Looking for opinions on Strat pups

Brownmatthall

Power User
Hey all, I recently bought a new traditional 50s MIJ strat and I'm absolutely in love with it. Chunky neck, super resonant, very well built, all that good stuff. The pickups are ceramic and while they don't even sound bad, its just not what I'm looking for in a strat y'know? (I try to avoid guitar adjectives but I want chime and glass!) They're a little hotter, and they're tubby as well (it's a basswood body/maple neck) so I'm looking for a set of pups that'll be balanced in this body wood and lower output. The current frontrunners for me are the duncan SSL 1's and CS54's but I'm not versed very well in single coil pups so feel free to lemme know what you think of these or if I should go with something else
 
Chime and glass = Eric Johnson Signature pickups from Fender. They're expensive but the glass is huge.
 
Anything Kinmann makes, if you want noiseless tone that blows your mind (and budget). I love them. Or if you want vintage noisy tone, go with a set of Fender Pure Vintage 59s.
 
I got a recommendation for lollar specials but they look to be hotter than what I'm after, which would you recommend?
I have the specials in my signature guitar. Disclaimer. I am an endorser for WH Bristol Guitars. I had my sig loaded with the Lollars. They sound great. They are very responsive to volume knob use. That was a criteria I was looking for. The guitar is swamp ash body. It has great tone with the volume dialed back and really opens up when the volume is full on. It has the usual 5-way switch. Two tone pots with one dedicated to the bridge and the other for the middle and neck.
 
Ended up going with an ssl 1 set I got for a buck 35 on reverb, that price was just too good to pass up and I can still return them if I don't like em. Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll keep em in mind if the Duncans don't work out!
 
Ended up going with an ssl 1 set I got for a buck 35 on reverb
Whaaat??? A buck 35?? Those are great pickups ..... I have a guitar with them in the neck and middle and a SD Custom Custom HB in bridge. The neck pickup position is the only non hum cancelled position (5 way super switch used) and the bridge tone is fantastic ... just watch your pickup height isn't too close to the strings as they have a hell of a magnetic pull and they do seem to sound better with a bit of air space above them on that guitar of mine
 
I am totally having a bromance with these pickups:
https://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk

Seriously considering giving these a try, M@. Are you familiar with their single coil options?
I'm looking for something that gives that woody, a bit quacky and that "tube" like neck pup tone, is "louder" than my 2017 American Professional V-Mod pups.

I've looked at their pickup descriptions and looked for as many example videos as I could find over the last 2 days. No closer to making a decision.

Not sure if the Vintage or Vintage Hot series is what I'm looking for.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom