Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

B

Bongoscot

New member
Hi folks, this is my first post here. I just purchased one of the newer mexi-strats. It is the classic series 60s with the nitro lacquer finish. I am going to upgrade the pickups with Duncans. I could use a little advice for my selection. I have decided that I am going to go with the SSL-5 in the bridge position and the SSL-1 at the neck, but I am not sure what I want to do with the middle. I think I really like the five-two reverse wound but I am not sure how compatible it would be with the other 2 that I have chosen. I know that the 5-2 sounds wonderful but would it work well in the positions where it would be combined with the other 2 that I have chosen? Any help or advice would be appreciated. If it would not work suggestions for a choice with similar qualities that would be more compatable would be certainly appreciated. I am not very tech-wise so any deep technical speak would be lost on me. :-)
I play mostly hard Rock, metal, and classic rock, but I am also very moody and like to mess around with blues and jazz stuff on occasion. Thanks for your help :)
 
Re: Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

just drop another ssl-1 in the middle. You can get reverse wound/ reverse polarity if you like hum cancelling in position 2 and 4, or normal wound if you don't like hum cancelling. I kinda like the old skool vibe and fatter sound of non rw-rp.
 
Re: Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

+1 for matched neck and centre pickups.

If you like the Five-Two that much, buy a pair. If the host guitar seems lacking in natural acoustic top end, get the SSL-1s. If the fingerboard radius is 9.5", you might be better off with the flush polepiece SSL-6 and two SSL-2s.
 
Re: Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

Thanks for the replies. The fingerboard radius is 7.25". I will go ahead and match the middle and neck with reverse wound in the middle. I will have to give them another listen and decide which way to go. I am pretty sure I will be happy with either the SSLs or the five-twos so maybe I will let the better deal I find make the decision. Thanks again.
 
Re: Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

Hot rails in neck and bridge and a quarter pounder middle.
 
Re: Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

LOL, thanks. There are thousands of pickup combinations that anyone out there can love, but I am pretty much interested in the ones I mentioned or others that are very similar to those SSLs and Five-twos.
 
Re: Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

I can agree with others about having matched middle and neck pickups, as far as type/manufacture, but also I've had my best results when the neck pickup measured the lowest resistance and the middle was only slightly greater. So get a pair, measure them, and put the one with less resistance in the neck position. For me, that produced the most even volume when throwing the pickup selection switch.
 
Re: Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

dotsdad said:
What do you not like about the stock 69's?
Click to expand...

It is not so much that I dont like the stock pickups, at least the neck and middle are pretty good sounding. the bridge pickup just seems a little thin and tinny sounding by itself and I think the SSL will fatten it up while still maintaining the strat sound, and I like the full range clarity of the 5-2 pick-ups. I really like the tone of this guitar. It is my first strat and I feel like Duncan's will broadcast that tone a little better. I am not really good at explaining this type of thing, I just want to take from stock to mine if you know what I mean. There is not anything wrong with it as it is, just want to ad some personal touches. Also want the hum-canceling in the middle positions.
 
Re: Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

The ssl 5 and 1 combo is a pretty good one. It certainly will add some thickness over the 69 set.
 
Re: Fender Classic 60s series pickup selection

Can you still get SSL-5's with a coil split option? If so, that would be a great bridge pickup for the 69 neck and middle. Full power in the bridge would gvie you that big, fat Gilmour lead sound. If you split it, the notch position with the 69 would quack like a duck in heat.
 
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