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

Topic: Strat Bridge Pick Up

I need to beef up the bridge pick up in one of my Strats.  I want something that is noiseless. I have had good luck with a Seymour Duncan Little 59 in the past and may just get another one.  The JB Jr. I had was too hot for me.  I am considering the new YJM Fury.  I am not an Yngwie style player but I think Eric Johnson used an Yngwie style pick up in the bridge in one of his old Strats.  I am looking for something thicker and noiseless that still has some Strat snap. Anyone have any other recommendations?  I have no idea what the neck and middle pickups are in my strat as I bought it used.  They are not noiseless but I really like their tone so they are staying put.  The existing bridge pickup is weak and has a  volume drop when switching from the neck pick up.

  • Registered: 2011-05-19
  • Posts: 113

Re: Strat Bridge Pick Up

Eric Johnson uses a Dimarzio HS-2 in his old strats.

You can also look for a single-coil size HB that can be coil tapped. It will still have more output than a regular SC.

  • Registered: 2008-03-07
  • Posts: 508

Re: Strat Bridge Pick Up

I tried a few Strat pickups once just buying them of ebay and trying them in my Strat

and I found the more powerful pickups had much more midrange not neccesarily in a good way

because you loose that characteristic Strat sound  I ended up with the HS2 which funnily enough is

not that powerful in single coil but you can have it in humbucker mode too,as it is a stacked humbucker as is the HS3 which is basically the YJM.

I ended up with a Lindy Fraline vintage hot and much prefer this as it is powerful enough but still sounds Strat like .

"Everybody's entitled to my opinion. wink
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Strat Bridge Pick Up

Have you checked your pickup height?  Press the strings down on the last fret and measure how close they are to the strings on each pickup.  You might just readjust the pickups so the bridge is closer to the strings and that neck pickp is moved farther away from the strings.  It makes a big difference.  If you go too close the magnets will disrupt the natural figure 8 pattern your strings naturally travel while your playing.  If you want to go cheap GFS has the little killers pickups that sound quite bold.  They come in 3 different flavors to choose from vintage, modern, and hot.  At $25 a pickup you can't beat them.  I've also had Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in a Yamaha Ty Tabor Signature Model RX-TT.  Those sounded as the name says Hot.  Not as hot as the JB jr. but hotter then the little 59'.  Honestly I would start with adusting the pickups.

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  • Registered: 2011-03-20
  • Posts: 333

Re: Strat Bridge Pick Up

I put a little 59 in my EJ strat for a while, I guess it sounded ok but I've gone back to the standard singl coils now and its all the better for it. I'm starting to think a lot of this pickup changing is all smoke and mirrors mixed with a bit of snake oil. lol

  • Registered: 2011-05-19
  • Posts: 113

Re: Strat Bridge Pick Up

Fralin Vintage Hots are a good choice. I agree with SOFTMC.

I think replacement pickups have their place. Sometimes you can get a good guitar that resonates well but comes with lemons for pickups. The snake oil starts coming in when the technology is sold as something that it's not.