Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

[Lewguitar]

I was surprised at what they measured: 5.4K, 5.5K and 5.6K!

Wow...they look just like the Surfers. Black bass and grey top.

I'm also doing some work on my '63 Strat and measured those too: 6.1K, 6.1K and 6.2K.

They are black bobbins...not gray top and black bottem.

All measured after removal from the guitar.

I remembered them being a little hotter...more like 6.4K. But I was wrong.

Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

I was surprised at what they measured: 5.4K, 5.5K and 5.6K!

Wow...they look just like the Surfers. Black bass and grey top.

I'm also doing some work on my '63 Strat and measured those too: 6.1K, 6.1K and 6.2K.

They are black bobbins...not gray top and black bottem.

All measured after removal from the guitar.

I remembered them being a little hotter...more like 6.4K. But I was wrong.

Lew

Was the 74 yours...how did those pups sound...I never liked 70's strat pups, they always just has this real thin brittle tone

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

No it wasn't mine. It was a customer's. But he gave me all the old parts.

Had a one piece cast bridge/tremolo too. I replaced it with a Fender '62 RI trem.

Had to replace all the allen screws in the saddles with screws 1/8" longer to get the action up high enough. Turns out that the cast trem Fender/CBS used has a thicker bassplate because it's cast...that meant Fender had to rout the neck pocket not quite as deeply as you'd find on most Strats which raises the fingerboard up a little higher from the top of the body of the guitar.

I didn't know that before.

The guitar sounds very, very good now. Alder body...not that really heavy ash Fender/CBS used on some of those.

Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

No it wasn't mine. It was a customer's. But he gave me all the old parts.

Had a one piece cast bridge/tremolo too. I replaced it with a Fender '62 RI trem.

Had to replace all the allen screws in the saddles with screws 1/8" longer to get the action up high enough. Turns out that the cast trem Fender/CBS used has a thicker bassplate because it's cast...that meant Fender had to rout the neck pocket not quite as deeply as you'd find on most Strats which raises the fingerboard up a little higher from the top of the body of the guitar.

I didn't know that before.

The guitar sounds very, very good now. Alder body...not that really heavy ash Fender/CBS used on some of those.

Lew

Besides the trem and the pups, what all did you do to make it a goon one? what pickups did he go with?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

Hey Christian, I spoke to someone yesterday who knows you. Said he met you in a music store. He's a Roy Buchanan fan and wanted pickups to get the Roy-tone.

He asked me how to get that Roy Buchanan tone.

I remembered that old joke:

"How do I get to Carnegie Hall?"

"Practice man...practice!" :laugh2:

Lew

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

Besides the trem and the pups, what all did you do to make it a good one? what pickups did he go with?

Fralin Blues Specials.

I had initially recommended the Duncan Antiquity Texas Hots but the Blues Specials are what he wanted.

I did my usual master volume, master tone, blender pot wiring. Sprague .02 Orange Drop cap. Since those pickups are not quite as glassy bright as some others I soldered the tone control to the output (middle terminal) of the volume pot to retain highs. It helped alot and sounded perfect with those pickups.

With the saddles raised so high the string angle behind the saddles was extremely steep...I think that helped alot too.

But it was a jewel just waiting to be brought to life. The lousy pickups and diecast bridge/tremolo and three screw neck with the tilt adjustment just wasn't letting the guitar sound it's best.

I adjusted the tilt adjustment so it was having no effect whatsover. With the neck pocket being so shallow, once I put on the '62 RI bridge the neck didn't need any tilt (or shim) at all.

Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

Hey Christian, I spoke to someone yesterday who knows you. Said he met you in a music store. He's a Roy Buchanan fan and wanted pickups to get the Roy-tone.

He asked me how to get that Roy Buchanan tone.

I remembered that old joke:

"How do I get to Carnegie Hall?"

