There is, however, a slight difference in tone compared to regular humbuckers, although this can make your Strat sound very unique. The tone of the Steel Pole 42 is more full-bodied than you might expect from a single coil, yet it retains plenty of clarity and bite. A true passion of mine, Ive designed, built, and repaired a wide range of guitar amps and electronics. Fender Strats made back in the 60s hold a special place in the hearts of some vintage-loving guitar players. For the price, theyll come in handy for a Squier Strat or any other cheaper alternative. Ill start this article by reviewing the best Strat pickups at each price point. Bottom Line: Similar to the previous example by EMG, the SX is an active set of single-coil pickups. If you are looking for replacements and you would like to get a sound similar to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bonnie Raitt, or Johnny Winter then these Blues Stratocaster pickups are recommended. From smooth David Gilmour to Stevie Ray Vaughans Texas tone, or from vintage to modern, this list covers most Blues players and includes some great Blues Stratocaster pickups. As far as Fenders arsenal of products goes, there are those Limited Edition Mahogany Blacktop Stratocaster guitars that feature this particular setup. Of course, as the name suggests, these are old school vintage-oriented kind of pickups. While positions 1, 3, and 5 offer the standard Stratocaster single-coil tone, positions 2 and 4 allow for a more aggressive tone. It is possible to upgrade your guitar at a reasonable price: change the pickups. Bottom Line: With all the vintage features, these pickups bring out the qualities of those Fender Stratocaster guitars made back in the 1950s. These are exactly the components that are responsible for this vintage-oriented tone that the pickups produce. As far as Fender Stratocasters go, this is usually a trait of some relatively more expensive models. And its definitely justified, especially if we look into some of their single-coil pickups, like the SSL-4 model. Theyre especially useful if you favor an overall balanced performance between all the positions and all the strings. Looking at all of the guitars specifications, its pretty obvious why Fender Stratocaster, in all of its variants over the years, became so widespread and popular. Bottom Line: Suhr pickups are pretty versatile and they have a perfect blend of old school and modern sonic qualities. Essentially, you get two coils within a pickup that fits a regular single-coil pickup slot. I am a music fan who is fond of different instruments and genres. At the same time, they still retain some of the much-appreciated qualities of Fenders single-coil pickups, including the sparkling bright tone and the overall clarity in there. Still, consensus prevails about what sounds like a vintage Stratocaster. Even though the image suggests otherwise, it comes with a white cover. Popular Related Articles: The Most Incredible Fender Statocaster Guitar Models Available. Bottom Line: Wilkinson Lic White ST pickups are one of the best budget options on the market these days. If youre looking for a hum-canceling Stratocaster pickup, then you should be delighted with the DiMarzio DP419. However, the company has a lot of exciting stuff to offer, something for everyones taste. Bottom Line: Being active single-coils, this set of EMG SAVX adds a lot of expressive qualities and high-ends in there. Pickups are small and easy to change and they dont have to be expensive. Lace 21073-01 Sensor Gold (Best For Modern Tones), 3. Theyre a great option for anyone into old school rock n roll, blues, and country music. These come with Alnico V magnets and theyre specially adapted for each of the three Stratocaster positions. That classic rock twang from the 50s and 60s is achievable in most switch positions and can be overdriven without the muddiness. We talked about how those dual-coil pickups packed in a smaller-sized single-coil format can be quite useful for Fender Stratocaster guitar players who like to have those humbucker tone qualities in there. The one pickup set that truly stood out to us was Fenders Pure Vintage 59. They come with a noticeably bright and clean tone, although you can do some smooth stuff with them as well if you implement the tone pots the right way. The main difference is that we have one volume and one tone control, as well as a coil-split switch for the bridge position. Well, if this sounds like what youre looking for, then you should definitely consider taking a closer look at Seymour Duncans Billy Gibbons signature pickup set called the Red Devil. And theyre especially interesting with the vintage-oriented stuff. These pickups come with everything needed for assembly (except the tools). My Review: If were talking about Stratocasters and single-coil pickups, Fender Texas Specials have to be in the discussion. These pickups are equipped with Alnico V magnets and also come with the staggered pole pieces. Theyre also pretty balanced all over the audible spectrum, although they still retain classic single-coil sound qualities. They can handle a ballad as easily as the harder, riff-based rock. My Review: But speaking of any kind of pickups, its hard not to mention Seymour Duncan as theyre one of the most respected companies in this business. Now, at their core, pickups havent evolved much, but they got better, tighter and quieter. Bottom Line: These are classic Fender Stratocaster pickups that you find on a lot of the companys guitars. Bottom Line: This is arguably one of the best single-coil pickup sets out there. Even though the price alone is enough reason to justify the purchase of a Seymour Duncan pickup, get it for the warm, vintage