Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

[Maximusgordon 2.0]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

The SSL-5 is a great bridge pickup. The RW/RP Texas Hot is actually the same polarity as normal Duncans, as it is one of the only ones that, normally, are wired opposite of all non-RW/RP Duncans. I will say the Antiquity Surfers are astounding pickups. I've used them with Texas Hots before, and they work well.

So are you saying that if I put the RW/RP Antiquity in the neck, and keep the Fat 50's in the middle, I should be able to get hum cancelling in 2 and 4 (that's how they are set up with the Fat 50's set currently)?

[Returned]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

Since you have it coming and are in a mood to swap, put that SSL-5 in the neck and give it a listen. It may just change your mind about what the common wisdom is about neck pickups needing low output to sound sweet and musical.

[pgedney]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

In my experimenting I found a P-90 to have the most bass of any pickup I tested making it an ideal choice for the bridge position because there is a very little bass at the bridge position and it needs all the help it can get there .. it is also quite bright and extremely high gain all of which make it an ideal pickup for the bridge ... with that said I found most of those characteristics work against the P-90 in the neck where I found it to be extremely boomy ... after extensive testing I found a fender single coil to be the best pickup for the neck position because 1) It's bright and the neck position needs help in the high frequencys and 2) It's low on bass response making it resistant to the huge quantities of bass in the neck, similar to using a sure 57 to mic a bass cabinet instead of a large diaphram condensor mic - sometimes smaller is better when there's tons of sound pressure..

You can hear side by side comparison of Single Coil, P-90, Wide Range, Humbucker and Pearly Gates in bridge, middle and neck positions here ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j80eF85cIDM

[Adieu]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

CS 69's are single coils at their most gorgeous imho

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

The most usual thing people say about vintage spec strat pickups is that they'd like them to have touch more output.

And I believe many (if not most?) strat players do want "strattiness" and don't want to go for significantly hotter pickups.

It's funny because you just described the Fat 50's to a tee.

[treyhaislip]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

It's funny because you just described the Fat 50's to a tee.

I couldn't agree more.

Not saying they are the pickup for everyone–the OP obviously thinks something is lacking.

I would try a Texas Specials and see what ya think.

[Nagisa]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

Honestly fat 50s are Fender’s go-to quality pickups for a reason. They are really good and probably suit people in general better than most other sets would. That said, they are great with light overdrive but can’t handle too much. The bridge is weak. I just hope people don’t think they’re bad because they come stock. Like Dimarzio Tone Zone/AN or the JB/Jazz sets, they’re in a lot of guitars because most people should like them - unlike stock pickups for cheap guitars which are most just there to cost the least.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

Honestly fat 50s are Fender’s go-to quality pickups for a reason. They are really good and probably suit people in general better than most other sets would. That said, they are great with light overdrive but can’t handle too much. The bridge is weak. I just hope people don’t think they’re bad because they come stock. Like Dimarzio Tone Zone/AN or the JB/Jazz sets, they’re in a lot of guitars because most people should like them - unlike stock pickups for cheap guitars which are most just there to cost the least.

They were in a lot of Custom Shop guitars before they became adopted as the stock pickups for the American Standard line in 2012. They were a massive upgrade from the former stock American Standard pickups.

I have a set of them in my Highway 1 Strat. They've got the clarity of the CS'69 set except without the scooped mids. So if you like that SRV or Hendrix sound then no, the Fat 50's are not going to agree with you. They're 50's voiced but with some added oomph. I really like them in my guitar. They sit well in a band mix. I disagree about the bridge pickup - I like it just fine.

In my AmStd Strat I put a set of Fender's newer vintage 59's in. Now THOSE are a great pickup if you like 50's sounding Strat tones.

I'm not big on Fender's Tele pickup lines but I will give them credit, they know how to make some great Strat pickups.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

CS 69's are single coils at their most gorgeous imho

It's all a matter of personal taste. I had the CS69's and yeah they are a great sounding pickup but I didn't care for the scooped mids tone of them. I replaced them with the Fat 50's and it was a huge improvement. For ME that is. It all depends which Strat era you're a fan of.

[pgedney]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

After testing a single coil, P-90, WideRange, Humbucker and Duncan Pearly gates in all three pickup positions I found the following:
I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences with pickup types and locations.

You can hear the side by side comparison of Single Coil, P-90, Wide Range, Humbucker and Pearly Gates in bridge, middle and neck positions here ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j80eF85cIDM

MY THOUGHTS ...

* BRIDGE - the bridge position has MUCH less energy and more importantly much less BASS than the neck position - maybe 1/5th as much, making a humbucker is a natural fit for this position as we all know already however ..

- A P-90 sounds killer in the bridge position
- The fender wide range is under-rated, this pickup is very powerful with a velvety sound - great distortion!!

* MIDDLE POSITION - this position naturally sounds the most like an acoustic guitar of the three positions, In the past I never used it but after doing these tests I use it the most often.

- A humbucker is ideal for the middle position - it's too bad a Les Paul doesn't have a middle pickup.


* NECK POSITION - the neck position has SO much more LOW bass in the 100 hz range that I thought a Strat single coil is a natural fit for this position.

- Many people tend to put humbuckers and P-90s in the neck but I think that is like using a condensor mic to mic a guitar cabinet - a sure 57 is much better for this in the same way that a single coil is much better for the high signal strength of the neck position.

- I found the P-90 to have the most bass of all pickups tested, as such it sounds boomy in the neck position.

Finally in general I found very little difference in the Duncan 59 and Pearly gates, much less so for example than a P-90 and a Humbucker.

thoughts anyone?

[jeremy]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

you mean two paf style humbuckers sound more similar than a p90 and a humbucker?!?!? who knew!

im not a fan of middle humbuckers most of the time

[Adieu]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

It's all a matter of personal taste. I had the CS69's and yeah they are a great sounding pickup but I didn't care for the scooped mids tone of them. I replaced them with the Fat 50's and it was a huge improvement. For ME that is. It all depends which Strat era you're a fan of.

Maybe that's what makes em gain friendly though?

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

Maybe that's what makes em gain friendly though?

I think if you get your gain from pedals or the amp they work very well as they are low output.

My style is very low gain/edge of breakup so I need my pickups to have enough oomph otherwise it ends up coming out too clean. That's why I prefer pickups with more pushed mids.

[Jacew]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

I think if you get your gain from pedals or the amp they work very well as they are low output.

My style is very low gain/edge of breakup so I need my pickups to have enough oomph otherwise it ends up coming out too clean. That's why I prefer pickups with more pushed mids.

Of course you could also use clean boost?

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Finding the right Strat neck pickup!

Of course you could also use clean boost?

I guess you could. I just found those pickups weren't my bag. They're nice but not the tone I was looking for.