71 strat
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Re: 71 strat
How about a late 60's sound? These could be modified (since they are custom pickups) to add a few years of tone to them.
How about a late 60's sound? These could be modified (since they are custom pickups) to add a few years of tone to them.
El Supremo
New member
Re: 71 strat
Yeah yeah, afraid you'll attract some CBS bashers? :9:
Jokes aside, as far as I know, the ealy 70's Fender pickups still had the vintage stagger (the guitars themselves had the 7.25" radius) enamel coated wire and were pretty scooped and clean sounding. Apart from the Fender and Duncan offerings already suggested there's also the Dimarzio Area 67 (humcancelling) and the BKP Mother's Milk that I know are modelled for the sound of that era.
I've only had experience with the CS 69 though, and I'll say they're damn good pickups.
Yeah yeah, afraid you'll attract some CBS bashers? :9:
Jokes aside, as far as I know, the ealy 70's Fender pickups still had the vintage stagger (the guitars themselves had the 7.25" radius) enamel coated wire and were pretty scooped and clean sounding. Apart from the Fender and Duncan offerings already suggested there's also the Dimarzio Area 67 (humcancelling) and the BKP Mother's Milk that I know are modelled for the sound of that era.
I've only had experience with the CS 69 though, and I'll say they're damn good pickups.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: 71 strat
Not bashing the CBS era Strats, just curious why he's after a '71 Strat tone...
Not bashing the CBS era Strats, just curious why he's after a '71 Strat tone...
El Supremo
New member
Re: 71 strat
I was reffering to the "I have a friend" bit as a joke. Guess I'll have to brush up on my comedy routine.
Anyways, when I think of early 70's strat tones though, first name that comes to mind is mr. Blackmore. You'll need a bit more than a pickup set to pull that off though (if that were to be the case).
I was reffering to the "I have a friend" bit as a joke. Guess I'll have to brush up on my comedy routine.
Anyways, when I think of early 70's strat tones though, first name that comes to mind is mr. Blackmore. You'll need a bit more than a pickup set to pull that off though (if that were to be the case).
Christopher Caruana
New member
Re: 71 strat
Fender Custom Shop '69s
Fender Custom Shop '69s
zenmindbeginner
New member
Re: 71 strat
There's more hype than reality into the differences between pre-CBS and CBS era pickups I'm afraid.
There are marked differences between the quality and construction of the pre-CBS and CBS era guitars/amps but the pickups didn't change much as far as the quality goes.
You'll see differences between the pickups wound in the early days of Fender when they were still experimenting and finding their voice electronically... but by the early 60s, the Fender single coil was pretty well defined.
Vintage black back and grey back Fender pickups are all underwound by today's standards... plinky and very bright.
1). For regular production, the Surfer Antiquities are like overwound greyback pickups... not plinky and just bright enough.
2). For a more signature experience, the aforementioned SD Custom Shop's Psychedelic Strat set from the Custom Shop will be right-on-the-money
There's more hype than reality into the differences between pre-CBS and CBS era pickups I'm afraid.
There are marked differences between the quality and construction of the pre-CBS and CBS era guitars/amps but the pickups didn't change much as far as the quality goes.
You'll see differences between the pickups wound in the early days of Fender when they were still experimenting and finding their voice electronically... but by the early 60s, the Fender single coil was pretty well defined.
Vintage black back and grey back Fender pickups are all underwound by today's standards... plinky and very bright.
1). For regular production, the Surfer Antiquities are like overwound greyback pickups... not plinky and just bright enough.
2). For a more signature experience, the aforementioned SD Custom Shop's Psychedelic Strat set from the Custom Shop will be right-on-the-money
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: 71 strat
I met a former Fender Employee who said the problem under CBS was little to zero investment into machinery and equipment which subsequently resulted in poor quality products. Hence, it was not poor quality materials or design (for guitars that is, although I do not like the big headstock) but rather the tools used. I wasn't even born then, just taking his word for it.
