Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

Chrismo

Chrismo

New member
Hi guys - happy new year to y'all.

Wanting to turn a standard Strat (alder body/maple neck) into my 80s pop/new wave Strat. Thinking S/S/S, but not against H/S/S either.

Currently using a Duncan set of SSL-1/SSL-1/'59 in another standard Strat; as much as I love it and use it for other types of music (more of a classic rock/punk oriented sound), it doesn't seem to fit the mold for what I'm after.

I've used Lace Sensor Golds in this guitar and found them sort of bland. The guitar currently has DiMarzio Area 67s in the neck/middle with a Chopper in the bridge - still doesn't seem to work with this Strat.

I'm satisfied with my amp and effects and think with the proper pickups and this particular Strat, I'd be set. I appreciate any suggestions you guys have. Thanks!
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

Cheap ceramic Squier pickups are great for that thin chinka chinka chorusy 80s pop thing. Seriously
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

SSL-1's and even a 59 humbucker can do 80's pop and new wave just fine. When you are talking about 80's you need more than just pickups. You need compression, delay, chorus, reverb and other effects/filters to get there but the pickups and guitar you have are just fine for the job.
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

Just get a MXR Micro Chorus to go along with your Strat. As long as you have a decent amp, not much else should really matter...lol
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

80s Pop/New Wave had guitars? I remember like 2 songs - Flock Of Seagulls' "I Ran" and The Fixx' "One Thing Leads To Another" but everything else was synths as I recall.
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

gibson175 said:
EMGs
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EMG's definitely would work for some 80's music. However, I think one would get more options sticking with vintage and moderate output pickups (like the ones the OP already has) and upping their effects collection.
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

Weird thread. I think it has to do way more with effects/processing, like others said. I don't even know if there is anything obviously unique or standard about pickups used in new wave. I guess I would be more inclined towards SCs... I'd be interested in hearing what the OP ended up with.


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Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

For that sound, my pickup of choice would be an EMG S or SA. Don't forget the chorus and compression either.
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

Those guys for the most part used stock pups from what i remember….

Played a bunch of that stuff back when. The Chorus and Compressor and Delay are more important than the pups IMO.

A second vote for EMG singles for the Steiny crowd.
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

I think the CS '69's get the closest "out of the box". It seems like new wave / pop music producers played to the Strat's lack of mids in the 80's rather than try to beef them up at all, completely the opposite of what SRV did with a Strat. Amazing that it was all basically the same guitar and pickups being used for such wildly different purposes in the same time frame.
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

DreX said:
I think the CS '69's get the closest "out of the box". It seems like new wave / pop music producers played to the Strat's lack of mids in the 80's rather than try to beef them up at all, completely the opposite of what SRV did with a Strat. Amazing that it was all basically the same guitar and pickups being used for such wildly different purposes in the same time frame.
Click to expand...

There were quite a few Les Pauls, Teles and crazy looking creations using humbuckers, single coils and who knows what other kinds of pickups for new wave music. Hell, there were a lot of bass players using that weird bass with rubber stings back then too.

So, no, it wasn't basically all the same guitar and pickups being used. Not even close.
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

SnakeAces said:
There were quite a few Les Pauls, Teles and crazy looking creations using humbuckers, single coils and who knows what other kinds of pickups for new wave music. Hell, there were a lot of bass players using that weird bass with rubber stings back then too.

So, no, it wasn't basically all the same guitar and pickups being used. Not even close.
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This thread is about Strats

Actually just go back and read my post all over again from the beginning.
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

DreX said:
This thread is about Strats

Actually just go back and read my post all over again from the beginning.
Click to expand...

No need to, I read it right the first time buddy.

I just do not understand why you said this:

DreX said:
Amazing that it was all basically the same guitar and pickups being used for such wildly different purposes in the same time frame.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

SnakeAces said:
No need to, I read it right the first time buddy.

I just do not understand why you said this:
Click to expand...

I think the point was reflecting off the OP - 80s New Wave guitar was driven primarily by strats, that's all. I think that single coil sound goes very well with the modulation effects that became popular in the early 80s. Also went the minimalism of the music (and lyrics), working against the wall of sound that came with 70's AOR and progressive rock. Of course other guitars were used, sometimes, but the strat dominated that scene.

Although I love that era's music, I am really a humbucker guy myself....
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

There were both tones…HB and Srat

But the Police/Fix/Seagull/etc…tones were all Singles. Mostly Stratish.
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

SnakeAces said:
No need to, I read it right the first time buddy.

I just do not understand why you said this:
Click to expand...

It helps when you don't quote things out of context, pay special attention to the hold parts

DreX said:
I think the CS '69's get the closest "out of the box". It seems like new wave / pop music producers played to the Strat's lack of mids in the 80's rather than try to beef them up at all, completely the opposite of what SRV did with a Strat. Amazing that it was all basically the same guitar and pickups being used for such wildly different purposes in the same time frame.
Click to expand...

make sense?
 
Re: Wanting an 80s pop/new wave sound from a Strat...

For some strange reason I never associated The Cars with New Wave/80's Pop, even though they were. Probably because they had much better songs than everyone else.
Same with The Police (though Andy Summers was seen more frequently with a Tele than a Strat).

Then again, there was also Devo using a Les Paul (at least in the Whip It video), and the guy from Seagulls used an SG (again, in the video - couldn't say for the actual recording).

But, as this topic specifically relates to Strat pickups for the specified tones, you'd have to either go with whatever comes in a standard USA Strat, some sort of Classic/Vintage single, or EMG singles. You may get away with using H-S-S or even H-H if you use 4-conductor hummers with a series/parallel or series/split/parallel switch.
 
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