Fender Stratocaster pickups.

[solspirit]

More than half of the time that I see someone playing locally, wherever I've lived, there's a strat in the band.

what do you think the ratio of stock to upgrad ded pickups do guestimate there is?

Is there anything speial about Stratocaster pickups?
If you prefer the please tell me why

 

[Mincer]

For people actually performing? Maybe 60% stock. For people that just own Strats, maybe 85% stock.

 

[GuitarStv]

A lot of fender factory strat pickups sound just fine as is. Plenty of guys are using whatever came in the guitar. Probably the strat bridge is the most upgraded pickup . . . usually they're a little lighter than people want and there are plenty of cheap hotter options to try out.

As far as the sound of strat pickups, they're pretty awesome. If you play clean or with just a tiny amount of gain they're much more pleasing sounding to the ear. They seem to pick up fewer harmonics, so you get a purer sound. Typically they don't compress as much as humbuckers so feel a lot more dynamic . . . which can be good and bad. But all that awesomeness comes with a downside - the hum. There are noiseless single coils and some of them are pretty good (probably couldn't hear a difference with a band playing), but every time I do a blind sound test between SSL-2s and one of the noiseless options on their own I prefer the SSL-2s.

FWIW - Flat pole strat pickups make me happier too, as the staggered ones never give good string to string balance for me. The G string is always way too loud and the high E never seems quite loud enough.

 

[solspirit]

For people actually performing? Maybe 60% stock. For people that just own Strats, maybe 85% stock.

What's the preferred upgrade and why? Silence is one thing for sure but what else?

 

[solspirit]

A lot of fender factory strat pickups sound just fine as is. Plenty of guys are using whatever came in the guitar. Probably the strat bridge is the most upgraded pickup . . . usually they're a little lighter than people want and there are plenty of cheap hotter options to try out.

As far as the sound of strat pickups, they're pretty awesome. If you play clean or with just a tiny amount of gain they're much more pleasing sounding to the ear. They seem to pick up fewer harmonics, so you get a purer sound. Typically they don't compress as much as humbuckers so feel a lot more dynamic . . . which can be good and bad. But all that awesomeness comes with a downside - the hum. There are noiseless single coils and some of them are pretty good (probably couldn't hear a difference with a band playing), but every time I do a blind sound test between SSL-2s and one of the noiseless options on their own I prefer the SSL-2s.

FWIW - Flat pole strat pickups make me happier too, as the staggered ones never give good string to string balance for me. The G string is always way too loud and the high E never seems quite loud enough.

I haven't even looked if they're flat or staggered.

The SS-2s are what comes stock?

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

What's the preferred upgrade and why? Silence is one thing for sure but what else?

Like any pickup change, you have to decide what it is you don't like about your current pickup and then decide which "upgrade" option is going to take you in the direction you want to go. It's completely subjective. Some people want them more scooped (late 60's sound), others want more mids (50's), some like them low output (vintage), and others want them hot (Texas style). And then there's the freaks that put humbuckers in the bridge. lol

 

[GuitarStv]

I haven't even looked if they're flat or staggered.

The SS-2s are what comes stock?

SSL-2s are SDs basic strat pickup, just with flat poles. I think fender makes all or almost all their single coils with the vintage stagger . . . which means unbalanced strings.

 

[GuitarStv]

Like any pickup change, you have to decide what it is you don't like about your current pickup and then decide which "upgrade" option is going to take you in the direction you want to go. It's completely subjective. Some people want them more scooped (late 60's sound), others want more mids (overwound Texas style), some like them low output (50's), and others want them hot. And then there's the freaks that put humbuckers in the bridge. lol

A regular vintage strat bridge is usually pretty wimpy and plinky, lots of folks like regular strat and middle. Bridge is an acquired taste . . . huge number of overwound strat bridge pickups are sold aftermarket. It's a location where a little less brightness and more mids really helps out.

 

[solspirit]

A regular vintage strat bridge is usually pretty wimpy and plinky, lots of folks like regular strat and middle. Bridge is an acquired taste . . . huge number of overwound strat bridge pickups are sold aftermarket. It's a location where a little less brightness and more mids really helps out.

