Best 'Budget' Single Coils (Strat)...

[Stratosphere]

What are the best inexpensive Strat pickups out there? I'm debating between getting the Duncan California Set (SSL-1 x3) or the Lace Sensor Hot Golds which get very good reviews. There are both about the same price, around $135.

[bungalowbill]

SSL-1's are great pups regardless of price.

[jeremy]

yup, the ssl1's are the best bang for your buck for sure. they sound like a vintage strat pup, chimey and bright

[Robert Delahunt]

Probably the California set by SD.

[stevie_bees]

The 2 are very different. If you want "classic" Strat tones, go with the SSL-1's. The Lace Sensors do drive very well, but the cleans aren't so nice to my ears.

[danglybanger]

ssl1s are inexpensive?

Japanese Fender single coils

[ugrkoglu]

Stratosphere, if you decide on the SSL-1 set, I have a set for sale. I put them on the trading post last week but there were no takers. You can have the set for $90.00 shipped. They are in almost mint condition. I will throw in white covers with Seymour Duncan inscription. PM me if you are interested.

[Benjy_26]

Jap Fender singles are surprisingly good.

[Bezmotivnik]

Jap Fender singles are surprisingly good.

Yes, they are -- and people always come to this conclusion independently, with no hype or price neurosis to lead them in that direction. That's a true test of something.

The Japanese domestic market wants US pickups, however, so all but the cheapest, FJ home-market instruments have Fender Corona pickups or Duncans.

I have no idea who actually manufactures them -- come to that, I'm not even sure who's manufacturing the FJ instruments these days, since Fujigen-Gakki supposedly went out of the guitar manufacturing business a couple of years ago. I hear Kasuga, but I don't know for sure.

Anyway, the Fender Japan pickups are quite close to the original vintage stuff.

[Benjy_26]

How could I forget Zhang?!

If you want a set of pickups wound to YOUR specs for a ridiculously low price, shoot him a PM.

[Simon_F]

Jap Fender singles are surprisingly good.

When I replaced one of the stock pups in my 1990 Jap 62 RI Strat with an SSL-1 I couldn't hear any difference! The construction of the Jap pups isn't vintage correct but the tone is all there (to my ears anyway).

[the guy who invented fire]

SSL-1's or the Tex-Mex pickups from Fender.

[Lu_B]

SSL-1's are great pups regardless of price.

Put these in my Japanese Squier and they're great for the vintage tone. Replaced the original japanese fender pups which weren't great, thik they might have been ceramic.

[Robert Delahunt]

Or you could wait for someone to put their "Lite Ash" set on eBay (i.e. triple Alnico II Staggered)

[midnite_man]

Stratosphere, if you decide on the SSL-1 set, I have a set for sale. I put them on the trading post last week but there were no takers. You can have the set for $90.00 shipped. They are in almost mint condition. I will throw in white covers with Seymour Duncan inscription. PM me if you are interested.

heck of a deal

You can't beat SSL-1's for great vintage Strat tone.

[midnite_man]

When I replaced one of the stock pups in my 1990 Jap 62 RI Strat with an SSL-1 I couldn't hear any difference! The construction of the Jap pups isn't vintage correct but the tone is all there (to my ears anyway).

I can relate....I have to admit that the stock pups that came in my MIJ 60's RI sounded pretty good, especially the neck and middle pups. A guy would be hard pressed to find too many faults with Japanese-built Strats.

[MartinSixStringCustoms]

The Kent Armstrongs might be an option as well....

[Martian]

To my tin ear, all "budget" pickups sound the same.

[Stratosphere]

Thanks everyone for your input. Looks like overwhelmingly it's in favor of the SSL-1 set!

Which brings up another question...which tone capacitor value is best with those? Should I go all vintage-style?

[bungalowbill]

A good inexpensive way to go would be 250K CTS pots and a .022 sprague orange drop cap.