• From: Burlington, Ont Canada
  • Registered: 2010-04-01
  • Posts: 365

Topic: Texas Specials or Stock??

Hey folks,

I aquired a "loaded" Strat pickguard via trade with some CS Texas Specials, cloth wiring and American pots (with treble bleed cap) and switch . I am considering swapping the stock one on my '94 MIJ '62 RI Sunburst/RW Strat. I have NO idea what pups are currently in my Strat but all info points to sub-standard quality electronics in the MIJ Strats. I always thought my Strat sounded pretty good - albeit kind of weak (especially when compared to my R7 Goldtop), and LOVE the big Strat tones from Philip Sayce and Scott McKeon.

Now I am not a big Strat guy but wouldn't mind injecting a little life into the old Strat - my question is this:

Does anyone know what pups are currently in my Strat?

Does anyone out there have any experience with these pups and would it be worth changing everything over?

I know the general answer would be "try them out and see if you like them..." but I really don't want to bother (I am lazy  wink ) if it's not worth it.

Thanks in advance...

Kevin

Gits: '03 Gibson Historic R7 Goldtop, '06 Gibson R8 Plaintop, MIJ '62 RI Strat,  and others...
Amps: '99 Marshall 1987x Plexi RI, 1969 Fender Super Reverb

My band: www.meanbones.com
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

Never tried CS texas specials.  My friend has a 94 american standard strat and he had 2 cs texas specials and a seymour duncan humbucker of some kind in the bridge.  I like his sound but he hated the combination sighting that if he wanted a humbucker guitar he would play his 2 Les Pauls!  His friend sold him the guitar 2 years ago and he had the original pickups and everything still.  His stock pickups were not staggered and they also had a TBX pot that could add or remove treble by 10 dB, that was standard as well in that year as well as all the artist series Eric Clapton Strats.  I've never played his guitar but I have jammed with him playing his guitar.  To my ear his Strat sounds are chunky sounding, more so then mine which are basically vintage style pickups.  They are not thick but they sound thicker then a 50's style pickup would.  Also no stagger means you get the pickups closer to the strings which gives it a little more sound then a 50's pickup.  \

My advise to you would be what do you want for a tone?  You talked about a couple of guys who you like but honestly I've never heard of them.  Try to figure out what type of pickup they have.  Is it a 50's? Is it a 60's?  Maybe its just overwound like a Texas Special, or more so.  To me I like strats for clean sounds and lead sounds.  I am not a SRV groupie so I don't really try to get his sound.  I like Clapton a lot so I try to go for the 2 position a lot for leads, I like Jimmy's Tone (SRV's Brother) much better.  I really don't like high powered pickups.  Humbucker to me sound sweet and fat between an output of 5ohms to 7 ohms, and Strats sound good with 4 to 6 ohms.  Teles give me a bidge with 9 ohms of power and a 1meg pot and hang on tight!  I hope that helps. 

Oh your current pickups would be on the low side maybe 4 to 5 ohms and your CS Texas Specials are 7 to 8 ohms I believe.  Good luck.

AD3THREE's Website

  • Registered: 2009-10-27
  • Posts: 250

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

Fender only puts decent pickups (Texas Specials, etc.) in their higher-end guitars- all others get Tex Mex or just run of the house pickups for the most part  -these suck and maybe what you might have with no disrespect.  I've heard Philip play his old Strat, some blues stuff and I think Texas Specials will work fine from what I heard - Fender put's them in SRV and Konpfler Strats- so pretty versatile with a roll of the guitar volume control. 

If lazy, have a tech drop them in for $25-$35 or better yet, if you haven't had a set-up on it in a while, good time to do it - setup and pickups dropped in should be $50-75.00 by a pro tech - well worth it, guitar might come to life and help convert you to a Strat player and not the loosey goosey easy playing of a Les Paul smile.

  • Registered: 2009-10-10
  • Posts: 438

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

I think the CS Texas Specials would definitely get you in the Philip Sayce/Scott Mckeon ballpark, especially if you have on old Super Reverb with a good fuzz pedal to blast them through.

