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Post subject: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 11:51 pm
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A tough question, but your opinions would be appreciated.

I just got a used American standard strat with a maple neck. The pups are SSS. I'm not sure what kind they are, but I don't like them much. They seem a little thin, trebly and even ice-picky.

I play blues on the neck pup (usually with a touch of gain, sometimes with a good amount of gain, usually not totally clean), and classic rock and hard classic rock (mostly on the bridge pup, which is a humbucker on my other strats).

So, I wanted your suggestions on a nice neck pickup (if a noiseless sounds good, that would be a plus) for good blues tones, and a good bridge pickup for rock tones (I might need one of those humbuckers in a single coil size?)

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 11:58 pm
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I'm partial to DiMarzio's Virtual Vintage noiseless pickups. Since you enjoy soloing with your neck pickup (as do I) I'd recommend a Heavy Blues or Heavy Blues II there. If you don't mind some loss of "strattitude", you may find an Injector to your liking at the bridge. Round out the trio with an Area 58 in the middle for traditional Strat vibe. All are noiseless and use Fender's standard 250K volume and tone pots. I prefer Russian-made .022 ufd PIO tone caps but I don't yet know how well they interface with the Injector series of pickups. Some experimentation there may be in order.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 8:39 am
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I would change out the pups. I would do one of two things. Either turn the tone knob down or change out the the capaciter. These two thinga will change your sound greatly.

I play blues and feel that the Am. Std pups are great.


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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:00 pm
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Two recommendations to check out:
Take a look at Amalfitano SP pups. I have them in all of my Am Stds.

While you are at it, check out the 'Eric Johnson' wiring scheme from the Fender site. It moves the bottom tone control to the bridge pu and leaves the middle pu with no tone control. It allows you to roll off some of the brightness of the bridge pu while still preserving the 'quack' in positions 2 and 4. I have mine wired this way and really like it.


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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 4:32 pm
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Go on YouTube and listen to a whole lotta pickups. Check out Fenders Texas Specials for a bluesier tone than what you have now. Or spend some quality time playing with all those things called tone knobs on the amp and guitar. IF you have the right setup you'll hear the blues. If your used to Humbuckers, play the Strat like it is for a week without touching a HB guitar. Your ears need to get used to the tone difference, that's all.


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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 5:09 pm
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BLUE Lace Sensor for neck pup. Great blues. Humbucker 'sounding'. Bridge: Lace Sensor Red. The "Tele Plus" uses a blue single lace @ neck and double red lace @ bridge. They are not 100% silent, but fairly quiet. It's E-Z to roll guitar volume off between songs. Dimarzio makes good humbuckers that fit in your single slot.


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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 5:25 am
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LouBaby wrote:
Two recommendations to check out:
Take a look at Amalfitano SP pups. I have them in all of my Am Stds.

While you are at it, check out the 'Eric Johnson' wiring scheme from the Fender site. It moves the bottom tone control to the bridge pu and leaves the middle pu with no tone control. It allows you to roll off some of the brightness of the bridge pu while still preserving the 'quack' in positions 2 and 4. I have mine wired this way and really like it.


This is the same wiring as the HWY1.


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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 5:29 am
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As I've stated before I like single coils for blues. Many, to include myself, feel that single coil pups bring out more of the player's own personality. HB have a tendency to hide the player's ID, save maybe ALbert and BB King.


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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:23 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
I'm partial to DiMarzio's Virtual Vintage noiseless pickups. Since you enjoy soloing with your neck pickup (as do I) I'd recommend a Heavy Blues or Heavy Blues II there. If you don't mind some loss of "strattitude", you may find an Injector to your liking at the bridge. Round out the trio with an Area 58 in the middle for traditional Strat vibe. All are noiseless and use Fender's standard 250K volume and tone pots. I prefer Russian-made .022 ufd PIO tone caps but I don't yet know how well they interface with the Injector series of pickups. Some experimentation there may be in order.

Arjay


Do you have a Heavy Blues II and if so can you describe the sound? I looked at the DiMarzio site and it is sort of a general sales description. Would you compare it to a P90 or more of a humbucker sound?

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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:00 am
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I'm a bluesman and really like the sound of Texas Specials.


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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 6:01 am
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I have a Strat w/ a rosewood fret board and Texas Spc.


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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:09 am
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As you can see from all the opinions it's like asking a bunch of people...What kind of sandwich would I like?
I like the Fender 57/62, and the Fat 50's. I recently picked up a roadhouse strat with Texas Specials...little hotter output, but scream pretty good for bluesy music.

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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:38 am
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My American Special also have Texas Specials and concur with previous postings regarding them. Though the fundamental sound is there, playing among my three different amps and varying their settings, also affects their sound quality. To note, I have a 62 Fender Concert, 67 Fender Bandmaster and 09 Fender Frontman 25R. Having said that, the amp being used to demo what ever pickups you listen to would therefore play in the sound quality being sought, IMO.

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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:54 am
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Lenny1716 wrote:
Having said that, the amp being used to demo what ever pickups you listen to would therefore play in the sound quality being sought, IMO.


+1

As well, any stompboxes on a pedalboard should also be factored it when auditioning a new set of pickups.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Which pickups would I like?
Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 4:29 am
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I have 2 Squier Standard Strats of which I installed the 57/62 pickup set in both of them. IMO, they're Fender's best pickups , especially for Blues.


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