Best neck pickup for Fender Stratocaster?

[Retroman1969]

When I bought my current archtops I sold all my Fenders, and wish now that I had kept at least one of them.
I bought a cheap old generic Strat copy last week and worked it over to be a decent player and an experiment base.
As such, I want to replace the stock neck pup with something that would give a fatter, warmer, cleaner sound for traditional jazz (I like the Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Kenny Burrell type stuff, to give an idea)

I like everything about Strats except their tendency to sound a bit thin and muddy and break up too easily with the stock pups. (even with flatwounds and tone rolled down, etc)

Problem is, there are so many choices to try out that my head is spinning (Little '59, Cool Rails, Quarter Pounder, so on and so on...), and it's too expensive to try them all! ;P

It may may just be that they're best suited to fusion type jazz or jazz/blues period, but I thought I'd play around with it to see.

Any suggestions from the experienced?
Thanks!

[Al_F]

I don't have experience with after market PU's for a strat but may be this will help - I picked up a used Classic 50's Strat that you I really have to work at to get to break up by turning the amp way up or cranking the drive knob on a Blues Driver pedal.

I've never checked but I believe the stock PU's in this model are real cold, low output. The neck has nice crisp, clear tone, that is warms right up easily. So may be you want a lower output vintage style PU.

BTW, I see you have a picture of Biddy Fleet as your avatar. Can you point me to any recordings he played on ? Thanks.

[papaj77]

try DiMarzio cruiser. Andy Timmons uses them they sound great.

[Silentwiz]

I have the Fender Vintage Noiseless in an ESP strat copy -- pretty darn nice pickups overall. I love the no noise benefit!

That said, I'm not (personally) the biggest fan of a strat for jazz these days.

Fender Vintage Noiseless Strat Pickup Set: Shop Accessories & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend

[robertm2000]

Check out Pete Biltoft at vintavevibeguitars.com He makes pickups and the cool thing is that he will talk with you directly and take all the time he needs to make sure you have exactly what you want. And his prices are reasonable for boutique quality pickups.

I put together an odd guitar - Squier 51 neck, Strat body from USA Custom Guitars, and a pair of Pete Biltoft pickups. The pickups are a CCRider in neck position and a Strat sized pickup called the SP90 that is voiced to sound like a regular P90. I had a guitar with a P90 and Pete's SP90 does sound really close to it. It has a strong but sweet sound that works well for jazz. I' ve sold all my other electrics!

[medblues]

Without going into full-size humbucker territory:

Wilde Bill's NF Singles

Above has several options that are noise-free and more hi-fi and should give you what you want with very reasonable pricing.

Other options are: SCNs or N3s, or dual rail pickups L45S Wilde Bill's Twin Blades

Lace Blues or Golds
Lace Alumitones can all be made to serve warmer, fatter tones in the neck position.

[oldane]

Check out Pete Biltoft at vintavevibeguitars.com He makes pickups and the cool thing is that he will talk with you directly and take all the time he needs to make sure you have exactly what you want. And his prices are reasonable for boutique quality pickups.

I second that. So far I have his pickups in 4 guitars. Pete has, among others, also a blade pickup for Strat which is intended to emulate the CC sound. It doesn't quite get there, the mere physical size of the strat pickup prevents that, but it is much more mellow than a stock strat pickup. You can have it with an all black top plate or with a hexangular top plate with a white edge like the original CC pickups. Your choiice of magnet strength.

Vintage Vibe Guitars: Single Coil Pickups (scroll down to the strat style blade pickups)

[Retroman1969]

Thank you for all the great suggestions! I've been looking into them and will be checking them out further this week. Looks like those are all in the right direction.

I've been thinking about this Lake Placid Blue Classic 60s that my local Fender dealer has on clearance. Sounds good through The nice tube amps they have on hand there. Wonder if it has the same pups as the Classic '50s model?
I don't know much about Biddy Fleet other than a bit of history. Don't know where one could find recordings, though they'd be cool to find. Honestly I just loved that picture, so I used it for the avatar.

