California 50s set compared to...

[Lake Placid Blues]

An old bandmate has a 14 year old that is getting into guitar. He is really into Jimi, SRV, Cray, Buddy... so in other words strat players. When I was asked about strat pickups, my first instinct was to recommend Surfers, but then I thought that might be out of his price range. How does the California 50 set compare to say the Fat 50s or the AVRI sets and what not?

Then I was thinking: wow a 14 year old into real music, how cool is that?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

Iron Gear has a set called "Pig Irons" that sound dead on like SSL-1s and can be had for £22 (I don't know what that translates to in real money). I'd suggest he try those out, I'm not on a high school budget and I still have 3 sets of them.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

SSL-1s are super underrated. They are just treated as the "standard" Strat pickup but they are really good! The only negative is the true to vintage spec bridge pickup. Most people want a little more beef from the bridge position, be it an SSL-5, Lil 59, etc...

 

[dystrust]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

SSL-1s are super underrated. They are just treated as the "standard" Strat pickup but they are really good! The only negative is the true to vintage spec bridge pickup. Most people want a little more beef from the bridge position, be it an SSL-5, Lil 59, etc...

+1 on both counts.

I'm not super familiar with Surfers or Fender Fat 50s, but I'd say that the SSL-1 is what Fender's 57/62 pickup is trying to be. That being said, I great prefer the SSL-5/6 as a bridge pickup to complete the set.

 

[Mincer]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

The SSL-1 set is a great one for the music he likes. You can go more expensive with Surfers or even the Psychedelic Set, but there is no need. The SSL-1 will last him the rest of his playing life.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

SSL-1
Custom Shop 69's
Fat '50's
'57/'62 set

All excellent choices that will cover a large number of classic strat tones.

 

[Discharged]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

The best would be a SSL-1n, SSL-1m and SSL-5b.

Just ask David Gilmour how's that set working for him...

/Peter

 

[Chistopher]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

The California 50s set is 3 SSL-1s, is there a cheaper way to get them?

 

[Discharged]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

The California 50s set is 3 SSL-1s, is there a cheaper way to get them?

Yes, buying'em second-hand!

/Peter

 

[Mincer]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

Put an ad in the Trading Post to see if anyone is selling a set.

The SSL-1s will be the cheapest and easiest to find of the pickups mentioned. This has nothing to do with the quality, though- they really sound like a traditional Strat should.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

I agree. The SSL-1’s are great, 50’s/60’s style pickups. They lack nothing in terms of high quality vintage tone...although I use the Antiquity Surfers.

I do prefer a non-vintage, slightly hotter bridge pickup so a SSL-5 is a nice option. David Gilmour likes the SSL-5.

I prefer the Fralin SP-43 for more of a P90 sound from my Strat’s bridge pickup and that’s what I use with my Surfers.

But I put a set of SSL-1’s in my buddy’s Jimmie Vaughan and am always blown away by how great it sounds.

 

[gregory]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

Just ask David Gilmour how's that set working for him.

David Gilmour likes the SSL-5.

Does Gilmour even use the SSL-5 anymore? I'm not sure he even ever used an SSL-1.

DiMarzio VV Blues/Area 67/Area 61 has got my eye these days. A61/A67/A67 for something less Texas.

STK-S6/S4M/S7, S4B/S4M/S7, S4B/S4M/S4, S7/S4M/S4 or S4/S4M/S4 won't disappoint either.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

I don’t know if DG still uses the SSL5 today or not.

But he sure made some great sounds with one when he did.

And it does sound great with SSL1 neck and middle pickups...whether DG uses them or ever used them. Which is all I was saying.

 

[gregory]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

Animals through The Wall was a DiMarzio FS-1, and Gilmour used EMGs through the late-'80s and '90s.

I agree though: SSL-5/SSL-1 RWRP/SSL-1 (or SSL-6/-2 RWRP/-2) makes for a great set. For the young enthusiast it's more about the SSL-1s than the SSL-5.

...but if the pickups are intended to last a lifetime I'd go noiseless.

With that in mind, the Lace Silver/Gold/Emerald isn't a bad set either.

 

[Bludave]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

I have both the Surfers & the Texas Hots in two different Strats, but I just have the hotter bridge pickups. I also have the RW/RP middle. Very cool sounding pickups & its hard to say which I like better. One set is in a really comfortable guitar for me to play, the other is in a guitar where I find the neck a bit harder to play, but overall they are both great sounding pickups. I tend to lean more towards Alnico II so....

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

Gilmour still uses the ssl5 in his black strat. The neck and mid pickups are the stock fender 1971 pickups that came with the guitar back then. His signature strat carries ssl5/cs69/fat 50s pickups though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gregory]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

If someone said Gilmour's black Strat has housed the same Duncan custom since it was installed, I wouldn't think to question it. Attributing that specific pickup to "Gilmour's tone" would be a mistake, however.

Who cares about DG anyway? His style is nothing like the artists listed in the original post.

 

[jeremy]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

most 14 year olds might not love a vintage strat pup in the bridge and might prefer the extra meat the ssl5 gives. its easy enough to get the california set or a used set of pups and wire them in. if the bridge isnt enough you can sell the bridge pup and put that money toward a different bridge pup

 

[gregory]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

Most 14 year olds might not love the hum.

http://www.dimarzio.com/node/2203

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: California 50s set compared to...

No one loves the hum. But I love the tone of vintage Strat pickups and noiseless Strat pickups don’t quite Get that tone.

It’s why Strat lovers like Eric Johnson don’t play noiseless pickups.

I have always thought the bridge pickups on my vintage Strats (and I’ve owned a few) sounded thin and weak compared to the neck and middle pickups even though all three were wound identically.

So I use a Fralin SP43 to beef up that position.

Others use a SSL5.

Others might use a Quarter Pounder...or something else.

But it’s been an issue for me for at least 50 years. I’m now 68 and have been playing Fender guitars since about 1964 or 65.