Strat replacement/upgrade pickups?

[Conan]

Ooohh.... I'm stepping into uncharted waters here...

My (nearly) 16 year old son has recently got himself a very nice 1994 MIJ Fender Strat. It plays beautifully, feels great and looks fantastic.

But he wants more "beef" from the sound. He traded the Strat for a Les Paul Studio, and he thinks that the sound he craves will only come from a humbucker...

OK, I know that the Jap pickups are not regarded as the best pickups Fender ever used, but they sound good to my ears! Classic Strat (in that lovely Mark Knopfler/John Mayer kind of style).

So. What are the options? Is it possible to get the "humbucker" sound from a single coil pickup? Can you get a humbucker that is the same size as a typical single coil Strat pickup? How much would it usually cost (roughly) to get the body routed to install a full-sized humbucker?

My own preferred option would be to go down the route of a "hot", noiseless single coil (like this one - [url="http://www.guitarfetish.com/NEO9-Neodymium-Magnet-Our-Hottest-Neovin_p_522.html"]http://www.guitarfet...ovin_p_522.html[/url]) so that the guitar body doesn't need to be modified - but at the end of the day it is not my guitar!

He has a birthday next week, so I would like to get his guitar sorted for him fairly quickly...

Help and advice greatly appreciated!

Edited November 22, 2013 by Conan

[JapanAxe]

Although it's not a sound I crave, [url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/index.php?page=all"]Seymour Duncan[/url] do some humbuckers in a single-coil-size package.

[BigRedX]

Have you looked under the pickguard? Many modern Strats have a "swimming pool" route that would allow you to drop a full-size humbucker in there and only need to alter or change the pickguard.

[leftybassman392]

IIRC correctly, genuine MIJ pups are the ones to have in a MIJ Strat. There was a time you could tell by opening it up and looking at the pup wiring - plastic meant they were US imports, and cloth sheaths meant they were Japanese. I'm sure someone will correct me if that's wrong. If they are genuine Japanese pups then you mess with them at your peril I think. Very sought-after I believe (preferably inside the guitar they came with).

Having said that, there's a few companies that will sell you a stacked humbucker to fit into the single coil slot. Seymour Duncan are probably the best known, but (for example) DiMarzio do a range of stacked units (which may also have a bit more oomph)

[Conan]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1385148154' post='2285104']
Have you looked under the pickguard? Many modern Strats have a "swimming pool" route that would allow you to drop a full-size humbucker in there and only need to alter or change the pickguard.
[/quote]

I haven't. It was made in 1994, so maybe it doesn't qualify as "modern"? But that is a good idea, and I will have a look to check.

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1385148384' post='2285109']


I haven't. It was made in 1994, so maybe it doesn't qualify as "modern"? But that is a good idea, and I will have a look to check.
[/quote]

See my post above re. wiring. If it's that old then there's a good chance it is the real deal - and is very unlikely to have routing for a humbucker!

[BigRedX]

IIRC swimming pool routes have been around since the mid 80s era of the super-Strat. They aren't on every version so the only way to know for sure if yours has it is to look.

Edited November 22, 2013 by BigRedX

[Conan]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1385149036' post='2285124'] ....the only way to know for sure if yours has it is to look.
[/quote]

Heading toolbox-wards as we speak!

[The Dark Lord]

I'd go for some of these:

[url="https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=strats&sub=vintage_hot&pickup=irish_tour"]https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=strats&sub=vintage_hot&pickup=irish_tour[/url]

I have some of their Brown Sugars in one of my Teles ......... more edge and fuller sound.

[jazzyvee]

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1385149704' post='2285140']
I'd go for some of these:

[url="https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=strats&sub=vintage_hot&pickup=irish_tour"]https://bareknucklep...ckup=irish_tour[/url]

I have some of their Brown Sugars in one of my Teles ......... more edge and fuller sound.
[/quote]
I was going for these on Rob Williams custom guitar I have but in the end I got some custom wound pickups from this guy in Birmingham to replace the seymour duncans.

