Lone Star Strat Pickups

[Darganda]

I have a new Lone Star Strat with a Fender Twin Head humbucking bridge pickup with two Texas Special single's. Don't like the pickups very much. The guitar has a dark acoustic tone that needs to be brightened up a bit. I was thinking about dropping a SH-5 Custom humbucker in. Does anyone have any experience with this pickup and or any suggestions on other replacement pickups?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratDLR3TSB/

[DreX]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

How much are you willing to spend? My favorite "bright" single coil has to be the Fralin Blues Special or Vintage Hots (I can't decide which I like more), but I'm bout to install some CS 69's tonight and I suspect they will be rather bright, wound to 5.8k as opposed to the mid 6's of the Texas Specials, and the CS 69's a bit cheaper than the Fralins. I think you get what you pay for with the Fralins though, they're unmatched.

I'm not sure about the SH-5, I don't see much promise that it will be brighter than the Fender Twin Head based on the available specs. I'd favor the Pearly Gates, Fender used to put them in that guitar, and it's output matches up OK with single coils. It would not be dark, that is for sure.

[jmcorey]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

What amp do you play through? What styles of music?

[Hairmail]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

^

And what do you not like about the current tone?

[Darganda]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

vox ac 15 w/ a mesa throttle box for heavy tones. All styles mostly deftones/thrice type stuff and blues

[Darganda]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

Dont like the low end its too dark i need a humbucker to brighten the tone up a little and the output is definitely not even w/ the single coils, im not a fan of fender pickups

[Darganda]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

Its a heavy strat almost 8 pounds i need something to make the natural dark bassy tone of the guitar a little brighter

[Darganda]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

How much are you willing to spend? My favorite "bright" single coil has to be the Fralin Blues Special or Vintage Hots (I can't decide which I like more), but I'm bout to install some CS 69's tonight and I suspect they will be rather bright, wound to 5.8k as opposed to the mid 6's of the Texas Specials, and the CS 69's a bit cheaper than the Fralins. I think you get what you pay for with the Fralins though, they're unmatched.

I'm not sure about the SH-5, I don't see much promise that it will be brighter than the Fender Twin Head based on the available specs. I'd favor the Pearly Gates, Fender used to put them in that guitar, and it's output matches up OK with single coils. It would not be dark, that is for sure.

i checked out the fralin's, theyre too bright but the cs 69's sound really cool the pearly gates is a little too bright, thanks for the suggestions

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

I'd favor the Pearly Gates, Fender used to put them in that guitar, and it's output matches up OK with single coils. It would not be dark, that is for sure.

No they didn't, they used the Pearly Gates Plus, which modified the wind slightly, and changed the magnet (A5 instead of A2). It's a different pickup, and as far as I know, the PG+ is still only supplied in Fender guitars, and is not available as a production line pickup from SD or their distributors. The usual option for acquiring them is 'used'. FWIW, I swapped the one that came in my MIA Lonestar for a Screamin' Demon that MJ did for me.

[jmcorey]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

You can buy them new: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trks...at=0&_from=R40

[hamerfan]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

You can buy them new: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trks...at=0&_from=R40

I have shot a complete pickguard on fleabay some years ago. By chance i fooled around with the pearly gates plus humbucker and put it in a 1999 Les Paul just for laughs.
It turned out bright and midless at the same time and that drove me nuts. I swapped in an Alnico8 magnet. That helped but it was still gutless.
All i say is a PG plus is an awfully bright pickup. If you want it brighter, its not the pickup but the pot you have to work on. Try 500k volume pot and hook off the tone pot from the bridge position.

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

You can buy them new: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trks...at=0&_from=R40

I must admit, I was only looking at what SD lists here.

[Darganda]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

I have shot a complete pickguard on fleabay some years ago. By chance i fooled around with the pearly gates plus humbucker and put it in a 1999 Les Paul just for laughs.
It turned out bright and midless at the same time and that drove me nuts. I swapped in an Alnico8 magnet. That helped but it was still gutless.
All i say is a PG plus is an awfully bright pickup. If you want it brighter, its not the pickup but the pot you have to work on. Try 500k volume pot and hook off the tone pot from the bridge position.

I think using the 500k pots may help alot. I only have a volume and 1 tone knob do i need to replace the tone knob as well as the volume? Or can i rewire with just the 500k volume?

[jmcorey]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

I must admit, I was only looking at what SD lists here.

Yeah. I think they might have been marketed through Fender.

[hamerfan]

Re: Lone Star Strat Pickups

Hi, I had a long struggle with this fender wiring until i discovered this set up from a German guitar freak. Check it out, it works fine, you should use the 2nd schematic. You have to buy a 500k pot and a 500k resistor

http://www.acys-lounge.de/hss-schaltung.html

Cheers Armin