"Practice man...practice!" :laugh2:

Lew

That guy seemed a little "off" to me...I met him at a Guitar Center here in Atlanta. I was playing a nice older Tele...he told me he played Tele's then asked my "how do I get my guitar to sound like Roy's"? I laughed inside, and we started talking. After a few minutes I found out he had antiquitys in his Tele, and he wanted something else, he asked about places on line...I gave him your web site...I started to tell you about it that day, but I really didn't think he would call. Anyway...did you get to sell him some pickups? Like I said he seemed like one of those guys thet think "the cloths make the man"...he kept telling me that he had the right guitar and amp, but he needed pickups to get him there, I didn't have the heart to tell him that he could have Roy's guitar and amp and still not get there!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

Fralin Blues Specials. I did my usual master volume, master tone, blender pot wiring. Sprague .02 Orange Drop cap. Since those pickups are not quite as glassy bright as some others I soldered the tone control to the output (middle terminal) of the volume pot to retain highs. It helped alot and sounded perfect with those pickups.

With the saddles raised so high the string angle behind the saddles was extremely steep...I think that helped alot too.

But it was a jewel just waiting to be brought to life. The lousy pickups and diecast bridge/tremolo and three screw neck with the tilt adjustment just wasn't letting the guitar sound it's best.

I adjusted the tilt adjustment so it was having no effect whatsover. With the neck pocket being so shallow, once I put on the '62 RI bridge the neck didn't need any tilt (or shim) at all.

Lew

I'll have to keep thatin mind...the only thing is that most of the 70's fenders have that real heave ash for bodies...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

That guy seemed a little "off" to me...I met him at a Guitar Center here in Atlanta. I was playing a nice older Tele...he told me he played Tele's then asked my "how do I get my guitar to sound like Roy's"? I laughed inside, and we started talking. After a few minutes I found out he had antiquitys in his Tele, and he wanted something else, he asked about places on line...I gave him your web site...I started to tell you about it that day, but I really didn't think he would call. Anyway...did you get to sell him some pickups? Like I said he seemed like one of those guys thet think "the cloths make the man"...he kept telling me that he had the right guitar and amp, but he needed pickups to get him there, I didn't have the heart to tell him that he could have Roy's guitar and amp and still not get there!

No, I didn't try to sell him any pickups. I didn't really think the problem was with his guitar. I mean, the guy already had what I usually recommend: Antiquitys! Lew

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

I'll have to keep thatin mind...the only thing is that most of the 70's fenders have that real heave ash for bodies...

Yep. Fortunately this one didn't. It was alder.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

No, I didn't try to sell him any pickups. I didn't really think the problem was with his guitar. I mean, the guy already had what I usually recommend: Antiquitys! Lew

Thats what I told him...he said he wanted now pups anyway! He wanted to know the best place to buy Duncans online...I gave him your info and told him that you would more that likely suggest Antiquitys! Oh well...I guess we told him! :laugh2:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

The thing with getting a great tone out of a Tele is: pickups are important...but the main thing, I think, is that the player has to be really, really mindful of how they're shaping the tone with thier body and soul.

The Tele is really unforgiving and will sound like an ice picky, steely, brittle piece of dry dung unless you play it mindfully and are very concious of how you're shaping the tone.

When I hear Roy getting a great tone from his Tele I also remember him getting an awful tone from his Tele...because he would sometimes.

What you put into it is what you're going to get out of it...Teles, maybe more so than just about any other guitar.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

I agree with that 100%...it is harder to get a good sound of of a Tele, more so that any other guitar I have ever played...the string tension works against you, by their nature they are steely and ice picky, and tonal varation is slim...you really have to work your hands and the controls THE WHOLE TIME or you will sounds like crap!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

I agree with that 100%...it is harder to get a good sound of of a Tele, more so that any other guitar I have ever played...the string tension works against you, by their nature they are steely and ice picky, and tonal varation is slim...you really have to work your hands and the controls THE WHOLE TIME or you will sounds like crap!

Yep...and as often as not: they do. (or doo doo! :laugh2: )

I used to hate Teles. Until I heard Roy Buchanan. Then I thought: I'd better try this again.

Used to love that guy with Johnny Cash and also James Burton with Ricky Nelson. But until I learned to play better I could never get a good tone out of a Tele my own self.

Lew

 

[Farkus]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

Lew,

I have a couple of 70's Strats. If I were to change the trems to the RI model, what kind of tonal changes can I expect? The body is a 'heavy' ash...it sounds kinna 'dull'. I've even considered getting a light replacement body for it.