The little Guitar Shop.
http://www.thelittleguitarshop.com/tlgscustompickups.html

I have two Lola pickups and a Lucille but I don't want too much crunch from the pickups so I'm getting a new Lucille wound with less output
He's a great guy and very knowledgeable and scatter winds the pickups like they used to do in the old days so you get a cleaner sound.

Jazzyvee

[Conan]

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1385150488' post='2285147']The little Guitar Shop.
[url="http://www.thelittleguitarshop.com/tlgscustompickups.html"]http://www.thelittle...tompickups.html[/url]
Jazzyvee
[/quote]

Cheers for that - looks interesting!

[Conan]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1385149036' post='2285124']
IIRC swimming pool routes have been around since the mid 80s era of the super-Strat. They aren't on every version so the only way to know for sure if yours has it is to look.
[/quote]

Had a look and definitely not! Beautiful accurate routing for single-coil pickups only. I was expecting that and it fits with my experience of MIJ/CIJ Fender basses.

[Thunderbird]

I have been doing research on Tonerider pickups for a bass and have read tons of very positive reviews for them on Bass and guitar they seem very beefy and are not bank busters

[Conan]

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1385168325' post='2285363']
Could, instead of spending £100 or £150 on pickups, spend the money on a guitar with buckers. The Yamaha Pacifica 120H is seriously good bang for the buck - £200 to £220.
[/quote]

We weren't looking to spend anywhere near that much ideally, especially as it is only one pickup we are looking to replace.

The reason he got this guitar is because he saw it in a music shop, played it, and decided it was the best guitar he had ever played. He may only be (nearly) 16, but he has been playing guitar since he was 8 and has played loads of good guitars in that time. He is a good player, despite his tender years.

Everything about this particular Strat is perfect for him, with the exception of the bridge pickup. He is even happy with the neck and middle pickups!

Unlike a lot of us bassists, he is being very specific about what he wants, but just doesn't know how to find it. What he wants is the sound of a Gibson P90. He is all for routing out the guitar body and fitting a full-size humbucker... My advice was the compromise situation of getting a humbucking pickup in a single coil sized package. That way, if he ever wants to sell the guitar he can return it to its original state very easily.

He has played Yammy Pacificas at school, and although they are great for the price, they are nowhere near the quality of his Strat.

So thanks for the advice, but I was quite specific about what we were looking for, and a different guitar ain't it! Particularly as he traded a Gibson LP to get the Strat - and they aren't known for their lack of humbuckers!

Edited November 23, 2013 by Conan

[Beer of the Bass]

I'm not sure how close the single coil sized humbuckers get to the real thing - they'll certainly be thicker and louder though. If you do rout for a full size humbucker or P90 at the bridge, you could always use a new scratchplate and retain the original one so that it could be put back easily if he wants to go back to the classic strat setup later. No-one would see the extra routing under a pickguard anyway!

Edited November 23, 2013 by Beer of the Bass

[Thunderbird]

Try this Tonerider link there is some soundclips if it helps and easily within budget

[url="http://www.tonerider.com/"]http://www.tonerider.com/[/url]

[Lozz196]

I`ve got a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck Junior in mine - same size as a regular Strat pickup. Really changes a Strat to having plenty of guts to the sound. I`ve used mine in a rock band doing Velvet Revolver/Guns N Roses type music and it wasn`t found lacking in any way.

[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/high-output/jb_jr_sjbj1/"]http://www.seymourdu...ut/jb_jr_sjbj1/[/url]

Edited November 23, 2013 by Lozz196

[BigRedX]

There's a reason why different sized humbuckers sound different which is partly to do with the spacing of the two sets coils and pole-pieces. Therefore a stacked or any other design humbucker that fits the typical Strat single-coil foot-print is never going to sound quite the same as the traditional Gibson PAF-sized pickup no matter what the manufacturer tells you. However whether or not that is a good thing is entirely subjective.

If it's the traditional two fat coils humbucker sound that you want then you are almost definitely going to have to route the guitar to fit one, although as others have said if you buy a new pickguard for it you can always return the instrument to its original state with none of the modifications being visible. I'd also suggest getting a 4-conductor humbucker so that you can wire it to give a single-coil out of phase sound in position 2 like a normal Strat.

