Pickups for an American Std. Strat?

[dabluesman]

I've got an American Std. Strat that came with the DeltaTone pickup system. This pickup system is fine but it just doesnt my suite my style of music. It sounds pretty good in the middle position but has to much hum. In positions 2 and 4 it doesnt have the hum but does have that plastic "quack" sound that I dont want. I'm wanting a more thick/warmer sound for blues/rock sounds like SRV. I would like to stick with Fender pickups but I have no problem going with VanZandt, which i have heard many good things about, or even Fralins. Surely there are other blues/rock players that have been through this before. What did you end up going with? I'm looking for good suggestions here. Thanks!

[Tom Hicks]

Back in the 50s, the machines winding pickup bobbins weren't as accurate as they are today.Occasionally they would produce a pickup with a couple hundred extra winds.They put out a slightly higher voltage and darker tone.Fender sells such a beast today as "Texas Special" pickups.Many use and love them.I stocked my American Standard with Jackson "Vintage 57 Reissues" for a similar tone at neck and mid with a stack humbucker in the bridge.Stevie usually played rhythm with the middle pickup and soloed on the neck pickup,preferring the old pre-62 V necks.
Tom

[Daddy-O]

Texas Specials are the way to go!!!!! I've got them in an old '70's strat and they are great. I think they go for less then $200 for a matched set.

[Hard2Hear]

Throwin in my 2 cents for the Texas Specials also. Got 'em on a MexiStrat and it absolutely rocks!

[dabluesman]

do you get good clean tones with them? and how does overdrive sound with them? are they thick & warm sounding enough for you? and what style of music do you play with them? thanks!

[Edited by dabluesman on 11-01-2000 at 14:28]

[Daddy-O]

I bought my Texas Specials when they first came out and I wanted to sound just like Stevie. Time has passed and now I play mostly rock-a-billy and I still like the Texas Specials. They have a warm tone and provide plenty of volume when you want to overdrive the amp and they sound good clean. They seem to balanced really well for Blues, Rock and I've played Country stuff with them as well. The main thing a like about them is that they keep the integrety of what is considered a "Strat sound".

[JAG]

Greetings to all.

Question. How do the texas Specials compare to the Silver Fender Lace Sensors? I hear that they are made to sound really fat.

[Hard2Hear]

It depends on which lace sensors. This is from memory, but I think the blue, red, and silvers sound like hot humbuckers and nothing like the texas specials. Now, I know there's a gold sensor thats supposed to sound "vintage" but I've never heard it. The Strat Ultra I had was equipped with those Lace Sensors, but I got rid of it. Oh, and aren't they active? I was thinking that that guitar had a battery in it... Oh well, it was some time ago and I can't even remember what I had for lunch today.

[RWhite]

Can any of you folks recommend a Strat pickup that retains as much "Fender" sound as possible but is hum-free? I do a lot of recording and I am frustrated with too much hum.

[Tom Hicks]

You know of course that stock fenders the last 20 years have two "humbucking" positions,#2 and #4.#2 is front and middle out of phase (quack,used lots in country) and #4 is mid and bridge out of phase (tinny quack,nobody likes this one).
THE strat sound without a doubt is the sound of the neck pickup.Right guys?If you are after tone, this is the place to look.Stand and rotate your body untill the hum is at a minimum.Track from that position.Honest,that's the drill.
If you wanna get anal,the solder points in your pickup cavity are all unshielded and they act like tiny antennae for stray RF.Line your cavity and the underside of the pickguard with tin or other metal foil,creating a little faraday cage.This little trick works wonders.
Tom

[dabluesman]

I have decided to go with Kinman AVn Blues pickups. They are noiseless but they retain true vintage single coil tone. All the reviews and people that i've spoke to about it all agree. Everyone that is using them swears by them and I'm sure that I will too. It seems that the AVn Blues set is more for that SRV tone while the AVn Traditionals offer more of a Hendrix or classic vintage tones. So, it looks like the search for tone is now over for me, I just have to wait until they come in from Australia.

[RWhite]

Thanks for the tip on Kinman, do they have a website or something? Where can I get more info on them? How much $$$$$?

[RWhite]

Oops nevermind just found it....

[dabluesman]

Well, I got the Kinman AVn-Blues pickups installed last Friday so I've had the weekend to see what they can do. Truely amazing, these things are. When I plugged my guitar into the amp for the first time with these new pickups, I heard nothing at all. I thought I must have made a wiring mistake with the installation. I checked all the levels and volumes, they were fine, so I strummed a good'ole open A chord and WOW, fat ass huge vintage tone! I had to adjust my EQ's to compensate for the heavy low end of the pickups. Output is sweet, really drives the distortion very nicely. True vintage sounding with the pickup selector switch, neck position has a huge woody tone. This set is very versatile, I played clean blues with them, then some dirty blues, then some heavy blues like ZZ Top, then I even kicked it over to some metal distortions, and that sounded great too. I cant believe how quiet they are, no hum, fuzz, or anything. These are the pickups for me, If anyone out there is looking to get more of a southern rock, fat texas sound out of your guitar, try the Kinmans. They are a bit more expensive though, with shipping from Australia it came to about $270 for the set. But if you want the tone bad enough, you'll pay the price.. many others have also. Check out Kinman's web site, it is full of technical hardware info and terms for guitars. http://www.kinman.com