In my opinion, this is easily one of the best Strat pickups out there. A Stratocaster in particular, as previously mentioned has 3. There are 4 solid conductor hookup cables that accompany this pickup. This is all accompanied by pretty well-done shielding, which results in a noticeably reduced noise. With its stylish contours, three single-coil configuration and elegant six-in-line headstock, the Fender Stratocaster is the most recognisable electric guitar in music history. And what’s pretty useful here is that you don’t need much effort to put this combination into practice as there aren’t any edits and cuts that you need to make on your Strat’s pickguard and electronics cavity cover. Adjust the height of the new pickups to ensure that one is not louder than the other. As far as Stratocaster combos go, we’d like to take a closer look at their Bootcamp series and the Old Guard set of single-coils. Due to high demands for this kind of tone, some Stratocaster guitars were produced with a humbucker in the bridge position, along with single-coil pickups in the mid and the neck positions. Fender Generation 4 Noiseless Stratocaster Pickup Set. The N3 Noiseless Strat Pickups are manufactured in Corona, California, in … But, frankly speaking, most of the brands in the market have almost the same pickups in appearance, qualities and overall functionality. Seymour Duncan makes noiseless Strat pickups using either a stacked or side-by-side design. Now, there are two really interesting things about this one. They come with a noticeably bright and clean tone, although you can do some smooth stuff with them as well if you implement the tone pots the right way. However, they have significantly reduced hum, making them quieter. It is just a thin line of variation that separates them. Shop Now Conceived as an “idealised” Strat tone, The House Special S Type 1960 (HSST 60) pickups are based on readings that were taken from a few different examples of great sixties Fender Strat pickups. 3) Seymour Duncan California ‘50s Strat Pickup Set. Another nice aspect of these pickups that is worth mentioning is that the ceramic magnet construction makes them durable and with high resistance. They are the pickups that add that 1960s vibe to your Stratocaster whenever you require it. This is also enhanced with alder bodies, as well as other material choices. Secondly, there’s an additional switch for coil-splitting which practically turns it into a standard triple single-coil configuration. HUMBUCKER refers to a full-size pickup with 2 coils like the drawing on the left. On the other hand, they’ll do the job just right if you want to freshen up a Squier Strat or any other cheaper Strat version. Strat® Guitar Pickguard Control Routing Options: Above are 3 popular examples of pot and switch combinations. Definite to be a decent buy for quality sound and noiselessness. More Info Close. There is no way you are not going to fall in love with the 1/4 inch diameter magnet, including the great sustain at the bridge and neck region. The second thing that’s interesting is that this is a universal pickup in terms of its position on a guitar. This is all rounded up with a nicely done pre-wired pickguard, along with all the necessary controls in there. Including hand-bevelled alnico V magnets and 42 AWG heavy formvar wire, these are probably the best sounding pre-CBS slab ‘board variants available. I started with this idea, choosing the Classic Stack Plus Strat for the neck position. 3) Seymour Duncan California ‘50s Strat Pickups. While we’re at the topics of Hot Rail pickups, there’s another combo that you can see on Stratocasters these days. As far as Fender Stratocasters go, this is usually a trait of some relatively more expensive models. Sure, it’s not as big or a brand compared to other stuff that we’re detailing here, but this prewired pickguard with a full set is well worth the price. The pickups have a 3000 inductance, peak frequency configuration. They are easy to install, has beautiful, clear sound, and the tone it provides can turn your cheap strat into a blasting monster. Looking further into these pickups, they come with the company’s amazing Field Barrier technology, which is present in the entire Lace Sensor series of pickups. Of course, as you’d expect from a guitarist like Eric Johnson, these are mostly vintage-oriented and have that overall feel of some old school Strats. We also have a very nice balance with a solid influx of the bottom ends as well as mids in there. Although not as nearly as common as those triple-single or HSS combinations, you can also find Strats with the humbucker-single-humbucker formation of pickups. Aside from ergonomic and aesthetic features, which turned these instruments into real virtuoso machines, they came with some awesome pickup combinations. By this magnet design, the guitarist is treated to a charming, glassy tone with an incredible chime to it. This is due to their design, which includes a mix of Alnico III and Alnico V magnets, staggered pole pieces, as well as cloth-covered lead wire. Aside from a chimey and “twangy” tone that a lot of guitar players prefer, you’ll get a lot of clarity and dynamic response with EMG’s SX pickups. Sheku Kanneh-Mason has rearranged Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah into the best thing... Astounding A Cappella Version Of Vivaldi’s Spring. The best high-end Strat-style guitars. Featuring more wounds around their magnets, as well as flat poles, these are more vintage-oriented compared to some other pickups mentioned here. The pickups feature the famous Alnico 5 magnet plus their enamel coated magnet wire. With its high specs and a price that does not exceed $500, this is a great bargain for you! Most guitars have at least 2, if not 3, pickups with either neck and bridge or neck middle bridge placements. But one downside that comes with Fender Stratocasters and adding in new pickups is that you