I own a Jimmie Vaughn Strat. I just finished installing the Fender Clapton 25db mid boost kit. It is a great mod. The first thing that I noticed that with the boost not turned up at all, the sound is much more "alive". More than half of my playing time the mid boost is not turned up at all. That glassy and livelier sound is a lot in itself. The boost has a lot of gain with 25 db. It is a very gradual 'thickening' of sound and when on full it's way huge and out of the Strat Tone Zone all together. The TBX circuit included in the mid boost package is another bonus that takes your Strat further into the treble zone. I am shopping for pickups. Positions 2 & 4 are quiet but 1,3 & 5 are too noisy. I am going with Lace Sensors, first.

the tex-mex have lots of bottom end though

It amazes me how eager people are to swap out their pickups in search of "better" tone. I own the Texas Specials, but you already have a good set of PUPS (and probably even hotter) with your Tex Mex. Go to GC and Plug in a SRV or Roadhouse strat (tex specials) into your amp and do a sound test. Good luck.

I would experiment with amp settings and FX pedal settings before I go spending money on different pups.

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

I have the Custom Shop Texas Special pickups in my '06 (upgraded) Highway One and I love them. These are not high output pickups. The oem Alnico III Highway One pickups are noticeably higher output. The Texas Specials are vintage: SRV played a '50s Strat and they're modeled on his pickups from what I read somewhere. They're supposed to overwound which makes them slightly hotter than pure vintage, and with more mid-range. To my ears, they are just classic Fender Vintage pickups, full and rich. They're not thin souding at all played pure clean through a Blues Junior, and I often don't spare the reverb when playing clean because I like it. Just yesterday my picky piano playing musical snob wife had to say "yeah, that is very good, wow" while I was playing some heavily d-minor clean song. So I started picking out some blues right after that to keep her on her toes. Anyway, clean or overdriven up to 12 on a Blues Junior these pickups are great.

I'm not sure how these p'ups would be with a mid-boost. I mean, I know these pickups are fantastic because I play them everyday, but I don't think they need a mid-boost. Since you went with the mid-boost and are getting a great glassy tone, maybe you can get Claptons singing glass sound if you go with Vintage Noiseless, but the recommendation I've seen is to change the pots because they are lower output.

I hadn't read that post for many moons. I still have the Tex Mex Pups but am now narrowing my attention to Lace Sensors or Hot Vintage Noiseless. Oh yeah, I also want to evaluate the N-3 noiseless latest. I figure in another year I will have made up my mind! I picture my bench drawer someday filled with Fender Strat Pickups that have been in and out. There will always be another Strat to put them in to.

I can't see how anyone could be disatisfied with a Jimmie Vaughn Strat's pups ,I bought mine after trying a lot of other Strats because I loved the sound.You can get almost any sound you like from the Tex Mex pups by simply adjusting the EQ on your amp and guitar.I can get screaming trebles and real mellow bassy tones by simply adjusting the tone controls.I'm always puzzled by people who buy a guitar when they're not satisfied with it,I've always kept looking in a case like that.

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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.

Are your Tex Mex pickups excessively noisy with the Clapton mid boost? I love the wide variety of tones I get out of my Jimmie Vaughan Strat but it hasn't been modified. I also own a Clapton Strat and can't imagine cranking the mid boost without using some kind of noiseless pickups. My EC has Vintage Noiseless but the earlier models had Lace Sensors. Hot Noiseless would also be an interesting choice.

Let us know which pickups you eventually decide to use.

John

I would take some of the advice given already and try playing with your stock pups first. I use noiseless pups mainly because I hate 60 cycle hum. I have the Hot Noiseless in my Beck Strat and really like them but dont expect a big jump in out put as they are not super loud.

You'd be far better off to leave everything on the guitar alone and get use to using the volume, tbx and mid control. That system is not just a whack up the mid for a boost affair. You have to play with the controls.

I cant say bass was ever a problem for me, it always had plenty. Your pretty much wasting your time changing pickups as the dominant factor in your sound is now the circuitboard. You'll notice some, but very little difference between pickups. I just swapped my vintage noiseless ones for scn's. Theres a slight reduction in treble thats hardly noticable. Quite suprising when you consider how far apart the two pickups sound fitted to a regular guitar.
If I were to change pickups I would definately put some form of humbucking pickups in it. I dont know how your coping with the noise of boosted singlecoils alone.

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No no and no

Yeah, I dropped mine in as replacement and really fell in love with them. Also, lowering them to just above the pickguard seemed to further enhance them. Lots of tonal variations and possibilities ...

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I can agree that Tex Mex pickups are by no means junk whatsoever. I am always looking for sound improvement (if possible). No, the passive single coils on my Vaughn are not excessively noisy at all. I have that thing covered with about a ton of copper tape to shield. Some folks think that if a Strat is fully shielded it will be dead quiet on 1, 3, & 5 positions. Not true. The noise is about 50% less. With the Mid Boost passive pups are not any noisier.. It is dead silent on 2 & 4. I am headed for noiseless/Strat sized Duncans/Dimarzio areas/lace because I am always striving for a better sound and passive Fenders can be irritating. Nonetheless I have been enjoying that 'Strat Sound' for 40 years. I was reading up on Robin Trower's gear reviews and he uses a Tex Mex lead pickup on at least one of his Strats.

For some reason I thought the mid-boost only worked with noiseless pickups. I guess not, cool.

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Hi Texas G/S. Here is a good link to check out for any Strat owner who wants good information. I first found this page while searching for help on installing the Clapton Mid/Boost without making any body modifications. His instructions were super helpful with plenty of photos (step by step). He explains lots of things a Strat owner can use.Here is his e-mail website address.http://www.areyouexperienced.net. I hope the page is helpful to you and your guitar.

I have some Tex-Mex and the height adjustment really makes a difference. You might try setting the bass side closer and see if that helps you find the tone you are looking for.