I'm saving up for...

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TheGuitarMan

TheGuitarMan

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...a new guitar. I've decided to buy a Japanese Stratocaster and i'm going to modify the crap out of it.

I want that texas blues/rock tone, so i'm kind of hesitant to go with active pickups. I was thinking about getting an anodized aluminum pickguard and getting texas special single coils with a SD Pearly Gates at the neck. I'm not set on any of this though. I also play jazz so I want to get great clean tones too.

Can anbody give me some suggestions on good pickups, push-pull pots (phasing) and coil taps that would better suit my needs?

Thanks.
 
First thing that I would do after buying the guitar is plug it into an EQ pedel (first in the chain, before any other effects pedals, this is important) and start tweeking the tone until you've got a sound that you like at your playing volume. Then you can start looking for pickups that match the curve of your EQ settings. Remember that when you crank up the volume on your amp it will change the sound of the guitar. How much depends on your amp.

The Jimmy Vaughan Tex/Mex Strat has pickups like your talking about, but the Pearly Gates is at the bridge.

I just put the Texas Specials in my Jap Strat and I love them!
 
Well, I would do that, except that I don't own an eq pedal.
 
i have been using texas specials in my strat for a long time...they sound very good. Though i have been happy with the texas specials I have been hearing alot about Lindy Fralin pickups. Alot of strat players have ditched their texas specials and swear by these pickups....calling them "the Holy Grail" of strat tone. I want to try them but they are $220 for a set of 3....it would really piss me off if i ordered a set (special order) and ended up liking texas special;s better.

but, i will say that on the Lindy Fralin website they say if your not 100%satisfied you can send them back and they will custom wind them to acheive the tone you want

Van Zant pickups are supposed to be good too
 
TheGuitarMan said:
Well, I would do that, except that I don't own an eq pedal.
Click to expand...

They are worth every penny you might spend on one (and they don't cost much anyway). If you don't use one before you change pickups, you'll just be guessing.
 
Right now I really don't have ANY money to spend. I'll have to buy one after I get the guitar. I can see it's gonna take a while before I get all of this work done but that's okay. I've been playing on a pile of crap CHINESE import for the longest time. I'm sure it will sound (and play) ten times better even before I customize it.

I'm also thinking of swapping out the trem and replacing the nut with graphite. Anybody use graphtech saddles? I've heard very good things about them.
 
It sure is hard to find one of these babies. None of the guitar shops have a MIJ Strat in stock. A superstore is supposed to be getting one it but they would overcharge me $100-$200. Dang superstores.
 
not all the jap strats are good...play some mexican made strats and pick you out a good one...especially if your gonna modify it anyway. you will save enough money to change out the pots too
 
I'll buy a MIM Strat when there's 3 feet of snow in hell.
 
sorry,
i was just making a suggestion that would help you put together a nice axe with a smaller investment....cause in your posts it seems like you are limited on what you can spend on one. i have a modified mexican strat that i love and i don't have much of an investment in.
the jap strats that alot of people are looking for were made in the early 1980s...that why the stores ain't stocking them.

you can call up the fender custom shop and tell them what you want and they will do it for you....and it won't be made in mexico (im sure they could replicate a jap strat)
 
A new Mexican Strat and a used Japanese Strat are about the same price but the Japanese Strat is a better guitar.

Fender Custom Shop is too expensive, and it's only custom to a certain degree.
 
"A new Mexican Strat and a used Japanese Strat are about the same price but the Japanese Strat is a better guitar."


well, if your gonna buy a used guitar, a used mex strat is cheaper than a used jap strat (cause the jap strats are hyped)

there are some real good jap strats and some not so good...the pickups and pots arn't as good as the aftermarket fender stuff thats available now.

so...if you get a used jap strat for 500 bucks (price i saw on one at music store last week). by the time you upgrade the pickups and the pots you will have another 200.00 in it.....

a 700.00 guitar


if i had that kind of money to put into a used guitar i would get a used american strat.
 
I'm going to place an order for a MIJ Strat tomorrow, too. It's kinda custom, costs $1200 delivered to my door (in Hameenlinna, Finland, Europe so don't give me no advice where to find one cheaper in the States;-) and looks like the one in here http://the.shadow.tripod.com/fdp047.html. Can't wait to get my hands on this baby.
 
Absolutely no Mexican guitars in my house. I hate hate hate hate hate Mexican Strats. Of course at a large music store they are going to charge you atleast $500 for a MIJ Strat but the guy at my guitar shop said $350.

You see, I could get most of the components used too so it's not going to cost me that much. I'm planning on replacing ALL of the electronics so the crappy pickups in the MIJ Strat wont be in there for long.
 
"Absolutely no Mexican guitars in my house. I hate hate hate hate hate Mexican Strats"

how many jap strats have you played....i've played quite a few and honestly, i don't see what the big deal is. i got my 1st strat in 1976...a '66 sunburst (still have it). i don't see a thing wrong with the necks and bodies on mex strats...compared to american strats the edges of the fretboards are not rounded off...but niether are the jap strats....i wish someone would tell me what the big deal is with jap strats. the circle of guitar players that i jammed with back in the 70's (all fender and gibson owners) were pretty much in agreeance that the late 70's american made fenders and gibsons pretty much sucked (compared to their mid to late 60's counterparts). when fender and gibson started making guitars in japan...it was the general sentiment that they were total crap. in the early 80's the quality improved on the fender jap guitars...so...thats why i say that some are good and some not.

1200 bucks for a jap strat is insane...i don't care if its custom or not.
its a fucking samick with "fender" on the headstock

350 is a good deal on a used jap strat...i saw one go for 175 a while back at the same music store...go for it
 
Well, some MIJ Strats kick a LOT of ass, but some do suck. I'd rather spend less for a guitar that plays just as good if not BETTER than an MIA Strat. I've played a few very nice ones, and gotten many recommendations from guys who have played every year Strat under the sun and said they were up to par with some of their vintage Strats.
 
"350 is a good deal on a used jap strat...i saw one go for 175 a while back at the same music store...go for it"


the "175" is a typo...i would have bought it....the price was 375 on that guitar....thats why i said "go for it"
350 is on the low side of that jap strat pricing

i don't care where its made...i've played sweet playing guitars made in mexico, japan, and america

i've also played guitars that suck from all of the above...

you just have to play alot of guitars till you find a good one thats affordable
 
jimistone said:
1200 bucks for a jap strat is insane...i don't care if its custom or not.
its a fucking samick with "fender" on the headstock
Click to expand...

I see that you're refering to the Hellecaster but I'd like to point out that the prices that one has to pay for a guitar here in EU cannot be compared directly to the prices paid in US. A standard American strat costs about $1200 if mail ordered from Germany and couple a hundred more if bought from a Fender dealer in Finland. Comparing the price of American strat ($649) from musiciansfriend.com to EU prices ($1200) I don't think this Hellecaster strat is as bad a deal as you make it look like.

Anyways, I've placed the order today and I'm looking forward to get my hands on it.
 
The best of the Jap Strats (and likely the best guitars with the Fender name sense the early 60s) were the 60s reissues of the early 90s. They have the Made in Japan sticker on the heal of the neck and it's under the finish. They were made in the Fugi Gen Gakki factory. All other MIJ Strats are about as bad as people think. So, keep your eyes open.
 
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