Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

[aaronl]

OK
I hope this isnt to far out of the ordinary.
I have the Clapton sig strat, it is a 2001 with Vintage Noiseless pickups, to me it seems a little ummm sterile sounding, I want that good old strat sound like some duncan Alnicos maybe.

The question I have is, can I change out the Vintage Noisless with ANY pickup or just with other noiseless like Lace's etc?

THANK YOU FOR ANY INFO/ADVICE!

 

[theodie]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

You can change them out for any other single coils or noiseless singles without a problem. Nothing to worry about.

 

[aaronl]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

You can change them out for any other single coils or noiseless singles without a problem. Nothing to worry about.

Man first thank you for the QUICK reply!!

Ok so I can get a set of Duncan surfers or Fender 57/62 and just throw em in?

What about my active boost and all that?? Will that stuff still work? will it be like super noisey? or is that little boost thing just like a pedal?
i guess it doesnt matter because the fender VN are not active anyway right?

AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

Im not sure about the active circut in those guitars but Im pretty sure you could hook it all back up. You might have to change post though...I think the noiseless pups use a pretty high value pot, and you would want to go with 250k...

 

[aaronl]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

Im not sure about the active circut in those guitars but Im pretty sure you could hook it all back up. You might have to change post though...I think the noiseless pups use a pretty high value pot, and you would want to go with 250k...

true, i guess i could read the bottom of the pot and make sure that they are 250s, if not change to 250s?

i know the 1 tone tone control the middle one it has a click in it at 5, like it sorta gets to 5 then u feel a little click and it i guess turns on there...

also the bottom tone is the one that does the "overdrive" so i wonder if it needs to be 250 or if 500 is ok since it is just doing overdrive???

THANK YOU!!!! :22:

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

like I said bro, I don't know too much about the circut in the Claptons...lots if guys have them, and lots if guys mod them with new pickups...I owuld do a search on the forum and see if anything comes up...good luck!

Wish I could help more.

true, i guess i could read the bottom of the pot and make sure that they are 250s, if not change to 250s?

i know the 1 tone tone control the middle one it has a click in it at 5, like it sorta gets to 5 then u feel a little click and it i guess turns on there...

also the bottom tone is the one that does the "overdrive" so i wonder if it needs to be 250 or if 500 is ok since it is just doing overdrive???

THANK YOU!!!! :22:

 

[aaronl]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

like I said bro, I don't know too much about the circut in the Claptons...lots if guys have them, and lots if guys mod them with new pickups...I owuld do a search on the forum and see if anything comes up...good luck!

Wish I could help more.

hey man i hope i didnt sound jerky, trying to work it out u know like put my thoughts down u know...

i appreciate ALL the help with this and with the santana thing you helped me with earlier!!

i will figure it out with the help from the board...
as the old song goes
"... i get by with a little help from my friends..."

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

Not at all bro! I just don't do active circuts in guitars...I will say this though, I have a pretty good feeling that the 2 "tone" controls are for the active circut, which tells me that you would only need to change the volume control, and yes, change it to a 250k. Let me ask you this...do you use the active stuff? If not, I would take the whole thing out! With "normal" controls in there and a set of Surfers you will be amazed how great and alive that guitar would sound!

As for the Yamaha stuff...I love that guitar and It's like talking about one of my kids, so Im glad you learned something!

hey man i hope i didnt sound jerky, trying to work it out u know like put my thoughts down u know...

i appreciate ALL the help with this and with the santana thing you helped me with earlier!!

i will figure it out with the help from the board...
as the old song goes
"... i get by with a little help from my friends..."

 

[aaronl]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

Not at all bro! I just don't do active circuts in guitars...I will say this though, I have a pretty good feeling that the 2 "tone" controls are for the active circut, which tells me that you would only need to change the volume control, and yes, change it to a 250k. Let me ask you this...do you use the active stuff? If not, I would take the whole thing out! With "normal" controls in there and a set of Surfers you will be amazed how great and alive that guitar would sound!

yeah that is the other thought, but part of the clapton sig is to have the middle tone that adds the mid boost and to have the bottom tone that gives it the drive, he called it a compressor, but anyway i think that is part of the whole "clapton sig experience" and i am not to disappointed with that, i just feel that for me the vintage noiseless pickups don't do what I want you know...
I do have a pearloid 8 hole pickguard just sitting here, i just need 3 pots, 1 5-way switch and some pups to make the change! hmmmmm

As for the Yamaha stuff...I love that guitar and It's like talking about one of my kids, so Im glad you learned something!

Yeah man it was great!!!
I may have to look for one they are cool, and i love that vintange santana!

