Noiseless Strat recommendations?

[ConcreteVampire]

Guitar would be for 60's, 70's big arena, hard rock type noises...

Think Hendrix, Trower, Montrose, Blackmore,Aerosmith... Paired with an LP with low Ouptput Pickups...

I am leaning towards higher output PU's, although I know most of these guys used lower... I allready have a Strat with Van Zandts for the "Blues"...

NO Humbuckers! Guitar should stay period correct (Pole pieces)... So no Lace Sensors either...

I understand "Noiseless" usually translates to loss of high end and lack of "Twang". The ones I've heard so far that seem to lessen that gap are, so far, are the Samarium Fenders, Bill Lawrence, and Di Marzio Area's. All sound good in youtube Vid's (For what THEY are worth )

Of course Guitar Fetish, and Wilkinson are out there as the "Cheap" route...

What say you?

 

[Heritage Softail]

Lollar Strat specials are in my 95. Very slightly overwound. Bill Nash uses the bridge pickup in his custom strats. It can still pull off a good Dire Straits and have a tiny bit of extra heat.

I also had the TBX tone knob with a center detent added for more tone shaping. Really great pickups with a little more flexibility and still keeping the Fender tone that made the Strat an icon.

 

[racerevlon]

Dimarzio Area series are awesome sounding.

 

[chunktone]

I've never been happy with noiseless single-coils. If I want those tones, I'll deal with the noise with a gate or 2.

 

[firegate]

Kinman's are the closest I've found to the true single coil sound without the noise. I replaced the stock pickups in my Custom Shop 56 Strat with Kinman Woodstocks a couple years back and couldn't be happier.

 

[Gainzilla]

Dimarzio Area series are awesome sounding.

THIS!!!
Bro Diego, I had the exact same requirements when putting some of my partsocasters together so I spoke with Steve Blucher over at DiMarzio and he reccomended the following;

Area 61-Neck
Area 67-Middle
Area Heavy Blues II-Bridge

and I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!!!

For true single coils ( Non Noiseless) McCon-o-Wah BEll Tones are my go to all time favorite but for Noiseless singles that cover so much ground while retaining single coil goodness, The above set is all Ill ever use from here on out..

Kage

 

[Rogue]

I've only had any experience with the noiseless fenders. I just played a strat in a store with those pickups. It sounded pretty strat-like, although at the time my ears weren't as sensitive to strat tone, to be fair.

I say embrace the noise (period correct). Either Fender Custom Shop 54s or MCP Woodwards if you are looking to squeeze out a little more tone for a premium. Neither are wound "hot", both sound fantastic. Use a clean boost pedal if you want a little more heat....or Koko boost for added flexibility. Roll off volume knob when not playing. Enjoy tone.

 

[blackba]

I went with a Illitch silent back plate for one of my strats and its great. I used a push pull pot for when I want to disengage it. I do notice some difference in clean and low gain (basically when I don't need it) but no difference in higher gain. Its pricey is the only drawback, but if you like the tone of your current pickups, its something to consider.

I have Bill Lawerence L280s in another strat and can recommend those, very nice pickups at a reasonable price.

I also had a set of the samariam Lawerence designed pickups, they were pretty nice, but the bridge did not match well to the neck and middle. The bridge itself sounded great, but pretty modern. I just didn't feel the set was well matched, it would be a good set for someone who wants more of a humbucker sound for the bridge but doesn't want to put in a humbucker.

 

[rupe]

Dimarzio Areas are awesome...they are essentially what I have in my Suhr Standard with the JS Noiseless pickups. That said, the best that I've heard hands down are Kinmans...fat yet spanky...an elusive combination.

 

[ConcreteVampire]

Dimarzio Area series are awesome sounding.

THIS!!!
Bro Diego, I had the exact same requirements when putting some of my partsocasters together so I spoke with Steve Blucher over at DiMarzio and he reccomended the following;

Area 61-Neck
Area 67-Middle
Area Heavy Blues II-Bridge

and I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!!!

For true single coils ( Non Noiseless) McCon-o-Wah BEll Tones are my go to all time favorite but for Noiseless singles that cover so much ground while retaining single coil goodness, The above set is all Ill ever use from here on out..

Kage

This Set sounds sexy! thanks Kage, a user I respect play with his goodies! (No dis on any other posters, I just know Kage tears and has the same taste as me, although I'm 1/0th the player ...)

I'll check outt the Kinmans as well...

And it's not about being period correct, I've got a kickin set of Van Zandt's in a Strat already for "Holy Grail" bell and chime...
This is for heavy blues rock, loud amp, good amount of gain. I can't gate that out. It's always hissin somewhere...

Keep em comin!

 

[rlord1974]

Probably not what you're looking for, but the EMG SA's have some nice bell-like chime a la the vintage Strat tone and are dead quiet. No pole pieces though!

 

[DrugDM]

I was going to suggest the EMG DG20 set. To me that is as versatile as it gets.

