A3 Strat single coils

[Demanic]

I'm planning on upgrading the stock pickups in my Squire Affinity that I was recently gifted. Want to go with something more vintage in flavor. Thinking of A3 instead of the usual A5. Anyone have any experience with these, if so, chime in.

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[FuseG4]

I have used a few a3 strat pickups and tele pickups and like A2 you can expect a drop in output and the bass gets looser/chewier/spongier and there is a texture that is hard to describe. You can wind them bright or kinda smooth and warm, but they feel generally pretty different from like your 57/62 or SSL1 kinda thing

If you're looking for Vintagey as in the very first era of strat sounds, I think a3 pickups helps. But I like a5 pickups for that a5 snap and scoop that sounds more familiar to me and if I want to get warm or less bass I can adjust the tone knob or amp but you can't add back what was missing to begin with as they say

For the warmer smoother side check out the Eric johnson a3 neck and middle pickups (and I do love the a5 bridge pickup too)
For more bright clucky but still a3 flavor those squier a3 classic vibe pickups they used were really good, I dunno if they still use those on the classic vibe
I think they were relabeled tone rider pickups but can't confirm.

[Lewguitar]

I've had a couple of the Eric Johnson Strats. The bridge pickup is alnico 5 but the neck and middle are alnico 3. I didn't care for the sound of the a3 pickups. Sounded thin and weak to me. They obviously work for EJ, and he's one of my favorite guitarists, but I'm more of a blues player and I like a more robust tone for my own playing style. I like a5 Duncan Surfers much more.

[idsnowdog]

I'm planning on upgrading the stock pickups in my Squire Affinity that I was recently gifted. Want to go with something more vintage in flavor. Thinking of A3 instead of the usual A5. Anyone have any experience with these, if so, chime in.

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I have two A3 single coils for free if you want them.

[eclecticsynergy]

I have two A3 single coils for free if you want them.

Way to pay it forward, snowdog. Well done.

[Demanic]

I have two A3 single coils for free if you want them.

I completely forgot about that. I'll pm you tomorrow.

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