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Will I lose the quack with strat-sized P90s?


Electric Monk

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so I got a strong hankering for some higher-output neck and middle pickups in Sweetness. (yeah I know. it's my first strat, sue me.) and some BG Single-coil sized P90's seemed like a good deal to me. But does the tone of positions 2 and 4 suffer at all because of the higher output? I really like Mark Knopfler's recent tone, and he's using Texas Specials, which are pretty hot pickups... But these are more so, I figured, and I thought they wouldn't have volume loss compared to the SSL-5 I have in my bridge.

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I'd be interested in trying a set of his strat P90s but I'd imagine they wouldn't be quite dripping with the quack. Usually, lower output pickups are quackier in my experience.

I'd really like to try a set of his Phatties... or at least one in the bridge position.

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Strats quack is partly caused by the voiceing of middle pup but more by its position. A similiar unique tone is found with P basses whose single pup is positioned inbetween where neck and bridge pups would be. So while some qauck may be lost with diff type pup, you'll still get a good measure of that due to the pups position. I know this is true with basses due to haveing at one time a bass with a sliding single pup. When said pup was positioned just right inbetween where neck and bridge positions would be, that sound was found.

So, if the replacement pup for middle position has the harmonic content of middle position fender single coil your not likely to lose any noticeable quack. Though depending on the pups voiceing diff from the stock pup, it may be fuller sounding quack or even more pronounced, or slightly less dominant quack factor wise for strat position 2 & 4. The vintage vibe version mentioned by The Bear would probably be one of the best choices for nice quackyness retention and improvement.

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yes, you will lose some quack. As much at it is dependent on the position of the PU's (it's a result of the difference in diameter in the string vibrations over the two PU's), it is most prominent with lower output PU's. Winders like Lollar and Fralin will recommend their lowest output PU's for the best quack; my fav's for quack is Custom Shop '54's, which are the weakest offerings I know of from Fender.

 

So, will some quack still be there? Yes. But don't expect Sweet Home Alabama.

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yes, you will lose some quack. As much at it is dependent on the position of the PU's (it's a result of the difference in diameter in the string vibrations over the two PU's), it is most prominent with lower output PU's. Winders like Lollar and Fralin will recommend their lowest output PU's for the best quack; my fav's for quack is Custom Shop '54's, which are the weakest offerings I know of from Fender.


So, will some quack still be there? Yes. But don't expect Sweet Home Alabama.

 

A good choice might be to have some higher output one made with a coil tap put in maybe at 1/2-2/3 of the windings. That should give you good options in both directions.

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I really like Mark Knopfler's recent tone, and he's using Texas Specials, which are pretty hot pickups...

 

 

They're on his signature Strat, but Mark definitely was not using Texas Specials on all of his famous Strat recordings and frankly I would be surprised if they're even equipped on his current Strats.

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They're on his signature Strat, but Mark definitely was not using Texas Specials on all of his famous Strat recordings and frankly I would be surprised if they're even equipped on his current Strats.

 

 

Yeah, I know the sig strat has them, and I've seen a few folks on here comment that they want Texas Specials because of Knopfler's tone, but in my experience, they are almost the opposite of his early Dire Straits tones... I'd use CS69s or 54s for his tones and without a doubt, the BG Vintage 60s can EASILY do Knopfler tones with ease.

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