Upgrading SC pups on an American Strat... advice?

[I Am Odin]

This was the first electric I ever bought (alder body/rosewood board). I haven't played it in a bit since moving on to my Jacksons (RR5 with JB/Jazz and a Dominion with an Invader/59 combo). I recently picked my Strat back up and found it comfortable but thin sounding. I am considering upgrading the pups and would like some thoughts on what you guys may have tried.

Im leaning towards Duncans (just because that is all I know anymore) and am looking at one of the "Little" humbuckers for the bridge (Screamin Demon or Hot Rails) and maybe a quarter pound single for the neck? I never played the middle pup much. Anyone tried these or have ideas on others I may be missing?

I like something with good output and that will get raunchy on me when I need it (sounds like what I used to look for in a woman! lol). Like to play blues, metal and hard rock (zz top, motorhead).

Thanks for any suggestions!

[jgcable]

I would go with either EMG's or Hot Rails. Put a Hot Rail in the neck and bridge and an HS2 in the middle and your all set.

[javert]

I put a lil'59 in the neck and a Duckbucker in the middle in my SL1--the stock pups were horrible IMO. The the output of the lil'59 matched the TB4 well and the Duckbucker could used in combination with the TB4 to get a Strat kind of twang. Nice an versatile. Oh, and the TB4 also exists in single coil size.

[javert]

Wouldn't you think Hot Rails are too hot for blues? Also, I personally prefer my neck pickup to sound good clean...

[Grandturk]

Are you looking for a "do anything" strat or a "do one thing right" strat?

Personally, I like my Strat to sound like a strat, so I go with vintage style single coils - Dimarzio Virtual Vintage were very nice, but a little to "pristine" for me. Otherwise, I lean towards Fender Custom Shop - Texas Special for fat, chunky sounds or Custom Shop 50's for about the best recreation of that spanky bell clean sound. I've got the 50's in my strat for the past 4 years now and they rawk:



Personally, I don't like single coils that don't hum - I like the hum. Now, good, well-made single coils hum, but they aren't noisy. I can tell the difference.

[Super_shredder]

Are you looking for a "do anything" strat or a "do one thing right" strat?

Personally, I like my Strat to sound like a strat, so I go with vintage style single coils - Dimarzio Virtual Vintage were very nice, but a little to "pristine" for me. Otherwise, I lean towards Fender Custom Shop - Texas Special for fat, chunky sounds or Custom Shop 50's for about the best recreation of that spanky bell clean sound. I've got the 50's in my strat for the past 4 years now and they rawk:

Personally, I don't like single coils that don't hum - I like the hum. Now, good, well-made single coils hum, but they aren't noisy. I can tell the difference.

+1 do you need a guitar with humbuckers when you have 2 jacksons? i totally agree with the choices above

[Dreamland_Rebel]

HS-3 bridge, YJM neck. (what's a middle pickup?)

[Rupe]

I'm in the "keep it vintage sounding" camp, but if you want to hot-rod it hears my .02:

Hotrails are cool for hard rock and metal but a bit "overcooked" for blues. For overall versatility given your music preferences, I would go JB Jr in the bridge, and Lil '59 in the neck and middle. The Lil Screamin Demon is actually fairly low output (compared to the Hotrail or JB Jr...still has a lot more nuts than a typical single coil) but sounds great in the bridge as well.

Another option if you want to keep true single coil sound but with added punch and power is a set of Dimarzio SDS1's.

[I Am Odin]

I think Im leaning to maybe just putting a Lil 59 or maybe a Super Distortion S in the bridge (I know those are two radically different sounds)... I like the sound of the sc neck but the bridge just sounds thin now that I have been playing humbuckers so long I think (and I hadnt picked up my Strat in a long time).

Did Duncan stop making the Lil Pearly Gates pickups? I see them on their site but cant find a store that sells them.

[quiksilver]

How would the SD Quarter Pound compare to the SCs listed? The description on SD's site makes it sound like a candidate.

[Bryan]

Custom 50s or 60s for the neck and middle.

SSL-5 for the bridge. Or the Virtual Pro or whatever they call it now.

I've got the EMG DG-20 setup on my Strat and I love it. Very flexible tone-wise.

[Joelski]

Unlike many, I love the samarium cobalt noiseless pickups. They have all the great stratty bell-like cleans and quack without hum or noise. What's not to like?

[nhspike]

Whatever you do, be sure you put a Dimarzio Blue Velvet in that neck position.

If you don't like it, I'll buy it off ya!

How's that?

[DocNrock]

Blue and Red Velvet were cool pickups, but I believe they've been discontinued. They've been replaced by the True Velvet line; I haven't heard or played through those.

You can also consider DiMarzio's other offerings: Cruiser, Chopper, Fast Track 1 and 2, etc.

[clifffclaven]

get a new pickguard and put some humbuckers in the neck and bridge.