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Post by Stan on Oct 16, 2014 13:08:52 GMT -7
I was informed to today that my Fender 1999 Lone Star Strat has a bad middle pup.
The original pup configuration from Fender is HSS, Pearly Gates, 2x Texas Specials.
So I thinking of a total pup upgrade to more high end pups.
My thoughts are stay with HSS or change to SSS,
after that decision what brand - models to consider.
Anyone been thru this upgrade or configuration change.
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Post by digs57 on Oct 16, 2014 13:29:54 GMT -7
Got the 97-98 roadhouse...that thing stomps...I have no problems w/specials...they can cover a lot of ground.
Just got a American special strat (backup) and they also have t-specials and I fought dialing them in or replacing.
Turned them down considerably to make them work for me...just want off the pickup merry go round and play the crap out them.
Would highly consider the lollar blondes though....that would be my first jump.The suhrs do sound interesting.
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Post by jb on Oct 16, 2014 13:55:06 GMT -7
Single coils to me sound so thin when isolated in the bridge position. I prefer a humbucker or P90 type pickup in the bridge and single coils in the middle and neck. Will give you more tone flexibility. Not sure what kind of music you mostly play. For blues, I have Lindy Fralin's Steel Poled 43 for the bridge and his Blues Specials for the middle and neck. I also have a Suhr strat type guitar with his humbucker and 2 singles which I like a lot.
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Post by Stan on Oct 17, 2014 5:03:43 GMT -7
Ya forgot to mention style, mostly blues and jazz up blues, cleanish with just a tad of a push.
Short list so far.
Lollars
Franlins
Amalfitano
I don't know which ones or other brands to consider..................
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Post by mickey on Oct 17, 2014 6:05:12 GMT -7
I have Suhr ML (Mike Landau) Standards on one of my Strats. I reckon they'd fit with what you describe. I much prefer them to the Texas Specials which were on the guitar originally. Also, all my Strats are wired so the bridge pickup goes through the bottom tone pot. That control lives on 6 or 7, so any ice picky top end is rolled off.
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Post by H. Mac on Oct 17, 2014 6:06:03 GMT -7
I've tried several Fenders, a few boutique brands, and boutique pickups that were custom-wound to my specs, and the Strat pickups I like best are the 57/62s. They're not the most expensive, but their tone is amazing.
And although you're running HSS, the 57/62 middle and bridge give more quack that any other pickup I've tried.
Good luck!
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Post by southmusic70 on Oct 17, 2014 8:09:36 GMT -7
Check out the Dean Parks '04 YouTube
He plays a strat with Mike DeTemple's pickups into a Ghia.
Mike is glad to take your call and discuss your needs.
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Post by digs57 on Oct 17, 2014 10:38:11 GMT -7
ive heard good things about detemple's too
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Post by detuned on Oct 17, 2014 11:20:43 GMT -7
I'm a big fan of Lollars (got a set of Blondes in my '62 RI Strat), but you really can't go wrong with any of the makers mentioned.
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Post by Stan on Oct 17, 2014 11:49:23 GMT -7
More specifically I desire that 60's classic Strat sound, I'll give some listen around to the recommendations.
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Post by Pete aka shouldb on Oct 17, 2014 12:29:53 GMT -7
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Post by LT on Oct 17, 2014 18:02:30 GMT -7
Jerry Amalfitano is a great guy to deal with. Give him a call and tell him what you are lookin for.
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Post by thunderstruck(formerly doc001) on Oct 17, 2014 22:32:14 GMT -7
^^^ +1000
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Post by Jefferson on Oct 18, 2014 8:45:42 GMT -7
Single coils to me sound so thin when isolated in the bridge position. I prefer a humbucker or P90 type pickup in the bridge and single coils in the middle and neck. Will give you more tone flexibility. Not sure what kind of music you mostly play. For blues, I have Lindy Fralin's Steel Poled 43 for the bridge and his Blues Specials for the middle and neck. I also have a Suhr strat type guitar with his humbucker and 2 singles which I like a lot. This is a killer configuration with the fralin blues and sp43. I had this in a Clapton strat that I gutted and it was amazing! I now have a strat with Fralin split blades (hum canceling and they are dead quiet) in the neck and mid and a fralin P92 in the bridge. This configuration is also killer.
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Post by Stan on Oct 18, 2014 9:28:46 GMT -7
Wow some amazing pup recommendations, thanks.
I have to decide HSS or SSS 1st I'm thinking.