I lost a little love for the Fenders once I got used to an archtop, but still dig them, and would like to keep at least one around. I feel it would be more useful to me if I could get the tone spread to where I believe it's suitable.

Again, thank you for the great suggestions so far!

[Retroman1969]

Yeah, the CC Rider pup is top of the list at the moment. I keep going back to that one.

[Musically Mr M]

Are you particularly looking for a humbucker or single coil? I ask because at the beginning of the post, you spoke of the Lil 59, the cool rails both of which are Strat sized humbuckers as well as the quarter pounder (honest oppinion-stay away from that pickup).

I'm a Seymour Duncan user from the beginning and I might suggest the Classic Stack STK-1 which is a hum cancelling stacked coil humbucker. It lets the guitar maintain the Strat look but maintain the advantage of the humbucking effect. Also, though able to reasonably approximate a vintage strat tone, this pickup has a darker more defined tone that i think will get you a lot closer to what your looking for.

GFS Pickups (from guitar fetish) offers the "Boston Blues Set" which is a warm yet very articulate pickup set for the Strat for under $70.00. The classic stack is more than $70.00 by it self.

Check into those. I have Strats equipped with both and I use my strats for jazz tunes quite often.

[Retroman1969]

Thanks MMM, I'll look into those too. I've heard good things about the GFS pups before.
PS: yes, I'm looking more for a bucker type pup.

[abracadabra]

I use a DiMarzio Pro Track. here's an example:

the recording quality is not brilliant, but it should give you an idea. quite a warm pup.

[JakeAcci]

I use a DiMarzio Pro Track. here's an example:

the recording quality is not brilliant, but it should give you an idea. quite a warm pup.

Hey Abra thanks for posting that. The amp volume is so low in the recording that I hear an equal amount of the acoustic guitar sound. If you ever get a chance, could you record another take (even just a few lines) with the amp cranked so I can hear the electric sound?

I'm curious because I have a strat, it used to be my main guitar before I got my archtop about a year ago, but I had been investigating a pickup for it.

Thanks!...

[abracadabra]

Hey Abra thanks for posting that. The amp volume is so low in the recording that I hear an equal amount of the acoustic guitar sound. If you ever get a chance, could you record another take (even just a few lines) with the amp cranked so I can hear the electric sound?

I'm curious because I have a strat, it used to be my main guitar before I got my archtop about a year ago, but I had been investigating a pickup for it.

Thanks!...

I know. it was too low, but the pup is good. the mic was just the camera one but I have a Yeti mic now so the recordings in the future should be much better. I was going to record another video in a few days, and I was going to use my AF105 as people complained I used a strat in the last one.
I guess I could use the strat again.

[Musically Mr M]

I know. it was too low, but the pup is good. the mic was just the camera one but I have a Yeti mic now so the recordings in the future should be much better. I was going to record another video in a few days, and I was going to use my AF105 as people complained I used a strat in the last one.
I guess I could use the strat again.

By chance, was that a a MIM Satin Standard Strat? I thought it sounded pretty resonant which will actually yieild a very rich woody tone with that pickup......not quite a traditional jazz box sound but a unique full bodied sound that will lend itself well to traditional jazz stylings imho. Sometimes, I think we get too caught up in trying to replicate these classic "period" tones on guitar. Understand the fact that the same technologies and materials were not available 40-50 years ago when these classic sounds were recorded that we measure guitar tones against. There are amplifiers and effects available today that will replicate that sound from any style guitar with ease. Technique still is the most important aspect of getting that "sound" even today. I'm saying all that to say that even that heralded "jazz box" tone is extremely subjective. Find a pickup that gives you "your sound". Everything else will follow

Check out this video. While this was just me at home noodling on a guitar that I had just installed as set of Tex-Mex Fenders in (not high dollar at all)if you listen to jazz chord comping and the single note stuff at the end, I think these pickups lend very well to jazz guitar tones and stylings:

[abracadabra]

