Opinions on PUP replacement please?

[AlamoJoe]

I recently recieved a gift card and am considering replacing the bridge pickup in my 1981 Stratocaster. Now I bought this guitar new in '81 and I am not going to cut on her, but have always wanted a fatter tone out of the bridge pickup. I've been researching a bit these are the PUP's I am considering. If y'all have the time, I'd appreciate your opinion of them pro or con, and also if you can suggest any others I'll check them out. I'm not interested in getting into active electronics, although I'm handy with a soldering iron and wouldn't be opposed to mounting a a mini switch for spliting coils.(Nut rather would'nt)

Here's the PUP's I'm considering;

Seymour Duncan

Hot Rails

SSL44 I/4 Lb

DiMarzio

DP188 ProTrack

Tone Zone S

Ok...So opinions please?

Thanks!

 

[sammyreynolds01]

I was going to say get a some David Gilmour EMG's. They have controls that will make it sound like a humbucker and there's no soldering required. I just installed EMG SA's into my Peavey Predator and love them but I don't have the David Gilmour mod. If you're going with a humbucker and passive, I like Dimarzio's over Seymour Duncan,

[wankdeplank]

You might try one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lace-Sensor-Burgundy-21151-Single-Coil-Strat-Guitar-Pickup-White-Cover-NEW-/171407419546?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item27e8ada89a

 

I put this next to a 6K original Gold Sensor (middle) and a 5.5K Vintage Vibe Boutique (neck) in a 93 Strat and it's just the perfect combination IMO. This thing is very fat and P90ish. It's kind of a scooped mids kind of pickup which is perfect for vintage leads and also great for a trebly Strat.

[gdsmithtx]

If it were me, out of the choices you've provided, I'd go Tone Zone S absolutely first, then the Pro Track or Hot Rails, then the Quarter Pound.

 

If you're open to other options, consider:

 

Duncan SSL-5 - David Gilmour's Black Strat bridge pickup

 

Vintage Vibe SP90 - P90-type pickup in a Strat pup package that ships with 2 sets of magnets, allowing the user to swap them out himself. Considerably more output than a standard Strat bridge pup.

 

Magnet types available include: AlNiCo-II, AlNiCo-III, AlNiCo-V and ceramic-8. The AlNiCo-II magnets give a warm vintage tone, the AlNiCo-III magnets boost output and give a little sharper attack. The AlNiCo-V magnets give even higher output and sharper attack; for the highest output and sharpest attack choose the ceramic-8 magnets.

 

BG S90 - Another excellent P90-type pickup in a Strat pup package

 

Duncan Lil 59 - Of the Strat-sized humbuckers, this or the Tone Zone S would be my personal choice.

 

Duncan JB Jr

 

 

If you're open to thinking out of the box, you might want to think about keeping your current bridge pickup and installing a Lindy Fralin baseplate (for a little extra bass and mids) and a Deaf Eddie Chromacaster (or the slightly less-capably Fat-O-Caster) switch. I am a big fan of Deaf Eddie's products and won't ever own a strat without one. You can get much fatter output from the bridge with these mods, and in addition can have a whole slew of other tones available at the turn of a knob. The Chromacaster gives the original Strat 5 sounds, plus an additional 11 for a total of 16 distinct tones. They're only $30 and once installed are very easily reversible, making putting the guitar back to stock condition a matter of 20 minutes.

 

Fat-O-Caster Tone Demo

 

[video=youtube;ipLZ4uO_TrY]

 

 

 

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

I REEAAAALY like the Dimarzio Virtual Solo for the bridge position on a Strat.

 

It's like, bam, you flip the 5 way switch and you've got a Les Paul.

To be used with distortion and or overdrive of course.

