It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:23 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 28 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 12:00 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Miami Mike wrote:
Abby Masterwounds :wink:


+1

Some of the best pickups ever wound!!!

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 1:34 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2014 1:50 am
Posts: 5667
Location: Arizona USA
fenderfan wrote:
Whether you have a SSS or a HSS, the pickups on the American Standard are going to be better than the Mexi. My MIM Strat has Texas Specials but if they were Mexican Standards they would have been replaced long ago. I'd get a loaded pickguard with Fat 50's if it was my only guitar. If I only played the Blues or had another guitar(s) to handle everything else I would go with Texas Specials.

Mexican Standard pickups work great as refrigerator magnets but I don't know anyone who uses them for the purpose they were designed for.


I have a friend who put Texas Specials in his American Standard and it sounds great. I have a Mexican Standard with the original pups that I rarely play because of that. I know I have to change the pups. Are you saying you like Texas Specials for blues?

_________________
Marky

Remember the music is not in the guitar


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 1:44 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 8461
Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
Think long and hard about this too:

Obviously, many players change out their OEM pickup(s) because they find it/them to be deficient in (usually) several areas. Of equal importance is to consider what you do like about the OEM pickup(s) and which of those properties you require the new pickup(s) to retain as well. I've seen it more times than I can count where players neglected to consider this and are bitterly disappointed with their replacement selections. For example, granted, you got that gutsy midrange you wanted with the replacement but lost all crisp high end you loved in the OEM all along. Be careful and take your time.

_________________
You dig?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 2:13 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:56 am
Posts: 1677
Location: Coastal Bend, Tx.
danagos wrote:
Get a set exactly like you admired on the MIA Std.

What he said +1
Or
(B)Shawbucker (M)see above (N)see above

abbynormals are what I use, uh American Standard's....relatively inexpensive


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 3:33 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 6:54 pm
Posts: 1175
Martian wrote:
Think long and hard about this too:

Obviously, many players change out their OEM pickup(s) because they find it/them to be deficient in (usually) several areas. Of equal importance is to consider what you do like about the OEM pickup(s) and which of those properties you require the new pickup(s) to retain as well. I've seen it more times than I can count where players neglected to consider this and are bitterly disappointed with their replacement selections. For example, granted, you got that gutsy midrange you wanted with the replacement but lost all crisp high end you loved in the OEM all along. Be careful and take your time.

+1 ...this ought to be a sticky whenever changing pickups is considered here! 8)

_________________
Took me a long time to learn that a Good Set-Up is the best Parts money can buy


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 3:53 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2014 1:50 am
Posts: 5667
Location: Arizona USA
Thanks Martian and sfceric64 for your advice. I've never played Abby Masterwounds. I'm not sure if I've ever even heard them but I know I can't afford them. I'm a disabled Chaplain trying to live on disability. I'm looking for clean tone with as little hum as possible. I have a Fender Mustang 1 v2 amp and like the '65 twin reverb preset the most. I'll keep searching. :D

_________________
Marky

Remember the music is not in the guitar


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 6:12 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 8461
Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
Marky Forrest wrote:
Thanks Martian and sfceric64 for your advice. I've never played Abby Masterwounds. I'm not sure if I've ever even heard them but I know I can't afford them. I'm a disabled Chaplain trying to live on disability. I'm looking for clean tone with as little hum as possible. I have a Fender Mustang 1 v2 amp and like the '65 twin reverb preset the most. I'll keep searching. :D


You're quite welcome. There are so many directions one can go with pickups where if you don't have a "big picture' in your head, your best bet is to simply sit back and listen to what's out there. And remember, there's nothing wrong with saying "I don't know, I'm not sure, etc.". You'll pretty much know when the time comes as you're already comfortable with your amp. Oh, and a set of decent pickups for you does not necessarily have to cost a fortune. The key here is for you to take your time and not feel some kind of self-imposed urgency about it/them. In this particular situation, when in doubt, do nothing.

_________________
You dig?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 10:17 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2014 1:50 am
Posts: 5667
Location: Arizona USA
Excellent advice Martian... thanks

_________________
Marky

Remember the music is not in the guitar


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 10:29 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 8461
Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
Marky Forrest wrote:
Excellent advice Martian... thanks


Any time!

_________________
You dig?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 5:43 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:20 pm
Posts: 496
Marky Forrest wrote:
fenderfan wrote:
Whether you have a SSS or a HSS, the pickups on the American Standard are going to be better than the Mexi. My MIM Strat has Texas Specials but if they were Mexican Standards they would have been replaced long ago. I'd get a loaded pickguard with Fat 50's if it was my only guitar. If I only played the Blues or had another guitar(s) to handle everything else I would go with Texas Specials.

Mexican Standard pickups work great as refrigerator magnets but I don't know anyone who uses them for the purpose they were designed for.


I have a friend who put Texas Specials in his American Standard and it sounds great. I have a Mexican Standard with the original pups that I rarely play because of that. I know I have to change the pups. Are you saying you like Texas Specials for blues?


