New Strat - New Pickups

Chrismo

Chrismo

New member
Hi y'all...

Just got a FSR Rootbeer Flake Strat and it is awesome. I'd really like to add a killer set of pickups to it so...

1. I'm thinking Antiquity Texas Hot pickups for the neck and the middle - are there two separate pickups for each position, or is the same one used for both spots?
2. Do these come with black covers, or can I use a standard black Fender cover for these?
3. Do the Surfers not exist anymore? Looked on the Duncan site but didn't see them...
4. What's the best tremspaced 'bucker to use with these guys? Like to keep it vintage, so within PAF-esque territory would be awesome.

It's an alder body with a rosewood fretboard and a standard Strat tremolo. HSS configuration. Thanks! :)
 
Re: New Strat - New Pickups

Nope the Surfers are still here, and awesome!
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/vintage-output/1102409_08_10_a/

I haven't used the Texas Hots, but I know the Surfers get a nice glassy spank to them. Many folk around here use the Surfers in the Neck/Middle, with the Texas Hot Custom bridge as they feel the A2 is a little better under overdrive.
I personally really like the Surfer custom bridge, especially with it wired up with tone control.
As far as the "best" trem spaced bucker goes, best is too subjective of a term. I've only had experience with the PATB-3 in the bridge of my strat. But i've also heard that the JazzB is great, as is the Pearly Gates, and the 59.
The PATB-3 isn't really PAF, more of an intermediate wind IMO, but I like it a lot for my purposes. I think the Ant's come with aged cream covers, but I'm pretty sure you can stuff them into black covers if you wish.
 
Re: New Strat - New Pickups

Hey loudriver - thanks for finding that! I think I overlooked them...

So the Surfers are Alnico 5 and the Texas Hots are Alnico 2?

With the bridge, wanted to find a bucker that wouldn't overpower the neck/middle singles and would blend in well.
 
Re: New Strat - New Pickups

Chrismo said:
Hey loudriver - thanks for finding that! I think I overlooked them...

So the Surfers are Alnico 5 and the Texas Hots are Alnico 2?

With the bridge, wanted to find a bucker that wouldn't overpower the neck/middle singles and would blend in well.
Click to expand...

Hard to find. Almost all bridge model humbucking pickups are going to have more output than you probably want.

Maybe a neck model Jazz or 59?
 
Re: New Strat - New Pickups

I reckon either SSS or 2H is better than SSH.
for a start you want different value pots and caps for the two different types of pickups.
Also, when you dial in a good sc sound on your amp, the hum doesn't sound its best and vice versa.
they just dont play too well together usually, so you end up getting a guitar that does either nothing well or, one that only sounds good for one thing.
So - you might as well just get a guitar that has 2 humbuckers and sounds killer for that, or 3 singles - and sounds killer for that.
Its all aboou balance, and an HSS just does not balance well.

Also yeah, ant hots are A2.

So fwiw heres what i recommend:
a full set of surfers with the hot bridge option.
ssl1,ssl1,ssl5
or
59/jb combo
jazz/jb combo
 
Re: New Strat - New Pickups

It really is a tough call, I personally prefer SSS to HSS, but I do have 1 of each. Sure the HSS is a bit of a compromise, especially with output levels, but with a vintage wound PAF type pickup it's not horrible.
Another way to go would be getting a little hotter single coil for the neck and mid. I've heard good things about the SSL5, but haven't used them myself. It would seem their output lends itself to a better output balance with a full sized humbucker.
Also, I forgot to ask, what pickups do you currently have in the guitar? Is there something specific they are not providing? If it's a new guitar (to you) I recommend not modifying it at all for at least a few weeks of playing and amp tweaks. That way you can make a more accurate determination of what you're looking for that your current setup isn't providing.
 
Re: New Strat - New Pickups

According to the Fender description - "Standard Single Coil" in the neck and middle and "Standard Humbucker" in the bridge. The neck and middle are fine for stock, but I always like aftermarket pickups more. The bridge humbucker is okay too, but it's not something that jumps out to me. I had been listening to a few different demos of HSS pairings and thought that the Duncans would be cool to stick in there.

For what it's worth, the stock pickups seem to balance out well with each other, so I'm thinking a lower output humbucker should do the trick.
 
Re: New Strat - New Pickups

loudriver23 said:
It really is a tough call, I personally prefer SSS to HSS, but I do have 1 of each. Sure the HSS is a bit of a compromise, especially with output levels, but with a vintage wound PAF type pickup it's not horrible.
Click to expand...

I like the autosplit wiring layout, which uses only one coil of the humbucker in the 4 position of the 5 way switch (like the Fender Lonestar Strat wiring).
 
Re: New Strat - New Pickups

LatsMcGee said:
Pearly Gates neck maybe, How about a Seth?
Click to expand...

Thought about the Seth and the Pearly Gates, leaning towards a '59. They're all great pickups and I think they're just enough output. I'd go with a Seth, but I'm afraid of an unpotted pickup and they are not tremspaced either. The Pearly Gates didn't work in the bridge of a LP but I've heard it works wonders with a Strat. The '59 seems to be a standard as well.
 
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