p.snail
02-28-2011, 07:03 PM
I have a Fender Strat Ultra that has been my main guitar for about 10 years now. I LOVE this guitar. The feel, is just unreal. Now I have changed the pickups in this thing about 4 times.
I immediately ripped the Lace Sensors out, (sterile, and blah sounding).
I then put in EMG S/S/81 pickups in it. VERY QUIET, but again sterile so out they went.
I then put in 2 Dimarzio Area 58's and a Duncan humbucker. This was aweful. I mean just aweful. The Dimarzio's just did not have it.
OK, the current configuration is a Duncan Lil Screamin Demon in the bridge (LOVE IT), and 2 fender Alinco 3 single coils, ripped from a HWY 1 strat. They sound really stratty and I like them pretty well. Here comes the BUT......
I can't stand the noise. I play with higher gain, and I love the tone of a strat single coil in the neck, but the noise is just driving me crazy. So here is what I'm thinking:
I will reshield the pickguard. When I changed it, I never reshielded the control cavity part of the pickguard. This goes without saying it needs to be done.
Then put in a Pair of Kinman Woodstocks in the neck and middle positions.
Change out the trem block for a Callaham.
My thought is that the Callaham might put some more high end fundamental back in the guitar that the Kinman's might take away...(why can't noiseless pickups just sound right?)
It has to be quiet, handle OD tones and clean up/ react with the volume control on the guitar. Do these sound like good mods to you guys?
I immediately ripped the Lace Sensors out, (sterile, and blah sounding).
I then put in EMG S/S/81 pickups in it. VERY QUIET, but again sterile so out they went.
I then put in 2 Dimarzio Area 58's and a Duncan humbucker. This was aweful. I mean just aweful. The Dimarzio's just did not have it.
OK, the current configuration is a Duncan Lil Screamin Demon in the bridge (LOVE IT), and 2 fender Alinco 3 single coils, ripped from a HWY 1 strat. They sound really stratty and I like them pretty well. Here comes the BUT......
I can't stand the noise. I play with higher gain, and I love the tone of a strat single coil in the neck, but the noise is just driving me crazy. So here is what I'm thinking:
I will reshield the pickguard. When I changed it, I never reshielded the control cavity part of the pickguard. This goes without saying it needs to be done.
Then put in a Pair of Kinman Woodstocks in the neck and middle positions.
Change out the trem block for a Callaham.
My thought is that the Callaham might put some more high end fundamental back in the guitar that the Kinman's might take away...(why can't noiseless pickups just sound right?)
It has to be quiet, handle OD tones and clean up/ react with the volume control on the guitar. Do these sound like good mods to you guys?