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Post by digs57 on Oct 19, 2014 8:02:48 GMT -7
yes stan that is what I went through when i had both a lonestar/strat and my roadhouse...I felt that the pickup configuration (lonestar) never blended like a true strat w/ the bridge pickup...roadhouse is still kicken after 17 years
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Post by mickey on Oct 19, 2014 12:35:31 GMT -7
Yep, to me a Strat is not a Strat if it has a 'bucker in the bridge position, but that's just IMO.
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Post by jb on Oct 19, 2014 13:44:48 GMT -7
That would be an interesting question for the strat players, to see what percentage like and use the sound of the bridge only single coil pickup.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2014 15:32:07 GMT -7
Lollar dirty blondes in both my Strats. Love them--no need to look further, for me. I'm sure they could fix you up with a great match for what you want.
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Post by Stan on Oct 19, 2014 16:03:45 GMT -7
Ya EZ on my very short list for sure.
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Post by ME on Oct 19, 2014 16:57:54 GMT -7
I agree with a Strat being a 3 single coil guitar. I currently have Rio Grande Tall Boys in my '76 Ibanez ash bodied/maple neck Strat copy. Previously I had a set of Schecter PUs from a tapped Strat assembly (didn't like the three switches - not really a Strat that way). I liked them a lot. The Rio's are nice, but the middle is reverse wound and I'm not in love with the way the guitar sounds, kinda thickens things up. Lots of quack when set right, but not quite right... Just picky I guess, but I'd not recommend RW sets. ME
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Post by Luke on Oct 20, 2014 7:56:24 GMT -7
Yep, to me a Strat is not a Strat if it has a 'bucker in the bridge position, but that's just IMO. +1. I agree with that I have humbucker guitars if I want humbucker tone. But... It's not my guitar, so do whatever makes you happy. As far as pups go I have a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity Surfer 2's. I feel that they often get overlooked because they aren't boutique. Great sounding early 60's Strat tones. They also make an overwound special bridge pup for this set.
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Post by mickey on Oct 20, 2014 9:25:17 GMT -7
That would be an interesting question for the strat players, to see what percentage like and use the sound of the bridge only single coil pickup. I use it, but on all my Strats the bridge pickup is routed through the bottom tone knob, so the middle pup has no tone control 'cos I don't need it. That bottom tone knob lives on 6 or 7, so any icepick is rolled off just enough to make a difference. Listen To Matt Schofield; his tone is based around his bridge pickup. Not that he doesn't use the others, but he sets his amp and pedals to get his bridge unit sounding really good before anything else. Me, I always start with the neck pup.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2014 9:41:16 GMT -7
Yeah--my Strats have the "SRV" wiring setup, too--bottom tone knob for the bridge only, top tone knob for the neck only. If I'm playing just the bridge pickup I usually roll it off 1/3 to halfway. If I'm in the "2" position (bridge+middle) I usually open it up all the way. For me, the 2 and 5 (neck only) positions on a Strat are the go-to settings--such great tones to be found there!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2014 9:45:07 GMT -7
As for the humbucker vs sc in the bridge--I think it's a whatever floats yer boat thing. I don't think it would work for me because I'd lose the beloved "2" position, noted above, but I know some folks love a humbucker in a Strat's bridge position. I love a good bridge humbucker, too, but I think I'd be most likely to look for that sound in a Lester or other traditionally humbucker-ized guitar. Teles are the exception--Teles with humbuckers in either bridge or neck are wicked cool.
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Post by justblues on Oct 20, 2014 14:33:45 GMT -7
I also have Lollar Blondes in my favorite strat, a Rittenhouse. I prefer it to my 96 American Standard and Eric Johnson, but that may be due to familiarity since I play the Rittenhouse the most. Sound great through my Maz 18 NR.
I should also add, I have tone controls on the neck and bridge pickups.
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Post by jb on Oct 20, 2014 14:59:06 GMT -7
In my Suhr carve top I have HSS, similar to the one he built for Mark Knopfler. I particularly like the sound of the humbucker and middle single coil. I agree with the statement that if I want that pure humbucker sound that I would pick up my Les Paul, but if I only want to bring one guitar, the HSS covers a lot of ground.
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mazme
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Post by mazme on Oct 31, 2014 19:49:57 GMT -7
Gotta throw a plug in for Joe Barden's I have a set in My Strat/Ultra and a set in my G&L ASAT Classic S, love them, they sound single coil when you want them to, without all the 60 cycle hum, and they Burn just as good, made to split also. A little on the expensive side, but they are the best Single/Humbucker sounding pups I've ever used. They REALLY sound like single coils when split and REALLY sound like Humbuckers when they aren't split.
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