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Author Topic: Strat Pickups  (Read 5173 times)

MrBump

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Strat Pickups
« on: June 17, 2009, 09:43:22 PM »
I only venture on to the pickup board when I'm planning a project!!!

I've acquired a nice-ish strat body - beaten up, needs work, but a nice piece of light coloured wood (possibly ash, alder, or basswood).

I'm thinking about a vintage sounding strat build.  I guess that the tones that I have in my head are the usual culprits; Hendrix, SRV, Gallagher, Blackmore...

Soooo...  I guess that the obvious choices in this category are Apaches, Mothers Milks and Sultans.

Can anyone comment on the differences between them?

I initally thought about Irish Tours - they seem to be very popular on the board at the moment, and it fits with the Gallagher connection.

Whaddayathink?

Mark.
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38thBeatle

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2009, 10:09:37 PM »
I cant compare Apaches very much as I have limited experience of only one of the other sets that you mention namely the Mothers Milks. The Apaches are classic vintage-not puny or thin in any way, sweet clear classic warm Strat tones. The other set you might like to think about would be Slowhands. Nice rounded tone-a bit more oomph than the Apaches with the clarity.
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BKP's: Apache, Country Boy, Slowhands.

MrBump

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2009, 10:16:18 PM »
Quote from: 38thBeatle on June 17, 2009, 10:09:37 PM
I cant compare Apaches very much as I have limited experience of only one of the other sets that you mention namely the Mothers Milks. The Apaches are classic vintage-not puny or thin in any way, sweet clear classic warm Strat tones. The other set you might like to think about would be Slowhands. Nice rounded tone-a bit more oomph than the Apaches with the clarity.

Thanks, Mr 38th.  I'd sort of discounted the Slowhands - for some reason I've got it in my head that they might be very middy.  And also, there's the Clapton association.  I know that it's not a literal comparison, but I'm not a great fan of Clapton with a Strat...  I guess I'll have to check them out!
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gwEm

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2009, 10:25:41 PM »
did you try my strat at the bkp meet mrbump? that had slowhands..
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Elliot

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2009, 11:53:02 PM »
If its basswood - then go Apaches - Basswood has a meaty midrange of its own than can turn Alnico V single coils to mud like anything = Alnico III puts the strat back into basswood!

Otherwise, my personal face would be either Mother's Milks for that early Hendrix tone or Irish Tours.
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MrBump

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2009, 06:45:48 AM »
Quote from: gwEm on June 17, 2009, 10:25:41 PM
did you try my strat at the bkp meet mrbump? that had slowhands..

No, didn't try your Strat, gwEm - I think that I checked out the neck but not through an amp.

Will check out some clips.

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AndyR

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2009, 08:56:34 AM »
Elliot's said what I would have said :lol:

If I was looking for that "60s" tone used by most of your references I would be going Mother's Milk or Irish Tour. ITs if you want a bit more oomph from it - that was my choice, and I haven't been disappointed. I have wondered about another strat for MMs though... (And a 50s type for Apaches :lol:)

The "Apaches/Basswood" bit, for me, is from reading on here... I have a basswood JV squier, and I haven't yet put BKPs in it. One of the plans was to get MMs for my main strat and put the ITs in the JV, until I read about the basswood thing... Having said that, I quite like quacky/middy sounding strats, so I suspect that I might not dislike AV in the JV :roll:

So I left it for a while... and now, having left it, and seeing as the JV's not really up to being one of my favourite players anyway, it's unlikely to happen...

It's funny you've got the same slight "clapton-phobia" as me, though... never even considered Slowhands :lol:. Actually, for ages I thought that Slowhands were to deliver the "Just One Night" tones (which I quite like), but apparently not - I understand that Slowhands are inspired by a later EC strat sound?? Is that right? (And I think gwem's has baseplates to fatten them up a bit more?)
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Twinfan

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2009, 09:11:57 AM »
gwEm's bridge pickup only has a baseplate I think.  Sounded nice a beefy, as did the other pickups.  They're a fatter sounding single coil to my ears.
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gwEm

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2009, 10:05:56 AM »
Quote from: Twinfan on June 18, 2009, 09:11:57 AM
gwEm's bridge pickup only has a baseplate I think.  Sounded nice a beefy, as did the other pickups.  They're a fatter sounding single coil to my ears.

thats right twinfan - only the bridge has a baseplate
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TheIronBeast

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2009, 03:23:20 PM »
I just fitted a set of Irish Tours to my new Amerian standard strat a couple of weeks ago and they sound really great. I was also looking for the Gallagher/Hendrix/SRV tone and the Irish Tours nail that tone perfectly.

I can't speak for the other BKP strat sets as I have only tried the IT's but I would highly recommend the IT's to anyone!
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38thBeatle

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2009, 06:50:38 PM »
The Slowhands are a fairly robust Strat pickup set. They are still typical Strat tone but have a little more girth. I would always recommend to people to take the names merely as a guide. I was very nearly put off by the name Apache -not because I dislike Hank or anything but I associated the name with very clean and old hat tone whereas in fact the pickups are well rounded and true vintage Strat but can be cranked up if required( and one of these days I might post something from the live set of my band on something a bit rocky).
I haven't had a go at ITs but I have heard enough posts and I would imagine them to be a terrific set. Ideally I'd like a Strat for each set but as that isn't possible or practical I have to enjoy what I have.
By the way my Slowhand Strat is a Jap r/i with a basswood body.
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BKP's: Apache, Country Boy, Slowhands.

Philly Q

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2009, 07:02:38 PM »
Quote from: AndyR on June 18, 2009, 08:56:34 AM
Actually, for ages I thought that Slowhands were to deliver the "Just One Night" tones (which I quite like), but apparently not - I understand that Slowhands are inspired by a later EC strat sound?? Is that right? (And I think gwem's has baseplates to fatten them up a bit more?)

I've always assumed the Slowhands were supposed to sound more along the lines of EC's recent(ish) signature Strat - Lace Sensors/Vintage Noiseless plus mid-boost.  I like that sound, even though I'm not a big fan of his music.

For his thinner, brighter '70s tones I'd guess you'd want a more typical vintage Strat set (although I think Blackie may actually have had one or more '70s pickups.... but I can't be bothered to research it!  :P ).
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Prawnik

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2009, 09:07:47 AM »
Quote from: Philly Q on June 18, 2009, 07:02:38 PM
For his thinner, brighter '70s tones I'd guess you'd want a more typical vintage Strat set (although I think Blackie may actually have had one or more '70s pickups.... but I can't be bothered to research it!  :P ).

It is also my understanding that Blackie had grey bottom pickups. At any rate, it was a bitsa.

BTW, how does the SH bridge pickup compare with the old diMarzio FS-1?
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Tomcaster

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2009, 04:24:47 PM »
The neck makes it, really! If you have a maple neck, go for Apaches or Mother's Milks. Rosewood are the '62 specials (you need to order them directly from Tim) or the Irish Tours
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Andrew W

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Re: Strat Pickups
« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2009, 07:42:44 PM »
I have Apaches in my maple-boarded Strat and I find them great for my needs which are Gilmour/Hendrix/Trower/SRV territory.  They handle extra overdrive grunt a lot better than the Shadows association might imply.  I did some tests recording them a few weeks back.  The results are on this thread; it's my first effort at recording guitars with an actual amp and an actual mic so I have much to learn but hopefully it'll give you some idea of the range of noises that the Apache is capable of.
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