Single coil pups

[crgfrench]

I know, I know... this is an amp forum. But you guys all play guitar and I wonder if anyone has a view on some strat pickups, specifically for use with an 18 Watter.

I'm going to upgrade a Squire strat with new pups and locking tuners; wondering if anyone here has a view on my potential choices, would appreciate any comments before I buy.

The vibe I'm going for is late 60s - early 70s Trower & Hendrix, so this is basically going through a wah and a fuzz then to the Fullerwell 18 Watter.

I have decided on 3 sets of single coils to choose from:

Seymour Duncan psychadelic 69 $300
Klein 1969 Epic $240
Fender Custom Shop 69 $200

I'm thinking about a reverse stagger on the neck pup poles and a RWRP on the middle pup.

If anyone uses or has tried the Duncan, Klein or Fender 1969 pickups I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

[geoff 1965]

upgrade the pots to CTS as well and a good quality capacitor like an orange drop, what's the radius of the fretboard and is it an old korean made squire?

[crgfrench]

It's Indonesian with a 9.5 radius. Picked it up for $20, was missing the output jack and plate.

[geoff 1965]

before spending $200-300 on pickups i'd check the body,some of the cheaper squires don't have the full strat thickness and are actually plywood not solid alder or ash! just my opinion!

[JMPGuitars]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a plywood body if it's good plywood.

Definitely use CTS pots.

Don't bother with orange drops for the caps unless you have some lying around. I'd use Mallory 150M series, or anything fun. No ceramic caps ever.

I also would never pay Fender for their pickups, that's a terrible idea.

The best sounding single-coils I've ever heard, especially for that Hendrix sound, is the Lace Holy Grail series. They're kinda pricy now though.

I'd give DiMarzio a look. If you don't mind the modern style, I think the Fast Track 1 would be great with an 18watter. For the vintage look, I'd consider something like DiMarzio's HS-4. Their Injector series would also be good to consider. All of these have fairly well balanced tone.

[crgfrench]

Anyone tried the Fralin Blender pots? I keep reading good things about them. I agree with you generally though regarding CTS.

[crgfrench]

...Orange drops... Mallory 150M series, or anything fun.

I have some Arizona Blue Cactuses I will probably use.

[AussieTim]

Ive got dimarzio virtual vintages on (dp 408s and 409) my strat and absolutely love them as does everyone who I have jammed with, to the point that my mate went out and got a set. The Area 67 may suit you.
Onamac windery,s Hendrix '69's at $165 a set would be certainly worth a look I have one of Kerrys top shelf anico2 humbuckers with dimarzio virtual vintages in my HSS strat and the tone is exceptional, would highly recommend his pups.

[JMPGuitars]

I have some Arizona Blue Cactuses I will probably use.

Unless you have a lot of them, I'd save them. Those are really expensive from what I've seen. You can get Musicap or Auralex for less. I've been building guitars for 25 years, and I don't think I've heard a cap that sounded better than the Musicap. But I also don't think it was so much better than the 150Ms that it mattered. What I've found to be most evident is that as long as it's a good quality non-ceramic cap, it should be fine.

Anyone tried the Fralin Blender pots? I keep reading good things about them. I agree with you generally though regarding CTS.

Fralin is a well-respected brand, but I haven't tried their pots. I believe it's simply a no-load pot, probably made for them by CTS, though I don't know who actually makes it. I think CTS has the same thing available also.

[crgfrench]

I have expanded my list and am leaning towards one of the Duncan sets at this point. The Kinmans are really a different animal and probably shouldn't even be in this list...

Seymour Duncan psychadelic 69
N 5.9k M 5.85k B 5.95k
$300 or $379 loaded in voodoo pickguard

Seymour Duncan Isle of Might
6.07k all 3
$320 list only avail in UK

Lollar Strat [Dirty] Blonde
5.6k [6.7k], 5.8k, 6.0k
$285

Fralin Vintage Hots
6.0k N, 6.0k M, 6.8k B
$285 (+10 optional blender pot)

Kinman Woodstock Plus
Hx-85 B, AVn-69 N&M
Alnico-K zero hum
$265

Klein 1969 Epic
N 5.9k M 6.0k B 5.8k
Reverse stagger available
$240

RC Robin Trower Tribute
$210
Rob Conley

D. Allen Voodoo 69
Spec b6.2k, m5.8k (RWRP) n5.8k
2.7H, 2.37H, 2.4H
$200 new

Fender Custom Shop 69
"5.8k"
$200

Onamac Windery Hendrix 69
5.8k, 6.0k, 6.5k
2.2H, 2.5H, 2.7H
$165

[AussieTim]