[gardo]

I recently recieved a gift card and am considering replacing the bridge pickup in my 1981 Stratocaster. Now I bought this guitar new in '81 and I am not going to cut on her, but have always wanted a fatter tone out of the bridge pickup. I've been researching a bit these are the PUP's I am considering. If y'all have the time, I'd appreciate your opinion of them pro or con, and also if you can suggest any others I'll check them out. I'm not interested in getting into active electronics, although I'm handy with a soldering iron and wouldn't be opposed to mounting a a mini switch for spliting coils.(Nut rather would'nt)

Here's the PUP's I'm considering;

Seymour Duncan

Hot Rails

SSL44 I/4 Lb

DiMarzio

DP188 ProTrack

Tone Zone S

Ok...So opinions please?

Thanks!

My opinion ,DON'T DO IT. You've, had this thing for all these years and baiscly love it.. Changing pickups will change your guitar.

.

[AlamoJoe]

Well that's why I'm looking only at Pup's that don't require any cutting..If I don't like the new pup, I can always put the original back in....Your comment made me think though gardo...Think I still may make the leap but thanks for chiming in man.

[AlamoJoe]

If it were me, out of the choices you've provided, I'd go Tone Zone S absolutely first, then the Pro Track or Hot Rails, then the Quarter Pound.

 

If you're open to other options, consider:

 

Duncan SSL-5 - David Gilmour's Black Strat bridge pickup

 

Vintage Vibe SP90 - P90-type pickup in a Strat pup package that ships with 2 sets of magnets, allowing the user to swap them out himself. Considerably more output than a standard Strat bridge pup.

 

 

 

BG S90 - Another excellent P90-type pickup in a Strat pup package

 

Duncan Lil 59 - Of the Strat-sized humbuckers, this or the Tone Zone S would be my personal choice.

 

Duncan JB Jr

 

 

If you're open to thinking out of the box, you might want to think about keeping your current bridge pickup and installing a Lindy Fralin baseplate (for a little extra bass and mids) and a Deaf Eddie Chromacaster (or the slightly less-capably Fat-O-Caster) switch. I am a big fan of Deaf Eddie's products and won't ever own a strat without one. You can get much fatter output from the bridge with these mods, and in addition can have a whole slew of other tones available at the turn of a knob. The Chromacaster gives the original Strat 5 sounds, plus an additional 11 for a total of 16 distinct tones. They're only $30 and once installed are very easily reversible, making putting the guitar back to stock condition a matter of 20 minutes.

 

Fat-O-Caster Tone Demo

 

[video=youtube;ipLZ4uO_TrY]

 

 

 

Well your reply is the most detailed and obviously you put a lot of thought into it, and also your expertise is shining through! The Tone Zone S is where I'm leaning. I had, and still have a DiMarzio Super distortion pickup from back in the 70's that i had in a Les Paul way back then. I just wired it up hot all the time and broke out the Strat when I wanted that single coil sting. What appeals to me about the Tone Zone is that they appear to have put a lot of thought into bridge pickup placement, plus the option of being able to go to single coil with it as well. I realize this would require the addition of a switch however. Or I guess I could replace the other tone pot with a push/pull pot to do that. I already have a push/pull on the bottom tone control to bring the neck pickup in with the bridge pickup, or all three pups on when the selector switch is in position 4...

I'm thinking if I order the Tone Zone I should probably just install it hot, decide if I like it before doing anymore surgery. The Strat is my only guitar now so as bad as I want more options, I don't want to burn any bridges either y'know. Another guitar is not a financial option.

[Radar-Love]

I bought this guitar new in '81 and I am not going to cut on her...

 

 

I bought a '77 Strat, new, back in... yes, 1977. It had a so-called "swimming pool route" under the pickguard.

 

I bet your '81 Strat has a swimming pool route, also.

 

If it has a swimming pool route, just remove your entire pickguard -- intact -- and put it in a safe place. Replace it with a new pickguard of your choice, with the pickup configuration of your choice: S-S-S, H-S-S, H-S-H, or H-H. Get the pickups of your choice. Install new switch, pots, and jack. Use your original pickguard screws or get new stainless steel screws.

 

Another option is to buy a whole pre-assembled pre-wired pickguard with the pickups that you want already installed.