 

[Gainzilla]

This Set sounds sexy! thanks Kage, a user I respect play with his goodies! (No dis on any other posters, I just know Kage tears and has the same taste as me, although I'm 1/0th the player ...)

I'll check outt the Kinmans as well...

And it's not about being period correct, I've got a kickin set of Van Zandt's in a Strat already for "Holy Grail" bell and chime...
This is for heavy blues rock, loud amp, good amount of gain. I can't gate that out. It's always hissin somewhere...

Keep em comin!

Thanks for the props Diego butI think that you overstated me a bit and sold yourself a bit short... BTW, when I spoke to Steve Blucher, I told him the bold almost vebatim and he was dead nuts on with the recomendation. To me, the area set that I have couldnt be any better and is straty as hell without the noise... they sound amazing across the gain spectrum and I just couldnt be happier... Theyre so good and versatile that they seriously have me wondering if Ill ever go back to buckers again...

 

[yngzaklynch]

DiMarzio Virtual Vintage pickups... I use a VV Blues in my Strat in the neck position and really like it

 

[ConcreteVampire]

This Set sounds sexy! thanks Kage, a user I respect play with his goodies! (No dis on any other posters, I just know Kage tears and has the same taste as me, although I'm 1/0th the player ...)

I'll check outt the Kinmans as well...

And it's not about being period correct, I've got a kickin set of Van Zandt's in a Strat already for "Holy Grail" bell and chime...
This is for heavy blues rock, loud amp, good amount of gain. I can't gate that out. It's always hissin somewhere...

Keep em comin!

Thanks for the props Diego butI think that you overstated me a bit and sold yourself a bit short... BTW, when I spoke to Steve Blucher, I told him the bold almost vebatim and he was dead nuts on with the recomendation. To me, the area set that I have couldnt be any better and is straty as hell without the noise... they sound amazing across the gain spectrum and I just couldnt be happier... Theyre so good and versatile that they seriously have me wondering if Ill ever go back to buckers again...

I tells ya, if Gibson ever reissues a (Sensibly priced) sinlge P90 Double Cut Jr... I'm screwed all over again!

And you too... one P90, One Volume, One tone, Blues and a loud tube amp... oh Glory!

The bridge in my Tele is an Area T, and its killer... looks like Di Marzio's for all the Fenders!

 

[Gainzilla]

This Set sounds sexy! thanks Kage, a user I respect play with his goodies! (No dis on any other posters, I just know Kage tears and has the same taste as me, although I'm 1/0th the player ...)

I'll check outt the Kinmans as well...

And it's not about being period correct, I've got a kickin set of Van Zandt's in a Strat already for "Holy Grail" bell and chime...
This is for heavy blues rock, loud amp, good amount of gain. I can't gate that out. It's always hissin somewhere...

Keep em comin!

Thanks for the props Diego butI think that you overstated me a bit and sold yourself a bit short... BTW, when I spoke to Steve Blucher, I told him the bold almost vebatim and he was dead nuts on with the recomendation. To me, the area set that I have couldnt be any better and is straty as hell without the noise... they sound amazing across the gain spectrum and I just couldnt be happier... Theyre so good and versatile that they seriously have me wondering if Ill ever go back to buckers again...

I tells ya, if Gibson ever reissues a (Sensibly priced) sinlge P90 Double Cut Jr... I'm screwed all over again!

And you too... one P90, One Volume, One tone, Blues and a loud tube amp... oh Glory!

The bridge in my Tele is an Area T, and its killer... looks like Di Marzio's for all the Fenders!

P90's are pure sex BUT Ill take the versatility of a strat if I had to choose.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Dimarzio Area, EMG DG and Lace Holy Grails. All great pups but still can't hold a candle to real deal SC Fender CS '69s. I just deal with the noise

 

[Zap]

DiMarzio makes some good pickups. I first started playing the guitar casually (religiously 2 years ago) over nine years ago and I've never played an SG or P90s... I gotta get on that.

 

[rupe]

I tells ya, if Gibson ever reissues a (Sensibly priced) sinlge P90 Double Cut Jr... I'm screwed all over again!

They just did not so long ago. They're out of production again but it shouldn't be hard to find one.

That said, I've played a few of these in the past...certainly better than most of the non-custom shop Gibsons that I've played in recent years.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/c-1976-Univ...e-/360494785101?pt=Guitar&hash=item53ef29e24d

Then there's always this:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...r-double-cutaway-electric-guitar?src=3WWRWXGP

 

[rlord1974]

Anyone have any experience wiring up a Strat with the following combination of Seymour Duncan noiseless "stack" single coils, or some combination of the following models?

• STK-S7 Vintage Hot Stack Plus in the neck position
  
  STK-S4m Classic Stack Plus in the middle position (note: I have had one of these in the middle on one of my Strats and thought it was great)
  
  STKS9b Hot Stack Plus in the bridge

Thanks!