Edited November 23, 2013 by BigRedX

[Conan]

Hmmmm.... so many options!

[skankdelvar]

Yet [i]another[/i] option might be to leave the pick-ups in place and 'invisibly' mod the Strat for switchable series wiring, using push-pull pots. This is a fairly common mod for those seeking a bit more oomph. Some links here:

[url="http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Adding_Series_Switching_To_Your_Strat"]http://www.premiergu...g_To_Your_Strat[/url]
[url="http://www.diyguitarmods.com/stratocaster-series-wiring.php"]http://www.diyguitar...ries-wiring.php[/url]
[url="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=strat+series+wiring&sm=3"]https://www.youtube....ies+wiring&sm=3[/url]

Also - some info on 80's - 90's Jap RI Strat pick-ups [url="http://planetbotch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/1980s-fender-japan-vintage-strat-pickup.html"]here[/url]

Edited November 23, 2013 by skankdelvar

[GarethFlatlands]

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1385211844' post='2285641']
Try this Tonerider link there is some soundclips if it helps and easily within budget

[url="http://www.tonerider.com/"]http://www.tonerider.com/[/url]
[/quote]

I got a humbucker sized P90 by Tonerider for £40 and it's really good. A lot of love for them online too. Worth a shot for the £30 or so replacing one pickup will set you back.

[Ancient Mariner]

I have a (slightly older) MIJ strat that I've owned from new. Still my No.1, although it needs a refret now (and it has a maple board ).

There are several steps you might take. The alternative wiring scheme where the neck & bridge are blended together through the 2nd tone pot is enormously effective, and will give a nice fat bucker type tone. This is also good because you can still have all the standard tones too - lose nothing except a second tone pot. This is my standard way of rewiring strats, and all mine are like this.

The wiring system I use:

See also here: http://www.strat-talk.com/forum/pickup-forum/9197-neck-bridge-pickups-together.html

Some other things you might try:

GFS Brighton Rocks: http://www.guitarfetish.com/Brighton-Rock-Vintage-Spec-Alnico-Pickups-Classic-Queen-sound_p_1514.html These are altogether fatter and a bit less peaky that a strat pickup, judging by the clips I've heard. Single coil sized, they can help get closer to a classic rock tone.

GFS Lil killers: http://www.guitarfetish.com/Lil-Killer-Black-Humbucker-Rail-Pickup-for-Strats-Three-Versions-Available_p_461.html Good value, they won't sound like a Les Paul, but they will give that gritty rock tone in a more focussed and less tonally diffuse output. The more drive he uses, the less different will be the sound to a Les Paul.

You suggested a P90. BG Pickups make a strat-sized P90: http://bg-pups.com/strats/s90/ Bryan is also a harmony-central regular, great winder and his pickups have developed quite a following. He also has been careful not to keep raising prices, so although they look relatively cheap compared to Duncans etc, he's well about their league in terms of tone.

Another completely different solution: EQ pedal. Behringer, Danelectro, various other makers all do EQ pedals that can substantially change a guitars tone (and apparent output level, giving a useful boost for solos). If he wants a fat tone with a bit more output and push then he could do a lot worse than use an EQ pedal with the very top end rolled off a bit and a boost in the mid-range, plus a bit more volume. Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top has a system of EQs set up so that whatever guitar he uses live, it all sounds like Pearly Gates (his original Les Paul).

One last thing - I had Neovins when they were first launched. They didn't stay long.

HTH

Edited November 23, 2013 by Ancient Mariner

[Conan]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1385235257' post='2286005']
One last thing - I had Neovins when they were first launched. They didn't stay long.[/quote]

Thanks for your input - very interesting! But what didn't you like about the Neovins?

[leftybassman392]

+1 to the EQ solution. Not quite the same as changing pickups, but very effective nonetheless. I went through a period when I used a boss GE-7 with my 335 (which of course has HB's to start with) through the trusty Cornford Hurricane. Great for soloing but you do need to play around with the settings a bit (especially if your amp doesn't do channel switching).

[geoffbyrne]

DiMarzio SDS1 in the bridge.

G.