Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

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00JETT

New member
Hello all,

I am new to posting in this forum, but have been a long time browser of information you guys post on pickups. I love the info you guys share on here. I feel comfortable asking a few of my questions here cause I know some of you will have first hand experience with what I am trying to do. First off let me introduce you to my most recent project!

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She is a early/mid 80s MIJ Tokai that I fell in love with the feel and playability of. It has a very comfortable U shaped neck that I just l love and the the whole guitar comes in a a light 7.3lbs.

I love the guitar but find the pickups just not quite enough for what I like. The are the VII grey bottom pickups and they measure 5.6k on the neck and middle, and 5.8k on the bridge. I have done many adjustments to 'make them work', but I have come to the conclusion that they sound a bit sterile for my taste and don't hit the front of my amps quite hard enough (Marshall and Vox inspired amps).

I have been eyeing the Antiquities from SD. They look to be wound slightly hotter than what I have but still keep that vintage tone that I want. The hotter bridge pickup is of great interest to me too. The problem is I can't decided between the texas hots or the surfer sets... I searched this forum and many others and read all that I can, watched every video I could find, but I am still torn. I'm leaning towards the surfer set but I have a couple specific questions I can seem to answer with 100% accuracy from internet searches.

1. From the SD website it looks like the texas hots hit an amp a little harder than the surfers. Is there a big difference in output between the 2 sets?
2. In the sound clips the Surfer set sounds more close to what is in my stratocaster already, which I like, but would these also be sterile sounding with a maple neck?
3. Which set sounds bigger overall from a full frequencies spectrum? The texas hots seem to sound a bit narrow in clips, but yet still push an amp well. I wonder if anyone has tried them side by side.
4. Any other recommendations I should be considering bering in mind I don't like the really heavy overwound sounds that shifts the eq to a midrange type sound? (I hear this midrange in the SD clip of the texas hot bridge compared to the clearer surfer set)

Thanks for your time and for helping me with this journey!
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

00JETT said:
1. From the SD website it looks like the texas hots hit an amp a little harder than the surfers. Is there a big difference in output between the 2 sets?
2. In the sound clips the Surfer set sounds more close to what is in my stratocaster already, which I like, but would these also be sterile sounding with a maple neck?
3. Which set sounds bigger overall from a full frequencies spectrum? The texas hots seem to sound a bit narrow in clips, but yet still push an amp well. I wonder if anyone has tried them side by side.
4. Any other recommendations I should be considering bering in mind I don't like the really heavy overwound sounds that shifts the eq to a midrange type sound? (I hear this midrange in the SD clip of the texas hot bridge compared to the clearer surfer set)

Thanks for your time and for helping me with this journey!
Click to expand...

The Antiquity Surfers are what you probably want. They sound more like '62 Fender Strat pickups.

The Texas Hots don't actually sound like any pickup Fender put in Strats in the 50's and 60's. They're warmer and lack the snap and that chimey/glassy treble we're used to hearing from a Strat.

I use Surfers. They remind me of the pickups in my '63 Strat (yes...a real one) much more than the Texas Hots do.

The Duncan SSL-1's sound almost the same as the Surfers. Maybe a little less ballsy but very little difference. And they're cheaper.

The biggest diff would be in the bridge pickup. The Surfer Custom bridge pickup is hotter and better sounding to me than the SSL-1.
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

I use the Surfers in the neck and middle and a Fralin SP43 in the bridge.

I've also used the Surfers with the Surfer Custom bridge. Also a great set.

But it's fun having the SP43 on board. Sounds like a P90.
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

I'm not well versed with SDs single coil offering, but just dropped by to say a) welcome to the discussion! and b) Tokais from that period are amazing guitars (I played a LOT on many trips down to Denmark Street at the time - ended up buying one of their super-strats as my first 'proper'/expensive guitar) - congrats on the score!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

the surfers are more of the classic fender sound and if your guitar sounds bland with a set of surfers, it isnt the pups. the texas hots are alnico 2 rather than a5 so have a different, more middy sound to them. its a great sound but not classic fender
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

Do you want bright or dark?

The Surfers are bright, poppy, traditional Strat pickups.

The Texas Hots are thick, middy, and meaty. Darker than Surfers. Do you want to hit with a hammer (Texas Hots)? Or slice with a sword (Surfers)? To me, the Texas Hots sound bigger.

I have several G&L Legacys, most with either factory stock Duncan flat-top SSL-2s, or G&L CLF-100s on the later guitars. Two have Texas Hot sets with the RW/RP middle and Power Bridge. They rock!

But I love both sets. I'm not putting Texas Hots in all my guitars; I love the contrast.

Bill
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

Very interesting comments, you have given me some thoughts to chew on for sure. This is my first venture back into strats since the late 90s. It's hard to define what I want this guitar to be without having tried a ton of stuff. All I know is I pretty much liked the guitar stock for the most part, but just want 10-20% more out of it with some sweetness added to the top end and a bridge pickup that doesn't fall off. The more I think about it I am pretty sure I am describing the surfers!
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

Just want to point out that neither set is going to be hitting an amp hard, and that's the idea of a Strat. Pair it with a good Boost, Fuzz and/or Overdrive to really get the most out of your Strat.

