Looking to replace my stock strat pups...

[strat_rocker_32]

I have a Mexican standard strat and im a really big fan of the strat sound. I play alot of rock though and the hum is pretty annoying when I switch to my distortion channel. I thought about getting a noise gate for my rig but im worried about loosing sustain, which i actually wish i had more of. So what im looking for(and i know im being picky)is a pickup that has the strat sound but no hum and maybe a bit more sustain. I know fender makes the noiseless single coils and seymour duncan offers the hot rails but do these really do the trick?

 

[hubberjub]

I wouldn't go with the Hot Rails because that doesn't sound like a Strat pickup at all. It's pretty much a metal pickups. They offer the Classic Stack and Duckbucker pickups. Those retain the single coil tone pretty well while quelling the hum. If you are looking to increase sustain there are a few things you could do. Lower your pickups. This will lessen the magnetic pull on the strings allowing them to ring longer. You can also replace the saddles and bridge block . There is a lot of information about the subject on the net.

 

[Bloozcat]

Lace Holy Grails or Hot Golds, Kinman Traditional Mk-II or Woodstocks, DiMarzio Area 58, 61, 67's, and the Virtual Vintage line, Joe Barden S-Deluxe, Bill Lawrence L-280/L-290 - these are just a few of the better noisless single coils that are available. Some are reasonably priced, some very expensive.

If you decide to go with "noiseless" single coils, be advised that they will not sound completely like true single coil pickups. Some brands of noiseless pickups get pretty darn close, but I've yet to hear any that completely nail a true single coil sound. You have to first decide if you can hear the difference, and secondly, if the trade off is worth it to you. Only you can decide that.

Your other alternative is to learn about guitar shielding. It is possible with a good, complete shielding job, to reduce the dreaded 60 cycle hum down to an acceptable level - or even to the point of virtual elimination of the noise. Try going to this site and read the section on "Quieting The Beast".

http://www.guitarnuts.com/index.php

 

[t_ross33]

For a MIM Strat, the new NeoVin p'ups from Guitar Fetish sound promising - though I'm waiting to hear some more reviews before going that route myself. The Lil Killer set also gets good reviews.

While you're there, grab a replacement trem block to help with the sustain issue.

All reasonably economical upgrades on my own personal radar screen. Let me know how it turns out if you get to yours first :AOK:

 

[marnold]

I've personally got Dimarzio Area '61s in my guitar. They are maybe a little more "Texas" than standard single-coils. I love them and their dead quiet. For a more vintage sound the Area '58s or Area '67s would probably be more up your street. Dimarzio has clips on their site.

 

[scgmhawk]

It depends how much you want to spend but I second the Neovins from GFS if you're on somewhat of a budget. The issue is that you won't be able to hear them "live" but there's a video and review of them over at the HC forum. I have a few pickups and guitar from GFS and I think that you get a lot for the money (but I don't have the expensive pickups to compare) and their service is very good.

 

[djmcconnell]

Has anyone laid their hands on the new single coil version of the Taylor Solidbody Electric? It looks beautiful and sounded pretty promising from the video clip I watched.

 

[dan P]

If you can get past the pole pieces, Lace hot golds are the ticket to tonal bliss at a more than reasonable price, since fender jacked the price on their pups almost 80-90 percent early last year, I have shied away from all their after market pups. I have two sets ( lace) in my strats, one set has the 6k bridge and the other set has the 13k..which really livens up the bridge pos. I installed two no load pots and ran the tone control to the bridge and mid, so I have a little fun now and then with...lace hot golds can be had for about 150 a set, they are not completely noiseless, but very very quiet...My fav strat pups( fender) are CS 54's...

 

[strat_rocker_32]

Thanks a bunch guys for all your feedback. Lookin' forward to modifying my ax.
Cheers!

 

[F_BSurfer]

I came across this demo of the GFS NeoVin power rock set they sound pretty nice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcH6bCtZAII&feature=related

 

[marnold]

I came across this demo of the GFS NeoVin power rock set they sound pretty nice

Those sound really nice! They sound more "vintagey" than my Area '61s. I think the NeoVins sound a chimier (is that a word?) than my '61s clean, but I like the sound of my 61's with dirt a lot better. Sounds like a pretty awesome set of pups for ~$90.

 

[sumitomo]

Those GFS pups sound pretty good to me,I think those are the ones I'll use in my Strat to replace the lace it came with.Thanks for posting guys.You know going through all these posts hearing different opinions ect.sure makes choices easier and I am much happier with what I buy now.Sumi

 

[Duff]

Strat pickups

I put SD pickups on an affinity Squire strat twentieth aniv. I got for free.

I put a neck hot rail SD in the neck, a 'lil 59 SD in the middle, and a bridge JB Jr. in the bridge.

This affinity has one of the nicest flammed maple necks I've ever seen and a rosewood fretboard. It's black and has a few dings to give it a really vintage look.

I put on a beautiful black pearl pickguard and spring cover and just put my Fender locking tuners on it.

This is a VERY versitile sounding guitar. I discussed the pickup swap with the tech from SD and a pickup specialist that distributes SD pickups. This combination was highly recommended for the sounds I was looking for.

Other combinations were also recommended by the SD tech, some very close to this one. This one, he says, is very popular with many people that put new sets in strats.

The guitar sounds super great.

Might not be the thing you are looking for but it has some power and quality sound in all positions.

It's one of my favorite guitars and it's a Squire! Affinity of all things.

One of my other favorite guitars is a plain Peavey Generation EX tele, new for 149, in antique sunburst. The tone is super great. I'm not even thinking about replacing the Peavey pickups.

I decided to go with the SD's but was considering some from GFS, like the neovin's, or the alnico hot staggered ones.

I'm very happy with the SD's though. I also replaced some of the electronics and may replace the rest in time.

Just thought I'd share this, even if it isn't the set up you are looking for. This is a very versitile set up with three distinctly different tones and then the 2 and 4 blend positions. All the pups are fairly hot and I like the way I can switch tones easily.

Duffy

 

[Bloozcat]

Those NeoVins sound surprisingly good. I think the less than stellar performance in OD is due more to the quality of the amp in the demo than the pickups, I think. The amp sounded fizzy in OD, and yet you could still hear the pickups clearly enough. Bet they'd sound good through a better amp.

That frets99 is quite the housekeeper, isn't he....

 

[stingx]

+1 on DiMarzio Virtual Vintage. I have them in one of my Strats and they sound amazing yet dead quite! You will not lose that "Strat" sound with them only the noise.