Fender Strat pickup sets

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » 11 Nov 2003 1:55 pm

I am looking to replace the pickups in a Japanese Stratocaster I bought last week. Does anyone have any advise to offer on the Fender sets I.E. Texas special, or Vintage Noiseless sets, or etc. I think I will replace all three with a matched Fender set.
Thanks,
Lefty
Dekley D-10
Sho-Bud LDG
Fender Jap Strat[This message was edited by Lefty on 11 November 2003 at 01:56 PM.]

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 11 Nov 2003 3:21 pm

Seymour Duncan makes a vintage strat set. They came stock in my G&L legacy and they sound like a strat should sound to me.

Brad Sarno

Karl Oberlander · Post by **Karl Oberlander** » 11 Nov 2003 4:13 pm

I put Seymour Duncans in my Squire Strat and they really sing out. I also replaced the crappy 5-way switch and the pots that made a big difference too.

Kobe

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Gibson D-8 Console Grande - Stringmaster T-8 - Alkire EHarp D-10
Fender Super Reverb
kobe@austin.rr.com
http://home.austin.rr.com/kobeco

Earl Foote · Post by **Earl Foote** » 11 Nov 2003 5:24 pm

I installed Dimarzio HS-3s in my Squire Strat. They have zero noise and slightly less highs than standard strat pickups.

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » 11 Nov 2003 5:33 pm

This guitar is a left handed model Japanese (not a Squire). It has a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck Jr, in the bridge position, I don't know what the other two are, but they have more output than the JB. This seems strange. Also, the tone controls have to ne turmed over 3/4 rotation before any noticible tone difference. I checked the wiring to a Seymore duncan schematic, and it seemed correct. All I can figure is maybe the pots are the wrong ohmage (500 ohm instead of 250 ohm?). I have always kept my guitars stock, so I am new to this. Any advise will be appreciated.
Thanks to those who responded.
Lefty,
Dekley D-10
Shp-Bud LDG
G&L ASAT[This message was edited by Lefty on 11 November 2003 at 05:34 PM.]

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 11 Nov 2003 5:58 pm

Get in touch with Bill Lawrence...He makes a lower powered set, and a higher powered set of humbucking pickups that are the same size of the normal Strat pickup ...I'm not even an advocate of humbucking pickups as there are not many I like, but these pickups will really fool even the biggest single coil fan !!..Great pickups at a great price, plenty of tone, with no noise as a bonus !!

Ken Fox · Post by **Ken Fox** » 11 Nov 2003 6:09 pm

I have three Bill Lawrence in one of my 4 Tele's. They beat them all and sound better to me than the Vintage Noiseless (had a set of those for a few months). At $40.00 each, you can't go wrong. You get them direct from Bill abd Becky. Check it out at:

billlawrence.com

I just bought a new Japanese Tele, with a Bigsby. Great guitar, awful pickups! I am having it routed for a middle Strat size pickup. I will be getting three Bill Lawrence for it ASAP. Also Warmoth is making a Tortise guard for it. I like their pickguard quality much more than the Fender original.
[This message was edited by Ken Fox on 11 November 2003 at 06:11 PM.]

Del Rangel · Post by **Del Rangel** » 11 Nov 2003 7:23 pm

I have to chime in for Bill Lawrence pups as well. Just installed 290TL/280TN set in a new parts-tele I am finishing up. BLs are a great deal--where else can you get a set of custom pups for $80 plus shipping, and on top of it they sound great, and are dead quiet. Like you I am planning on a strat set for the near future. Just realize that it can take 2-3 months before you have them in hand.

Gino Iorfida · Post by **Gino Iorfida** » 11 Nov 2003 7:36 pm

the Duncan SSL-1 are great pickups. As are the custom shop 57's (50 somethings!!! *laugh*)...
my only advice is to stay away from the reverse wound/reverse polarity middle pickup. sure it's noise cancelling, however the volume drop is much worse in the rw/rp configuration, as well as the tone is not exactly what I call the 'quack' of the middle+ top or middle + bridge configuration.... in humbucking mode, the highs are attenuated as are the lows a bit, and the mids are bumped up a bit compared to the standard configuration wiht all pickups the same wind/polarity (where in the combination of middle + top or bridge, the highs and lows are where they should be, and the mids have a CUT-- quite frankly, the OPPOSITE effect as what the rw/rp deal gives).. others may like it, but my opinion as well as a few others who are as tone fanatical tend to agree with me.

Steve Stallings · Post by **Steve Stallings** » 12 Nov 2003 12:03 pm

i put a set of Kinmans in mine... very smooth.

Jerry Erickson · Post by **Jerry Erickson** » 13 Nov 2003 7:41 am

The pots should be 250K value, although in my '54 strat, Leo put 100K pots in it.

Michael Brebes · Post by **Michael Brebes** » 13 Nov 2003 8:02 am

The Seymour Duncan Antiquity Strat pickups are the closest thing I've found to the sound of my '62 Strat.

DroopyPawn · Post by **DroopyPawn** » 15 Nov 2003 4:46 pm

Fender Vintage Noiseless.

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Ronnie Miley · Post by **Ronnie Miley** » 21 Nov 2003 10:44 am

EMG-SA (The Best)

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 21 Nov 2003 11:03 am

I have a SRV Strat with Texas Specials & I love it...Great tone both clean & dirty.

Steve Schmidt · Post by **Steve Schmidt** » 21 Nov 2003 12:54 pm

Anybody ever try the Seymour Duncan Five-Two pickups. Apparantly they are the same as the older Nashville Studio pickups. I am considering 3 for my Tele (strat in the middle)

Ben Slaughter · Post by **Ben Slaughter** » 21 Nov 2003 2:17 pm

I've got a SD Five-Two as the 3rd pickup in my Tele (G&L). Wired it with a "blender" knob. Wide open, it sort of sounds like a strat, but it really works well as kind of an EQ.

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Ben
Zum D10, NV400, POD, G&L Guitars, etc, etc.