Best value to tone ratio Strat pickup set?

[doc]

Need a set for a Partsocaster and looking for that classic vintage Strat tone. Considering strongly a Tom Short Swinging Single set vs. a BG Buckers Vintage 60s set vs. a Fender Custom Shop '54 set - each are close to the $150 a set range. How close are these to the "pricey" sets - WCRs, Ybarra Masterwounds, Rocketfires? Anything else in this price range I should be considering?

Anybody else notice a flurry of Strat pickup questions here lately?

[cherrick]

Don Mare or David Plummer (Zhangliqun)

You need to raise your $$ expectations.

[K-Line]

Look into Klein pickups. Huge variety and way under priced. I have a guit here for the show with the S-5 set in it. ABed it to the big dippers and I prefer the Klein's hands down. Just a few dollars more at like $175 I think but well worth twice the price. Check him out www.kleinpickups.com (http://www.kleinpickups.com)

[sabby]

My favorite "cheapies" are Fender 54/62s, though the Kleins seem nice. At the mid-200 price point, Don Mare's seem, to my ears and experience, the best balance of chime and fat, punch and compresion.

[kludge]

Bill Lawrence Keystones are going to win price/performance, for sure, but that's not so much that they're amazing as that they're so cheap for how good they are (which is amazing).

I'm in the process of ordering some Tele pickups from Rumpelstiltskin, and his Strat sets are $125. I've been very impressed by both the sound samples and the interactions with the owner. I'll probably be making a tone report once I get 'em in.

[doc]

I'm going for more traditional tones than what the Keystones probably give, but I've tried to order some other pickups late last year from Bill & Becky and wasn't able to - I'm afraid due to health issues they may not be available unless Lace starts putting them out again. I'd probably consider some samarium cobalt noiseless if I weren't going traditional.

The Kleins look really interesting.

Cherrick, why do I need to raise my dollar expectations? Have you tried some of the pickups mentioned and feel that the Mare or Zhangliqun are clearly much superior? Part of the reason for my post is my suspicion that the differences between pickups above a certain price and craftsmanship range is largely a matter of personal taste rather than clear superiority. I know that in the PAF world, my WCRs are not made to be exactly like a vintage PAF, but they still sound great, and to my ear clearly better than most large maker/inexpensive pickups. My Timbuckers are probably closer to vintage, and also great, but a bit different. Real PAFs are out of the range I'm willing to pay, and so are Throbaks - it may be sour grapes, but I'm happy with what I've got and suspect that the "improvement" I would see with one of those options rather than what I have would be modest and more a mild difference than a clear all around superiority. I'm guessing that we have a similar situation in the Strat pickup world as well. If I were a full time pro musician I might feel differently, but as it is the thing that limits my musical horizons is not that I failed to spend an extra C on my pickups, but that I have limited time, drive, and native ability.

[crunchman]

Klein has quite a good selection!, Good to know.

[jwalk24]

talk to kbr about van zandt pickups he will hook you up. if you like SRV Hendrix Mayer tone these are the ones.

[Jed B]

Bill Lawrence Keystones are going to win price/performance, for sure, but that's not so much that they're amazing as that they're so cheap for how good they are (which is amazing).

I'm in the process of ordering some Tele pickups from Rumpelstiltskin, and his Strat sets are $125. I've been very impressed by both the sound samples and the interactions with the owner. I'll probably be making a tone report once I get 'em in.


I have the Rumple pre-CBS (w/slightly hotter bridge 6.2k) set in a parts strat and I'm very happy with them. The middle and bridge have that "vintage tone" - almost like a Van Zandt true vintage (very similar). Good customer service, I emailed back and forth what I was looking for - even sent a few clips and they are a solid set. Right around $130-135 shipped......good bang for the buck imo.