I met a former Fender Employee who said the problem under CBS was little to zero investment into machinery and equipment which subsequently resulted in poor quality products. Hence, it was not poor quality materials or design (for guitars that is, although I do not like the big headstock) but rather the tools used. I wasn't even born then, just taking his word for it.
Nostalgic Distortion
New member
Re: 71 strat
LOL, I.M.H.O. the big headstock was the only good thing about the 70's era Fenders!!!
LOL, I.M.H.O. the big headstock was the only good thing about the 70's era Fenders!!!
Christopher Caruana
New member
Re: 71 strat
I like the big headstocks, but ya....ive seen a ton of 70's strats with poor neck/body alignment and caused to low E strings to be right up on the edge of the fretboard
I like the big headstocks, but ya....ive seen a ton of 70's strats with poor neck/body alignment and caused to low E strings to be right up on the edge of the fretboard
Re: 71 strat
fender switched from formvar to pe in the mid 60's, changed magnet diameters, and switched from hand guided to machine wound. there is a definite difference between a '63 and a '66 strat pup. the surfers may have grey bottoms but they similar to a slightly over wound early 60's strat pup. the custom '69 and psychadelic's are the later 60's style with pe and fewer winds
fender switched from formvar to pe in the mid 60's, changed magnet diameters, and switched from hand guided to machine wound. there is a definite difference between a '63 and a '66 strat pup. the surfers may have grey bottoms but they similar to a slightly over wound early 60's strat pup. the custom '69 and psychadelic's are the later 60's style with pe and fewer winds
ItsaBass
New member
Re: 71 strat
Yup. ^^^ If your friend wants '71-style pickups, then your friend wants neatly wound, skinny-magnet, PE-wire pickups that are 5-10 percent less heavily wound than "classic" Strat pickups.
The CS '69's are the closest commonly available pickups for your friend. '69 and '71 Strat pickups were the same, barring normal variation in materials and such over the span of 2–3 years. The biggest change in the '70's came when Fender got rid of the pole piece stagger a few years later.
Yup. ^^^ If your friend wants '71-style pickups, then your friend wants neatly wound, skinny-magnet, PE-wire pickups that are 5-10 percent less heavily wound than "classic" Strat pickups.
The CS '69's are the closest commonly available pickups for your friend. '69 and '71 Strat pickups were the same, barring normal variation in materials and such over the span of 2–3 years. The biggest change in the '70's came when Fender got rid of the pole piece stagger a few years later.
zenmindbeginner
New member
Re: 71 strat
I wasn't making the point that the pickups were the same from pre-CBS and CBS eras but that the quality didn't go down... I don't see machine winding as necessarily being inferior to hand winding. Everything changed through the eras but the basic recipe of: vulcanized fiber flatwork+plastic bobbins+A5 magnets+42 gauge wire was in place by the late 50s. The handwound stuff is worth more than machine wound stuff... that's just reality of handmade vs machine made goods.
Fender had heavier more dense wood stocks in the CBS era... more obtuse body cuts... less paint options... the dreaded 3 bolt neck joint etc. These are all design flaws made with economic aims in mind only... hence why the CBS era gets a bad rap.
I guess I am just trying to say the CBS era isn't held in high esteem but it's not because the pickups sucked.
I wasn't making the point that the pickups were the same from pre-CBS and CBS eras but that the quality didn't go down... I don't see machine winding as necessarily being inferior to hand winding. Everything changed through the eras but the basic recipe of: vulcanized fiber flatwork+plastic bobbins+A5 magnets+42 gauge wire was in place by the late 50s. The handwound stuff is worth more than machine wound stuff... that's just reality of handmade vs machine made goods.
Fender had heavier more dense wood stocks in the CBS era... more obtuse body cuts... less paint options... the dreaded 3 bolt neck joint etc. These are all design flaws made with economic aims in mind only... hence why the CBS era gets a bad rap.
