Please help identify pickups. Thanks so much

deanbutler

Hello everyone. I just purchased from ebay a 1976 Stratocaster in sunburst. Have always wanted one that was beaten up for so many years and one came up at a price that I could afford. Pickups and scratchplate obviously not original to guitar and seller didnt know what they where.

Be interested to find out what they are. Also if anyone could shed any light or guess on why there may be only one volume and one tone control not two tone controls that would be really really appreciated.

Thank you so much for any help everyone.

Dean

xscaramanga

The pickups that came out of my US Standard Strat looked like that and had similar markings on the back. I don't have them anymore to compare, but looks likely to me.

poopot

They look like modern USA standards.

deanbutler

jonnyscaramanga said:

The pickups that came out of my US Standard Strat looked like that and had similar markings on the back. I don't have them anymore to compare, but looks likely to me.

Hi Jonny thanks for the reply. Are these thought as ok pickups? So these are from an American made modern guitar that can buy new from shops today? You have any clue why only two controls, one volume and one tone rather than usual 3x?

deanbutler

poopot said:

They look like modern USA standards.

Hi Poopot thank you so much for identifying them. Very kind to share. You think these are ok pickups or they just thought as run of the mill? Sorry same question....  You have any clue why only two controls, one volume and one tone rather than usual 3x?

Corvus

My USA Std has the same markings from what I can tell. I think they're fairly OK but I find the bridge quite harsh with drive, just opinion/taste though. I'd hazard a guess someone wanted just master vol & master tone, or praps more likely wanted to shift the vol pot further away to avoid knocking it while playing.

And welcome to the FB

poopot

deanbutler said:

poopot said:

They look like modern USA standards.

Hi Poopot thank you so much for identifying them. Very kind to share. You think these are ok pickups or they just thought as run of the mill? Sorry same question....  You have any clue why only two controls, one volume and one tone rather than usual 3x?

They’re ok pickups... it’ll sound like a strat
as for the 1vol and 1tone... can only guess a previous owner just wanted that setup.

deanbutler

Thank you so much. I have been playing in bands for about 22 years and been using a Fender cyclone with a Ibanez humbucker on bridge. Its a big sound. This 76 strat is still in the post so havn't played it yet. Just hoping it wont be too much of a shock as used to a big sound.
I really don't have much knowledge on technical bits about the guitars. Just fell in love with the look of it and always wanted a beaten up vintage Sunburst. 

Alegree

Pickups are entirely a taste thing - asking other people is rarely of any use.
Try them and if you don't like them, both a pickguard and new pickups are cheap and easy to replace.

deanbutler

Alegree said:

Pickups are entirely a taste thing - asking other people is rarely of any use.
Try them and if you don't like them, both a pickguard and new pickups are cheap and easy to replace.

Thank you Alegree. Very good advice and point.

DannyP

deanbutler said:

Thank you so much. I have been playing in bands for about 22 years and been using a Fender cyclone with a Ibanez humbucker on bridge. Its a big sound. This 76 strat is still in the post so havn't played it yet. Just hoping it wont be too much of a shock as used to a big sound.
I really don't have much knowledge on technical bits about the guitars. Just fell in love with the look of it and always wanted a beaten up vintage Sunburst. 

I gig with 2 guitars of wildly different outputs and I find an SHO clone useful to stomp on when I pick up the weaker guitar. The boost feels quite "Pick-up-y" rather than a straight volume-hike (don't ask me why!)

deanbutler

DannyP said:

deanbutler said:

Thank you so much. I have been playing in bands for about 22 years and been using a Fender cyclone with a Ibanez humbucker on bridge. Its a big sound. This 76 strat is still in the post so havn't played it yet. Just hoping it wont be too much of a shock as used to a big sound.
I really don't have much knowledge on technical bits about the guitars. Just fell in love with the look of it and always wanted a beaten up vintage Sunburst. 

I gig with 2 guitars of wildly different outputs and I find an SHO clone useful to stomp on when I pick up the weaker guitar. The boost feels quite "Pick-up-y" rather than a straight volume-hike (don't ask me why!)

Thanks for advice Danny will look into that if its not big enough.

deanbutler

You know I posted the same message on couple other guitar forums and didnt get any replies. This is the place to be

rico

I only have a single volume and tone on my strat - I would be playing a gig and couldn't work out why I kept getting quieter and quieter...I was knocking the volume control right down to 0!

deanbutler

rico said:

I only have a single volume and tone on my strat - I would be playing a gig and couldn't work out why I kept getting quieter and quieter...I was knocking the volume control right down to 0!

That must be the reason then. I was thinking if the pickups where stolen out of something like a mustang that only has two controls but looks like they standard US strat ones and been taken off so dont get in way. 

ICBM

As already said these are modern USA Standard/Series pickups - the ones with the 'Delta Tone' hotter bridge pickup (notice the higher resistance reading). 

The single volume/tone setup is because a lot of people find the stock volume control position on a Strat annoying - you're always bashing it with your knuckle when strumming. (At least I do...)

The wiring is a bit of a mess but it does at least look like it should work OK.

guitars4you

I think you've already sussed they are from a USA Strat Std - Fender have made various edits to these over a 10/20 year period, but any changes on such edits are marginal, so can't nail exact which and from when - But yes USA Standard models

You can certainly buy better pick-ups if required and certainly find some that aren't as good - If you like the sound of them then all well and good - IMO for that 76 Strat you could find some better pick-ups - If it was me I would not bother trying to find any original mid 70's period pick-ups for that Strat to make it 'original' again

deanbutler

guitars4you said:

I think you've already sussed they are from a USA Strat Std - Fender have made various edits to these over a 10/20 year period, but any changes on such edits are marginal, so can't nail exact which and from when - But yes USA Standard models

You can certainly buy better pick-ups if required and certainly find some that aren't as good - If you like the sound of them then all well and good - IMO for that 76 Strat you could find some better pick-ups - If it was me I would not bother trying to find any original mid 70's period pick-ups for that Strat to make it 'original' again

Hey Guitars4you so great to read all this and makes me more confident that these are definatly the pickups. Out of interest if I'm not impressed with the tone, what would you change the bridge pickup to to get a full rock sound?

deanbutler

rico said:

I only have a single volume and tone on my strat - I would be playing a gig and couldn't work out why I kept getting quieter and quieter...I was knocking the volume control right down to 0!

That sounds bad, this is first time I will have owned a strat so this problem is new to me.

deanbutler

BTW if anyone is wondering about the star on the head, I have a close up picture of it and its drawn on with biro or something. May try and remove gently.

guitars4you

deanbutler said:

guitars4you said:

I think you've already sussed they are from a USA Strat Std - Fender have made various edits to these over a 10/20 year period, but any changes on such edits are marginal, so can't nail exact which and from when - But yes USA Standard models

You can certainly buy better pick-ups if required and certainly find some that aren't as good - If you like the sound of them then all well and good - IMO for that 76 Strat you could find some better pick-ups - If it was me I would not bother trying to find any original mid 70's period pick-ups for that Strat to make it 'original' again

Hey Guitars4you so great to read all this and makes me more confident that these are definatly the pickups. Out of interest if I'm not impressed with the tone, what would you change the bridge pickup to to get a full rock sound?

contact Ash @theguitarweasel - many also use a Seymour Duncan Hotrails or JB Jnr that are hot humbuckers but still fit in the existing size space