Insights about alnico 2 vs alnico 5 Strat pickups...

[Lewguitar]

Been working on some of my Strats and comparing them last night.

I put Joe Bardens in my G&L SC-3 and wanted to compare it to my Homebrew '57 with Antiquity Surfer N & M and Ant Texas Hot Custom Bridge....and also to my Hamer Daytona with APS-1 N & M and Twangbanger bridge.

It seems to me that alnico 5 Strat pickups are brighter, bubblier and clearer and that alnico 2 Strat pickups are more for those who play with distortion.

Since I do like an overdriven/slightly distorted tone from the bridge pickup, I like the alnico 2 Twangbanger and alnico 2 Ant Texas Hot Custom as bridge pickups.

But since I like a bright, glassy, bubbley, clear and chimey tone from the neck and middle pickups, I prefer alnico 5 Ant Surfers....the alnico 2 APS pickups sound slightly muddy by comparism.

As for the Barden Strat pickups, they sound awesome individually, but they do not have have classic vintage Strat tone when I combine the N & M or M & B.

IMO, the best sounding Strat I own is my Homebrew '57 style Strat with the Antiquitys. I compared all three of these Strat type guitars and wound up playing the Homebrew '57 for hours! It's been my fave for a while now.

Lew

[ParaGuitarMedic]

Sounds like you knew what you wanted from the very beginning!

[gripweed]

Some interesting insights Lew! So what would you recommend to a player who loves the sound of a clean Strat, plays with distortion from time to time, but finds Strat bridge pickups too icepicky? This unnamed player has found a lot of Tele pickups and humbuckers he likes or loves in the bridge, but never a Strat pickup.

[Lewguitar]

Some interesting insights Lew! So what would you recommend to a player who loves the sound of a clean Strat, plays with distortion from time to time, but finds Strat bridge pickups too icepicky? This unnamed player has found a lot of Tele pickups and humbuckers he likes or loves in the bridge, but never a Strat pickup.

Well...I'm one of those kinda guys myself! That's why I went with Alnico 5 Antiquitys for the neck and middle and the Alnico 2 Antiquity Texas Hot Custom for the bridge pickup in my favorite Strat.

Personally, I think the Ant Texas Hot Custom is the best Strat bridge pickup I've ever used. I do like the A2 Twangbanger, but it's cloudier sounding and not as lively, IMO, as the Ant Texas Hot Custom...and my ATHC is wound to almost 10K! 9.5K seems to be the norm for that particular pickup though.

Other Strat bridge pickups I've used and liked alot would include the Fralin SP-43...but the Duncan Ant THCB does it best for me...

Lew

[gripweed]

Ya know Lew, I have a Texas Hot Custom that has been sitting around in its box for years now. I bought it from a music store that was selling it for $25 on clearance! I guess I really need to try it. It is also 10k!

[Jeffrec]

Lew,

Great review!

I played a Daytona years ago and was very impressed (I love Hamers so it was no big stretch ). I know you like your '57 best , but how do you rate the Hamer?

p.s. I've got an '95 American Standard Strat with Fat '50's that I love to death, but I'll eventually put Ants into it (I'll call you when I get to that point )

Jeff

[stevie_bees]

I guess that's why my SSL-1's complement the Twangbanger so well, alnico 2 in the bridge and alnice 5 in the middle and neck.

[Bludave]

Its good to hear Lew, I have a set of the Texas Hots in my 57RI and I love the tone I get with this guitar. I am in the process of building a Strat and have ordered a set of Surfers. Can't wait to compare the 2.

[STRATDELUXER97]

Been working on some of my Strats and comparing them last night.

I put Joe Bardens in my G&L SC-3 and wanted to compare it to my Homebrew '57 with Antiquity Surfer N & M and Ant Texas Hot Custom Bridge....and also to my Hamer Daytona with APS-1 N & M and Twangbanger bridge.

It seems to me that alnico 5 Strat pickups are brighter, bubblier and clearer and that alnico 2 Strat pickups are more for those who play with distortion.

Since I do like an overdriven/slightly distorted tone from the bridge pickup, I like the alnico 2 Twangbanger and alnico 2 Ant Texas Hot Custom as bridge pickups.