 

[Dangerine49]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

I'm no expert, but from what I know about the EC sig Strat they use noiseless pickups because of the boost circuit. Noise from regular single coils will be boosted by the circuit.

My luthier upgraded both of his EC's with Kinman Blues. He swears by them. I have Kinman (Traditionals) in a regular Strat, and they are outstanding.

 

[aaronl]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

I'm no expert, but from what I know about the EC sig Strat they use noiseless pickups because of the boost circuit. Noise from regular single coils will be boosted by the circuit.

My luthier upgraded both of his EC's with Kinman Blues. He swears by them. I have Kinman (Traditionals) in a regular Strat, and they are outstanding.

Hey man, did he leave all the clapton "stuff" in there?

I am really thinking on taking TGWIF's advice and "building" a set from the ground up with my perloid 8 hole pickguard and regular pots, regular 5-way etc like a normal strat and taking all the clapton guts out and leaving them in 1 piece so if/when i want to go back it is just a few screws etc to get back to the factory way!

THANKS TGWIF!!!!!!!!!!!! that seems like the best answer man!

 

[Dangerine49]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

Hey man, did he leave all the clapton "stuff" in there?

I am really thinking on taking TGWIF's advice and "building" a set from the ground up with my perloid 8 hole pickguard and regular pots, regular 5-way etc like a normal strat and taking all the clapton guts out and leaving them in 1 piece so if/when i want to go back it is just a few screws etc to get back to the factory way!

THANKS TGWIF!!!!!!!!!!!! that seems like the best answer man!

Yes, he swapped the stock pickups with the Kinmans, and left all the EC stuff. He may have had the older EC's with the Lace Sensors, it's been a while. You might have to replace the pots too. The VN's use different ones than standard Strats, I think. You could email Kinman and ask them what they would recommend for that.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

I think the bottom tone control is the boost and the middle 1 is a TBX control IIRC. I reckon any other "noiseless" type pickups are the way to go, so the Kinman set might work well.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

Thats what I would do. If you put true singles in with the active circut, you noise is gonna be horrible!

Just put together a whole new guard with all new pots and switch, so you can just drop it in!

Hey man, did he leave all the clapton "stuff" in there?

I am really thinking on taking TGWIF's advice and "building" a set from the ground up with my perloid 8 hole pickguard and regular pots, regular 5-way etc like a normal strat and taking all the clapton guts out and leaving them in 1 piece so if/when i want to go back it is just a few screws etc to get back to the factory way!

THANKS TGWIF!!!!!!!!!!!! that seems like the best answer man!

 

[Brow]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

I have a 1993 Fender Strat Plus which originally had Lace Sensor Gold noiseless pickups, a TBX Tone control and a 'normal' tone control for the neck pickup.

I wasn't a fan of the Lace Sensors at all, so I replaced the pickups with a set of Duncan Antiquity Texas Hots, kept the TBX Tone control and changed the bottom tone control to an EMG Afterburner booster. It all works great together imo. Yeah the pups get a little noisier when I'm using the boost, but it's not too bad as long as I don't use the Boost at maximum

Craig

 

[aaronl]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!

I am right now leaning towards just using a new pickguard, new pots, new switch etc and making the whole new set (with which pickups i have no idea) then leaving the clapton stuff in stock condition so i can go back!

i am kinda going for the "SRV - Lenny" sound, i know that the tone was in stevie, but i also know that the gear helps some, and the VN will not make that sound

i just love the way this guitar plays, and don't want to get rid of it, i had thought about trading and well i decided against it...

again thank you all and i will keep you posted!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

Do this...Get a set of Surfers or SSL-1's, the Surfers are better IMO but the SSL-1 are great pickups and will run you about $150.00 for a set! If you want a hotter bridge look at a Twangbanger or either the Surfer Custom Bridge or the Texas Hot Custom Bridge. Then get a 5 way, some pots and knobe and you'll be set! SOmething else that I do to all my Strats, that you might like is I move the middle tone control to the bridge pickup, then I can roll off just a tad bit of the high end!

Good luck and keep us posted!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!

I am right now leaning towards just using a new pickguard, new pots, new switch etc and making the whole new set (with which pickups i have no idea) then leaving the clapton stuff in stock condition so i can go back!

i am kinda going for the "SRV - Lenny" sound, i know that the tone was in stevie, but i also know that the gear helps some, and the VN will not make that sound

i just love the way this guitar plays, and don't want to get rid of it, i had thought about trading and well i decided against it...

again thank you all and i will keep you posted!

 

[gripweed]

Re: Clapton Sig Strat - PICKUP CHANGE?

I don't know how often Lee comes here, but you might want to p.m. Lee. Here is a related link

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=32841&highlight=review

Hope that helps!