pickup suggestion for stratocaster

[Ale84]

hi guys,

i own a strato american standard with maple fretboard that i rarely use because i don't like how it sounds, in particular the bridge pickup..i think it's weak, has no definition and body and too much disturbing high frequencies. I don't want to sell the guitar or put humbuckers in it..so which set, or at least bridge pickup, would you suggest? i need something for rock application, fat - especially in the mids, and clear sounding when i turn up the gain..i'm considering the irish tour but i am open to every advice..thanks

[gwEm]

A baseplate on the bridge pickup will increase fatness, so include that in your set. There are also some wiring changes you can do.

As for the pickups, BKPs will surely help. What kind of bands and sounds are you after? What amp do you have.

Irish Tours, Slowhands, even Sinners could all be options.

Slowhands have a good push in the mids and alot of body, I sense they could be your option.

[Ale84]

Pearl jam, smashing pumpkins.. And i play through a kemper profiling. So i want something powerful/fat but still vintage.. I want to keep the nature of the guitar

[Telerocker]

Slowhand with a baseplate will be the fattest vintagesinglecoil for the bridge.

[Ale84]

really? and what about the irish tour? from the description on the site i thought it was the fattest.

[Telerocker]

really? and what about the irish tour? from the description on the site i thought it was the fattest.

Yes, the Slowhand is fatter and a tad hotter. The main difference is the voicing. The Slowhand has enhanced mids and will sound more bold than the IT, but a little less classic single coil compared to the IT.

[seancorker]

hi guys,

i own a strato american standard with maple fretboard that i rarely use because i don't like how it sounds, in particular the bridge pickup..i think it's weak, has no definition and body and too much disturbing high frequencies. I don't want to sell the guitar or put humbuckers in it..so which set, or at least bridge pickup, would you suggest? i need something for rock application, fat - especially in the mids, and clear sounding when i turn up the gain..i'm considering the irish tour but i am open to every advice..thanks

I had a similar maple fretboard strat - very bright and resonant. Slow hands nailed it. It's the one BKP P/u that's a keeper for me.

[Ale84]

I had a similar maple fretboard strat - very bright and resonant. Slow hands nailed it. It's the one BKP P/u that's a keeper for me.
[/quote]

with baseplate? which kind of music?

[seancorker]

I had a similar maple fretboard strat - very bright and resonant. Slow hands nailed it. It's the one BKP P/u that's a keeper for me.

with baseplate? which kind of music?
[/quote]

None baseplate and used in a function band covering classic rock, Motown etc - usual stuff

[Ale84]

interesting..it seems slow hand is the right pickup..i would like to hear some clips. On youtube i found nothing

[gwEm]

Pearl jam, smashing pumpkins.. And i play through a kemper profiling. So i want something powerful/fat but still vintage.. I want to keep the nature of the guitar

I would say slowhands with a baseplate on the bridge pickup. I think you'll be pleased.

Make sure the bridge pickup has a tone control wired to it too

[Ale84]

Thanks. I wrote also also bareknuckle to have their suggestions. Anyway, the choice is  between slowhand and irish tour. I don't see alternatives because the vintage range of pickups might too weak and the modern ones are definitely not for me

[gwEm]

I have the Irish Tours, Slow Hands and Sinner set.

The sinner into my JCM800 gives a full and rich bodied hard rock tone. its not particularly stratty anymore, but you can hear it in the neck and middle positions.

The irish Tour and Slow Hands do sound very much like a strat still.

[AndyR]

I'm gonna throw a curve ball here... umm... Apaches(!)

Watching the thread, I've been thinking "probably Slowhands", but I don't actually own them.

I do own Irish Tours, Sultans, and Apaches. If you're considering Irish Tours, then I would suggest that Apaches might be good, or possibly even better, for you.

I do blues/rock type stuff, and my main go-to strat is the one loaded with Irish Tours (a Roadworn 60s with rosewood board). That gives me a hard-edged strat tone - pretty much the "stock Andrew tone" that I was seeking for years.

I was expecting Apaches to be polite, possibly slightly thin/bright, but I wanted a set anyway. I was amazed when I got them. I have them in a Roadworn 50s with maple neck. I find them more versatile than the ITs, capable of feeling fatter and, actually, more aggressive... If I was buying again and could only have one set, I would get Apaches.

ITs seem to have this hard-edged upper-mids thing going (that's what I hear anyway), Apaches seem to push across a wider spectrum and therefore feel fatter and more "robust" to me. They both rock pretty much the same amount through the same amp settings on my kit, I use the ITs when I want harder, more biting, Apaches when I want fatter, more punch.

My gut feeling is that it might actually be a toss-up between Slowhands and Apaches for you... I'll be interested to hear what the BKP guys say.

And I very much agree with gwEm - make sure you have a tone control on the bridge pickup, if you haven't already. For me that's half the battle in guaranteeing you'll use a strat bridge pickup for more than just stripping the enamel off people's teeth!

[Ale84]

The apache seem cool but really low output/weak.