But since I like a bright, glassy, bubbley, clear and chimey tone from the neck and middle pickups, I prefer alnico 5 Ant Surfers....the alnico 2 APS pickups sound slightly muddy by comparism.

As for the Barden Strat pickups, they sound awesome individually, but they do not have have classic vintage Strat tone when I combine the N & M or M & B.

IMO, the best sounding Strat I own is my Homebrew '57 style Strat with the Antiquitys. I compared all three of these Strat type guitars and wound up playing the Homebrew '57 for hours! It's been my fave for a while now.

Lew

Lew......Your explanation is absolutely identical to the pickup combinations I Like in my own strats....My favorite strat is my blue(Mongrol)one I put together from parts... Like yourself it has a TB/Surfer/Surfer....I find the bridge pickup to be warmer and a bit rounder with the A2 poles,but yet I always want a clear,articulate,chimey tone in my neck and neck/middle positions and so I also favor the A5 poles there...I hardly ever use the straight middle pickup alone though...

For some reason though Lew,I find I prefer the TB over the Antiquity Custom bridge pickups and in fact the TB is still my favorite single coil strat pickup...It's a cool marriage for me between a strat and some of the things I Love about a tele's bridge pickup.The TB pickup is slightly hotter,and has some cool grind because of that base plate and all,but yet it also seems to always be a clear sounding pickup...It's not diehard vintage bridge pickup but it works great in my situation...

In my case I don't find the TB to be "cloudy" sounding and I felt the TB was not as thin and bright(to me) compared to the ATHCB pickup? Again our ears and gear at work.

I knew your post(as always)was going to be informative Lew!

[STRATDELUXER97]

Some interesting insights Lew! So what would you recommend to a player who loves the sound of a clean Strat, plays with distortion from time to time, but finds Strat bridge pickups too icepicky? This unnamed player has found a lot of Tele pickups and humbuckers he likes or loves in the bridge, but never a Strat pickup.

Read my post,but for me it's a Twangbanger/Surfer/Surfer

A2 bridge/A5/A5 perfect for what you're describing!

[STRATDELUXER97]

Lew,

Great review!

I played a Daytona years ago and was very impressed (I love Hamers so it was no big stretch ). I know you like your '57 best , but how do you rate the Hamer?

p.s. I've got an '95 American Standard Strat with Fat '50's that I love to death, but I'll eventually put Ants into it (I'll call you when I get to that point )

Jeff

Jeff.....I Love the Fat 50s and wouldn't change them out in one of my strats! The strat I'm talking about is an early 80's American Standard and it's got a Fralin SP43/Fat 50/Fat 50....This guitar has a Floyd Rose on it and these pickups work great on that axe.I don't play this guitar much cause I really am a vintage strat bridge kinda guy,but this was a strat that I saved up money and had on layaway and so it's got alot of sentimental value to me! I've played alot of tunes on it also! This was the first brand spankin new sunburst/maple necked strat that I owned and bought new...

[Johtosotku]

Thanks for the review! Now, if you didn't like the notch (2&4) positions, would you prefer the Barden set to the others?

[Gearjoneser]

I'm more of an Alnico 5 fan, because I like to hear the crisp edge on the note. I'd rather get my 'squish' out of the amp. I do love Seth Lovers though.

What's amazing to me is how many different flavors of A5 strat pickups there are. In the past few years of using a lot of Duncan, Fender CS, and Chubtone single coils, I've come to realize how different they can be, even though they're all A5 and approx. 6.3-7K.

When I first started getting serious about strat pickups, I thought I wanted the SRV/Mayer type tone, so I went for 63 type pickups. I liked them kinda fat sounding. Then, I discovered the tonal difference of 69 type A5 strat pickups, and it's even more 'me.' My Chubtone 69 rev. staggers are my favorites right now, along with the Chubtone 63's, and Surfer Custom/Surfers.

One pickup I still want to try is the Fralin Steel Pole bridge. I like strong bridges from 7.5 - 10K.

[STRATDELUXER97]

I'm more of an Alnico 5 fan, because I like to hear the crisp edge on the note. I'd rather get my 'squish' out of the amp. I do love Seth Lovers though.

