Strat pick ups.

Jocko

A few years ago I built a budget Strat. The body is quality mahogany, but the rest of the guitar is mainly parts from my workshop, salvaged from other instruments I had built/modded and later stripped for parts.
The electrics are the original Squier Strat parts, from a project I modded up and past on.
I am intending passing this one on to my grandson, but want to upgrade the pick ups. I don't want to break the bank, but I am looking for a good quality sound from the guitar.
What are your recommendations?

Funkfingers

How would you (or your grandson) like the guitar to sound?

How is the body routed beneath the scratchplate? SSS, HSS, HSH, other?

Jocko

I just want a classic Strat tone. Body is SSS and I intend it to stay that way. I have previously fitted stacked humbuckers to a Strat but I don't want to do that this time

Corvus

That body looks very nice.. For about £55 I had a set of Priboras, hand wound, thought them excellent and not just 'for the money'. I'd wired the bridge to the tone pot but didn't need it. He does a few variants. If you see a red Strat on his demos that's mine.

DrBob

Same experience as Billkat with Pribora pickups
a friend bought a set and had me install them for him. Really impressed ! 

Jocko

Had a look at the site. Quite fancied the Classic Blues.

ICBM

Oil City Pickups. The best value for money there is in my opinion - top-quality British hand-made pickups at very reasonable prices.

Made by our very own TheGuitarWeasel .

DrBob

ICBM said:

Oil City Pickups. The best value for money there is in my opinion - top-quality British hand-made pickups at very reasonable prices.

Made by our very own TheGuitarWeasel .

Yeah much as I was very impressed with the Priboras I would say that all of my own builds have got either Oil City’s or Mojos in them 

Corvus

I also default to Mojo, 'cept for Strats now it's Mojotone, noiseless but all the good Strat stuff is right there present & correct. Feckin' pricey though unless a rare second-hand score, just about to start a scratch build with another set. For trad I wouldn't hesitate to go Pribora again but can't see me going back to normal s/c's though.

Jocko

Had a look, and both the Oil City and Mojo's are to pricey for my purse. Especially for a guitar I am passing along. I am looking at around £80 - £100 all in.

DrBob

Jocko said:

Had a look, and both the Oil City and Mojo's are to pricey for my purse. Especially for a guitar I am passing along. I am looking at around £80 - £100 all in.

Then deffo check out the Priboras. It was the Voodoo set that I used 

Henrytwang

Ironstone are very reasonably priced pickups, I’ve used them on a number of Stratocaster copies and been very happy with the quality and tone. They sell several different sets which cover quite a range of tonal requirements from traditional to modern.

CasperCaster

Toneriders? Or a secondhand set of Squier Classic Vibe pickups (OEM Toneriders with plastic covered, rather than cloth covered wires). I have a set of the Squier CV's which cost about £30 secondhand. Just make sure you know what you're buying as I've seen a set on eBay which definitely weren't from a Squier CV, regardless of what the seller stated.

Megii

I put a set of the vintage spec ones from this chap:

http://www.edispickups.com/single.html

...in my most recent strat build. Came to just over £70 posted, they are really well made, and excellent-sounding too. Arrived nicely packed, and only had to wait a week and a bit from ordering. posted from Croatia. He did me black covers with the E-dis logo in white. Just if you fancy a bit of an exotic choice anyhow. For an under £40 machine-wound option, I hear Vanson (via ebay) are good - I did have a set of those but sold them on without trying them - they looked to be decent, if not as well-made as the E-dis.

Jocko

I'd thought about those ones. It was just the ordering seemed long winded, but I will keep them in mind.
I had also looked at these: https://www.axetec.co.uk/guitar_parts_uk_094.htm

Zoolooter

Shame you missed a set of Fender Pure Vintage 59's going on here for £80 a few weeks back. Nowt much wrong with those.

thermionic

I’m selling a set from a Classic 60s Strat in the classifieds...

paulnb57

Iron Gear Pig Irons are good for the money..I prefer the overwound ones

Jocko

paulnb57 said:

Iron Gear Pig Irons are good for the money..I prefer the overwound ones

I am not ordering immediately, but I think I may go for the overwound Pig Irons.

Megii

Jocko said:

I'd thought about those ones. It was just the ordering seemed long winded, but I will keep them in mind.
I had also looked at these: https://www.axetec.co.uk/guitar_parts_uk_094.htm

No problem - lots of good choice out there for strat pickups I know. He does sometimes put an ad up on ebay, which makes the ordering simpler. Never tried axetec, but never heard anyone say anything bad about them.

jimboflojo

I've got fender 57/62 middle and bridge pickups you can have for £35 posted.

Got the set from @Funkfingers with intention of using them in a tele but as the wires have already been cut to fit a strat neatly they weren't quite long enough so only used the neck in the end. They come with covers but no springs/tubing and screws.

I was going to stick them in classifieds but I'll wait for your reply, sounds like a great project.
I'm well happy with how the neck sounds!