Better pickups

[charls]

Hi all!

I need to buy pickups for my Japanese Squier Strat. Which pickups are very creamy, very sweets and with very much sustain? Fender Custom Shop, Kinman, Lindy Fralin, Seymour Duncan or others? What models?

Thanks

Charls

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Charls,
You have not mentioned Toneriders as an option. Although I have never tried them they seem to be well liked.
I would suggest slightly overwound pickups for more mids which will help sustain.
I use and like Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's on my favourite Strat (clone) but they may not suit all Strats. I recommended them to someone some time ago and the person bought them and didn't like them. I think if the guitar has a good sound acoustically then they would work well.
I never had good luck with Seymour Duncan pickups. Fralins seem to be popular but I have a feeling they may be too clear sounding (if you can understand what I mean by that).
Regards,
Charlie

[charls]

Thanks Charlie. I will look the properties of Toneriders pickups.

[UK Brian]

Hi Charls, I have usually used Kinmans ( expensive ) but have just been recommended Toneriders by Barryh on here, I have ordered a set, looks like real good value for the money, and I will report as soon as I have them installed, have a look here
www.tonerider.com/pickups/pickups_main.html
Also I am experimenting with a new ( to me ) string Kerly Kues, see other post "string wot string" in Technical support on site.
cheers

Brian

[Deleted]

Hi Charls, If you go here and look at the 13th item: Jim McLachlan with picture of blue 62 Strat, you will able to see what I wrote about the Tonerider Vintage pickups and also hear a track of mine using the pickups. Tonerider featured my guitar amongst others on their newspage.

www.tonerider.com/news.html

Regards
Jim

[BarryH]

Hi Charls,

As Jim and Brian mentioned, the Tonerider Vintage make a great sound. Also, as Charlie mentioned, pickups react differently with different body woods. What suits one guitar body may not suit another made from different timber.

I found a really good article where someone had tested a whole range of pickups with different strat bodies. Sod's law says I can't find the article now. I'll keep looking and post it on here if I can find it.

A set of Toneriders for the strat cost roughly £60 which must be good value for money. Where as if you fit a set of Kinmans costing five times the price of Toneriders and don't like them as does happen, it is a big, costly experience.

Cheers
Barry

[UK Brian]

oh yes, nice one Jim. I have only just added that number into my resevior ( malaprop lol ) tell me, what strings were you using on this one?...as I have said somewhere else on site I have used Fender all my playing life and am now seriously considering a change to Kerly Kues.........
cheers

Brian

[kipper]

hi charls i fitted tonerider vintage to my 62 reissue japan strat and i like the sound a lot. you dont see any on the well known auction site second hand so that says something. peter

[BarryH]

I have a new set of Tonerider Vintage for the strat which are for sale.

Unfortunately, they're left handed, just like me.

Cheers
Barry

[UK Brian]

Ooooooooooo you got me all exited for a split second,,,,,lefties Yuk..... ;D ;D ;D......
Smiling at my own funnies.......
Cheers

Brian

[charls]

Thanks for your comments Brian, Oldfart, BarryH, and Kipper.

Which set of toneriders pickups will be better? Pure Vintage, City Limits, Classic Blues or Surfari?

Thanks

Charls

[cainy]

Hi Charls, if you want the bell like sound of a vintage Strat try Seymour Duncan SSL-1s I have them on my Strat and they sing, if you like them a little fatter, the SSL-5s are the way to go, my Strat really has the old Hank sound.

[bill]

Hi,
Sorry Charls, I have a question I hope you don't mind me piggybacking onto yours. It doesn't seem worth starting a new thread.

Of all the demonstration mp3 files I have heard, I like the Fender Custom Shop CS54 pickups the best. My question is are they (or all pickups) just for one type of sound (they seem great for blues to me) or can they be used successfully for say Shadows/other sounds?

[UK Brian]

Charls, oldfart is called [glow=red,2,300]Jim[/glow] , LOL serves him right fo using a daft name like that don't it ;D ;D ;D ;D
No Offence meant anywhere or 2 any one, my sense of humour

cheers

Brian

[charls]

Hi again!

There are too many make and models of pickups to choose. Others two are Bill Lawrence and Bare Knuckle pickups. Which is your choice?

Charls

[mitch]

Hi Charls
Just to say that i have a Strat with Fender fat 30,s like Charlie and i love them.
I,m getting on in years , but still do the odd gig with my old band as well as recording.
I,ve found the pickups to be really veratile so far, with plenty of twang and enough poke to overdrive nicely when neede.
Got my vote.
Shads ? no problem for me, can even sound quite Burns like with a bit of eqing.
best wishes
Mitch

[twang46]

My vote for a "strat" goes to Tonerider "City Limits", the bridge pu is slightly "hotter" than the standard "vintage " types & works very well for me.
I've had both Fender CS69's & CS54's on the Strat (Alder body) & initially tried Tonerider "Surfari 54's" before settling on the "City Limits"

Hopefully this will help Charls ( or confuse even more !)

Dick.

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Bill,
I had a set of Custom Shop 54's and found them to be a little on the thin sounding side, although being on a swamp ash body didn't help. I also found that the B string seemed under powered, although I had the same problem on an original 62 Strat.
I never tried them on my other Strat, which I now know has an alder body. I sold them a few months ago. I would guess they could sound best with an alder or basswood body.
Regards,
Charlie