Kinmans are a different animal people tend to love em or hate them, started in Brisbane Australia and relocated to the Philippines. I personally like the Dimarzio.s when it comes to noisless
My experience with Duncans is they seem to sound nothing like their description I have a jazz which I am happy with and a box full of Duncans that I have replaced with pups I like better
I cant speak highly enough of Onamac

[AussieTim]

Another brand that sounds great for very little money is Tonerider, after trying a bunch of different big brand name pups in the bridge of my Epiphone Sheriton I have a Rocksong bridge with a Duncan Jazz neck and it sounds excellent
Tonerider are a British company manufactured in China great quality.
Stewmac Golden age are half the price of Duncans i believe they are Schallers
I am finding that just because you have spent big bucks on pickups doesn't necessarily mean you get a a great sound
I'm not saying cheap will give a good noise just that it doesn't always mean nasty

[Robert E. Baker]

Anyone tried the Fralin Blender pots? I keep reading good things about them. I agree with you generally though regarding CTS.

its a great product specially if you love to tinker with the wiring.The Fralin Blender Pot gives you the ability to blend your Neck and Bridge Pickups, as well as getting all 3 on single-coil guitars.

[AussieTim]

Here in Adelaide it is 43 degrees today so I have spent the day watching cricket playing guitar and listening to Craig's choices on you tube, to me I like in no particular order, just by my tin ear the
Fralin Vintage Hots
Onamac Windery Hendrix 69
D. Allen Voodoo 69
Klein 1969 Epic I also love their jazzy cats
I found some of the others a bit thin sounding
Also Bare Knuckles Irish tours might be worth a look
link to tonerider on you tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2eiMrS_e8Q

[JMPGuitars]

Here in Adelaide it is 43 degrees today so I have spent the day watching cricket playing guitar and listening to Craig's choices on you tube

Man, that's hilarious. You know where I'm at 43 degrees Fahrenheit is a heatwave right now. It's gonna be about that today, and I'm probably going to go out and BBQ.

[geoff 1965]

alright for some! it's 7 degree's here and i'm freezing my nuts off!

[AussieTim]

ts actually 43 degrees Celsius here which is 109 Fahrenheit, hard keeping the guitar in tune, also why I have concerns about whether tubes and electrical components will overheat, that is why I was asking if a fan and venting would be a good idea with my 18 watt build

[geoff 1965]

i had a peavey bravo 112 combo which because of the unique way the el84 & preamp tubes lay horizontally into the chassis "see pic" they fitted a cooling fan to prevent overheating,you can see it on the left.
it's was okay and worked and at playing volume you could'nt hear it but at idle you could hear it and was a bit annoying. i've still got an eminence speaker from one,good all round speaker for cleans & overdrive.

peavey-bravo-112-valvular-echo-en-usa-25w-marshall-vox-D_NQ_NP_626700-MLA26540976406_122017-F.jpg

[ndross475]

I just went through this so I will share my experience. I traded for a Fender American Original 60s stock. Didn't think much of the pickups. Had played a Nash with Dirty Blonde Set and my luthier said he preferred the Fralin Blues Specials... I did some searching on the net and found both of those sets on sale, bought both, wired up 2 pick guards and played them both in the same guitar... The results... well I really liked both, they are very similar but different. I really liked the neck p/up in both. I kept the Lollar set in the guitar only because the Fralins went in first. I am lazy like that. I have learned I am not a big fan of the single coil bridge and thinking about finding a humbucker to go with the Fralin neck and middle to put in another guitar... but for now I am playing the Lollars and happy.. but holding on to the Fralins. If you have the ability to do the same I would encourage it. Taste in pickups is like taste in beer... there are some crappy ones we all agree on. Then the good ones, well you just have to figure out your taste.... I did the YouTube listening but in the end, I needed to hear them in my guitar through my amp... If you go this route, and do a clean wiring job you should be able to sell a loaded pickguard for your $$ in the parts... my 2 cents... let us know what you decide...

[geoff 1965]

that's interesting because i'm not a fan of the strat bridge pickup either "but" i've just tried some highway 1 pickups,alnico 2 and all 3 pickups are just over 12K resistance.the bridge pickup is awesome but the weaker alnico 2's don't suit the middle & neck positions in my opinion.i'd like to keep the bridge and put alnico 5's back in the middle and neck but not sure if they will balance out?