What's amazing to me is how many different flavors of A5 strat pickups there are. In the past few years of using a lot of Duncan, Fender CS, and Chubtone single coils, I've come to realize how different they can be, even though they're all A5 and approx. 6.3-7K.

When I first started getting serious about strat pickups, I thought I wanted the SRV/Mayer type tone, so I went for 63 type pickups. I liked them kinda fat sounding. Then, I discovered the tonal difference of 69 type A5 strat pickups, and it's even more 'me.' My Chubtone 69 rev. staggers are my favorites right now, along with the Chubtone 63's, and Surfer Custom/Surfers.

One pickup I still want to try is the Fralin Steel Pole bridge. I like strong bridges from 7.5 - 10K.

The Fralin SP43 is very P90 sounding..

[Zhangliqun]

I prefer hotter A2's in the bridge and A5 in neck and middle. To my ear, A5 gets a little ice-picky in the bridge until you clear about 7.5k (42 wire) or 9k (43 wire).

[STRATDELUXER97]

I prefer hotter A2's in the bridge and A5 in neck and middle. To my ear, A5 gets a little ice-picky in the bridge until you clear about 7.5k (42 wire) or 9k (43 wire).

100% agree with you! Normally I even prefer an A2 bridge humbucker,but the Brobucker is great there also..

[ErikH]

I like mostly A2 humbuckers from the Duncan line but for singles, I like A5 the best in all positions.

When I was reworking my Strat, I thought I'd want some fatter sounding singles so I had the stock ones rewound. Sounded good to me for a while. They still sound good, but my preference changed. I guess deep in my mind the want of the Texas Specials set was rearing it's head throwing hints at me.

Eventually I just broke down and got 'em and I'm glad I did. My Strat has never sounded better. The quack in the 2 & 4 positions sounds great, the middle alone is a dream too (no tone pot on it either). I play that Strat more now than I have in quite a long time. Next up is to either replace the LSR nut with a new LSR or back to a conventional nut (bone or tusq).

[STRATDELUXER97]

I like mostly A2 humbuckers from the Duncan line but for singles, I like A5 the best in all positions.

When I was reworking my Strat, I thought I'd want some fatter sounding singles so I had the stock ones rewound. Sounded good to me for a while. They still sound good, but my preference changed. I guess deep in my mind the want of the Texas Specials set was rearing it's head throwing hints at me.

Eventually I just broke down and got 'em and I'm glad I did. My Strat has never sounded better. The quack in the 2 & 4 positions sounds great, the middle alone is a dream too (no tone pot on it either). I play that Strat more now than I have in quite a long time. Next up is to either replace the LSR nut with a new LSR or back to a conventional nut (bone or tusq).

Erik....It's funny about the Texas Specials...I Know they sound great in the right guitar...Some guys really love em,but for me and for whatever reason.I never got along with em? Maybe the mids were too spikey in my particular strat? My friend Bob uses the TS pickups though and gets great tone...He's also a great blues player!

[ErikH]

Erik....It's funny about the Texas Specials...I Know they sound great in the right guitar...Some guys really love em,but for me and for whatever reason.I never got along with em? Maybe the mids were too spikey in my particular strat? My friend Bob uses the TS pickups though and gets great tone...He's also a great blues player!

That's the thing about 'em, John. They have a love/hate thing. Very few are so-so about 'em. The first time I played the SRV Strat when it first hit the stores I was hooked. I can't believe it took this long for me to finally get a set. The mid spike really isn't that bad in my guitar but I can see where it could be in some.

[STRATDELUXER97]

That's the thing about 'em, John. They have a love/hate thing. Very few are so-so about 'em. The first time I played the SRV Strat when it first hit the stores I was hooked. I can't believe it took this long for me to finally get a set. The mid spike really isn't that bad in my guitar but I can see where it could be in some.

I bought the Texas Specials when they first came out because my friend Bob raved about them...I didn't care for them,but then the Fat 50s cams along,and to this day,I still love those pickups..I get the feeling the Fat 50s were pretty similar idea wise to the TS pickups but they don't sound the same to me?

So many choices though huh buddy?

Lucky for all of us!