Mark

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

Lew,

I have a couple of 70's Strats. If I were to change the trems to the RI model, what kind of tonal changes can I expect? The body is a 'heavy' ash...it sounds kinna 'dull'. I've even considered getting a light replacement body for it.

Mark

I don't know. This was the first guitar with a diecast one piece tremblock/bridge that I've made the change to and it's an alder body, not the heavy ash body. It's probably zinc or pot metal. Quite a bit heavier than the '62 bridge. I'll weigh it and see just how heavy it is.

I'd just sell the guitar if it's stock and you're not happy with it. They're worth alot of money.

Lew

 

[Jeffrec]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

Lew,

I had a '72 or '73 Strat that I traded for my LP Custom. I remember those pups measuring in that range also. The guitar was nice, but couldn't hold a candle to the '95 Am Standard I have now, quality-wise or sound-wise.


Jeff

 

[Farkus]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

I don't know. This was the first guitar with a diecast one piece tremblock/bridge that I've made the change to and it's an alder body, not the heavy ash body. It's probably zinc or pot metal. Quite a bit heavier than the '62 bridge. I'll weigh it and see just how heavy it is.

I'd just sell the guitar if it's stock and you're not happy with it. They're worth alot of money.

Lew

Sadly, and unknown to me until I opened it up, it's not stock. Some genius didn't like the fact that the neck moved in the pocket, so he countersunk two screws into the neck flush with the body, but under the 3 bolt. ARGH! On top of that, the neck wasn't on straight when they did it, so it's stable as heck but isn't on right...the high E nearly comes off the fretboard. So, I removed the screws and used a 'screen' shim and it works well.

I love the neck so much and have considered just changing the body and going from there.

Mark

 

[Boston Joe]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

Actually, I have an old '74 Strat pickup that I use in an '85 Squier-- lots of kick-- tight, punchy, balanced (of course, the old MIJ Strat may have something to do with it as well...) ! More output than a PAF, but articulate. Too much as a neck position pickup, but great in the bridge. I use a '79 Strat pickup in the neck--VEEEEERRRy bright, but warm in that body location. I traded off the other stock pickups years ago as they were nowhere near as good as these-- cherry pick :laugh2: ...

I used a '73 Tele with a great sounding stock pickups for some studio work. Some good pickups existed the early '70s (left over '60s parts supposedly) . By the end of the decade, they really had no character.

Mazac! One piece tremolos made from an alloy of 98% zinc, 2% magnesium, and 2% aluminum. Add some brass saddles and it really opens up the tone--very acoustical. Other than that, use an all steel system and recapture some shred of the 60's Strats.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Just replaced the pickups in a '74 Fender Strat...

Actually, I have an old '74 Strat pickup that I use in an '85 Squier-- lots of kick-- tight, punchy, balanced (of course, the old MIJ Strat may have something to do with it as well...) ! More output than a PAF, but articulate. Too much as a neck position pickup, but great in the bridge. I use a '79 Strat pickup in the neck--VEEEEERRRy bright, but warm in that body location. I traded off the other stock pickups years ago as they were nowhere near as good as these-- cherry pick :laugh2: ...

I used a '73 Tele with a great sounding stock pickups for some studio work. Some good pickups existed the early '70s (left over '60s parts supposedly) . By the end of the decade, they really had no character.

Mazac! One piece tremolos made from an alloy of 98% zinc, 2% magnesium, and 2% aluminum. Add some brass saddles and it really opens up the tone--very acoustical. Other than that, use an all steel system and recapture some shred of the 60's Strats.

Funny that you mention the brass saddles: this customer had replaced the '74 saddles with all brass saddles on the Fender/CBS cast zinc (Mazac?) bridge/tremolo. It sounded OK...but just OK. The "all steel system" (the 'Fender '62 RI) sounds much better to both of us though. Really opens the guitar up and gives it the tone we all expect from from a really nice Strat.

So Mazac is what you call that zinc based pot metal? I thought it was zinc but didn't know it had a name. Thanks for the info!

Got to say I've never heard any Fender Strat pickup with the kick or output of a Paf though. :smack:

Lew