The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Gearjoneser

Gearjoneser

Gear Ho
Right now, I'm looking down at my #1 strat sunburst alder/rosewood, after pulling my beloved Fender Fat 50's. I'm buying new pickups this week and am doing research on what I want to consider 'the ultimate strat sound', whatever that may be. I'm condidering SD Texas Hots, Surfers, Fender 69's,
Peter Florance Voodoo ST-60's, Fralin Vintage Hots, and Rio Grande Tallboys.
I must admit, I'm leaning toward the Surfers or Voodoo ST-60s, mostly due to the advise of my local boutique shop and harmony reviews. Who has experience with these pickups, and what would you choose, based on everything you know or have heard?
 
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Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

for me i think the texas hots nail the tone i want, the problem about "the best" is that its soo subjective. a buddy of mine has some fralins in a grosh strat and they sound nice but i like the antiquitys a little better, he likes the fralins better. a friend of mine who heard the surfers said it was the best strat sound he ever heard.
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

The Texas Hots in my opinion nail everything from vintage "warmer" strat tones,but yet sound fantastic with overdrive and distortion..These pickups absolutely never sound harsh or too toppy to my ears and they are probably the only pickup that I can pick my guitar up and fall in love with the tone every single time...

The Twangbanger is great,but if you want actual strat bridge tone,I'd have to say Texas Hots for a warmer,broken in kind of vintage tone or the Surfer for a nice top end presence,greater note clarity from the A5 magnets..

John
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

jeremy said:
for me i think the texas hots nail the tone i want, the problem about "the best" is that its soo subjective. a buddy of mine has some fralins in a grosh strat and they sound nice but i like the antiquitys a little better, he likes the fralins better. a friend of mine who heard the surfers said it was the best strat sound he ever heard.
Click to expand...

You're right Jeremy...Alot of other things play into the equation...Things like styles,strings,body wood etc...Each of us has to try different things until we find what works great for us...it's great to have a starting point,but from there it's really trial and experimentation..
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

My three favorite Strat pickup sets I've ever owned are: Duncan Surfers....Fralin Vintage Hot neck and middle with a Fralin SP43 bridge....and Duncan Texas Hots with Texas Hot Custom bridge.

My favorite Strat neck and middle pickups at the moment are:
#1 Duncan Surfers...#2 Fralin Vintage Hots...#3 Duncan Texas Hots...#4 Van Zandt True Vintage. Those are not in order but the Surfers and Vintage Hots would be my faves.

My favorite Strat bridge pickups at the moment are:
#1 Duncan Texas Hot Custom...#2 Fralin Steel Pole 43...#3 Duncan Twangbanger...#4 Duncan Surfer Custom, because it combines so beautifully with the Surfer middle pickup.

My favorite set overall would be the Duncan Surfers because they're the chimiest, livliest vintage style Strat pickups I've ever used...tho the bridge pickup might sound overly bright to some ears.

I'd love to try the neck and middle Duncan Surfers (my favorite neck and middle) with a Duncan Texas Hot Custom bridge (my favorite).

The reason I like the Surfers over the Texas Hots is because the Surfers are brighter and chimier and more transparant...like vintage Strat pickups actually are! But the pronounced mids and softer treble of the Texas Hots actually make it easier for most players to get a more pleasing, less ice picky tone.
 
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Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

"I'd love to try the neck and middle Duncan Surfers (my favorite neck and middle) with a Duncan Texas Hot Custom bridge (my favorite)."

Exactly....My thoughts also Lew...I'd have to trade up my Surfer bridge for another Texas Hot bridge though....I love the Surfer middle and neck though..Guess I like the toppier tone in those positions,along with tighter and articulate tones,but I prefer an A2 poled bridge pickup like the Texas Hot or the Twangbanger...Great minds think alike Lew! ;o)

John
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

I agree with Lew and Strat Deluxer. If you want consistency, I mean the same type of pickups in all 3 positions then it is going to be give and take. In m opinion Alnico V magnets always sound better in the middle and neck and you get real nice glassy tones in the in-between positions (2 & 4). However an Alnico V pup in a Strat bridge played alone always sounds a little too bright and brittle for me.

In my opinion Alnico II magnet pups always sound nice and warm in the bridge but lack those bell tone, glassy highs and twang in positions 2 through 5.