BoogieBill described the differences between A5 and A2 Strat pickups very well. If you want classic Strat, go Surfers. If you want a little darker, chewier, smoker mids go for Texas Hots.

Also, not to throw a wrench into it, but you could mix them. One of my Strats is A2 neck with A5 middle/bridge.
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

PFDarkside said:
Just want to point out that neither set is going to be hitting an amp hard, and that's the idea of a Strat. Pair it with a good Boost, Fuzz and/or Overdrive to really get the most out of your Strat.

BoogieBill described the differences between A5 and A2 Strat pickups very well. If you want classic Strat, go Surfers. If you want a little darker, chewier, smoker mids go for Texas Hots.

Also, not to throw a wrench into it, but you could mix them. One of my Strats is A2 neck with A5 middle/bridge.
Click to expand...

Yes. I've mixed them too.

Surfers and a Texas Hot Custom bridge.

Tricky to wire it up the first time though because the Texas Hot is reverse wound/reverse polarity to the Surfers.

I think I'd recommend a set of three Surfers for most folks.

Or two Surfers and a Fralin SP43 bridge...which is what I use.
 
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Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

Had a few Tokai strats...maybe alot.
Only changed pickups on the cheapest of them!
The rest I cured with an old Boss GE-7 or a MXR Microamp.
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

Sounds to me like you want the Surfers. Good choice, and still quintessentially Strat. The Surfer Custom Hot bridge is a little hotter but not as much as the specs would lead you to believe. It'll give better sustain for leads without making your sound unrecognizable.
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

eclecticsynergy said:
Sounds to me like you want the Surfers. Good choice, and still quintessentially Strat. The Surfer Custom Hot bridge is a little hotter but not as much as the specs would lead you to believe. It'll give better sustain for leads without making your sound unrecognizable.
Click to expand...

Yeah this is pretty much exactly my hesitation, I don't want to lose the 'Start-ness'. The hottest pickup I own is an 8k P90 so the idea of a 9.7k ish bridge is a little hard to get my head around, yet I know dc resistance is minor part to the whole equation.

Ok, thanks everyone, I am ordering the surfers today! I appreciate yas letting me talk this out!
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

Well, neither set will lose 'Strattiness'. But I agree with what has been said- the Surfers are the ones. If anything, you might want a bridge Texas Hot (keep in mind, the Texas Hots are out of phase with the Surfers) if you don't like a clear, open bridge pickup.
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

The bridge pickup is thinner wire (43 gauge), so has higher k per turn than the m & n pickups with 42 gauge. The effect in the bridge slot is that, rather than being weaker in the bridge at the same height if the same wind was used for all 3, that the custom bridge is just that bit stronger and the 43 ga wire makes it a bit fatter tonally. You'd maybe get the same signal from a high 7k 42 ga pickup, but there would be a bit more treble and less mids generally speaking.
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

AlexR said:
The bridge pickup is thinner wire (43 gauge), so has higher k per turn than the m & n pickups with 42 gauge. The effect in the bridge slot is that, rather than being weaker in the bridge at the same height if the same wind was used for all 3, that the custom bridge is just that bit stronger and the 43 ga wire makes it a bit fatter tonally. You'd maybe get the same signal from a high 7k 42 ga pickup, but there would be a bit more treble and less mids generally speaking.
Click to expand...

I'd assumed the Custom Hot bridge was wound with thinner wire but never knew for sure. I sure like the way it sounds though, strong but Stratty. And no extra midrange beef like the QP or P90-style Strat pickups.

I think the OP will be quite happy with the Surfers.
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

Thanks so much for the help folks! I figure I'd update this thread with my thoughts on the new pickups.

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I got them in this morning and installed them this afternoon. I went with the surfer custom bridge and 2 surfer neck models (instead of the rwrp middle pickup). These were EXACTLY what my ears were looking for. They are thicker and juicier that the stock pickups and hit the amp just a bit harder yet it still sounds like a good Strat! Iv been playing it for a couple hours now and can't wait to get this thing playing out live to see how it works.

Thanks again for navigation through my option paralysis!
 
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Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

00JETT said:
Thanks so much for the help folks! I figure I'd update this thread with my thoughts on the new pickups.

View attachment 82012
View attachment 82011

I got them in this morning and installed them this afternoon. I went with the surfer custom bridge and 2 surfer neck models (instead of the rwrp middle pickup). These were EXACTLY what my ears were looking for. They are thicker and juicier that the stock pickups and hit the amp just a bit harder yet it still sounds like a good Strat! Iv been playing it for a couple hours now and can't wait to get this thing playing out live to see how it works.

Thanks again for navigation through my option paralysis!
Click to expand...

Yea!!!! Great choice. ;)
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

Indeed, great choices, there. The Surfers are my favorite vintage-style pickups in a Strat.
 
Re: Stratocaster Aficionados Needed for Option Paralysis

glad you like them! they are a great sounding, great feeling strat set
 
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