Fender Strat

[aoxomoxoa]

I've been looking into various mods for a strat, different ways to wire different pickups, with a chromacaster, etc. Any advice, ideas, or good websites? Some of the diagrams of seen are confusing...

Anybody here ever modify a guitar w/ different wiring?

Also, what are some really good pickups to invest in.

Finally, what do you guys know about the replica '59 les paul pickups?

THANKS

[Stjonnypopo]

well you could get les paul pickups, waste of money just get brand new dimarzio's
I've never modified it with wiring, but it's not complicated, get the music store to do it for 20 bucks, or just learn online
why would you get gibson pickups on a fender? It's gibson feel fender tone not the other way around

[Babachoo]

I happen to like putting Dimarzio Super-Distortion pickups in strats. Either that or keeping two single-coils and throwing a superfat humbucker on too.

[Tool]

I've been looking into various mods for a strat, different ways to wire different pickups, with a chromacaster, etc. Any advice, ideas, or good websites? Some of the diagrams of seen are confusing...

Anybody here ever modify a guitar w/ different wiring?

Also, what are some really good pickups to invest in.

Finally, what do you guys know about the replica '59 les paul pickups?

THANKS

Well, you couldn't have replica '59 Les Paul pickups even if you wanted them. Fender and Gibson guitars have different nut widths, which mean the strings are different distances apart. So, when you place the Gibson pickups in the Fender, the 'bucker will be too small for the strings resulting in tone loss on the Low and High E's. The only way you could get around this is if you can get an F-Spaced (Fender-Spaced) version of the pickup.

I'm just assuming this here, but with you wanting Les Paul pickups your guitar is a H-S-H setup? If you're looking to change the humbuckers I would defiantely agree with checking out DiMarzios. I replaced my 'buckers with DiMarzios and they are really nice pickups, definately worth the money. Depending on what kind of music you play would depend on the pickup you go for though. Just browse the DiMarzio (http://www.dimarzio.com) website and see what sounds the best to you.

Just one last piece of pickup advice though. If you play metal music and want that really sweet metal sound, go for an EMG 81. It's an active pickup, so you would have to install a battery to power it, but it's supposed to take the cake when it comes to metal.

A quick search found me this
(http://www.1728.com/guitar.htm) on pickup wiring. It seems rather complex and comprehensive. I would recommend reading and finding out which set-up you would prefer and then take it to a professional to wire it. Unless you really know what you're doing, I would risk it. That's just personally of course, but it's up to you.

[Stjonnypopo]

Well, you couldn't have replica '59 Les Paul pickups even if you wanted them. Fender and Gibson guitars have different nut widths, which mean the strings are different distances apart. So, when you place the Gibson pickups in the Fender, the 'bucker will be too small for the strings resulting in tone loss on the Low and High E's. The only way you could get around this is if you can get an F-Spaced (Fender-Spaced) version of the pickup.

I'm just assuming this here, but with you wanting Les Paul pickups your guitar is a H-S-H setup? If you're looking to change the humbuckers I would defiantely agree with checking out DiMarzios. I replaced my 'buckers with DiMarzios and they are really nice pickups, definately worth the money. Depending on what kind of music you play would depend on the pickup you go for though. Just browse the DiMarzio (http://www.dimarzio.com) website and see what sounds the best to you.

Just one last piece of pickup advice though. If you play metal music and want that really sweet metal sound, go for an EMG 81. It's an active pickup, so you would have to install a battery to power it, but it's supposed to take the cake when it comes to metal.

A quick search found me this
(http://www.1728.com/guitar.htm) on pickup wiring. It seems rather complex and comprehensive. I would recommend reading and finding out which set-up you would prefer and then take it to a professional to wire it. Unless you really know what you're doing, I would risk it. That's just personally of course, but it's up to you.

If you were to put active pickups on a guitar that didn't have active, would you have to drill a hole in the body or like tape a battery to the side of the guitar?

[Tool]

If you were to put active pickups on a guitar that didn't have active, would you have to drill a hole in the body or like tape a battery to the side of the guitar?

Yes you would. It would be the easier option. You could just have it stuck down to the cavity that is already routed in the guitar, but when the time comes to change the battery, you would have to remove the pickguard again, which is quite annoying. Normally, you would drill a new cavity in the back and then you put a battery holder in there which would be alot easier when it comes to changing the battery as you just ahve a little door to open.

[Stjonnypopo]

Yes you would. It would be the easier option. You could just have it stuck down to the cavity that is already routed in the guitar, but when the time comes to change the battery, you would have to remove the pickguard again, which is quite annoying. Normally, you would drill a new cavity in the back and then you put a battery holder in there which would be alot easier when it comes to changing the battery as you just ahve a little door to open.

Wouldn't that change the tone of the guitar a bit?

[Tool]

Erm, not drastically enough to notice. It would be extremely minor, but I suppose you're right. It's just a trade-off really. If you don't think it's worth the hassle and possible change in tone (due to less mass for resonation), then don't get active pick-ups.

You can buy blocks of metal that you attach to the headstock of a guitar which adds to the mass. I guess if you really was bothered about the mass that's been removed, then adding that would be an option. I've never played with one of those on though, so I couldn't say how it would affect the balance.

Just one of those things really isn't it.

[Stjonnypopo]

I wanna either put some dimarzio's or some active EMG's on my guitar, I have a Gibson Explorer, and it feels great but the clean tone blows, I want some good metal sound but when I switch to clean I don't wanna hear a shitty buzz

[Pat The Baker]

Stacked humbuckers. The dude from Iron Maiden uses stacked humbuckers. I think they are Hot Rails or something, Seymour Duncans. They fit in a single coils place, but are humbuckers.

I have also seen a tiny humbucker that fit in a single coil, but wasn't stacked. Not sure what kind it was.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Seymour-Duncan-SHR1-Hot-Rail-Stacked-Single-Coil-Pickup?sku=300300

But, if you would've gotten a guitar that wasn't so cliche, it wouldnt be an issue...