Hotter Strat pickups??

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

While I certainly agree the QPs don't have all the chime of a more conventional Strat PU like the Ants or SSLs, I wouldn't characterize them as dark P90s. They still sound pretty Fendery to me.

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

Be sure to swap the pots with those Fender Noiseless! When they were in the aamerican Deluxe they had 1Meg volume and 500k tones. That helps ger back the brightness lost to the dummy coils

 

[gtrdave]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

Be sure to swap the pots with those Fender Noiseless! When they were in the aamerican Deluxe they had 1Meg volume and 500k tones. That helps ger back the brightness lost to the dummy coils

Yep, I bought the kit which includes pots, caps and all hardware. Not a bad deal for $130!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

While I certainly agree the QPs don't have all the chime of a more conventional Strat PU like the Ants or SSLs, I wouldn't characterize them as dark P90s. They still sound pretty Fendery to me.

Yeah, I can understand that. But if you hear them back to back with something like an SSL-2, you'd say 'wow, that is way different!'.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

While I certainly agree the QPs don't have all the chime of a more conventional Strat PU like the Ants or SSLs, I wouldn't characterize them as dark P90s. They still sound pretty Fendery to me.

The QPs are great pickups, but sound more like darker P90s, so they don't have the chime a set of Antiquity Texas Hots or SSL-2s might have.

Yeah, I can understand that. But if you hear them back to back with something like an SSL-2, you'd say 'wow, that is way different!'.

i like the qp just fine and have both strat and tele bridge versions but i hear zero chime. they sound "more fendery" than a jb or distortion or 81 but they dont sound anything like a vintage fender pup. if you are used to hot humbuckers then i can see why youd say they sound fendery. i play vintage toned strats and to me they are very very different. i dont think they sound like a p90 at all either. they sound like an over wound single coil with rod magnets but less middy than an ssl3

 

[gtrdave]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

Update; install is delayed yet again. I've ordered a new 8-hole pick guard and 5 way switch. I'm going to take the old pickups and pick guard, etc...out as an assembly and install the new stuff as an assembly. It'll be less work overall.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

Great idea! You can install snap-in molex connectors for each if you want to swap them out without soldering later- I have done that on a few guitars.

 

[gtrdave]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

Great idea! You can install snap-in molex connectors for each if you want to swap them out without soldering later- I have done that on a few guitars.

A la Gibson? Nah, I'm good with just soldering them in. If they work, they'll probably be the last pickups I put in that guitar (famous last words...), and if they don't I'll just repurpose them into something else and break out the solder sucker tool...

 

[gtrdave]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

Okay, I finally got around to the install last night. It was straight-forward and I only had to do a little shaving of the pick guard at the neck pocket since the ESP was original w/ 22 frets, unlike the 21 fret Fenders of old.
The sound/tone: I'm very impressed by the Fender Noiseless pickups! They retain a ton of authentic tone...lots of bite and quack...but the lack of hum is very welcome. Their output is good and strong without being too dark. Definitely hotter than the GFS alnico pickups that got removed. All in all, I think this is the last pickup job this guitar will ever have.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Hotter Strat pickups??

Glad it worked out and you are happy with the results! Enjoy!