Strat Pickups

[PUCKBOY99]

I'm sure this has been covered many many times, but I'm too lazy to search....

What are you guys using in your Strats? I might be coming in to a Mexican strat & I'm thinking Lil '59/APS-2/APS-2.....ALSO, anyone have a black pearloid pickguard on a black Strat? How's that look?

As always, thanks in advance!!!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat Pickups

#1 Stock '63 pickups in my '63 Strat
#2 Duncan Antiquity Texas Hots and Antiquity Custom bridge in my 57 RI Strat
#3 Fralin Vintage Hots and Steel Pole 43 in my other 57 RI Strat
#4 Fralin Vintage Hots with bassplate on the bridge pickup in my CS Mary Kaye Strat
#5 Duncan 59 Trembucker in my single humbucker Strat
#6 Duncan Antiquity II Surfers going into my Custom Strat soon!

Lew

#7 My buddy AJ's Jimmie Vaughn Strat...I've spent so much time modding the pickups and electronics in this ax I feel like it's one of mine! :smack: Duncan SSL-1's and Fralin SP43 bridge.

 

[flank]

Re: Strat Pickups

LEW i command you to put in those Antiquity 2 NOW!!!!!!.....lol, i wanna see what those are like so bad, the antiquites seem to be the holy grail, but im not fond of A2 mags, especially in strat pickups......

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat Pickups

LEW i command you to put in those Antiquity 2 NOW!!!!!!.....lol, i wanna see what those are like so bad, the antiquites seem to be the holy grail, but im not fond of A2 mags, especially in strat pickups......

Your wish is my command...I'll try to find some time this weekend. I'm very curious too! Lew

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Strat Pickups

Lew, what's the difference between the staggered & the flat on the APS-1/APS-2 ???

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat Pickups

Lew, what's the difference between the staggered & the flat on the APS-1/APS-2 ???

That's the difference right there: APS1 is staggered and APS2 is flat.

I think the flat poles give a smoother, less bubble-ey tone.

For Strats, I kind of like staggered for neck and middle...bridge can go either way.

Lew

 

[midnite_man]

Re: Strat Pickups

I have Antiquity single coils in my American Strat, which sound superb....and soon will have a SSL-1/n, APS-1/m, SSL-3/b combination in my MIJ Strat with a black pearloid pickguard. Black on black with that guitar, and it looks very cool I think.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Strat Pickups

So, APS1 in the neck & middle w/a Lil '59 in the bridge....warm & smooth all around???

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat Pickups

So, APS1 in the neck & middle w/a Lil '59 in the bridge....warm & smooth all around???

Even smoother, IMO, would be the APS2's. Lew

 

[midnite_man]

Re: Strat Pickups

So, APS1 in the neck & middle w/a Lil '59 in the bridge....warm & smooth all around???

Sounds pretty warm to me.
I was going to put a Lil '59 in the bridge of my MIJ Strat to see how that sounded but never got around to it even though buying the pickup.
I would really dig reading some remarks about using it if and when you install it.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Strat Pickups

Even smoother, IMO, would be the APS2's. Lew

Sorry...I meant APS-2s & the Lil '59. Good match-up Lew???

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat Pickups

Sorry...I meant APS-2s & the Lil '59. Good match-up Lew???

I would think so...couldn't tell you if it'll give you the tone you're imagining in your mind, but that'd be a nice set of pickups! The Twangbanger is actually the pickup SD recommends with the APS1 or 2...just for your info. I find that when I use a bridge mini-humbucker with Strat single coils I lose the #4 switch setting...the classic middle/bridge combo...because the Little 59 or JB JR just don't blend with the middle pickup in the same way as two Strat single coils would. Lew

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Strat Pickups

I'm glad you said that...I'm not a big strat user, but the times I've played/had one, my favorite positions are the #2 & #4.

HHHHmmmm....what to do what to do!!!!

I assume using a splitter on the Lil '59 might work, but what would that sound like in the #4 ?