By chance, was that a a MIM Satin Standard Strat? I thought it sounded pretty resonant which will actually yieild a very rich woody tone with that pickup......not quite a traditional jazz box sound but a unique full bodied sound that will lend itself well to traditional jazz stylings imho. Sometimes, I think we get too caught up in trying to replicate these classic "period" tones on guitar. Understand the fact that the same technologies and materials were not available 40-50 years ago when these classic sounds were recorded that we measure guitar tones against. There are amplifiers and effects available today that will replicate that sound from any style guitar with ease. Technique still is the most important aspect of getting that "sound" even today. I'm saying all that to say that even that heralded "jazz box" tone is extremely subjective. Find a pickup that gives you "your sound". Everything else will follow

Check out this video. While this was just me at home noodling on a guitar that I had just installed as set of Tex-Mex Fenders in (not high dollar at all)if you listen to jazz chord comping and the single note stuff at the end, I think these pickups lend very well to jazz guitar tones and stylings:

no, that was an American Special with totally different pups and electronics from the stock model. it's a great guitar, and I changed the pickups specifically so it would work with all the styles I play (although I do miss that jangly strat tone on it).

I have another strat which actually has the Tex Mex's in it as well. it's a MIM Std with a rosewood board. I play jazzy stuff on all my guitars but tbh I find the Tex Mex's hard to get a jazz tone I like out of. I completely agree though that we don't have to live by any 'rules' or traditions on what a jazz tone should be, it's just not what I'm after.

another pup I didn't mention before that the OP might try is the Dimarzio FS-1. I haven't tried it but some of the youtube clips I've seen seem to suggest it might be good for jazz, kind of a bridge between the traditional single-coil sound you normally get out of a strat and the warmer rail-type like I have now.

[Retroman1969]

I think I've heard about the Pro Track, and I need to look into that one too. Thanks!
Stumbled across this YT video the other day. Looks to be a stock Classic 60s model, and while it doesn't sound exactly like an archtop, it's still impressive!

[Musically Mr M]

I think I've heard about the Pro Track, and I need to look into that one too. Thanks!
Stumbled across this YT video the other day. Looks to be a stock Classic 60s model, and while it doesn't sound exactly like an archtop, it's still impressive!

Doesn't the neck pickup texture resemble the sound of a Selmer Maccaferi or even a Gitane acoustic amplified? A good example of that sound in a contemporary setting can be found on Peter Frampton grammy winning instrumental album, "Fingerprints" on the cut he does with John Jorgenson (Hellecasters)

[morroben]

Check out this video. While this was just me at home noodling on a guitar that I had just installed as set of Tex-Mex Fenders in (not high dollar at all)if you listen to jazz chord comping and the single note stuff at the end, I think these pickups lend very well to jazz guitar tones and stylings:

I have gone through a lot of pickups in my late 90's MIM Strat over the years, and I've settled on the Tex-Mex. Love them. Clear and chimey. I agree that they're great for jazz, or anything clean really.

[Retroman1969]

Mr. M, I hadn't thought of that comparison, but you're right, I can kind of hear it.

Morroben, I wouldn't have thought hot singles coils like TexMex would be appropriate at all, but I just tried a few American Special Strats with the Texas Specials... That bright Chrystal clear tone of those pups really separates and defines each note in the chords without smearing and muddying them up like with typical stock Strat pups. Between that and the wide flat satin neck, I was impressed, and I'm trying to fight the urge to buy one of them.
Not a good temptation with the holidays coming up and work slowing down.

[morroben]

I had Texas Specials in my Strat at one point. They were a little hotter and fatter (to use cheesy tone adjectives) than the Tex-Mex, at least to my ears. The Tex-Mex are a bit hotter than average, but not extremely so. Again, this is just my ears.
I liked the Texas Specials, too, just not quite as much. I found that "8" on the guitar's volume was about as high as I would go when I had them. They were a little too hot for my taste. Of course, I play a 5E3 that overdrives if you look at it cross-eyed.