Author Topic: Help me choose the right Strat pickups for my style (Read 15474 times)

elavd · « **on:** June 29, 2008, 05:50:23 PM »

Hello again ;)

I would like you to help me choose the right Strat set for me:
I am looking for a Strat pickups set that will sound (as close as possible) like Robert Cray's and John Mayer's strat sound.

So, I am looking for a strat sound that is full sounding, not harsh, but still CLEAN and with great QUACK in the 2 & 4 positions.

I play mainly funky/soul music, and so I won’t play with high gain.
I prefer to have a crystal clear sounding guitar (with low output pickups) that could also be played with a mild overdrive.

My main playing positions are

* The 2nd (bridge+middle pickup): quack sound (Mark Knopfler, Edge, Phil Manzanera)
* The 5th (neck pickup): full sounding sound (SRV, John Mayer etc)

Also I prefer the middle pickup to be RWRP.

Maybe a list of 4 songs (with clean strat sounds) could help you understand the sound that I am looking for:

1) Robert Cray - Time makes two
2) John Mayer - Vultures
3) Dire Straits (Mark Knopfler) - Six Blade Knife (Unbelievable Quack!!! position 2)
4) John Mayer - City Love

So which of your sets do you suggest me??

Thanks in advance,
Elias

Elliot · « **Reply #1 on:** June 29, 2008, 07:03:54 PM »

Mother's Milk all the way through.

elavd · « **Reply #2 on:** June 29, 2008, 07:17:29 PM »

I saw the description of this set and it says: "hot vintage sound"...

This makes me a little sceptical about these pickups, because I think that hot pickups are not very suitable for a nice clear strat sound...

However, as I can see from the specs, the output of the "Mother's Milk" set, is not so high, so they are not so hot after all...

badgermark · « **Reply #3 on:** June 29, 2008, 07:28:13 PM »

Quote from: elavd

I saw the description of this set and it says: "hot vintage sound"...

This makes me a little sceptical about these pickups, because I think that hot pickups are not very suitable for a nice clear strat sound...

However, as I can see from the specs, the output of the "Mother's Milk" set, is not so high, so they are not so hot after all...

I had a mothers milk set, and they are anything but hot. Give a proper, clear yet slightly bigger tone than the apaches for example. I think they will suit you fine.

elavd · « **Reply #4 on:** June 29, 2008, 07:30:17 PM »

Do they have enough "quack" in the 2 & 4 positions?

Elliot · « **Reply #5 on:** June 29, 2008, 07:38:24 PM »

I have Apaches and Mother's Milks. In an alder bodied guitar, the Mother's Milks have tons more of that woody quacky, slightly acoustic sound than the Apaches. Construction wise, they are based on mid 60s Fenders - so they do the Robert Cray/Curtis Mayfield/Hendrix Little Wing/Wind Cries Mary tone perfectly. John Mayer's tone is coming from that stable as well.

The neck and middle on my Mother's milks are 5.8k, the bridge 6.5k whereas my Apaches are 5.7k neck and middle and 6.4k bridge - so not a lot of difference on 'heat' (you can always ask BKP to underwind them as well). The difference is the Alnico V magnets and the use of plain enamel wire.

PhilKing · « **Reply #6 on:** June 29, 2008, 10:00:38 PM »

I'm also going with Mother's Milks here. If you get the RWRP middle you will get more quack, though the regular wind sound authentic in the split positions.

Philly Q · « **Reply #7 on:** June 29, 2008, 10:44:59 PM »

Not a suggestion... just an observation:

No-one ever seems to recommend the Sultans in these situations. I feel a bit sorry for the poor little chaps.

elavd · « **Reply #8 on:** June 29, 2008, 11:39:13 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Not a suggestion... just an observation:

No-one ever seems to recommend the Sultans in these situations. I feel a bit sorry for the poor little chaps.

I also noticed it!

In fact, when I started this thread, I was feeling pretty sure that most of the people would suggest me the Sultans, because I mentioned the magic word "quack" in my specs... :)

Elliot · « **Reply #9 on:** June 30, 2008, 01:19:49 AM »

In my view there is a distinction between 'spank' and 'quack'

50s strats have spank not quack. Buddy Holly did not have quack but he has spank a-plenty. Apache (the tune) is spank not quack.

In my ears, Curtis Mayfield is the ur-master of quack, Jimi was his padowan.

The above could be bollox, however.

Philly Q · « **Reply #10 on:** June 30, 2008, 01:44:13 AM »

Quote from: Elliot

In my view there is a distinction between 'spank' and 'quack'

50s strats have spank not quack. Buddy Holly did not have quack but he has spank a-plenty. Apache (the tune) is spank not quack.

In my ears, Curtis Mayfield is the ur-master of quack, Jimi was his padowan.

The above could be bollox, however.

I do see where you're coming from, but the Curtis/Jimi thing makes me think of quack with a wah, for that kind of "vowel" sound (I'm no expert on Mayfield, I must admit).

What about a clean quack? Steve Cropper maybe? But that was Tele...

elavd · « **Reply #11 on:** June 30, 2008, 05:57:42 PM »

One more question (because I lean towards Mother's Milk pups):

Do you think that the base plate, improves the sound bridge pickup? Is it worthy?

shaman · « **Reply #12 on:** June 30, 2008, 07:56:04 PM »

I have MM-I was looking for a "strat" tone, not a beefed up iwannabeap-90 tone...it delivers..now my strat sounds like a strat!!

badgermark · « **Reply #13 on:** June 30, 2008, 08:17:20 PM »

Quote from: elavd

One more question (because I lean towards Mother's Milk pups):

Do you think that the base plate, improves the sound bridge pickup? Is it worthy?

It makes it a big bigger. Adds bass without removing treble. I say go for it!

Philly Q · « **Reply #14 on:** June 30, 2008, 09:52:19 PM »

But if you want a traditional Strat sound you don't need the baseplate. The bridge pickup in most BKP sets is already overwound a bit to compensate for the thinner sound in the bridge position.

I think we get a bit over-excited about these baseplates - Fender never used them. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with them; just that they're hardly essential.