I have Texas Specials in my MIM Roadhouse Strat and like them a lot. Great for Blues but hit and miss for other music. Handles modern Country well but just doesn't sound right to me for old Country or Classic Rock. Had a cheap SS amp with no effects on it when I got the guitar and it sounded terrible. Pretty much just put it away and played my Squier till I got my tube amp. The cheap Squier sounded better without any drive but after getting a tube amp the Roadhouse came alive. Think if I played only Blues I could get away with just having that one guitar.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:10 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:20 pm
Posts: 496
White Dog wrote:
fenderfan wrote:
Mexican Standard pickups work great as refrigerator magnets but I don't know anyone who uses them for the purpose they were designed for.
Well...now you do. Me. I guess that depends on who you are...how you play...what you play...and your personal preferences.
My 2012 MIM Standard is all stock, and playing on the middle pickup through an Ultimate Chorus (with Chorus on) I can get a dead-on David Gilmore sound. And playing the middle & bridge pickup's through a Blues Jr. I can get REAL close to a Stevie Ray Vaughn sound.

Nope...I wouldn't even consider changing the pickup's on this guitar.


Guess in the internet days that is too broad of a statement. When I said that I don't know anyone who uses the original Mexican Standard pickups, I meant that none of the people I play with uses them. When someone mentions that they picked up a new Mexican, someone else inevitably asks "What pickups are you going to put in it?". Not that there is anything wrong with liking the Mexican pups - different people have different preferences. Some think I'm wrong for preferring my MIMs to my MIA. Some say that my custom Tele is the ugliest POS they have ever seen and don't like it at all but I wouldn't trade it for a Fender Custom Shop guitar. It plays great, sounds great, and was made by a guy that has built guitars for Clapton, Townsend, Steppenwolf, MegaDeath, Joe Walsh, and a bunch of others.

These days I could post that I don't know anyone who plays an SG, but there is bound to be someone out on the 'net who will reply "Well, now you do - Me".


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2015 6:23 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 2:11 pm
Posts: 820
Location: Iowa, USA
fenderfan wrote:
White Dog wrote:
fenderfan wrote:
Mexican Standard pickups work great as refrigerator magnets but I don't know anyone who uses them for the purpose they were designed for.
Well...now you do. Me. I guess that depends on who you are...how you play...what you play...and your personal preferences.
My 2012 MIM Standard is all stock, and playing on the middle pickup through an Ultimate Chorus (with Chorus on) I can get a dead-on David Gilmore sound. And playing the middle & bridge pickup's through a Blues Jr. I can get REAL close to a Stevie Ray Vaughn sound.

Nope...I wouldn't even consider changing the pickup's on this guitar.


Guess in the internet days that is too broad of a statement. When I said that I don't know anyone who uses the original Mexican Standard pickups, I meant that none of the people I play with uses them. When someone mentions that they picked up a new Mexican, someone else inevitably asks "What pickups are you going to put in it?". Not that there is anything wrong with liking the Mexican pups - different people have different preferences. Some think I'm wrong for preferring my MIMs to my MIA. Some say that my custom Tele is the ugliest POS they have ever seen and don't like it at all but I wouldn't trade it for a Fender Custom Shop guitar. It plays great, sounds great, and was made by a guy that has built guitars for Clapton, Townsend, Steppenwolf, MegaDeath, Joe Walsh, and a bunch of others.

These days I could post that I don't know anyone who plays an SG, but there is bound to be someone out on the 'net who will reply "Well, now you do - Me".
This is why I followed up my second reply with "to each their own".
You saw how some people jumped all over my first post (heck, one guy spoke for "most forum members", and another indicated that "I led with my chin"). Everyone has their own tastes, and sound for music. I am no different. I have found that I like the standard pups in my MIM...not just a little, but a lot.
I too prefer my MIM over my MIA (though I must admit, my MIA is the only one I have ever owned).

I did not misinterpret or take offense to the "refrigerator magnet" comment---merely answered to it with my own views and experiences. Everyone can relax....it's all good. We don't all have to be alike; that would be boring. 8)


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Upgrading pickups on Standrad strat?
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2015 1:41 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:20 pm
Posts: 496
The world would be a boring place indeed if we all sounded the same! That's the beauty of music - there are simple rules to follow but the rest is all about how we bend the rest of the rules and make it our own.

I'm a single parent - I don't have time for regular rehearsals or scheduled gigs. Other than a family-friendly festival I play once a summer my time is mostly spent playing at home and the occasional informal jam at a friend's. I buy/mod what I need to get a sound that is pleasing to me. If you are pleased with MIM Standard pups there is nothing wrong with that. They are versatile and cover alot of types of music, I just find that they don't really cover any very well. If I only had one guitar and played a wide variety of music styles I'm sure I could get by with it and find my tone with petals and amp settings(especially now with modeling amps) but not sure I could with just Texas Specials. But having one guitar is boring too.

No one says you have to mod a Mexican, is just that most do. After all, they are cheap and modding is fun.

Important thing is to just keep jammin Dog! Playing makes us happy or we wouldn't be so passionate about it. Doesn't matter what's wired into the guitar or even what it says on the headstock.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 28 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: