Need opinions to help to replace PUPs!

G

Gilmourista

New member
Hello, this is my first time posting here. I've had a MIM strat for a while now, and I feel the stock pick ups just aren't doing it for me. So I've been looking into pick ups, and from a lot of research I've come to the conclusion that I'd like to replace them with a Vintage Hot Stack on the neck, a Custom Stack on the middle, and a Hot Stack Plus in the bridge. I have also been looking into a set of blackouts, but I'm not sure if I'd lose the traditional sound of a strat. How would the blackouts compare to the set mentioned previously? Would the blackouts sound like a true hum bucker, and would the traditional sound of the strat be completely lost? Which one would you recommend? Basically what I'm looking for, is very beefy and thick tones when distorted, but to not completely lose the clan sound of a strat. My strat is an SSS configuration.

Thank you.
 
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Re: Need opinions to help to replace PUPs!

welcome to the forum!

the blackout singles dont sound like humbuckers, they sound like fatter strat pups, i have a set and like them a lot, much better than the emg's id used previously. you obviously arent going for a pure vintage sound with either of those sets but id say the blackouts are at least as stratty sounding, the blackouts (with jumper in place) have more output than the set of stacks you mention but probably are a little brighter/clearer over all.
 
Re: Need opinions to help to replace PUPs!

Welcome to the forum!

You made some good choices for 'beefy and thick'. The only thing I could add is that you can also look at Quarter Pounds, if you are not concerned with hum cancelling. The Custom set is a good one, too.
 
Re: Need opinions to help to replace PUPs!

Which ones do you think would get a ticker tone, with let's say a Big Muff as the main lead tone? The blackouts or the STK-s9b, STK-s6, and the STK-s7? Thanks!
 
Re: Need opinions to help to replace PUPs!

I'm mainly looking at noiseless pick ups right now. Any opinions on the Livewire ll's?
 
Re: Need opinions to help to replace PUPs!

The Livewire II's sound a little more scooped than the EQ graph makes you think. They have a lot of bass and treble, way more than a classic single coil. I don't think anyone would mistake them for a single coil (in sound, and feel), but it is a really good sound...just one that is unique to that style of pickup. You don't hear a lot about active singles these days, though they were popular for the LA studio sound in the 80s.
 
Re: Need opinions to help to replace PUPs!

live wires II are scooped, black outs have more mids, the stks9 has a ton of mids. id assume the set of stacks you mentioned would be the fattest sounding set assuming 250k pots. if you used 1meg pots that set would be significantly brighter
 
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