Decent but inexpensive single coil pick ups for Stratocaster copy?

[Dark Horse]

Hi All,

I have an old no brand name Stratocaster copy and I have been thinking about putting new pick ups in it as the ones they currently have are shot. Any advice on decent but cheap ones? I was thinking Wilkinson's?

Single coil picks preferred. Thanks.

 

[LP1865]

Tonerider Pickups

 

[Tubejockey]

As an alternative to traditional styles, i have been very impressed with the GFS metal foils i put in my tele. Get em while they're cheap.

 

[northernguitarguy]

Vineham Pickups. USD$130 per set.

Vineham Strat Pickups

 

[ehb]

Guitar Fetish GFS pickups.

 

[WannaLesPaul]

errrrr... he said CHEAP

A few years ago, I put a set of SSA12 by Artec (Korea) in my strat copy. AliExpress $30 lol They sound great!
Set them down close to the pickguard and a bit higher on the treble side.

"The Artec SSA12 single coil pickups are for Stratocaster style guitars. Featuring staggered pole pickup pieces, they are designed to emulate Fender's classic 60's American Strat pickups, with clear chime-y tones and authentic vintage sound. Made with staggered Alnico V magnets, fibre-board bobbins and braided hookup wire. Reverse wound and reverse polarity Middle pickup for hum cancelling"

Available on eBay $32.99

Artec Alnico 5 Single Coil Strat Pickup Set Cream Cover From Korea | eBay

Magnet: Alnico 5. Cover: Plastic.

www.ebay.com

 

[ehb]

Fits Strat®

 

[judson]

you made a good decision to spend money on the pups on your old copy strat as oppose to spending money chasing guitars for sound...also consider changing pots and caps to experiment a bit.

i would go with a used Seymour Duncan for about $40-50 if you wait for one.

spend the money on just one quality instead of a set, to try it and see if its what your looking for in sound.

i will agree there are some great lower priced pups as well as posts here suggested

good luck with your tone chasing...fair warning...this wont be the first pickup you buy!

and welcome to MLP

 

[WannaLesPaul]

you made a good decision to spend money on the pups on your old copy strat as oppose to spending money chasing guitars for sound...also consider changing pots and caps to experiment a bit.

i would go with a used Seymour Duncan for about $40-50 if you wait for one.

spend the money on just one quality instead of a set, to try it and see if its what your looking for in sound.

i will agree there are some great lower priced pups as well as posts here suggested

good luck with your tone chasing...fair warning...this wont be the first pickup you buy!

and welcome to MLP

Youve covered just what I forgot to say. When I installed the pups, I gutted the pickguard and replaced the pots, switch and caps as well using cloth pushback wiring. The tone pots are no-load N and B, with the Middle open. 50s wiring. Altogether spent about $60 including the pups. The difference in sound is off the charts

 

[northernguitarguy]

My Fender Tex-Mex set was $60, about ten years ago. The neck pup has a gorgeous clean tone. I’m not a big fan of the Strat single-bridge, but this one it thick enough sounding to push some nice distortion.

 

[jbash]

I had a set of those GFS 70s greybottoms that came in vintage style partscaster I purchased around 2K7. I swapped them out not long after for some really good pups (Fralins), and really there was no comparison to those high end pickups, but the GFS were decent.. Unsure how good they are today. I'd probably just try to get a used set of Fender CS69s, or similar.

 

[Antigua]

high quality, cost almost nothing, considering the top specs https://www.byoguitar.com/Guitars/Storm-Vintage-Strat-Pickup-Set__BYO-STORM-SET.aspx

There was a boutique winder who I won't name, he was a big name on other boards. His pickups looked A LOT like these pickups, and I say that not so much to disparage said boutique winder, but to say these are good enough to be passed off as boutique pickups.

 

[Dark Horse]

Thanks for all the feedback and welcoming me. No rush on the project and I will check out the pick ups that have been suggested.