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Strat Pickups

I have a Lil '59 in the bridge position of my Strat and it's great for getting a fatter warmer tone from that position - it allows me to use my Strat as a gigging backup for my LP, which I couldn't do previously. However as Lew points out, you do lose something in the #4 position (bridge and middle). With the Lil '59 in series HB mode the #4 didn't sound much different to the #5 - the Lil '59 overpowered the middle single coil. I rewired it so the Lil '59 is split in the #4 position - this is better, but now I find the middle single coil slighly overpowering the split Lil '59. :smack: . It's not the same as two true single coil pups.

The Lil '59 is a great solution if you want classic HB tones from the bridge without routing or getting a new scratchplate for a full-size HB, but inevitably you do sacrifice something of the Strat's strattiness. Once I get another HB-equipped guitar I plan to return the Strat to true single coil status - a set of Antiquity Texas Hots perhaps. :32:

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Strat Pickups

The Lil '59 is a great solution if you want classic HB tones from the bridge without routing or getting a new scratchplate for a full-size HB, but inevitably you do sacrifice something of the Strat's strattiness. Once I get another HB-equipped guitar I plan to return the Strat to true single coil status - a set of Antiquity Texas Hots perhaps. :32:

Good points Simon, thanks! Perhaps at Strat just needs to remain a Strat...for "Strattiness" sake!

Lew, how "Hot" are the Antiquity Texas Hots? Smoother than the Fender Texas Specials (which I don't like in the Strat, BTW!).

 

[Buckeyedog]

Re: Strat Pickups

Good points Simon, thanks! Perhaps at Strat just needs to remain a Strat...for "Strattiness" sake!

Lew, how "Hot" are the Antiquity Texas Hots? Smoother than the Fender Texas Specials (which I don't like in the Strat, BTW!).

Puck, I'm going to change my texas specials out from my SRV strat because I don't care for them either. I'm going to start with fender fat 50's on recommendation from Gearjoneser. Figured for $80 second hand, I'll try those before moving up to fralin's/duncan's/Rio's.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat Pickups

Puck, I'm going to change my texas specials out from my SRV strat because I don't care for them either. I'm going to start with fender fat 50's on recommendation from Gearjoneser. Figured for $80 second hand, I'll try those before moving up to fralin's/duncan's/Rio's.

Over the years, I've had:

Fender Texas Specials (good but not transparant enuf)
Duncan SSL-2's and JB JR. (better!)
Duncan SSL-1's & JB JR. (alot better!)
Fralin Blues Specials & Duncan JB (Cool!)
Duncan Antiquity Texas Hots & Ant. Custom bridge (!!!)

....all in my favorite 57 RI Strat! :smack:

My very favorite pickups in this guitar are the SSL-1's (which is why I put them my buddy's Jimmie Vaughn)
and the Texas Hots.

My very favorite bridge pickup so far in this particular guitar is the JB JR. neck model used as a bridge pickup (with SSL-1's) or the Antiquity Custom .

Hard to beat a full set of the Antiquitys.

Lew

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Strat Pickups

Hey Lew....check your PM box; I tried to send you the following message & it says the box is full...........

Hey Lew....

First, how's your mother doing? I hope all is well !

As for the strat pick-ups, what does a set of Antiquities run? Also, I recall you hooked up a whole pickguard for someone....what would it cost for the works on a black pearloid pickguard? (Why pickguard...I like the way the Brits call it a "scratch plate" ! )

As always OH TONE GURU....THANKS!!!

Terry

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Strat Pickups

Hey Lew....in reading the descriptions on the products page, what does the RW/RP in the middle position do, knock down some noise??

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat Pickups

Hey Lew....in reading the descriptions on the products page, what does the RW/RP in the middle position do, knock down some noise??

Same thing the RW/RP pickup does in the Fralin set you have in your Tele. One of those is RW/RP so when the two pickups are combined you get hum cancelling. When they're not combined, you don't. Lew