Pick-up for a good D-sound

[sergio]

Hi all , I have a stratocaster equipped with original pick-ups , I like it but I'd like improve the sound.

What do you recommend?

A friend of mine have a strato with Peter Florance pick-ups , voodoo model and sound great but I've never play it in my amp.

Thanks
sergio

[Structo]

Do you want to stay with single coils or what are you going for?

Noiseless?
I've tried Dimarzio Area noiseless, not bad.
I like the Fender hot noiseless better.

Fender single coils like the 69's or Texas Specials get nods.
The Custom Shop '54 are also supposed to be good.

Tonerider makes some very nice single coils for not a lot of money.
I have the Classic Blues in one strat and they sound good.

I don't have any fancy bouteek pickups like Lollar or any other custom winders.

My amp seems to play best with humbuckers.
My Schecter has Duncan's in it, the SH-4 JB and SH-2 Jazz, which are a tried and true combination.

I have a tele with Tonerider P90s that are on the hot side that sound great.

With strats I always had trouble with the bridge pickup being thin and ice picky.
On the strat that I have the single in the bridge I put a base plate on the bottom of the bridge pickup and that helped.

[leleduke]

I have a Duncan little 59 at the bridge on my strat and it give me much versatility

[butwhatif]

a lot of people seem to like the texas special pu's --i have a few friends who dig them

[brewdude]

I have had some Joe Barden Specials in my strat for the last 15 to 20 years and they seem to sound pretty good to me. I don't know if they are the "D-sound" that you are looking for but they are great pick ups.

[JD0x0]

Anything with an alncio 2 or 3 magnet. I find they give a woodier, warmer dumblier sound. IMO alnico 3 works in the neck position better due to its lower magnetic pull (wont dampen string vibrations) and slightly glassier tone. Alncio 2 really smooths out the bridge tone

[10thTx]

I think Sonny Landreth uses Fast Track 1 DiMarzios in his strat and he plays a Dumble. I have that pickup in my home made Tele and like it.

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c216/ ... Tele-1.jpg

With respect, 10thtx

[Bob-I]

I have a set of Fralin Blues in my favorite Strat. I haven't tried all that many PU's but I've played many Strats through my amps and I like this one best.

These PU's replaced the Texas Specials and I'll go out on a limb and say they're far better. I found the Texas Specials to be a tad brittle for a Dumble. They sounded great with the Super Reverb but just didn't have it with the Dumble.

JMO

[bluesfendermanblues]

I have gone through a lot of strat pickup sets during the last 20 years

Fender 57/62 reissue, Lindy Fralin Hot, Rio Grande Muy grande, Fender Noiseless, EMG SA with midboost, Seymour Duncan Alnico pro II and many moore etc.........

Sound ideal is a natural allround fender sound (Lovell George), with the bridge position being more tele than strat.

I have arrived at the following combos in strats

Rosewood fretboard strats:
Neck: Seymour Duncan Antiquity
Middle: Van Zandt classic (not reverse wound)
Bridge: Seymour Duncan Twangbanger (a little hotter a la Tele 52)

Guitar strings: DR Tite Bound, 10s

Maple Fret board
Neck: Fender 50s
Middle: Fender 50s (not reverse wound)
Bridge: Seymour Duncan Twangbanger (a little hotter a la Tele 52)

Guitar strings: Earnie Ball slinky 10s

In order to make the guitars almost noiseless, they have been treated with cobber foil on back of the pick guard and in the carve out. Hereto, a Suhr BPSCC, which doesn't change the sound IMO, but takes out hum and statics quite effectively. Expensive though.

[CHIP]

I also, really like the Fralin Blues in my Strat.

[Max]

What about this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC02wGj5gPw

And the other two don’t seem to be that bad either. Or what do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPBqk-0gWfQ

Cheers,

Max

[Structo]

Well yes then there is Jeff Beck who could make a rubber band sound good and plays through Marshalls.

I built a Beck inspired Strat a few years ago.
But it has a bucker in the bridge.

[img:206:288]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_MHnI-B0pJ8k/TFA7H ... edencu.jpg[/img]

[Max]

a rubber band

For such a kind of minimalistic approach this kind of integrated pickup-amplifier system wouldn't be that bad, too?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xZnx87M3ns

Cheers,

Max

[sergio]

Thanks guys for all your suggestions , there is much to try here and hear , I think I will go to a instruments shop and I will play some guitars with my amp for to understand better.
I want to say thanks to all for your great helps , now I have a line to work.

Sergio

[Structo]

Yep that is the only way you will be able to tell unless you spend a lot of cash trying them in your guitar.
I'd hate to add up all I have spent on pickups over the years.
Never recover much in the resale.