Single coil pickups for non-Strat guitars?

[GotTone]

I am thinking about replacing the single coil pickups in my Jackson Dinky XL. The pickup holes are rectangular, not the Strat style triangle shape. It seems that all single coil replacment pickups these days are all triangle shaped.

Are there any single coil models that will fit a rectangular shaped pickup hole? Is it possible to trim off the excess triangle shape from a Strat-style replacement pickup?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Single coil pickups for non-Strat guitars?

Most singles that are "triangles" have the coil wire wrapped around the wire exit holes (with or without eyelets) so you can't shave them flat. Rails style pickups often have wire exits to the side of each coil, and if they aren't already built as "rectangles" you can shave them down. All the new Duncan Rails pickups should work for you.

Stacks are often built with "straight down" wire exits. The Dimarzio stacks (all of them) have straight down wire exits and the triangle flap is just extra plastic. The Duncan Parallel Axis stack is a fantastic pickup for superstrats. Consider all three Parallel Axis pickups for that guitar. Duncan's Jaquar pickups are straight across with side wire exits. That could be a cool setup, too-Vintage Jag middle and Hot Jag neck.

 

[GotTone]

Re: Single coil pickups for non-Strat guitars?

frankfalbo,

Thank you for the recommendations! Are you familiar with the Dimarzio Cruiser neck pickups, i.e. would I be able to safely trim off the extra plastic at the bottom to fit my rectangular shaped pickup route?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Single coil pickups for non-Strat guitars?

Not without extensive rewiring. The bottom is a circuit board, and the traces go throughout the triangle extension. The actual wire exits from the coils are in the corners of the coils, so you could rewire the 4-conductor to the beginning of the circuit trace, and then shave it off, but you would be way better off with a Cool Rails or something else from Duncan, because it wil be a direct drop in.