Ever hit the studio, dial up an epic tone on your Strat, lay down the perfect take, and have to scrap it because it’s riddled with 60-cycle hum from your traditional Strat guitar pickups? Or, ever play a show at your favorite local bar, and have to ask the bartender to turn off his prized neon Budweiser sign because it’s just making the hum from your single coils go nuts?

My friends, your prayers have been answered. We have a ton of great Strat Stack guitar pickups at SD that offer tones ranging from classic, bell-like clean to screamin’ modern mayhem without any of the 60-cycle hum.

Our Strat Stacks feature a stacked, dual coil design (hence the name) that eliminates the 60-cycle hum present in traditional Strat single coil guitar pickups. Back in the 80s, we patented a special bottom coil design that actually injects negative hum into the pickup circuit, and, at the end of the production process, we fine tune each pickup for maximum hum cancelation. You get all the great qualities of a Strat pickup, and none of the hum.

Finding the perfect electric guitar pickups to achieve your dream tone can sometimes feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. To help you along in your quest, we’ve put together a guide to walk you through the tone profiles of our most popular Strat Stacks. Let’s dive into the tonal differences:

Learn the tonal differences between each of our Strat Stack guitar pickups

STK-S4 Classic  Stack  Plus Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V 

Neck DCR: 8.5k // Middle DCR: 8.6k // Bridge DCR: 8.7k 

The STK-S4 Classic Stack Plus Strat pickups provide the look, sound, and feel of a true Stratocaster single coil, but without any of the traditional single coil hum. They’ve got all of the sparkle, chime, and scooped midrange that you’d expect from a vintage Strat pickup.

The bridge pickup is wound slightly hotter than the neck and middle models to provide an even balance and output between positions, while the middle pickup is built RW/RP to give you that perfect in-between sound of positions 2 & 4 when split to keep the set completely hum-free in all selector positions.

STK-S2 Hot  Stack  Strat

Magnet Type: Ceramic

Neck/Middle DCR: 13k // Bridge DCR: 19.9k

The STK-S2 Hot Stack Strat features a powerful ceramic bar magnet surrounded by two stacked coils, which sends more current into your amp providing more midrange and a stronger attack than a standard Stratocaster pickup can deliver.

Our overwound Hot Stack Strat uses a blade instead of rod magnets to provide even string balance, no drop-outs when bending, and a beefed-up tone without any of the traditional single-coil hum. It is also famous in Nashville as the go-to middle pickup for modified Telecasters.

STK-S6 Custom  Stack  Plus Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V

Neck/Middle/Bridge DCR: 14.5k

A noiseless version of our popular SSL-5 Custom Staggered for Strat pickup, the STK-S6 Custom Stack Plus will give you all the extra output and drive without losing that unique Stratocaster voice. The low notes are tight and snappy, but the high end is focused without being overly bright. The midrange also has a slight vocal quality that adds an extra layer of expression to your sound.

STK-S7 Vintage Hot  Stack  Plus Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V

Neck/Middle/Bridge DCR: 11.9k

The STK-S7 is a noiseless Strat pickup designed for the player who wants a little beefier tone but doesn’t want a high output pickup. The tone is bright and bouncy, but with just a little more of everything. Chords will feel more powerful, and single notes will ring through with just a bit more authority than they would with a vintage output single coil.

This pickup is designed to look like a traditional Strat single coil, and works great in the neck, middle, or bridge position.

STK-S9b Hot  Stack  Plus Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V

Bridge DCR: 20.3k

The STK-S9b is our highest output noiseless bridge pickup, and gives you a massive output with lots of midrange harmonics. Designed specifically for the bridge position, the high output coils and Alnico 5 rod magnets deliver a full, punchy sound that will add versatility and power to any Strat, while retaining traditional looks. Chords will sound full and rich, while single notes will cut through much more easily.

STK-S10 Yngwie Malmsteen’s Signature YJM Fury Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V

Neck/Middle DCR: 25.5k // Bridge DCR: 25.7k

The Yngwie Malmsteen Signature YJM Fury Strat pickups use custom length alnico 5 rod magnets and a unique coil architecture to bring you that perfect balance of sweet fluidity and articulation—the characteristics that define Yngwie J Malmsteen’s distinct sound.

The bridge model is designed to handle Yngwie’s chordal onslaught, and delivers a precise, articulate response that has just the right amount of high end without sounding harsh or brittle.

The neck/middle model is designed to bring out the balance of Yngwie’s fluid left-hand technique with his broad mix of right-hand pick attack for a tone that is sweet and smooth. There just the right amount of high end to make this pickup extremely articulate, and especially responsive to dynamic playing.

Parallel Axis  Stack  Strat

Magnet Type: Ceramic

Neck/Middle DCR: 13.6k

A noiseless Stratocaster pickup that takes the innovative dual-pole design of the Parallel Axis Trembucker and combines it with our patented Stack technology to deliver a bright, crisp single coil tone with a classic scooped midrange. This pickup mounts into any Stratocaster-sized pickup slot and is a great match in the neck or middle pickup for any of our PATB bridge models.

If you’re interested in Single Coil-Sized Humbucker pickups check out our simple Guide to Single Coil-Sized Humbucker Guitar Pickups for Strat.