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Replacing MIM Strat pickups


OMTerria

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I've been looking at pickups for my MIM HSS Strat...but there are so many options it's kindof overwhelming. Basically, I'm looking for something brighter/clearer with perhaps a some more output. I'd like to avoid any single coil sized humbuckers for the neck and middle positions though, I'd prefer they'd still sound like single coils. Anything I should be looking at in particular?

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Of course i don't know which pickups you have in your guitar - i think they changed at some point in the early 00's - but i find the older ones respond nicely to 500 Kohm pots, so if you have 250 Kohm pots in your guitar you could try changing those first.

 

Also, pickup position is a good thing to experiment with - i have mine fairly low, with the bass side noticeably lower in relation to the strings on the middle and neck PU's, like this:

 

mim91pickguard.jpg

 

I think i get a lovely strat tone from them :)

 

 

EDIT: Oh yeah - as far as i can tell, those pickups already have quite a bit of output, so i wouldn't count on you needing more, but obviously that depends on the style of music you go for.

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I would second Nuke's suggestion to get with Bryan about his BG pickups. The only drawback is the typical lead time is 2+ months. Another option for custom handwound pickups is John Benson. http://www.bensoncustom.com/about.html I have a set of his tele pickups and they absolutely kill. Have a set of his Texas strat pickups on the way. Both guys can build you exactly what you want for prices well below what you would expect for custom hand-wound pickups.

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All my Strats are noiseless and nobody ever complains that I have no tone and I have versatility for miles, so yeah, I'd suggest you give them some thought. I have tried Lace Sensors, Kinman aVn, DiMarzio Virtual Vintage, and Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups and I prefer them in that order, but even the Fenders aren't bad or anything.

 

If I were putting together my ideal HSS, it would be Seymour Duncan Custom TB-5 in the bridge Silver Lace Sensor in the middle, a Hot Gold Sensor in the neck, with the 5-way wired with the neck and middle reversed.

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