Fender Strat

[wmthor]

Wheneven I'm not using a Ric, I generally reach for my AmSe Strat that's equipped with Lace's Holy Grail pups. I've thought about getting a Custom Shop Strat (NOS of course) and/or have one built, but then I come to my senses and realize that what I have works for me. Besides that leaves more money for Rics.

My second Strat is a right-handed MIM Standard. I keep it for two reasons, (1) it was my first electric guitar and (2) so friends and family will have something to play with if they stop by for a visit without their own guitar.

http://home.att.net/~wmthor/wsb/html/vi ... 53899.html

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

I also have a question for Stratocaster players. I play a 57 reissue Strat and can achieve a lot of different tones. But the design of the old single coils gives me a lot of problems with noise and hum (which is part of the "charm" but...). If I tried the "noiseless" pickups, would I lose anything tone-wise from the old-style single coils?

Richard, that's a nice collection!

[charlyg]

Not a guitar man myself, but how about shielding like we do to Jazz basses? Then you wouldn't lose the tone.

And you are correct Richard has some nice ones!! Well at least good mirror images of nice ones LOL!

[paologregorio]

I've never switched the pickups out of my `57 or `62 U.S. Strats. It didn't bother me enough to switch. My Telecaster had the same problem so my local luthier wax potted the pickups, which helped.

[sir_andrew_of_left_coast]

If I tried the "noiseless" pickups, would I lose anything tone-wise from the old-style single coils?

Although they ain't cheap, I'm quite satisfied with the "noiseless" pickups I've gotten from Kinman. I've got a Broadcater bridge pickup on one guitar (it's like a cross between a Combo 800 and an Esquire) and a Hank Marvin set on another guitar (a cross between a Jazzmaster and a Strat).

Great tone... no hum.

I've also got a set of Kinmans for a (Warmoth) Mustang project... that I really need to get started on.

[wmthor]

Mark, the main reason that I have the Holy Grails pups is that they retain the vintage tone with reduced noise. While I wouldn't exactly call them "noiseless", they do work when compared to the Fender's CS 54 pups that I have in the MIM Strat.