Replacing Fender Strat Pickups

I'm a born-again electric guitar player. I'm "re-learning" after many, many years away. I purchased a 1998 Fender Strat(MIM) that literally hadn't been out of the case since it was purchased. Got it for $200.

After a few months of use, I'm finding I don't like the pickups. In my prior electric-guitar-playing life, I had a Gibson L6 Deluxe and a Gibson
Les Paul. I thought at first I just had to get used to the different sound from the Strat. However, that isn't it.

I don't know if I can explain adequately, but, I'll try. First, the low-grade hummmmmmmmmm drives me ape. I've made every effort to eliminate electronic/electrical devices that I thought may be contributing, but, it's still there.

Second, the tone is too ... "bland" for my tastes. It's like there is no punch, no drive, no..."character". I can get a pickup combo that is slightly better than the rest, but, it's still not to my liking. I have a
Fender Frontman 15W amp I bought. My thinking was it is a good house-use amp. There's not much I can do there that really helps.

If this makes any sense, what replacement pickups can anyone here recommend?
I really appreciate any help very much. Replacement pickups are something I know next to nothing about.

Check out Harmony Cental => User Reviews => Pickups. You will find a lot of information there.
http://www.harmony-central.com/User_Reviews/

I am a bass player so I cannot tell who you makes the best Strat replacements but I would suggest starting with some of the big names:

Lindy Fralen
Seymour Duncun
Dimarzio

You mention the 60Hz hum thing. Jazz basses have two single coils that do the same things. You can buy hum buckers in a single coil config for basses that eliminate the hum. I would guess the same is true for Strat replacements. I am surprised the guitar playing community has not hit you with lots of options and opinions as there are probably a 100 different replacements out there, and they will certainly change your tone.

I knew a 16 year old kid that took his dad's vintage 60's Strat and had a shop route a double humbucker in the bridge position if you can imagine such a thing : (. However, with a MIM 98 Strat, I would do whatever is cost effective to get the sound that's in your head.

Well, you guys nailed the answer. I appreciate the validation. I do want the old Gibson/humbucker sound. I've been missing my old Gibson L6. I liked it over the Les Paul. The pickups always seemed "hotter."

I'm going to try to "hunt down" the fella I sold the L6 to when I went to college. I know there isn't much chance he still has the guitar, but, I'm going to try. If that doesn't pan out, I'm going to look for one on the used market - obviously. If that bombs, I'll start looking at the Les Paul.

Thanks again. I appreciate the comments.

It sounds like you need to replace this guitar with a Les Paul.

Ken Wilson

Amer. Dlx. Tele, Gary Moore LP,
Jeff Beck Strat, Morgan OM Acoustic,
Rick 360/12, Standard Strat (MIM),
Mesa 100 Nomad, Mesa F-30

"Just because people don't understand you doesn't mean you are an artist"

I am considering this for this since I read the suggestion and did a little research on the matter. The playability of the guitar is fine. At least it's fine for me at the present.

All feasible suggestions. At this point, while I am still searching for the original Gibson L6 I sold, I don't really plan on selling the strat - for now. I'm going to take my time and look into the suggestions I've gotten here, and, see what others are available. If the value is there, there's a good chance I will do something with the pickups.

I really appreciate all of the replies. This was an area with which I have little knowledge and no experience. Hopefully one day, I'll have enough knowledge on these matters to help someone in kind.

Try cleaning the jacks of the wire plugs. My aging guitar set sometimes gives off a hum and cleaning them makes it go away. Pencil eraser does wonders. I think flourescent lighting causes it as well if u're near it.

The 5 way switch gives me the hum problem at times. Don't know any better way of cleaning it except by moving it up/down quickly a couple of times and it goes away. Lower down the volume when doing this as the crackling can be loud.

Very bad hum is normally some grounding connection problem.

Turn up the volume control on the guitar and turn down the volume control on the amp. Some amps when turned on loud have a noticable hum even if nothing is connected to it.

Check the pickup distance to the strings. After following the instructions in www.mrgearhead.com my guitar now sounds much better.

New strings would also help make it sound better.

I've never really heard a humbucker pickups but many have written that it would eliminate hum and make a guitar sound much better.

The hum is an ever-present nag of a traditional single-coil it seems.
However, there are alternatives, such as the aforementioned EMG's as well as Fender noiseless singles. I replaced my neck and mid single coils in a '95 Fat Strat with single coils from a Super Strat. The tone was better and they play a bit hotter, but there was no reduction in the hum. There are also several sites that describe how to reduce the hum by shielding the inside of the pup and control cavity.

As for the humbucker sound, you could look at replaceing your pick guard possibly and putting a humbucker in the bridge. Many MIM strats have a
"swimming pool" type of routing behind the pick guard which might allow you to replace the bridge single coil with a humbucker and create a Fat Strat.
I replaced my stock MIM humbucker with a Rio Grande Muay Grande and it sounds fabulous.

As another post mentioned, if the guitar has a good neck and feels good to you, there are some modifications that might be more cost effective then getting a new guitar, while getting some of the tone you are looking for.
Just a few ideas.

As I read your post, I would say the bottom line is: You want a higher-quality (better shielded) solid body with humbuckers on it.
Countless ones are out there, from an entry-level (lower priced Ibanez or Epi SG clone) to a high end (PRS or back to the Gibson LP). Consider playing some other instruments of that type - you may find exactly what you are looking for, and you should easily be able to get back out of the Strat what you put into it.
It's certainly not the only solution, but I see it as more sensible than sinking more money into a Mexi Strat to turn it into a "non-Strat".
Just my .02¢

The Old Guy