pickup suggestions for my Model 1A

[VitaminG]

I'm really getting sick of the splanky sound of my Model 1A. Love playing it, not a fan of it plugged in. After practice today, while I had my rig still setup, thought I'd run the 1A through the JF OD Special module in my RM100. I figured: stratty guitar, Dumbly module; should be good, right?

The bridge p/u is the worst but the other 2 positions are starting to wear on me now too. There just this..... splanky tone..... I don't know what else to call it which seems to sit in the background, no matter what tone or what attack I use, with the express purpose to annoy the shit out of me and spoil the enjoyment of what is a fun guitar to play.

What's interesting is that I have 2 Fusion SSs which have J100s in the bridge and middle positions, and one of them in particular sounds marvellous! So I figure it's not just on the pickup type. Could it be the maple board?

Anyway, can anyone suggest some good single coils to pop in this thing? Not looking for SC-sized 'buckers, nor looking to spend a fortune on Fralins or what have you.

Just some vintagey or slightly overwound-style single coils that will work with a maple board and basswood body.

[DonP]

Yes, Maple can do that. You are also forgeting scale length (shorter = warmer).

Just want to make it clear that I'm not the pickiest single coil person. markD would most likely run rings around me.

Try pickup heights first. I just put together a strat with Tex Mex, and from what I've read having the pickups up high like I did is a no-no. I need to back them down to mellow it out.

I'm going to get a lot of shit for this, but I like MIM pickups. I have these in one axe (1996 maple neck) and replace them in the other axe with the Tex Mex (2008 rosewood neck). I love the way they sound in the maple neck and will not mess with that guitar. The difference between you guitar is body wood (the 1996 MIM should be poplar) and fret size (vintage frets may sound warmer because I'm hitting more wood).

[tonemonster]

[Nimitz]

Try pickup heights first. I just put together a strat with Tex Mex, and from what I've read having the pickups up high like I did is a no-no. I need to back them down to mellow it out.

+1 adjusting the height on my EMG SA single coils makes big differences in tone.

But I suspect that VitaminG already knows all about pickup heights and stuff like this.

[wilkinsi]

Try pickup heights first. I just put together a strat with Tex Mex, and from what I've read having the pickups up high like I did is a no-no. I need to back them down to mellow it out.

This is precisely what I've had to do since I got my USA Warrior back from a shop. Twangy and toneless. I could've kept those Duncans, or at the very least, measured the pickup height before taking the guitar to them

[wilkinsi]

How many peeps do you have to eat to put on that much weight?

[VitaminG]

thanks for the suggestions. I have messed around with pickup heights. At one point, I had the pickups flush with the pickguard. That looked pretty cool and definitely mellowed things out a bit. But there's this abrasive harshness that I just can't seem to dial out.

[VitaminG]

Has anyone tried a Cool Rails in a maple/basswood strat? How about Dimarzio's Virtual Vintage p/u's? Or the Fender Texas Specials?