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Post subject: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:12 pm
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I'm looking at modding my MIM Strat with a new bridge pick up. I would like to know what the recommendations of the forum is, so that I may narrow down my search. I am looking at meeting the following conditions,
1. I'm looking for a versatile pup, a pup that cleans up well when played clean, breaks up nice for blues & classic rock and handles high gain for when I want to get my metal on :evil:
2. This may seem petty, but I don't like the aesthetic looks of rail pup's. Would like a pup that has more of a traditional signal coil look, but that meets my playing needs.

Pup's I'm considering,
1. Dimarzio/ Virtual Solo
2. Dimarzio/ Injector Bridge
3. Duncan/ Hot Stock Plus STK-9B

I welcome all recommendations and I thank all of you in advance for the advice.

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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 10:56 pm
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The DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Solo or Solo Pro would be an excellent choice. Each of them are noiseless of course and can use your guitar's existing pots and wiring. I believe both pickups are now discontinued but they still turn up periodically on Ebay.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 11:57 pm
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That is asking for alot of versatility for one guitar - or one amp for that matter. That is why we like to have several of each.

Strats are very versatile but not so much because there is a pickup made that does everything well. My MIM with Texas Specials does very well for Blues and doesn't sound bad for classic rock either although the tone seems too fat and the sound doesn't seem authentic. A/B it clean against my stock Squier Affinity and the Squier will win every time. If you consider Black Sabbath to be Metal then I've tried it and it just seems wrong. My MIA upgraded to rail pickups does great with classic rock and with a pedal handles Sabbath covers fairly well. A P90 project is in the works for those days when I'm in the mood to really get into some Sabbath or AC/DC.

Maybe go with a Fat 50 with this MIM and then get a second one later for your Duncan or Dimarzio choice? Or go Fat 50 in the second MIM. Hard to get that much variety in one pickup without compromising one end or the other. I'd go Fat 50's. Will cover most of the music you'd play and if it falls on it's face trying to cover the rest then I'd start looking for a second guitar. Then a third... It's a slippery $@!&#!


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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 12:56 am
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fenderfan wrote:
...Maybe go with a Fat 50...


That was my first thought too. My Strat with Fat 50s does handle a variety of genres from clean, to bluesy, to heavy, very well. I am not familiar with Dimarzio, but if Retroverbial recommends them, that's good enough for me. If you can't find a Dimarzio that fits the bill, yeah, Fat 50s might be what you need.

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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 1:02 am
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Just get a decent normal lowish output set of Strat pickups in there and do what used to happen in the old days - use a distortion/overdrive/preamp pedal to provide the additional meat when it's required.

Ritchie Blackmore could in no way be described as having a weak, thin guitar tone, and he preferred his guitars to have pickups with output on the low side, as they sound sweeter.
Alright, he had beefed up Marshalls for stage use (used a Vox AC30 a lot in the studio), and for a very long time he used to boot up his signal into the amps with an old Akai tape recorder, but you'd never describe the sound as lacking.


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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 6:42 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
The DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Solo or Solo Pro would be an excellent choice. Each of them are noiseless of course and can use your guitar's existing pots and wiring. I believe both pickups are now discontinued but they still turn up periodically on Ebay.

Arjay


Thank you Arjay, your opinion as always is highly valued. I will keep you abreast as to the direction I go with this project :D

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14 60th Anniversary Stratocaster
08 Fender Highway One Stratocaster


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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 6:49 am
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[quote="fenderfan"]That is asking for alot of versatility for one guitar - or one amp for that matter. That is why we like to have several of each.

Thanks for the great advice, a fat 50's never crossed my mind... I know I am asking for a lot and as stated this could be sensitive as I will be loosing some sonic charatertisc of my Strat. I agree in owning several guitars, but I find that is the problem. I love my collection of Strats and Tele, but I've grown tired of bringing several guitars to Jam Sessions and gig's. I'm a gun for hire, so I'm always traveling about town to a gig. Would be nice to reduce my setup to one axe. My Standard HH Tele with coil tapping is fitting the bill now, but I much rather fly around town with my Strat :D

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14 60th Anniversary Stratocaster
08 Fender Highway One Stratocaster


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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 10:42 am
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If one wants a real joseph-and-the-amazing-technicolor-dreamcoat type of Strat, I'd start with the HSS models


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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 1:13 pm
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Thank you all for your input and support, words can't express how much I appreciate everyones advice. Well I solved the problem by purchasing 2015 MIM HH Strat with coil tapping. This one Strat will meet my work load as it is very versatile, when coiled tap is not exactly a bell like Strat tone, but very close for my session player needs. Great work horse and great tone. Another bonus is that my arctic white standard still has her original electronics. There was no need to MOD her :D

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15 Fender MIM Modern Player Telecaster
14 60th Anniversary Stratocaster
08 Fender Highway One Stratocaster


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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 1:21 pm
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I.Ronin wrote:
Another bonus is that my arctic white standard still has her original electronics. There was no need to MOD her


Many of us upgrade ours as a matter of course.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:01 pm
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I.Ronin wrote:
Thank you all for your input and support, words can't express how much I appreciate everyones advice. Well I solved the problem by purchasing 2015 MIM HH Strat with coil tapping. This one Strat will meet my work load as it is very versatile, when coiled tap is not exactly a bell like Strat tone, but very close for my session player needs. Great work horse and great tone. Another bonus is that my arctic white standard still has her original electronics. There was no need to MOD her :D

Glad it worked out! I hadn't considered an HH but they can be versatile. I usually bring one guitar and a modeling amp if I'm going to jam and not really sure what kind of music we will be playing. I'm at the age where I don't like making extra trips loading up the car to go or coming home tired and having to make multiple trips unloading the car.


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Post subject: Re: Modding My PUP's on a MIM Strat/Need Advice
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 7:16 am
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fenderfan wrote:


I'm at the age where I don't like making extra trips loading up the car to go or coming home tired and having to make multiple trips unloading the car.


+1 My thoughts exactly :D

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15 Fender MIM Modern Player Telecaster
14 60th Anniversary Stratocaster
08 Fender Highway One Stratocaster


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