I have been playing a 2002 HWY One Strat for 10 years now and I finally decided to go all out and get the American Deluxe. I am not crazy about the tone of the guitar. It is too bright and harsh. I start off a gig with the new strat and I always switch back to my old strat after a few songs. I am playing classic rock songs through a Twin Reverb and I sound Country and Twangy. The HWY One sounds warm and bluesy. Is it the nature of the N3 pick ups? I am using a Fulltone OCD and an Xotic Effects BB to supply dirt and crunch.
Any suggestions from the strat experts out there?

Adjust the pickup height and turn down the tone controls

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Bill

Put the tone knobs on 5 and don't go above that till your ears adjust to the brighter tone. Play your new guitar exclusively that way for a week. I have a 2008 MIA that was a bunch brighter till I got used to it. Sounds like a 50's Strat it's so bright. Stock pickups to.

Not a lot of people are necessarily fans of the N3's. Strangely the 2012 Am Std's recieved Fat 50's.. yet the Deluxes 'upgraded' to N3's from SCNs.

I agree with exhausting all pickup height and tone control possibilities. If this doesn't fly, perhaps a whole different set of pickups would serve well.

N3s have been in the Strat and Tele American Deluxes since 2010.

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Bill