The only way I can describe these are round on the bottom end and pinky on the upper registers, I know round isn't a sound but imagine if it were. I've got two and one is staying bone stock, so I'll have a good reference point when I start experimenting

 

[idsnowdog]

A good Strat player uses their volume, tone, and switch a lot. If you watch them they are always busy tweaking their settings while playing. If you can master a Strat it gives you a lot of tonal options but if you are a set and forget player Strats are cold and finicky beasts. I'm a set and forget player so while I think a Strat is a great ergonomic platform its tonal options do nothing for me.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

A regular vintage strat bridge is usually pretty wimpy and plinky, lots of folks like regular strat and middle. Bridge is an acquired taste . . . huge number of overwound strat bridge pickups are sold aftermarket. It's a location where a little less brightness and more mids really helps out.

See, and I disagree. If the middle tone control is wired to be shared with the bridge then that adds a lot of tonal thickness to the bridge. I've never once wanted to yank a Strat bridge pickup for that reason. It's like people who complain Tele bridge pickups are "shrill" and "harsh" but never touch the tone control.

 

[idsnowdog]

See, and I disagree. If the middle tone control is wired to be shared with the bridge then that adds a lot of tonal thickness to the bridge. I've never once wanted to yank a Strat bridge pickup for that reason. It's like people who complain Tele bridge pickups are "shrill" and "harsh" but never touch the tone control.

A lot of set and forget players try to tailor a Strat to their playing style by replacing the bridge with a hot single coil or humbucker in the bridge. They like Strat ergonomics but want a sound that isn't necessarily Stratty. All of the options on a Strat are lost on me but I think they make a great modding platform. However, a Tele with just a bridge pickup you can just bang away without touching the controls.

 

[solspirit]

See, and I disagree. If the middle tone control is wired to be shared with the bridge then that adds a lot of tonal thickness to the bridge. I've never once wanted to yank a Strat bridge pickup for that reason. It's like people who complain Tele bridge pickups are "shrill" and "harsh" but never touch the tone control.

The strat, Tele and the Jazzmaster are the only things I like to pay around with the tone.

The tele never goes above 3/4 for long and the jazzmaster has a million variations.

But for the most part, I like to be a set and mostly forget player

 

[Artie]

But for the most part, I like to be a set and mostly forget player

I tend to set & forget knobs, but play with switches all day long. I could easily see wiring a Strat with a 4-way that did 1,2,4,5. Or even going with a 3-way wired, 2,4,5. (With #5 being the neck.)

Edit: Getting back to the OP's question, "down South" here, I tend to see more Tele's and LP's actually on stage. But a lot of Stratocasters come across my bench.

 

[Mincer]

What's the preferred upgrade and why? Silence is one thing for sure but what else?

For me, it is about getting rid of the noise. Also, going for flat poles vs staggered. And I want a Strat sound I know from 1000s of albums. I would suspect it is different for every player.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I've always felt the Strat bridge was its Achilles' heel. Some modern models (and plenty of modded older Strats) have the second tone knob assigned to bridge instead of middle which helps tame the harshness. But it still leaves the bridge a bit underpowered.

If a Strat is your main guitar, that's one thing. But for those of us who switch guitars - and don't want to redial our whole rig when we do - a beefier bridge is extremely helpful.

Then there's the singlecoil noise, a big issue if you're playing with a fair amount of gain.
Even worse if there are big dimmer packs nearby or sketchy AC power.

I think replacing the whole pickup set most often is done chasing a specific tone, but many others do it for hum rejection, especially those who gig Strats a lot or who who play heavier music.

Other problems common with Strats, like string balance or dropouts when bending, lead to pickup swapping as well.
But I think they a less common reason than the others above.

So for pickups I'd say the most popular mods probably are:
Bridge pickup assigned to tone control
Bridge pickup replaced with a fuller sounding/higher output model
Whole set replaced to tailor the voicing
Whole set replaced to address the noise issue

 

[Mincer]

Yes, normal Strat bridge pickups are the least exciting for me.

 

[solspirit]

For me, it is about getting rid of the noise. Also, going for flat poles vs staggered. And I want a Strat sound I know from 1000s of albums. I would suspect it is different for every player.

What set will do this?

 

[El Dunco]

I’m going to try the blackout strat set soon because noone talks about them.

 

[jeremy]

i do and i love em!