Best Strat pickups for classic rock

[bornagainplayer]

I have a Fender Stratocaster Classic Vibe 50's guitar and want to replace all 3 single coil pickups. I play mostly classic rock and some modern rock but no heavy metal. Mostly Rush, Pink Floyd, Foo Fighters, Joe Walsh, and Bad Company. What do you suggest I get?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Best Start pickups for classic rock

Re: Best Start pickups for classic rock

SSL-2's and turn up the amp!

 

[AlexR]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

I would put a twangbanger in the bridge position though. If its a 7 1/4" radius fretboard then the staggered version (ssl 1) might give better string balance.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/sets/california_50s/

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

I would put a twangbanger in the bridge position though. If its a 7 1/4" radius fretboard then the staggered version (ssl 1) might give better string balance.

Unless you are using a wound G, non-staggered is a better way to go IMO. Otherwise the G is way too loud IME. I don't know why companies keep making pickups with the original stagger when most electric players use a plain G now. All they have to do is shorten one magnet, and they can have the benefits of a stagger without the one big drawback.

FWIW, I usually use the wound G, but flat-stagger pickups work great even with a 7-1/4 radius.

 

[tc]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

Noiseless or regular? Single coils or single coil sized humbuckers? Through what amp? Do you have any pedals? What exactly about the current pickups don't you like? Do you want more output? Smoother tone? Fatter tone?

The more you say the better. Good luck!

 

[DonP]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

I don't know why companies keep making pickups with the original stagger when most electric players use a plain G now.

I would guess it's because people want it like the old pickups (they decide with their wallets), and maybe they like having a G string smack them in the face LOL!

 

[LReese]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

I would guess it's because people want it like the old pickups (they decide with their wallets), and maybe they like having a G string smack them in the face LOL!

Just speaking for myself -

I know flat poles should perform better, but flat poles remind me of horrible imported Strat copies and the Fenders of the late 70's/early 80s.

I like the '54 type stagger with the lower G pole. I have some 60s type pickups from Zhangliqun staggered that way.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

I would guess it's because people want it like the old pickups (they decide with their wallets)

Of course that is why. It was a rhetorical statement.

 

[bornagainplayer]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

Thanks, everyone. It's a true S-S-S, not an S-S-H. The stock pickups are a bit too twangy, but I can get good distortion/overdrive with the pedals I have. I play it through a Crate V-50 tube amp, which I really like. I don't want to completely lose the twanginess because when I play clean, I'd like to have some of that original strat sound characteristic. From what I've read online and in other threads, it sounds like I'll need a different bridge pickup than the middle and neck pickups to get the sound I'm looking for. I don't really need noisless, but I guess if there's a good fit without comprimising the sound I want I can go that route. I'm obviously pretty new at this, so I'll gladly add more information if you need it. Again, I really appreciate the replies.

Also, I'm considering replacing the stock pots too. Should I get 250k or 500k or does it matter? What difference does it really make? (again, new guy here.)

 

[Gypsyblue]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

I like the SSL-1 set with staggered poles. The SSL-1's are virtually identical to the Strat pickups in real 50's and 60's Strats.

But some players like a slightly warmer and with a little less steely brightness to the tone than vintage Strats have so for those players I recommend the APS-2 (flat).

They're all good and all sound great.

I like stock alnico 5 vintage style pickups with raised poles myself but prefer a hotter alnico 2 bridge pickup than what came in vintage Strats.

But since you say your stock pickups sound to twangy to you, I'm going to recommend alnico 2 for the whole guitar and flat poles for the neck and middle.

So: APS-2 neck/APS-2 RW/RP middle/Twangbanger bridge

I've put that set in several guitars and it always sounds great - especially for players who want a little less twang and more mids from the neck and middle pickups and a little more balls from the bridge pickup.

250K pots, BTW.

 

[bornagainplayer]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

Thanks, Gypsyblue. With the setup you recommend, do you think I could get a nice classic rock sound with some bite and clean sound that still has some traditional strat to it?

 

[tc]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

250k pots are warmer, with higher value pots you get more high end coming through. Lower values, more high end "bleeds off" the signal so to speak.

