Fender 2009 Strat pickup question

[Slobrain]

Hey ampagers,

I just bought a used fender mim strat from 2009 and I noticed the 3 single coils are the type with the magnet on the bottom of the pickup. Normally I see Fender use single coils with the 6 magnet pole pieces but the pickups in this standard strat seem to be what I call the cheaper pickups because they are not like the regular old style 6 magnet type..

Are there any really big differences in the tone between those 2 types of pickups that anyone prefers? Myself I always like the single coils with the 6 magnets for tone but hate the wolf tones that come with setting them to close to the strings.

What do you all prefer???

Thanks

SLO

[jrfrond]

Those are cheap ceramic magnet pickups. Rather than six individual alnico polepieces, they use iron polepieces and "load" them with a bar magnet on the bottom. This bar magnet could be ceramic, alnico or any other magnetic alloy.

As to whether they are usable or not: it's all a matter of taste. To my ears, some of those ceramic pickups sound too edgy, but that could be a good thing too. It depends on what you like. I don't hate 'em, they are just not my personal taste, but I have heard them sound good in some guitars. I wouldn't call them BAD, they just use a cheaper construction. FYI- All new MIM Standards since two years ago come with alnico pickups. The GOOD thing about these pickups is that ceramic doesn't have the same magnetic pull on the strings as alnico, and you can get theose pickups pretty close to the strings without the weird overtones that can happen when you do the same with alnico, unofficially called "Stratitis".

[big_teee]

Those are cheap ceramic magnet pickups. Rather than six individual alnico polepieces, they use iron polepieces and "load" them with a bar magnet on the bottom. This bar magnet could be ceramic, alnico or any other magnetic alloy.

As to whether they are usable or not: it's all a matter of taste. To my ears, some of those ceramic pickups sound too edgy, but that could be a good thing too. It depends on what you like. I don't hate 'em, they are just not my personal taste, but I have heard them sound good in some guitars. I wouldn't call them BAD, they just use a cheaper construction. FYI- All new MIM Standards since two years ago come with alnico pickups. The GOOD thing about these pickups is that ceramic doesn't have the same magnetic pull on the strings as alnico, and you can get theose pickups pretty close to the strings without the weird overtones that can happen when you do the same with alnico, unofficially called "Stratitis".

I agree with what John said.
If you are looking for that old fashioned Strat sound.
You need Low wound pickups with Alnico Rods.
Also some other main ingredients are good quality 250k Pots, and a .1uf Cap.
The Cap is usually what makes the huge difference in sound IMO.
I always include a .1uf Cap with each set of Single Coils I sell.
I always try to make sure they have the 250 Pots also.
Good Luck,
Terry

[jrfrond]

I have some old ceramic single-coils here in my drawer, and it looks like the coil may wound on the plastic bobbin, and not on the polepieces themselves as in directly-loaded alnico versions. If this is the case, it would be possible to remove the ceramic magnet and iron slugs and press in new Alnico rod magnets as a mod. Now, I've never done this with these pickups but I HAVE done it with humbuckers, and it will work IF it's bobbin-wound construction.

[Slobrain]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies, good info too. I mostly use humbuckers and when I do use single coils I usually use the alnico pole piece type a bit hotter wind for the sound.

I haven’t tried any of the GFS brand single coils but have used some of their HB's and the ones I got I liked, not maybe as good as Seymour Duncan but good in their own right like the fat pat series.

GFS does have some SC's that are wound to old fender specs, I wonder if these are any good?

Buying a set of fender pups are just too expensive. Tried the Texas specials and they are ok but I didn’t really like them that much but I would like to find a set to get that Robin Trower sound.

Slo

[jrfrond]

If you want great SC pickups and don't want to spend a lot of $$$, go with DiMarzio. It never ceases to amaze me that, after practically inventing the aftermarket pickup, they seem to fly under the radar, but their pickups are truly great-sounding. GFS is OK in a pinch, but they really do not have the tone that better pickup offerings have, and I've tried a lot of their pickups.

[David Schwab]

If you want great SC pickups and don't want to spend a lot of $$$, go with DiMarzio. It never ceases to amaze me that, after practically inventing the aftermarket pickup, they seem to fly under the radar, but their pickups are truly great-sounding. GFS is OK in a pinch, but they really do not have the tone that better pickup offerings have, and I've tried a lot of their pickups.

I agree. Their Virtual Vintage line sound great and don't hum.

