50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

[Kamanda~SD]

Hey guys!

I'm going to be looking for new neck/middle single coils for my 2 strats soon. I think I know what kind of sound I'm going for but first...

I was wondering if anyone could describe (with examples would be great) the differences between that 50's, 60's and 70's strat tone. I have a basic idea of each, but I need a more solid understanding! Hopefully this way when I ask for reccomendations it'll make all of your lives easier!

Thanks in advance.

Also, any reccomendations for pickups for each era? I think I'm going to stick with Duncans or Fender's. One strat has a rosewood board and the other a maple...both are alder.

Thanks!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

60's strat: SRV
50's strat: Knopfler
70's strat: Dunno, but Jimi used a '69, right?

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

bump

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

bump

 

[danglybanger]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

I think this is moot.

Yeah the above listed tones were perpetrated by people IN those decades, but you OUGHT to be able to get them with any strat if you want.

The diffs aren't in sound so much as quality duds/not duds. 3 bolt neck joints and big headstocks don't really have an effect on tone, but CBS not routing things properly or using green wood might make for a few differences. Then again most of the wood issues are gone by now...

Just find a good guitar and don't care when/where it was made.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

I have this strat sound I want in my head, I just want to narrow it down. Pretty much looking for which pickups will get me close to a 50's and 60's strat tone (the "defining" tones) and some examples.

 

[thucydides]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

I think the basic Strat tone has remained fairly similar throughout the decades. It seems that the major Strat players through all the years are doing variations on the vintage Strat tone. The difference, IMHO, seems to be the techniques and amps used. Sure, we can throw anything into a Strat, and it will sound fantastic, but it won't be associated w/a Strat sound.

With that in mind, I'd go for some SD pups that reflect the vintage roots of the Strat sound. I'm not sure what specific pups to recomend, though.

I do like a SD Quarter Pounder in the bridge, though. Not a vintage sound, but I always thought many bridge pups in Strats were too thin. You can get a tapped model that should give you a lower output option, though

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

I am facing the same challenge. I am building a strat type guitar and was thinking about APS-2s for neck and middle and a SSL5/2-1b for the bridge. I haven't heard any of the pickups but, judging from the specs, this combination may sound close to what I'm looking for.

For the "real" vintage tone the best route is probably SDs Antiquity series. Apparently the scatter winding really brightens the sound.

 

[Roosje Urbach]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

The late 50s pickups are near 6K4 ohm. The 60s are about 6K and the seventies are around 5K5 and thinner in sound. From the 80's on fender has been using hotter bridge pup's.
I will try to post a table of averages from Donald Brosnacs book.
Hope this helps.

 

[Roosje Urbach]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

Year................neck.........middle.........bridge
1954................5.91K.........5.38K.........5.85K
1955................6.02...........5.96...........6.01
1956................6.13...........6.34...........6.28
1958................6.41...........6.39...........6.65
1960................5.96...........5.85...........6.31
1963................5.62...........5.58...........6.11
1965................6.27...........5.48...........5.76
1966................5.80...........5.91...........5.78
1970................5.60...........5.50...........5.31
1973................5.57...........5.52...........5.58
1974................5.11...........5.45...........5.52
1979................5.65...........5.71...........5.66
1980................5.91...........5.80...........7.32

These are the average ohms for strats from Donald Brosnacs book "Guitar electronics for musicians" Hope this will help you all.
Please note that there is no info on magnets/winding patterns and the like.
I have measured a lot of strat pickups, and these averages seem to hold true. Love, Roosje

 

[jeremy]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

looks like 1958 was a good year :headbang:

almost all fender strat pups from the 50's thru 70's were alnico V and made with 42 awg formvar wire then 42 awg poly wire.

there are slight variences and probably a wider range of difference between older pups, so in the 50's there might have been a +/- 20% swing around those average numbers where in the 70's there was more like a +/- 10% swing

i think alot of the tonal differences between those eras are as much the guitars themselves. ash with a skunk stripe maple neck doesnt sound like alder with a rw board maple neck, 3 vs 4 bolt neck construction etc...

 

[Roosje Urbach]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

I agree with jeremy on the differences being a lot in the guitars themselves. Here is some strat advice from myself: I like strat pickups to be around 6 to 7 K. I like the middle pickup to be a little cooler say 5.5K. This will give a good neck and bridge tone, while the notch positions will get maximum "chime". I must say I never use the middle pickup by itself. My personal favourite positions on a strat are neck, and neck+middle.
nuff said, your sincere strataholic luthier.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: 50s 60s 70s strat tone...comparison?

Thanks guys! Great help once again, that definatly helps getting my choices narrowed down.