I currently have an American Special HSS Stratocaster. It's a good guitar except for the stock pickups (texas specials and a fender atomic humbuker) just don't sound good at all to me. So I had an idea to change the neck and middle pickups to SLS-1 lipstick tubes and for the bridge a model '59 humbucker. I just wanted to see if anybody else thinks this would work or maybe suggestions of what you would try.
Thoughts/Ideas about Strat p/u change
- Thread starter mammo300
- Start date
Re: Thoughts/Ideas about Strat p/u change
welcome to the forum!
what dont you like about the texas specials?
lipstick pups tend to be very bright, low output and kinda thin. they can sound pretty clean but usually arent that great with gain.
the 59 can be great in a strat.
what do you want to get out of the neck and middle pups?
welcome to the forum!
what dont you like about the texas specials?
lipstick pups tend to be very bright, low output and kinda thin. they can sound pretty clean but usually arent that great with gain.
the 59 can be great in a strat.
what do you want to get out of the neck and middle pups?
LReese
Sausage Gravy
Re: Thoughts/Ideas about Strat p/u change
Before you do anything with the TS's try them low in the pickguard. No experience with Lipstick's but you can't really go wrong with SSL-1's IMO. Anyway what type of music do you like to play?
I'm not much of a humbucker guy - though I've got an Anderson I did like - The HF1- I think. Still messed with the Bridge + middle, plus too weak to split. Heard a lot of great clips with the '59 - One guy doing a spot-on Van halen. It all depends on what you want to do with your Strat.
Before you do anything with the TS's try them low in the pickguard. No experience with Lipstick's but you can't really go wrong with SSL-1's IMO. Anyway what type of music do you like to play?
I'm not much of a humbucker guy - though I've got an Anderson I did like - The HF1- I think. Still messed with the Bridge + middle, plus too weak to split. Heard a lot of great clips with the '59 - One guy doing a spot-on Van halen. It all depends on what you want to do with your Strat.
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Thoughts/Ideas about Strat p/u change
What body timber? Rosewood fingerboard or one-piece maple neck?
Fender Texas Special Stratocaster pickups have the vintage style rod magnet height stagger pattern. This is intended to correct the imbalances of Medium gauge strings over a 7.25" fingerboard radius. The same pickups fitted to a guitar with the modern 9.5" (or flatter) radius will create a situation in which some of the rod magnets lie too close to the strings whilst others are too far away.
If the Am Spl Strat has a modern fingerboard radius, equal height polepiece replacement pickups would be a better choice. e.g. Seymour Duncan SSL-2, SSL-6
What body timber? Rosewood fingerboard or one-piece maple neck?
Fender Texas Special Stratocaster pickups have the vintage style rod magnet height stagger pattern. This is intended to correct the imbalances of Medium gauge strings over a 7.25" fingerboard radius. The same pickups fitted to a guitar with the modern 9.5" (or flatter) radius will create a situation in which some of the rod magnets lie too close to the strings whilst others are too far away.
If the Am Spl Strat has a modern fingerboard radius, equal height polepiece replacement pickups would be a better choice. e.g. Seymour Duncan SSL-2, SSL-6
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Thoughts/Ideas about Strat p/u change
but personally i dont like thw way HSS works cos the hum and the singles never seem to work well together. Whatever pickups you end up setting up your main amp sound for, the other pickup type suffers.
Id reccomend working out whether you prefer a pair of humbuckers or 3 singles and go from there.
Versatility on a guitar is overrated...give me a guitar that does something really well, than a guitar that sounds mediocre at a lot of stuff.
definitely a nice choice for HSS.
but personally i dont like thw way HSS works cos the hum and the singles never seem to work well together. Whatever pickups you end up setting up your main amp sound for, the other pickup type suffers.
Id reccomend working out whether you prefer a pair of humbuckers or 3 singles and go from there.
Versatility on a guitar is overrated...give me a guitar that does something really well, than a guitar that sounds mediocre at a lot of stuff.
saladin
New member
Re: Thoughts/Ideas about Strat p/u change
I actually agree! I have 2 Strats. 1 with 3 singles(Keystones) and one with 2 Humbuckers.
The 59 pairs up quite nicely with SSL-1's as far as output.You could go SSL-2's for the flat poles but I can hear a difference and prefer the tone of the staggered pole pieces.
I actually agree! I have 2 Strats. 1 with 3 singles(Keystones) and one with 2 Humbuckers.
The 59 pairs up quite nicely with SSL-1's as far as output.You could go SSL-2's for the flat poles but I can hear a difference and prefer the tone of the staggered pole pieces.
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Barron1
New member
Re: Thoughts/Ideas about Strat p/u change
Oh man you cannot go wrong with the SSL-1. I have it in the neck of my custom partscaster and it sounds incredible. They sound so good that John Frusciante had one in a strat he bought and he thought they were vintage pickups. He was surprised to find out they were Seymours and he puts it in his strats now.
Oh man you cannot go wrong with the SSL-1. I have it in the neck of my custom partscaster and it sounds incredible. They sound so good that John Frusciante had one in a strat he bought and he thought they were vintage pickups. He was surprised to find out they were Seymours and he puts it in his strats now.