I guess I am just trying to say the CBS era isn't held in high esteem but it's not because the pickups sucked.
freefrog
Well-known member
Re: 71 strat
Yep, the psychedelic Strat Set would be the ticket if the buyer wants a set of our good ol' and beloved Duncan's.
If other ideas are appreciated, FWIW, I have a set of these hand-wound PU's in one of my Strats and they are simply excellent (better than my Fender CS69, to my ears):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-69s-...876271?hash=item41956dd0af:g:67AAAOSwk5FUsFkx
Aside the usual "69" set, Klein also sells a "74" variation on Strat pickups. But they are more expensive...
Good luck in your quest!
Yep, the psychedelic Strat Set would be the ticket if the buyer wants a set of our good ol' and beloved Duncan's.
If other ideas are appreciated, FWIW, I have a set of these hand-wound PU's in one of my Strats and they are simply excellent (better than my Fender CS69, to my ears):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-69s-...876271?hash=item41956dd0af:g:67AAAOSwk5FUsFkx
Aside the usual "69" set, Klein also sells a "74" variation on Strat pickups. But they are more expensive...
Good luck in your quest!
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: 71 strat
Oh say it aint so! :argh: lol I never liked the big headstocks, looked out of proportion to me. lol Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...lol
From the guy who worked at Fender (and still does warranty work for Fender) the problem was not the 3 bolt design–it was poor equipment with loose manufacturing tolerances. The 3 bolt joint was not the problem, some guitars only use two bolts and they work fine–but if you have loose tolerances then you will get guitars where your high E string is about to come off and where the neck pocket has a lot of wiggle room.
I've played 70's Strats that were awesome–they had the pickups swapped out though for hotter stuff.
Oh say it aint so! :argh: lol I never liked the big headstocks, looked out of proportion to me. lol Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...lol
From the guy who worked at Fender (and still does warranty work for Fender) the problem was not the 3 bolt design–it was poor equipment with loose manufacturing tolerances. The 3 bolt joint was not the problem, some guitars only use two bolts and they work fine–but if you have loose tolerances then you will get guitars where your high E string is about to come off and where the neck pocket has a lot of wiggle room.
I've played 70's Strats that were awesome–they had the pickups swapped out though for hotter stuff.
BWK
New member
Re: 71 strat
I got my first Strat when I was 14 in 1984. It was a 1979 25th Ann. It was my main guitar until 4 years ago when it burned up in a house fire. All I knew was the big headstock CBS era Strat. I have a new American Strat with the classic headstock. I still look down at it and it feels weird to me. I guess it is all depends on what you are used to. The 25th Ann. had a stacked Dimarzio of some kind in the bridge when I got it. When I was 20 I put a Hot Rails in the bridge and a Classic Stack in the neck. I moved the Dimarzio to the middle. That guitar sounded awesome. I'm getting misty eyed just thinking about it.
I got my first Strat when I was 14 in 1984. It was a 1979 25th Ann. It was my main guitar until 4 years ago when it burned up in a house fire. All I knew was the big headstock CBS era Strat. I have a new American Strat with the classic headstock. I still look down at it and it feels weird to me. I guess it is all depends on what you are used to. The 25th Ann. had a stacked Dimarzio of some kind in the bridge when I got it. When I was 20 I put a Hot Rails in the bridge and a Classic Stack in the neck. I moved the Dimarzio to the middle. That guitar sounded awesome. I'm getting misty eyed just thinking about it.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Re: 71 strat
I got a set of Strat pickups from Kerry Learned/Onamac Windery, and they're very good indeed. Lots of character. It's a different set but I bet the Custom 69s are just as excellent. All his pickups are hand fed- pretty remarkable at the prices he charges.
I got a set of Strat pickups from Kerry Learned/Onamac Windery, and they're very good indeed. Lots of character. It's a different set but I bet the Custom 69s are just as excellent. All his pickups are hand fed- pretty remarkable at the prices he charges.