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

I had some Texas Specials for a while, they were hotter and meaty... but I like more of a classic stratty sound, so I got some custom hand-wounds from Smit's Handwounds in Nashville, TN.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: Was NY now FL/GA line
  • Registered: 2007-12-16
  • Posts: 2,857

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

Chances are your stock pups are cheap plastic bobbin type. Changing them out to a loaded guard is only 11 screws and 3 wires. No problem if you can handle simple soldering. I think you'll be happy with the Texas Specials.

Change is good!

  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

I use to use Texas Specials in a previous Strat pretty religiously.  They sound pretty good, really hot, and great for the SRV thing.  However, they are very bright and aggressive sounding to my ears and I tend to like warmer sounding pickups overall.  My current favorite set of Fender pickups for the Hendrix/SRV/KWS/Phillip Sayce stuff are the Custom Shop '69's.  TRUST ME on this!

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.
  • From: Farmington, CT
  • Registered: 2010-04-23
  • Posts: 64

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

I sure hope the answer is Texas Specials - I just bought a set to put in my MIM Strat that I absolutely LOVE. I honestly believe my Strat is the best $300 guitar in the history of guitars. I'm hoping the Texas Specials will beef it up a little bit.

"Another song, another mile." - The Black Crowes

JPrzech's Website

  • From: Burlington, Ont Canada
  • Registered: 2010-04-01
  • Posts: 365

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

Thanks for the replies everybody! Well I installed the pickups and I have mixed feelings. They are hotter than the old ones for sure, and the bridge pup is AWESOME. The pots are great and the guitar is way louder. I am not crazy about the somewhat "grainy" sound to the Neck and Middle when I want a clean fat EJish tone. Justin you are right they are great for the Eb SRV thang but I think want a fatter, warmer, smoother sound on the Neck, Middle. I LOVE the bridge pup though. I have heard great things about the CS '69's. I will hunt down a set for a sure.

AD3Three et al thanks for the great responses and have a great holiday!

Gits: '03 Gibson Historic R7 Goldtop, '06 Gibson R8 Plaintop, MIJ '62 RI Strat,  and others...
Amps: '99 Marshall 1987x Plexi RI, 1969 Fender Super Reverb

My band: www.meanbones.com
  • From: Was NY now FL/GA line
  • Registered: 2007-12-16
  • Posts: 2,857

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

Try adding just the 69 neck and middle with the TS bridge. Maybe that combo will be what you'll like.

Just a thought...

Merry Christmas everyone!

  • From: Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2010-03-19
  • Posts: 105

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

Good Day,

Hey Kevman13, Don't CRINGE........but....

I have a Balck Strat that I loaded with ...Lace Sensor Hot Golds....the set of 3, with the

bridge pickup being VERY hot. I have to say these pickups are exceptional.

I don't know if they'll be your cup of tea...but when you mention;

"but I think want a fatter, warmer, smoother sound on the Neck, Middle. I LOVE the bridge

pup though" You're talking about my Lace Hot Golds.

Honestly, I can't say enough about these pups. Anything from Stevie Ray, to both Eric's

Clapton, and Johnson..is do-able with these pups.

It maybe worth your while to have a listen to someone who'se got some Hot Golds installed, or

better yet, try playin thru some. I'm real happy...

C'mon out to L.A. man, I'll let you have a go at my Strat thru my Marshall Blues Breaker

or a my Fender HRD3, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I am getting another Strat with a rosewood neck (only because I want a rosewood Strat)

and it will have Fralins in it. I like what I've heard with the Fralins too.

Cheers Mate, and Good Luck on your hunt.

Merry Christmas to all!

  • Registered: 2010-12-28
  • Posts: 242

Re: Texas Specials or Stock??

My fender came with the CS Texas Specials, its a NOS guitar, but I can tell you, those pickups are amazing! It's good for jazz (though they are still single coil) blues, of course, blues rock, rock, hard rock.... maybe just not for the metal stuff, but for anything else, it's great. You can get a great Bonamassa strat tone with em too!

youtube.com/epiphonefan
youtube.com/stratozenfan

both contain vids of me with the Texas Specials in my strat. Keep in mind, on the stratozenfan cannonball shuffle video I'm also using a Hermida Audio Zendrive.