Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

JohnF05

New member
Hello. First off, I want to say I’ve never purchased pickups before so please excuse my lack of knowledge. I wrote customer service; they answered back, but weren’t thorough enough for someone with my lack of pickup knowledge. I’m hoping the forum members can give me a bit more information. This will be a bit lengthy but very detailed -- in hopes that it will help you guys help me.

I love those glassy, bell-like, and “quack” sounding Strat tones (Not sure if those are all three the same or each different?). I like the clean sounds of Gilmour, Knopfler, Clapton, Frusciante, and Hendrix. I realize it’s a single coil, but also like some bass and fatness to a pickup. I also want something that when distorted will have some decent output. I enjoy the styles of funk, classic rock (Hendrix) blues (SRV), and country twang (James Burton).

I know what sounds I like in a Strat but I don’t know exactly which pickup will give me the desired sound, and that’s why I‘m posting. I hope someone can steer me in the right direction because I’m pretty lost in terms of what to purchase.

Here are two great examples of Strat sounds I like…

A demo of a ‘63 Strat with that great clean Strat sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij_GLF8-lAA

Mike McCready’s Strat sound from “Yellow Ledbetter”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eOs_ZIVkTk

When playing clean I tend to play in the neck, second, or fourth positions. I read the specifics of each of the following pickups several times but I’m more so providing these so that you can help me match my desired sound with said pickup. If you have other pickup suggestions please share. Any additional info or personal experience with these pickups would be very much appreciated.

I’m playing these in the “neck” positions….

Five-Two Strat (I can’t tell if this pickup doesn’t sound as loud due to it not being recorded as loud or if it’s just a lower output pickup)
http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/five-two-strat-neck

Vintage Staggered Strat (This sounds very similar to the Five-Two, just louder)
http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/vintage-staggered-strat

Antiquity II Surfer Strat (This sounds a bit more harsh on the treble side to me than the previous two. I was told these sound “more vintage”, not sure what that entails, exactly)
http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/antiquity-ii-surfer-strat-neck

Well, again, any info would helpful as I’m trying to find the right pickup to match the tones I shared in the two YouTube videos. I apologize for the length and thank you in advance.

Jon
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

A SSL-5 in the bridge and a couple of SSL-1's in the middle & neck positions should give you what your looking for.....
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

What guitar will these replaced pickup be installed on? Accurate vintage replica, modern derivative or some hybrid that combines vintage looks and modern playability.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

SSL-1's (I prefer the SSL-2 flat because I hate stratitis) and an SSL-5 bridge if you want Gilmour tones. The key to nailing some of the Hendrix and SRV tones is tuning down a half step with the SSL-1. Bigger strings help with SRV too. I also really like Fender Fat 50's. They have a touch more mids and are not quite so bright in the treble.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

Agreed. Ssl1 neck and middle, ssl5 bridge.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

Either the ssl1/2 will do vintage tones (the 2's if you have modern radius fretboard).

I also liked the Fat 50's too. They produced a bit more quack for me in the 2/4 posi's, at least compared with the Ant's they did.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

Thanks for the response to my question. Would fretboard radius factor in to which pickup to use? I have a Fender Classic Player 60's Strat with 12 inch radius.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

Be careful ....I think you either have a 7.25 radius or 9.5 radius. I'll defer to the other members on this but I do not remember the Fender you are describing with such a flat radius.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

What guitar will these replaced pickup be installed on? Accurate vintage replica, modern derivative or some hybrid that combines vintage looks and modern playability.

A Fender Classic Player 60's Strat with 12" radius fretboard.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

SSL-1's (I prefer the SSL-2 flat because I hate stratitis) and an SSL-5 bridge if you want Gilmour tones. The key to nailing some of the Hendrix and SRV tones is tuning down a half step with the SSL-1. Bigger strings help with SRV too. I also really like Fender Fat 50's. They have a touch more mids and are not quite so bright in the treble.

Thank you for the response. So would you suggest the SSL-2 flats for my Classic Player 60's Strat with 12" radius fretboard?
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

Either the ssl1/2 will do vintage tones (the 2's if you have modern radius fretboard).

I also liked the Fat 50's too. They produced a bit more quack for me in the 2/4 posi's, at least compared with the Ant's they did.

Thank you for the response. I have a Classic Player 60's Strat with 12" radius fretboard. Why the SSL-2's with the modern radius?
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

My Fender MIM Classic Player Fifties model has a 9.5" fingerboard radius. One of the rosewood fingerboard CP models definitely does have a 12" radius and bigger than expected fret wire. On this variant, equal length rod magnet polepieces make better sense than the vintage stagger pattern.

The Fender Fat Fifties set is raunchy and aggressive. On my CP Strat, I currently have an Ant 1 Texas Hot bridge and two Fender Tex-Mex for the middle and neck positions. The plastic bobbin construction of the Tex-Mex model permits the sliding of the individual rod magnets to achieve any radius profile. I elected to try a shallow left-handed stagger pattern. Turned out nice.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

A SSL-5 in the bridge and a couple of SSL-1's in the middle & neck positions should give you what your looking for.....

Nostalgic Distortion; Out of curiosity, why do you suggest the SSL-5 in the bridge position as opposed to just three SSL-1's? Is it because the SSL-1's are only available for the middle and neck positions or any other reason? Not disagreeing, just want to further understand. I just realized while responding, but aren't the "California 50's set" just all three SSL-1's? Thanks again for your help.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

My Fender MIM Classic Player Fifties model has a 9.5" fingerboard radius. One of the rosewood fingerboard CP models definitely does have a 12" radius and bigger than expected fret wire. On this variant, equal length rod magnet polepieces make better sense than the vintage stagger pattern.

The Fender Fat Fifties set is raunchy and aggressive. On my CP Strat, I currently have an Ant 1 Texas Hot bridge and two Fender Tex-Mex for the middle and neck positions. The plastic bobbin construction of the Tex-Mex model permits the sliding of the individual rod magnets to achieve any radius profile. I elected to try a shallow left-handed stagger pattern. Turned out nice.

Thanks for the suggestion about the pickups and the flatter radius. I wrote customer service to see what they say as well.
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

A SSL-5 in the bridge and a couple of SSL-1's in the middle & neck positions should give you what your looking for.....

I guess I should have mentioned that I have a Classic Player 60's Strat with a 12" radius fret board and medium jumbos. Does your suggestion still stand?
 
Re: Need help finding quack/bell tone Strat pickups; first time buyer. Please help.

Nostalgic Distortion; Out of curiosity, why do you suggest the SSL-5 in the bridge position as opposed to just three SSL-1's? Is it because the SSL-1's are only available for the middle and neck positions or any other reason? Not disagreeing, just want to further understand. I just realized while responding, but aren't the "California 50's set" just all three SSL-1's? Thanks again for your help.
SSL-5 has more meat for the bridge posistion, especially if you are looking for a solo boost (or at least unity) when you select bridge. That being said, if you prioritize Mid/Bridge over bridge or want a more vintage accurate bridge tone, 3 SSL-1 or SSL-2 would be nice.
 
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