Guitar pickup insanity

[Derrick111]

Terrible problem which I thought I solved by getting the Lace Sensors to use on this Strat . The funny part of the story is that My Tele's work really great . Go figure ?

What are the values of your Strat pots? Is the wiring the standard, generic stock wiring?

 

[El Gringo]

My tech that

What are the values of your Strat pots? Is the wiring the standard, generic stock wiring?

My Tech that just did the work in May said the pots are the regular 250k pots that come from Fender Custom and it was wired in the traditional manner as I did not choose to go the active route as that would have required wood to be removed from the trem cavity for the 9Volt battery .Stock pots and wiring as well .

 

[Derrick111]

Well OK, that's a start. Maybe you can do what I did when I had this problem with a Les Paul... find one that you like the sound of at a music store or a friend/peer, then find out what PUs are in there and get some for your ax. This worked brilliantly for me and that guitar/those PUs paring is going on 26 years with me now.

 

[EndGame00]

PAF varieties…. I have a set of DiMarzio 36th and Masters….set of Duncan 59’s…. Suhr Thornbuckers, SSV and SSV+….

the 36th is my favorite… I love the mid growl and rounder bass response (not boomy)…

 

[Sg-ocaster]

I can make my Les Paul's with there ThroBak's sing . Now if I could get that to work on my Strats . Case in point exhibit A my Mark Kay Strat . Formerly loaded with her Custom Shop Cruz pickups , which were weak for my tastes . I recently switched to some Lace Sensors (red bridge , silver middle , and blue neck ) and these still sound like puke. First I tried them with my normal settings which did not work . Next I lowered the bass and the middle and then raised the treble and still sounded like puke . I swear my 2555X's only like Les Paul's . Terrible problem which I thought I solved by getting the Lace Sensors to use on this Strat . The funny part of the story is that My Tele's work really great . Go figure ?

I had lace sensors in a strat build thought they were so/so but kind of compressed and muttled. I was told the new ones arent like the old ones from the 80s and 90s. I had blue(bridge) silver(middle)gold(neck) 250k pots. I remember having an older gold one in a strat neck that sounded decent(course that was years ago)

 

[El Gringo]

I had lace sensors in a strat build thought they were so/so but kind of compressed and muttled. I was told the new ones arent like the old ones from the 80s and 90s. I had blue(bridge) silver(middle)gold(neck) 250k pots. I remember having an older gold one in a strat neck that sounded decent(course that was years ago)

That could be it in a nut shell . I have a set of early 90's Fender Lace Sensors which are 2 gold and 1 red for the bridge . Of course they are buried at home and it was the easier choice just to order the new set from Guitar Center and thought they would sound the same and they sound weak and harsh . I tried 2 different settings on the front control panel of my 2555X's and at first I backed everything down to compensate for the single coils and it sounded like puke . Then I used my regular Gibson Les Paul settings which are my default settings and they sounded the same except with more volume . Now of course I want to rip them out and replace . Very frustrating for me to dial in a decent Strat sound . Funny thing my Telecasters work perfect with the Les Paul settings .Go figure right ?

 

[paul-e-mann]

I just saw online from a guy that builds custom pickups instead of wax potting, put a piece of masking tape over the center of the two humbucker coils and a few small dabs of silicone on the tape, carefully clamp the pickup cover to squish it back on and a couple dabs of solder to permanently attach it. This will prevent any squeal from the pickup. Im gonna try this, he shows how here:

Way cool idea! I did some wax between the PU cover and the top of the humbucker on a early SG once and it seemed to work. So maybe that would work on this guitar I have? I just don't know yet if it's the cover of the PU that's squealing... That's the factor.

Its air gaps under the cover. Ive wax potted pickups before and this tape and silicone looks so much easier and no controversy about affecting tone.

I did a pickup like this today, the tape and silicone technique, it was super easy and worked out well, I cranked it up with all kinds of gain and no squeal.

 

[El Gringo]

This is a tried a

I did a pickup like this today, the tape and silicone technique, it was super easy and worked out well, I cranked it up with all kinds of gain and no squeal.

This is a tried and true practice with double sided tape and a drop of silicon on the slug coil and you are golden . Tape on the slug coil with a drop of silicon on the top of the tape that makes contact with the underside of the pickup cover for the humbucker pickup . Thus you get a airtight seal and you should be squeal free with an unpotted humbucker . Might not work to well with high gain amps though and you might need to wax pott for those .