tone it produces. My Review: Despite the abundance of different options on the market, its not always that easy to find a nice Stratocaster combo that includes humbucking pickups. The owner of this website does not guarantee offers on this site, and all offers should be viewed as recommendations only. My Review: It would take us a lot of time to fully explain the greatness of Fender guitars and Fender pickups. Ive been playing guitar since I was 13 years old and am an avid collector. For quite some time now, theyve been making some of the best electric guitars that you could find on the market. Theyre clean when you need them to be, and gritty when you turn on the distortion. And this is one of the best things about them as theyll be able to fit your playing, no matter what your preferred musical styles are. But at the same time, youll be able to have other parts of the spectrum represented in there. Even though the Stratocaster6 is a versatile guitar and used in a plethora of genres, theres still an expectation for its tone. Nevertheless, getting the perfect tone on your guitar is not always simple. Seymour Duncan Custom Staggered SSL-5 Pickup for Strat The Best Single Coil Pickup for Blues, 4. What makes the combo so unique are some quite bright and twangy tones. Whats more, they even work great in clean settings, allowing those sparkling tones in all three of the positions. But theres another one that we thought would be interesting to all those who like Fender Stratocaster guitars and improved sonic options with them. Featuring more wounds around their magnets, as well as flat poles, these are more vintage-oriented compared to some other pickups mentioned here. These three pickups in one set are each voiced to fit their respective position the best. Seymour Duncan SSL1 Vintage Staggered Single Coil Pickup, 5. Of course, this kind of a pickup design may make it sound a little different compared to regular humbuckers that were used to. My Review: But among all of Fenders pickups, the company is especially proud of their Noiseless single-coils. Theyre great for some modern crystal clear tones. These small changes in the magnetic field are captured by the pickup and translated into an electrical signal. The first one that we want to look into is the pack of three 21073-01 Sensor Gold single-coil pickups that have become pretty popular in recent times. This program is designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon. Although its common for Telecasters and some other guitars, there are Strats with two single-coil pickups to be found. In order to muffle the tone a bit, you can always use the instruments tone pots. These are often referred to as California 50s pickups as they replicate the classic single-coil Fender Stratocaster tones from the 1950s. With distortion, this pickup rocks hard without muddiness. Another EMGs single-coil pickup set for Stratocasters that wed like to include in this list is the SX set. It features a classic double-cutaway body design, paired with a very comfortable maple neck and a 6-in-line headstock. DiMarzio DP419 Area 67 Hum Canceling Strat Pickup, 7. While these pickups might not sound as a vintage Stratocaster, they still sound great especially for playing blues or classic rock. Additionally, many guitars with this humbucker-single-single formation have an additional coil-splitting option for the humbucker, practically turning this guitar into a regular old triple-single Strat with a push of a button. But things are nicely balanced with two other pickups, Emerald and Silver, making this particular combo very potent and versatile. Yes. These pickups sound great, and they come in a set of 3. Theres also a pretty amazing balance throughout the whole range that a standard 6-string guitar covers. Whats more, this is all followed by an Enamel-coated magnet wire, which helps add some warmth to the tone. Theyre not better nor worse, theyre just dissimilar. However, EMGs DG20 pickups will have a better dynamic response and will add those sparkling bright overtones to the mix, all while keeping things under control. Alnico V pickups have a resistance of 12.9k ohms in all positions. Bottom Line: These are pretty similar to classic stock pickups on Fender Strat guitars. However, we saw two of the most important traits that changed the way other companies approached their guitar building business. Reproduction of any part of this website without direct permission is prohibited. In this article, well focus on one of the essential components of a guitar: the best strat pickups for blues and classic rock4. To put it simply, these are technically humbuckers packed in a very convenient single-coil pickup size. But probably the most groundbreaking thing that the world saw with the launch of Fender Stratocasters back in 1954 was its rather innovative and (for the times) unconventional bridge. Its nothing short of amazing the impact those little magnets can have on the tone of your guitar. For quite some time now, theyve been surprising the lovers of classic Stratocaster tones with the almost hum-free operation. No. The SSL-5 also yields a higher sustain and packs enough punch to stand out in any mix. Therefore, getting three of these would definitely be a nice change for your Stratocaster, especially if you need a more modern twist to your tone, and yet feel like keeping all the basic essential qualities that come with single-coil pickups. Created by StereoShore.com. But although we have this subtle accent on the mids and the bottom end, youll still get that classic punchy tone that Strats are known for. Pickups are essentially a wire coil around a magnet, which creates a magnetic field that gets disturbed whenever you strike