Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

P

Patsfan1281

New member
Right now I have a squire affinity strat and I like the feel of it, but I was wondering would a upgrade in the pickups help make it sound better. I have a Fender Mustang 3 amp, so its a pretty decent amp. As far as pickups go I was looking at the Yngwie Signature Pickups, but what other pickups would go good for a heavy metal/shred tone. Thanks
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

I like the yjm stuff both dimarzio and sd but imo you need a hell balls amp/tube screamer to get them fully shredding.

But yeah for me if you have the money just do it. It will make the guitar better on all fronts.
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

Yngwie, Dimebag, EVH, Jason Becker, something that sounds full and not too thin, I find that its not as warm as it could be. My real strat has humbuckers so that may be why it sounds fuller(im not expert at this), so I want something could possible match as warmer tone thats good for sweeps and shredding metal styles.
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

Oh and to kramersteen, the amp is really great for me atleast. I just know that others will put it down since its not the most expensive amp.
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

Im guessing you mean Humbucker and single coil pick guard. My affinity has two single coils in the neck and middle and a humbucker in the bridge, so im mainly looking to upgrade the neck and middle pickups.
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

Patsfan1281 said:
Im guessing you mean Humbucker and single coil pick guard. My affinity has two single coils in the neck and middle and a humbucker in the bridge, so im mainly looking to upgrade the neck and middle pickups.
Click to expand...

Oh i didn't know sorry. yeah you should have ordered those pickups already.. they will sing.
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

hey thanks man, but just to make sure im getting you right, the pickups are worth upgrading and will improve the tone on the guitar right?
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

Patsfan1281 said:
hey thanks man, but just to make sure im getting you right, the pickups are worth upgrading and will improve the tone on the guitar right?
Click to expand...

Well i think it will. If you really like the humbucker neck sound in your other guitar you could always try a single coil sized humbucker for the neck.

But there are other options you can try first. capacitors, different pots/values. wiring combinations etc.
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

Check out the SSL-3 or SSL-4. If you already have a Strat with humbuckers, I'd avoid little humbuckers and even stacked humbuckers to set the guitars farther apart from one another. IMO, a true single coil has characteristics that are lost when you go hum cancelling.
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

Yea ok, thanks, im mainly going by sounds i can hear on youtube so are there any other pickups you would reccomend that would give this strat a good tone?
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

It's hard to overstate how hard YouTube blows for pickup demos. Descriptions are more useful in the case of pickups since you have to personally interact with them to every really know what they are about. It's really just about picking a starting point and not holding an expectation that you'll get what you want on the first go around. Trial and error is part of the fun, I'd start with the YJM or SSL-4 and bass the next pickup swap out on whether you want more or less of some quality in particular. You know you don't want more humbuckers, but you do want to shred, that makes me think SSL-4 for sure, but there's a lot of pickups that will get the job done.
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

ok, so why do you choose the SSL-4 over the YJM, because it has more output like humbuckers?
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

I am surprised that LtKojak has not yet chipped in. I share his opinion that EMG active pickups go extraordinarily well with these budget guitars. Kojak likes the 85/SA/SA trio. I went with a single -81. Using pre-owned EMG pickups keeps the costs in better proportion to the value of the host instrument.
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

Ok nevermind, I just looked up the active and I dont think I would want those. So can are there anyothers you would like to reccomend
 
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

Patsfan1281 said:
ok, so why do you choose the SSL-4 over the YJM, because it has more output like humbuckers?
Click to expand...

The YJM is a stacked humbucker, they can only approximate single coil tone. IMO they have a compressed and saggy attack and a more abrupt high frequency drop off than true single coils, not unlike typical side by side humbuckers. I'd only get a set if I had decided that I couldn't stand the hum of a single coils.
 
Last edited:
Re: Pick-up upgrade for cheap guitar

ok cool, but other than the hum do they both have similar sounds or is there a difference from what you know of the two
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

xxxplorer
Went in for strings, left with a Les Paul
Replies
13
Views
397
xxxplorer
xxxplorer
R
Pickup upgrade for Epiphone Les Paul (hard rock/metal)
2 3
Replies
51
Views
1K
Wattage
Wattage
Z
SD ASB-5 Pickups as a Replacement for Soundgear MK1's?
Replies
2
Views
58
Zooberwerx
Z
S
Epiphone LP Goldtop
Replies
9
Views
218
Sam SG
S
M
Ok guys I need some help
Replies
6
Views
125
Artie
Artie
Back
Top