Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

O

oceantracks

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Say about a 1962 Strat.

What would you guys suggest...guitar is a rosewood Custom Shop, currently with the 69s in it.

Fender? SD?

Thanks for any advice and pardon all the questions...this whole changing out pups thing is new to me and rather exciting. Glad I found this place...

Tom
 
Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

For the money, the older stock 57/62 AVRI pickups are pretty good IMHO.
 
Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

What is it about the CS69 pups that you don't like?
 
Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

I've always wondered about this. I always imagine a 60's Strat sounding darker, fatter,and louder than a 50's Strat, but when did the change happen? Was it gradual, or what? How does late 60's compare with early 60's?
 
Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

Fralin Blues Specials-def gets that Rory/early Jimi/SRV and even a Blackmore vibe-surprisingly versatile, yet nail those old tones- they are slightly warmer and a bit fuller in the mids without sounding overwound or losing clarity. I have a clip on my soundclick of mine- not the best recording (or playing), but I love these pickups- I avoided strats for many years- a major reason being I heard very few strat pups that sounded "right" to my ears- the Fralin Blues Specials do.

FORGOT THE LINK
 
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Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

Jessie Sammler said:
I've always wondered about this. I always imagine a 60's Strat sounding darker, fatter,and louder than a 50's Strat, but when did the change happen? Was it gradual, or what? How does late 60's compare with early 60's?
Click to expand...

All Fender pickups in the 50's and 60's...even 70's varied a lot from one pickup to the next, even more from year to year but there are some sort of "in general" things you'll find over time...

The changes took place over years and years but like I said they varied a lot from one pickup to the next...

You could have 2 Strats built on the same day, each with 3 pickups and you could easily have 6, very different sounding pickups...
 
Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

gibson175 said:
Alnico II
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Wrong!

NO Vintage Fender ever came with alnico II Pickups...the earliest Tele's (only the bridge pickups) and the first few Strats from 1954 used alnico III pickups but since the change to alnico V thats been the standard and for sure was the norm in the 50's, 60's and even 70's.
 
Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

oceantracks said:
Say about a 1962 Strat.
What would you guys suggest...guitar is a rosewood Custom Shop, currently with the 69s in it.
Fender? SD?
Thanks for any advice and pardon all the questions...this whole changing out pups thing is new to me and rather exciting. Glad I found this place...
Tom
Click to expand...

Like 350 said the 57/62's are actually pretty good pickups.

Past that if you want to get that specific i'd look into a small builder...Duncan SSL-1's or Surfers are pretty close to a typical vintage Strat pickup but IMHO they are a tad hotter and thicker than most vintage Strat pickups.

That said, I use and love the SSL-1's and think they have very much a vintage sound.

If I were going to switch to a more specific, slightly weaker, more period correct Strat set I'd start my search with OC Duff, maybe a Fralin Vintage Hot but i'd order them with a 5% underwind...maybe check out the Duncan Custom Shop...tell 'em to start with a Surfer set but stop them around 5.5-6k...
 
Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

I have a great set of AVRI pickups that I've kept to this day, although that early 80's '62 RI is long gone. That's what's in my old Strat now...
 
Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

I dig the 57/62's. Very clean and chimey with a nice pop to the low strings when you dig in.
 
Re: Best Strat PUPs to Get Early 60s Sound?

I have the Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro APS-1's in my Strat and I put a Base Plate on the Bridge. Pretty 60's sounding to my ears.
 
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