a string. Additionally, these feature a pretty great tone for hard rock and blues rock and will help you have those ZZ Top vibes. Why doesnt the B string magnet stick out of the bobbin? Although the Stratocaster is produced in many different spec variations, one of this instruments most popular traditional characteristics is the three single-coil pickup configuration. Its also worth noting that this is a prewired pickguard combo and its designed in such a way that its super easy to put it in your Stratocaster. Although not as nearly as common as those triple-single or HSS combinations, you can also find Strats with the humbucker-single-humbucker formation of pickups. All images on our website are the property of their respective owners. It comes with a white, aged white, or black cover. Basically, if you click on a product link on this site and buy that product we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Many variables can alter the sound of your guitar: the guitar itself, its strings, the amplifiers, effect pedals, and pickups how can you manage to obtain that exact tone? However, they have significantly reduced hum, making them quieter. In my opinion, there are easily some of the best Fender Strat pickups out there. This is one of the most effective and versatile pickup configurations for Stratocaster guitars out there and its certainly worth looking into if youre a fan of vintage-oriented stuff. And, as the name suggests, these are heavily gravitating towards those old 1950s Stratocaster and the kind of tone that they had back in the day. The secret behind this unique sound is in extra wounds that adds a little boost in the bottom ends and mids. Being completely flat and featuring no staggered poles, they are super useful for guitars that feature flatter fretboard radius. However, Fender gets pretty close to it with this particular set. They come with a bit of a quieter operation though and might add some more bottom-ends in there. Additionally, the entire pickup can be fitter without any additional soldering. Whats rather exciting about these pickups is the fact that they come with a somewhat higher output compared to regular single-coils. Nonetheless, expressive qualities are still there, making these pickups dynamically responsive. Although youd assume that the dual-humbucker pickup combo is reserved for Gibsons and Gibson-style guitars, theyre also found with some Fender Stratocasters. The same applies to the green and ground wires. But even besides this particular combo that some players prefer to have, you can always do some adjustments to your Strat and go with two single-coil pickups instead of three. This means touching the red lead to the pickups primary lead and touching the black lead to the pickups ground wire. Most pickups on this list use Alnico V magnets, but thats not the case with this DiMarzio. My Review: The classic triple-single formation comes in many different versions, covering a lot of different sonic options. Lets take it one step at a time. And, just like many virtuoso players, Johnson is well-known for his use of Fender Stratocasters and even has his amazing line of signature Strats with the company. To put it simply, the dynamic response with these pickups is impeccable. However, aside from this system, the tremolo bridge has also changed drastically compared to what we saw on the Telecaster (as well as the Esquire and the Broadcaster). Quite the contrary. Whether youre playing a Fender Strat or any other alternative Stat style guitar (be it a cheaper or a more expensive one), you can always customize your guitar to capture that tone youre looking for. The pickup covers are either parchment or aged white. Some folks love its quack while others prefer the more vintage tone of the Alnico Vs. For instance, its not rare to see a very useful combo with a humbucker in the bridge position and two single-coils in the middle and the bridge position. Even to this day, most Fender Strats bear the same traits as the original models produced back in the 1950s. Of course, as youd expect from a guitarist like Eric Johnson, these are mostly vintage-oriented and have that overall feel of some old school Strats. Aside from ergonomic and aesthetic features, which turned these instruments into real virtuoso machines, they came with some awesome pickup combinations. Switching through all of the 5 pickup positions and combinations, youll notice that things are evenly balanced and that nothing quite sounds louder or much quieter in some places. My Review: Now, we all remember EMG for their metal-oriented pickups. Rock Telecaster Bridge Pickups- Which Ones are Best? These are not designed for the heavier stuff, although, on occasion, they can be used for more aggressive sounds. Whats more, we even have the classic staggered pole pieces, giving them that slightly vintage feel. How to Stop Losing Guitar Picks (And Where to Find How To Store Your Guitar Picks (And Stop Losing Them Best Sounding 6SN7 Tubes FAQ & Buyers Guide. This particular feature helps them reduce the mains hum noise that single-coils are usually known for. First off, we have its output power. In case you want an improved classic Stratocaster tone, this is the option to go with. The DiMarzio DP419 is bright and very clean unless you overdrive it. EMG DG20 David Gilmour Signature Prewired Pickups and Pickguard (Best Active Circuit Pickups), 6. And, once again, we have an authentic replica of the pickups that were available back on those old Fenders. We also have Forbon Bobbins, as well as a heavy Formvar wire for the magnets. If you would prefer to dig a little deeper into the fundamentals of Strat pickups check out our buying guide at the bottom of the page here.