I believe if you want to get the ultimate vintage Strat tone across the spectrum and you aren't set on having consistency of magnet type in all 3 positions then you need to put an (Alnico II) Antiquity TX Hot Cusom bridge in the bridge position and (Alnico V) Antiquity II Surfers in the middle and neck.

If you are set on consistency of pickup type in all 3 positions then it will depend on what is most imortant to you - 1 Having the nice, glassy bell tones in the middle and neck and in-between positions with the Antiquity II Surfers or having a smoother, warmer more midrangey and less bright sound in the bridge with the Antiquity TX Hots.

I guess I'm a little funny that way, but I like having consistency of pickup and magnet types in the same guitar. I guess that's because most all vintage guitars usually came with the same type pups throughout the guitar.

I have an Epi SG that I plan to put Seth Lovers in both positions and I am going to buy a 2nd SG and put a set of 59's in both positions. Later on when I've got the cash to do it I would like to have multiple Strats, one with Ant TX Hots and one with Antiquity II Surfers. I guess I'm having a guitar GAS attack that will take a while to quench.
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Right now I am digging the Fender 69's. I have never been able to get a single coil to give me the sounds I feel they should have but these are the closest I have gotten. Very slightly under wound, grey bobbin, cloth wire, staggered poles ~5.5k output.

The neck and the middle are the best I have used, the bridge position I am still not 100% sold, just not quite enough bite. I think I need a bit more output from a bridge pup to make me truly happy. I have used them for Surf, Punk, Metal, Blues all to excellent effect. I get a great Knopfler sound out of them too (with the right amp settings of course) which I consider a high watermark for a Strat sound.
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Wattage said:
Right now I am digging the Fender 69's. I have never been able to get a single coil to give me the sounds I feel they should have but these are the closest I have gotten. Very slightly under wound, grey bobbin, cloth wire, staggered poles ~5.5k output.

The neck and the middle are the best I have used, the bridge position I am still not 100% sold, just not quite enough bite. I think I need a bit more output from a bridge pup to make me truly happy. I have used them for Surf, Punk, Metal, Blues all to excellent effect. I get a great Knopfler sound out of them too (with the right amp settings of course) which I consider a high watermark for a Strat sound.
Click to expand...

I Like some of the Fender CS pickups...I currently use the Fat 50s and the Nocaster for Tele..I have also used the CS 54s and the 69s...Just seems that the Duncans edge everything out mostly for me...Sometimes the axe I Put the pickups in matters more though than the pickup,providing the pickup is a good quality one..

John
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Thanks for all the input guys. I think Lew made up my mind, and gets my order as well. Right now I have an Antiquity I Custom bridge I got used. It's a great sounding bridge pickup and is nice and hot at 9.7K, so I'll have to follow the advise and try the Surfer neck and middle. I really want to try those Voodoo ST-60's, but I can't get a decent price on them anywhere, plus I agree with Gutsy SG that a beefy bridge pickup mated with chimier neck and middle is the way to go. I'm really hoping that my idea of "greatest strat pickups ever" is my Antiquity Custom 9.7 and the Surfer neck and rw/rp middle. I can't wait! :13:
 
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Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Gearjoneser said:
Thanks for all the input guys. I think Lew made up my mind, and gets my order as well. Right now I have an Antiquity I Custom bridge I got used. It's a great sounding bridge pickup, so I'll have to follow the advise and try the Surfer neck and middle. I really want to try those Voodoo ST-60's, but I can't get a decent price on them anywhere.
Click to expand...

You'll love those GJ...I use the Surfer neck and middle with a Twangbanger bridge,though I saved my Surfer bridge just in case? :wink: I Like the Surfer neck and middle better than the Texas Hots in those same positions,but I like the Texas Hot bridge over the Surfer bridge...

John
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

it's Alnico 2 ...

the Texas Hots, and the Antiquity Custom Bridge are all alnico 2
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

of course not biu!!!!

duncans for that vintage tone :headbang:



damn, this is mkaing me GAS for a strat with antiquity's in to so bad!!!!!!
 
Re: The Greatest Strat pickups EVER??

Ultimate Strat pickups for me have proven to be:
3 JOE BARDEN STRAT DELUXE pups ...
 
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