need to make room for a humbucker by cutting the pickguard. Active or passive: Passive. Utilizing these traits and your instrument’s controls, you get a lot of options to shape your sonic output. Bottom Line: With all the vintage features, these pickups bring out the qualities of those Fender Stratocaster guitars made back in the 1950s. This particular model is an active single-coil pickup with a load of top quality design. Fender Original 57/62 Prewired Stratocaster Pickguard, 5. I'm buying a rosewood Strat neck and cream scratch plate for starters, plus Gibson-type hat box knobs. However, you will have to buy one at a time. So here, we’re looking at their awesome Yosemite pickup set that’s made especially for those who prefer to have a wide variety of sonic options, all while keeping true to classic single-coil Strat properties. My Review: If we’re talking about Stratocasters and single-coil pickups, Fender Texas Specials have to be in the discussion. But even besides this particular combo that some players prefer to have, you can always do some adjustments to your Strat and go with two single-coil pickups instead of three. But, of course, you can’t expect a pro-level tone with them knowing that the entire set here is half the price of an individual pickup in some of the other examples that we mentioned in this list. We also have Forbon Bobbins, as well as a heavy Formvar wire for the magnets. Bottom Line: Seymour Duncan pickups never disappoint, as is also the case with the SSL-4 model. The best thing you can do for your strat is to get it a nice looking pickup that doesn’t just work but also delivers in appearance. My Review: While there are certainly some better-known brands out there, we’d say that Bare Knuckle pickups are worth mentioning here as well. Fender features three pieces of these pickups in a set. If you are looking for a beautiful set of pickups to customize your strat, these pickups from Wilkinson are your best bet. And the Generation 4 of their Noiseless pickup series is no exception to this rule, bringing that classic twang and jangle, all while keeping things as quiet as possible. Shaped Bodies for Stat. This pickup can be split, so when it is used in conjunction with another rw/rp single coil, it will cancel the hum, and give a better quacky, notchy sound. And, once again, we have an authentic replica of the pickups that were available back on those old Fenders. While it’s pretty common in country and funk music (where it’s almost mandatory), you can find Strats in rock, hard rock, heavy metal, jazz, blues, pop, and plenty of other genres. They offer a perfect setting for your bridge, middle and neck requirement. Bottom Line: Considering their price, these Milisten pickups are a pretty great deal. These Noiseless pickups are not just called what they are for the fun of it. Step 2: Select a position. Check Current Prices Seymour Duncan SSL-4 Quarter-Pound Pickup Set. My Review: We’d go back to EMG once again and closely examine yet another one of their single-coil combinations. And you can only imagine the jawdropping reaction of guitar players and other guitar brands when Fender launched their Stratocaster guitars. Reproduction of any part of this website without direct permission is prohibited. While enjoying the ultimate balance in tone and flow, the mid-range rendition offers even better warmth. Once you're done, be sure to check out Texas Blues Alley’s YouTube page for more great lessons. The first one that we want to look into is the pack of three 21073-01 Sensor Gold single-coil pickups that have become pretty popular in recent times. However, when you start noticing a hum on the tonal rendition of your play, then you know there is a need to change the pickup. Knowing how Suhr is a company dedicated to making quality instruments and setting standards way up high, it’s only obvious that you’re going to get some pretty awesome pickups with them. Of course, they’re also useful for other genres, but just bear in mind that these are their strongest territories. As you may recall from last month’s column [“Stratocaster Parallel/Series Switching,” December 2011], an individual single-coil Strat pickup cannot be wired in parallel or series by itself—you need a minimum of two pickups … Nonetheless, their performance qualities shine in other settings as well. I started this website with some of my friends who are musicians, music teachers, gear heads, and music enthusiasts so we could provide high quality music related content as well as some of the most accurate and in-depth gear review and demo information on the internet. They’re very useful if you want to upgrade a cheaper Strat, like those made by Squier. And this is exactly what enables guitar players to have complete dynamic and sonic control over their output. The sound that I have tried to emulate is the 50/60’s ‘Twangy’ Sound that The Shadows we’re so famous for producing, that’s the sound I’ve been after! However, all of this can completely be avoided with fairly practical Hot Rails pickups. The secret behind this unique sound is in extra wounds that adds a little boost in the bottom ends and mids. The only downside (and it’s probably not that much of a downside to many players) here is that single-coil pickups always produce that humming or buzzing noise in the background that you just can’t get rid of. Active or passive: Passive. It creates a unique creamy and sublime blues-tone that is not only clear and strong but is also very expressive. They are not only affordable but also serve as nice replacement pickups for guitarists whose original pickups are going bad. Active or passive: Passive. However, they still can deliver that “sizzling” and “fuzzy” tone due to their specially-conceived design. The same pickup cannot be used to play all those; so pickups come in different shapes, sizes, and types and produce different tones. 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