this forum. I recommend doing what I did. Area 61 at the bridge, 58 in the middle and 61 at the neck.

Dimarzio Strat Pickups

I run mine with a Kinman K9 wiring harness which gives me just about the most versatile Strat you can think of.

Kinman Harness

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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'll second the Dimarzio Area pups...

I have the 61, 58 and 67 in my strat. Great sound and soooo quiet!

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield