American Strat Pickup Suggestions

Vintheo

New member
Hello everyone,

I just recently purchased a Standard American Strat from a buddy and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for some new pickups. I am looking for a solid blues sound which will also have no problem playing rock.
What do you guys think??????
 
Re: American Strat Pickup Suggestions

Antiquity Texas Hots and Custom bridge. That's the ticket!

Alot of guys like the APS-1's and Twangbanger bridge pickup too...haven't tried them myself.

For a glassier, more Hendrixy tone, I like the SSL-1's for the neck and middle.

Lew
 
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Re: American Strat Pickup Suggestions

Vintheo said:
What kind of pots would you recommend?

250K CTS and a .02 Sprague Orange Drop tone capacitor. Lew
 
Re: American Strat Pickup Suggestions

Lew, what would you recommend to provide a fatter bridge pup tone in combination with the SSL-1's at the neck and middle? I have an SSL-1 set with RWRP middle in a California Series Strat (maple/alder), but the bridge pickup seems a bit thin, even after rewiring the bottom tone pot to the bridge pup (leaving the middle pup wide open). I play blues-based stuff veering towards rock. I have another Strat with Texas Specials that seems OK, along with the Teles I've mentioned in your Tele tone threads (and an LP Studio for good measure).
 
Re: American Strat Pickup Suggestions

On the standart singlecoil strats I used to play, I had an eq pedal to dial in some mids when I used my bridgesinglecoil.
And in general playing through fatter amps also helped alot.
 
Re: American Strat Pickup Suggestions

Kelsey said:
Lew, what would you recommend to provide a fatter bridge pup tone in combination with the SSL-1's at the neck and middle?
well, until Lew answers ... I'd take a look at the SSL-3, Hot, and SSL-6, Custom
 
Re: American Strat Pickup Suggestions

"Lew, what would you recommend to provide a fatter bridge pup tone in combination with the SSL-1's at the neck and middle?"

The pickups Curly mentioned...especially the Antiquity Custom.

My buddy AJ has a Jimmie Vaughn Strat with SSL-1's. He's had that same set in a couple of Strats. He was using a JB JR for a long time, but recently switched to Fralin Steel Pole 43.

The Steel Pole 43 sounds alot like a P90 but being a single coil, when you combine it with the middle SSL-1 you still hear that classic Dire Straits/Layla/Buddy Guy kind of Strat tone.

I'd say the Duncan Antiquity Custom and Fralin SP43 are my two very favorite Strat bridge replacement pickups.
 
Re: American Strat Pickup Suggestions

just to clarify something, the SSL-6, Custom and the Antiquity Custom bridge are two different pickups - basically, both are Alnico II, but the Antiquity is a Custom Shop pickpup, about 9.7K; the SSL-6 is a production pickup somewhere around 13K (I think, without checking); the SSL-3, Hot is a production pup around 17K.
 
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