[big_teee]

If you want great SC pickups and don't want to spend a lot of $$$, go with DiMarzio. It never ceases to amaze me that, after practically inventing the aftermarket pickup, they seem to fly under the radar, but their pickups are truly great-sounding. GFS is OK in a pinch, but they really do not have the tone that better pickup offerings have, and I've tried a lot of their pickups.

The Trade Mark, and Patent Lawsuits, May be a reason You don't hear that Brand Discussed Much Here.
Just a Thought!
B_T

[Sweetfinger]

I mostly use humbuckers and when I do use single coils I usually use the alnico pole piece type a bit hotter wind for the sound.

... Tried the Texas specials and they are ok but I didn’t really like them that much but I would like to find a set to get that Robin Trower sound.

Slo

Not sure what to say. The Texas Specials are exactly what you are describing as what you'd like and certainly should get the "Trower tone" if you've got the rest of the rig dialed in. When I hear Trower, I hear a Univibe with its inherent distortion and frequency rolloffs. If a set of Fender pickups is "too expensive", then you're essentially shopping on the extreme low end- no Duncan or Dimarzio and certainly no Lollar, Fralin, or other boutiques. You're looking at Chinese/Indonesian/Korean pickups.

I once replaced the stock pickups on a mid 60s Strat with TX Specials for a customer. He seemed a bit perturbed because the TSs didn't sound any different. He never explained WHY he was switching the pickups. I assumed he was going to sell the originals and wanted the closest thing available to replace them but it turned out that he had just been reading a bunch of stuff on how they were great sounding pickups and assumed that they would sound better than the "stock" ones. The moral? TX Specials sounded pretty close to the original 60s pickups- exactly what they were designed to do. If you didn't like the TX Specials, you're likely not going to like anything that is trying to copy a 60s Fender single coil sound.

Dimarzio. Good and unique pickups, unpleasant company.

[big_teee]

Trower doesn't play TS Pickups, he Plays CS 54s.
He said so in his Fender Interview.
Trower has one of the best Strat tones in the bizz.
Not sure what all else he plays, but I do know fender, Univibe, and Marshall.
Robin Trower - Daydream - London 1980 - YouTube
Later,
T

[Sweetfinger]

Trower doesn't play TS Pickups, he Plays CS 54s.
He said so in his Fender Interview.
Robin Trower - Daydream - London 1980 - YouTube
Later,
T

I can guarantee for sure, Trower is not playing CS 54s in that youtube vid, or on any of his classic albums- because they didn't make them yet. The closest Fender pickups to what he is using in that youtube clip are going to be TX specials or the '57/'62s. Trower also uses Fender Deville amps, but you're not going to buy a couple of those, are you?

[big_teee]

I can guarantee for sure, Trower is not playing CS 54s in that youtube vid, or on any of his classic albums- because they didn't make them yet. The closest Fender pickups to what he is using in that youtube clip are going to be TX specials or the '57/'62s. Trower also uses Fender Deville amps, but you're not going to buy a couple of those, are you?

Your probably correct.
Come to think of it his Fender Signature model has the 54s in it.
what do you mean they were not made yet, I thought they made them in 50s in the neck! lol
I figure what he played earlier were 70s Grey Bottoms.
Most of the grey bottoms were low wound, and Pedal board players loved them.
Whatever he played is damned good.
Here he is telling what he plays now.
His pickups are a mixture.
Robin Trower talks Guitars, Amps and Effects 2009 - YouTube
T

[jrfrond]

The Trade Mark, and Patent Lawsuits, May be a reason You don't hear that Brand Discussed Much Here.
Just a Thought!
B_T

Not for nuthin', but who cares about the legal crap? There are lots of MI and Pro Audio companies filing and battling lawsuits. That's THEIR business.

[big_teee]

Not for nuthin', but who cares about the legal crap? There are lots of MI and Pro Audio companies filing and battling lawsuits. That's THEIR business.

As long as I can't make a Pickup with 2 Cream Bobbins, They are not getting any of my Money.
And, that is my business.
Terry

[Slobrain]

Yep, Just looked at that RT video and he says 50s reissue in the neck, 60s reissue in the middle and Texas Special in the bridge.

But doesn't Robin play mostly in the middle and 4th position mostly? At least thats what I see him using in the videos.

I guess my question is why have such a low ohm pickup in the neck and middle? between 5 k or 6k? If you uped the wind wouldn't that give you a better sustain?

I mean when you look at bridge pickups like humbuckers like a Seymour Duncan JB for instance its gots lots of sustain and its 16.7k

I have always wondered why strat single coils were rated in lower K ohms. Maybe mud tone????