strat pickups?

[jasondunringill]

Ahoy all strat / orange users, this is probably something that's been covered many times before but I'm looking to upgrade my Mexican standard strat pickups at some point. I'm not unhappy with the stock pickups but just have that nagging feeling it could be so much better! I play through a dual terror with a few pedals and play mostly classic rock and blues. I first thought about the fender custom shop fat 50's which the US standard now comes with I understand but then started a wee browse. First of all I came across the Wilkinson vintage set which to be honest looks too good to be true for the price (reviews pretty good though as far as I can see) then at the other end of the price range had a look at the bare knuckle sultans which seem to be what I'm looking for but at a price. Does anyone have any experience of these or a suggestion of a good alternative? I know it's very subjective but that's the trouble with pickups, you can't just walk in to the shop and try them out, and the YouTube demos are only as good as they are recorded! Any comments welcome.

[bclaire]

I've been really happy with everything I've gotten from Lindy Fralin - from rewinds to new pickups. Check out his website - he's the best IMHO.

[Hubaxe]

It's so much a question of taste.
My stat is loaded with the Texas Special, and they are just what I needed. A good balance between power and strong mids, with true strat tone on position 2 & 4.
I know lot of people hate them.

The wilkinson have a very good reputation. And for the price it's maybe worth the pain to try.
Pickups are only copper coil around magnets, so even if it's not rocket high prices, they can work properly if done to the right specification.

[Les Paul Lover]

I've got a set of Virtual Vintage 54 from Di Marzio in my Vigier. They are brilliant & noise free!
Brilliant for that strat blues tone, great sparkle, bell tones, slightly more bass than your usual noise making single coil.

I heavily recommend them.

Compared to Fender's own noiseless single coil, I thought the fender one totally uninspiring and bland (that was in a clapton strat), and sounded so much nicer and refined than a knopfler strat too.


I'm sure that live al those nuances would disappear, but playing at home, I like my set.

[bfitz]

Tonerider vintage plus strat pickups

love em!

[Foef]

I changed the pickups in my american standard strat to Fenders own Tex-Mex pickups after i heard them in the road worn series. Awesome pickups with a little more grind than normal strat pickups. Less 'sterile' if you want. And a pretty good deal too.
Check them out!

[onetracker]

i inhereted my son's indonesian squire strat. this guitar set up perfectly and it plays like a dream. i have a LP with p90's and a g&L telecaster w/humbuckers. i love them all but the first guitar i pick up is the squire. the stock pickups were of course noisy pieces of schist so i dropped in the seymour duncan everything axe set. included pickguard, pots, 5 way switch and input jack. i think i paid around $200. the more i play these pickups the more i want to play them. very versatile and quiet. jb jr in the bridge, duckbucker middle and little 59 in the neck. amazing for rock and blues. i'm still gonna get a usa strat tho....

[Wendigo]

I had modded my Strat deluxe to Fat 50s in the neck and middle, with a Duncan "Little '59" bucker in the bridge. Dude, it is literally impossible not to be floored by that tone combo.

[jasondunringill]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, it'd be much easier but very boring if everyone recommend the same pups! Still be interested to hear if anyone's tried the Wilkinsons themselves, might be a good interim solution while the search goes on. As I said previously, I'm not unhappy with the stock pups but they are pretty hot for single coils ( I hardly notice a drop in volume when swapping over from my LP ) and they lack subtlety. I feel the sound is not as 'stratty' as it should be. Any other suggestions still welcome

[Vertikal]

Hello there,

You might be interested in Bare Knuckle Pick-Ups, British Company, hand-made so they're pretty expensive, albeit well worth the investment. They're also very vintage orientated so they have those old school sounds as well as modern of course and they're very informative about the specs. They also have the best names for their Pick-Ups: Mother's Milk, Piledriver, Painkiller, Juggernaut, Nailbomb and the somewhat, 'adult natured sounding' one... "The Mule".

Here's the link to their Strat page:

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/p ... cat=strats" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hope this helps.

[jasondunringill]

Tonerider vintage plus strat pickups

love em!

After much more youtube-ing and researching and with the help of a few large drams (always risky with Amazon one click to buy available) I've ordered a set of the tonerider pure vintage pups, they sound pretty great from the various demos and while not as cheap as the wilkinsons are still pretty good value. Will report once they're installed. Thanks for the suggestion and g'night. Hic.

[jasondunringill]

Hello there,

You might be interested in Bare Knuckle Pick-Ups, British Company, hand-made so they're pretty expensive, albeit well worth the investment. They're also very vintage orientated so they have those old school sounds as well as modern of course and they're very informative about the specs. They also have the best names for their Pick-Ups.

Here's the link to their Strat page:

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/p ... cat=strats" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hope this helps.

Thanks for that, had been looking at their sultans set and if the toneriders I've ordered don't do it for me then that may well be the next port of call.

[Vertikal]

Thanks for that, had been looking at their sultans set and if the toneriders I've ordered don't do it for me then that may well be the next port of call.

No worries. I'm glad you've found some regardless.

[bfitz]

Tonerider vintage plus strat pickups

love em!

After much more youtube-ing and researching and with the help of a few large drams (always risky with Amazon one click to buy available) I've ordered a set of the tonerider pure vintage pups, they sound pretty great from the various demos and while not as cheap as the wilkinsons are still pretty good value. Will report once they're installed. Thanks for the suggestion and g'night. Hic.

Think you'll find them to your liking and I know others here have them and really dig them as well

Enjoy!

[jasondunringill]

Tonerider vintage plus strat pickups

love em!

After much more youtube-ing and researching and with the help of a few large drams (always risky with Amazon one click to buy available) I've ordered a set of the tonerider pure vintage pups, they sound pretty great from the various demos and while not as cheap as the wilkinsons are still pretty good value. Will report once they're installed. Thanks for the suggestion and g'night. Hic.

Think you'll find them to your liking and I know others here have them and really dig them as well

Enjoy!

Pickups arrived and fitted this evening, not had a chance to really give them a blast (sleeping children) but even at low volume, wow. Love all the sounds including the middle which I've never really been a fan of and the in between sounds are just lovely. Think the neck takes is my favourite though, can't wait to really try them out. Many thanks for the recommendation