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Good Strat pickups??

low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
edited December 2003 in Musicians and Gearheads
Okay. I'm kind of dissapointed with my Mexi Start. My friend has a Squire Strat that has a lot fuller sound due to the pickups. I feel like I have to crank my volume knob always around 8 to get a clean level with everything else...

while on his Squire you can have it at 4 or so for the same volume level. I've adjusted the pickups relative to the strings. At first it was an issue with my springs not being tight enough and the tremelo was sort of leaning upward. fixed that. got more volume when i adjusted that and the pickups height... but it doesnt have that same richness that the Squire does. I'm positive I just have shit pickups.

Any good ideas of what to replace them with? Preferrably from Musicians Friend? (hehe)
www.myspace.com/eotoband
Post edited by Unknown User on

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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by low_light
    Okay. I'm kind of dissapointed with my Mexi Start. My friend has a Squire Strat that has a lot fuller sound due to the pickups. I feel like I have to crank my volume knob always around 8 to get a clean level with everything else...

    while on his Squire you can have it at 4 or so for the same volume level. I've adjusted the pickups relative to the strings. At first it was an issue with my springs not being tight enough and the tremelo was sort of leaning upward. fixed that. got more volume when i adjusted that and the pickups height... but it doesnt have that same richness that the Squire does. I'm positive I just have shit pickups.

    Any good ideas of what to replace them with? Preferrably from Musicians Friend? (hehe)


    Sure. there are hundreds. I like the Dimarzio Virtual Vintage's and Vintage Blues.

    Of course the Fender Texas Specials and any of the custom shop p/u's

    Fender Fat 50's

    Of course Lace Sensor

    and Seymour Duncan has many offerings especially stacked humbuckers.

    Fender Noiseless sound good to me and there's no hum. You really can't go wrong. All are available from Musicians friend.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    look at the higher output offerings from each manufacturer. check their websites b/c they usually have good charts comparing output and EQ of each of their models.
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    low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    thanks guys im gonna go noodle around on the site and see what i can find. i remember seeing the noisless p/u's and was wondering if they were a good grab.

    -lowy
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Originally posted by low_light
    thanks guys im gonna go noodle around on the site and see what i can find. i remember seeing the noisless p/u's and was wondering if they were a good grab.

    -lowy

    they'd certainly be an improvement and the no hum is a bonus. they haven't reviewed as well as the dimarzio or duncan stacks but they are cheaper too.

    i'll have duncan stacks in my tele in about a week hopefully and will try to post a bit of a review.
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    mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    Texas Specials or Seymour Duncan.

    If you want your Strat on steroids... get Seymour Duncan Quarter-Pounders. I love mine!!!!
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    hot pickups are swell.
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    low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    hehe. thing is im not a "lead" guitarist. Sure I do a solo or two in a couple of songs but mostly im looking for a warm sound for rythm and picking chord progressions. but also have the ability to play a nice solo too.

    so I should check out the duncans and the regular Tx Special?

    or even the dimarzio...
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    start your research with duncan is my feeling. they have a great, useFULL website.

    find something in the duncan line, then look at the other makers and see if there is something comparable so you can look at the cost factor.

    duncan's seem to be the most expensive before you cross the line into the "boutique" stuff like fralin etc.

    you're looking at about $150-$200 for 3 pups.
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    low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    okay i found these so far....

    noiseless...
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031209085908012075003083696275/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/301632/

    TX Special... these didnt have as high a user rating...
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031209085908012075003083696275/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/301616/

    hmm there are so many Duncan's and Dim's that i have no idea what is good or crap. blah

    -low
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    if hum's not an issue, i'd choose texas specials over the fender noiseless.
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    low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    nah, hum isnt an issue with me at all. i just want a good clean crisp sound. i was looking at the duncans and they are all around like 70 bucks...

    does that TX special look like a good deal to you?

    -low
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Originally posted by low_light
    nah, hum isnt an issue with me at all. i just want a good clean crisp sound. i was looking at the duncans and they are all around like 70 bucks...

    does that TX special look like a good deal to you?

    -low

    generally, you aren't going to find things retail cheaper than at MF. double check at music123.com though.

    i'm getting my stuff off ebay now. the duncans i just bought i got for 80% of normal retail.
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    low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    cool. i'm thinking i'll choose between the TX or Humless..

    thanks for all the help.
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by low_light
    cool. i'm thinking i'll choose between the TX or Humless..

    thanks for all the help.


    if you have access to a music store. See if you can find a SRV strat or Lone Star to try out the pickups. Texas Specials aparently were Stevies P/U's of choice. They are over wound a bit for extra output and fat mids. Sounds great with the Maxon. I know.

    Again it's so personal I don't want to tell you what to buy.

    but if you aren't worried about a little 60 Cycle hum and you want a fatter tone that is still crisp clean and bell like. The Texas Specials should deliver that in spades.


    I say try them out. Some say they are too harsh usually those people prefer humbuckers. check harmony-central and see what people say about the roadhouse and SRV strats.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/products/strats.shtml

    The Hot and Quarter-pounder are the two hottest single-coils. The stacked humbuckers give you clean tone and a bit more punch, but (theoretically) with the tonal character of single-coils. Humbuckers will be the highest output, but they sound like humbuckers.

    Again, I love my Quarter-pounder Tele. It's the closest thing to a standard single-coil sized P-90 that I've found.

    The S/D website is pretty good... tone charts, output specs, wiring options, sound samples, etc. Take a peek and see if anything there tickles your funnybone...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by mccreadyisgod
    http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/products/strats.shtml

    The Hot and Quarter-pounder are the two hottest single-coils. The stacked humbuckers give you clean tone and a bit more punch, but (theoretically) with the tonal character of single-coils. Humbuckers will be the highest output, but they sound like humbuckers.

    Again, I love my Quarter-pounder Tele. It's the closest thing to a standard single-coil sized P-90 that I've found.

    The S/D website is pretty good... tone charts, output specs, wiring options, sound samples, etc. Take a peek and see if anything there tickles your funnybone...

    I like these pickups as well. Nice and fat. It's so damn relative and specific.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    i mistakenly said SD had a useless website. i meant useFULL!!!

    i, on the other hand, am useless.
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    nukebootnukeboot Posts: 1,465
    Before you buy pickups for you Strat check out the EMG SAs.
    I put them on a cheapo start and they rock.
    EdSurfingSig_zpsgmyltito.jpg
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me...
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by nukeboot
    Before you buy pickups for you Strat check out the EMG SAs.
    I put them on a cheapo start and they rock.


    the david gilmore drop in pickguard set is no slouch either.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    I have lace pups blue in the neck and hot golds in the bridge. Their website has a lot more to choose from than the Lace pups sold in stores. They have custom ones too for certain sounds/styles.
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
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    low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    i went for the Tx Specials... gonna pay a guy here locally 50 bucks to install them. I dont wanna fuck it up.

    so ill report back later next week on how it sounds. :)

    -d
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
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    mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    Originally posted by low_light
    i went for the Tx Specials... gonna pay a guy here locally 50 bucks to install them. I dont wanna fuck it up.

    so ill report back later next week on how it sounds. :)

    -d

    Good choice... SRV would be proud...

    Especially with your Maxon, that will be a great combo.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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    low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    thnx, MIG hehe

    just restrung my geetar for Friday's gig. new boomers.

    too bad i dont have my new pups... the amp is great though.

    -d
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
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