It really depends on how much you want to spend. IMO, if the bridge is the only one that bothers you then I'd consider getting either a hot, yet true single coil Stratocaster pickup, a slightly more P90-ish or Tele-ish single coil, a stack or a single coil sized humbucker.

Those are ranked in order of how close they sound to a regular Stratocaster bridge. You might get some overlap between a P90-ish single and a stack depending on the model as far as "how close to a vintage bridge pu" goes.

There's heaps of suggestions on all of those categories from pretty much every brand out there. I always thought that as far as just rock goes the bridge pickup is the one that always gives a lot of players grief. The others are usually fine as is. I guess it depends on how much you want to stray from that single you have in there. If you look around you can find clips of all those different kinds of pickups. Once you home in to a certain kind, then things get decidedly easier.

 

[Gypsyblue]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

Thanks, Gypsyblue. With the setup you recommend, do you think I could get a nice classic rock sound with some bite and clean sound that still has some traditional strat to it?

Yes I do!

 

[wolf5150]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

Kinman Blues and his one of his Solder Free harnesses.
Expensive but worth every penny.

Job done :friday:

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

For the bands you named, and still keeping it strat, I'd say an SSL5/SSL1/SSL1 combo.

 

[bornagainplayer]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

Thanks for your comments everyone. Since I play mostly classic rock and hard rock (but not heavy metal), I'm thinking about replacing only the bridge and middle pickups. The stock neck pickup (as well as the others) definitely has a vintage sound (although I have no idea what kind of pickups they are). I wonder if an SSL-5 in the bridge and SSL-1 in the middle will be hot enough though.

What about an STK-S9b (Hot Stack Plus) in the bridge, an STK-S6 (Custom Stack Plus) in the middle, and leave the stock vintage pickup in the neck? Would that make it hot enough for rock using the bridge/neck pickups but "crisp" and clear enough when played clean through the neck/middle pickups?

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

An SSL-5 will give you a lot of crunch and still sound Stratty.

 

[Despair]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

Classic Vibe 50's strat should have custom A3 pickups stock. A3 magnet is normally pretty bright with smooth mids and low output. I can't recall anything about that pickup at the moment.

Which switch positions are currently most useful or do you find yourself playing in most?

STK-S9b (or SSL-3 for the noisy equivalent) isn't a very vintage strat sound. If you are comfortable straying from strattiness, it's a pretty nice hot warm sound like a more focused take on a high output humbucker. Probably too hot for your mentioned musical inclinations, though.

If you want warmer with a bit of classic strat still there, STK-S6 Custom (or SSL-5/6) is a better choice, though I'd probably stick with it in the bridge.

For maximum quack in the notch positions, most strat players prefer the brightest/lowest output pickup to be the middle. On the other hand, if you find the notches overly twangy, you might want to replace it with a hotter and warmer pickup like the STK-S7 Hot Vintage Stack Plus.

Depending on how you use things, you might go with a stack in the bridge for reduced noise high gain tones, especially if you prefer high gain from the bridge.

Then you can try other options in the other positions, maybe APS-2. Or if you want twang on low strings, but need less biting high strings you could try a Five-Two (A5 under low strings, A2 under high strings). If you go this route I'd probably replace the bridge first, then the neck, unless you like a more biting neck tone than middle. Then consider whether the remaining pickup needs to change.

One of the classic Gilmour combinations is the SSL-6/SSL-2/SSL-2 (or SSL-5/SSL-1/SSL-1) setup that was already mentioned. Noiseless equivalent of that is the STK-S6/STK-S4/STK-S4 combo, though of course you don't have to stick with noiseless in all slots if you feel they impair cleans as many vintage junkies do.

A popular variation is the STK-S6/STK-S4/STK-S7 combo, gives a warmer, SRVish neck tone without too much hit on the mid+neck quack.

Hope I didn't just induce option paralysis!

 

[saladin]

Re: Best Strat pickups for classic rock

For the bands you named, and still keeping it strat, I'd say an SSL5/SSL1/SSL1 combo.

Yup!