Strat Single-Coil Tone Profiles

Last Updated on February 9th, 2022

Learn the tonal differences between a few of our most popular Single-Coil Stratocaster pickups

 

Vintage Staggered™ Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V

Vintage staggered Strat with eq chart

Feature hand-ground Alnico 5 rod magnets and heavy Formvar magnet wire with a special wind pattern to produce that bright, glassy, bell tone with all of the bounce and sparkle you expect from the best 50s Stratocaster pickups. The treble attack is crisp and immediate, while the low end remains articulate and focused. The midrange is scooped to provide that vintage Strat tone.

 

Jimi Hendrix™ Signature Strat Set

Magnet Type: Alnico V

Jimi Hendrix signature Strat with eq chart

Custom wound for a richer, melodic tone, these pickups provide all the chime, articulation, and attitude of Jimi’s tone. The bridge model has an aggressive attack that cuts through while staying true to Jimi’s iconic lead tone. The neck pickup sounds thick and full and is great for chord work, bluesy melodies, double-stops, and Jimi’s signature hybrid chord/melody style. Each pickup is also made with a reverse magnet stagger to capture the effect of playing a right-handed guitar upside-down and restrung for a lefty.

 

Alnico II™ Pro Staggered

Magnet Type: Alnico II

alnico 2 pro staggered Strat with eq chart

Feature hand-ground Alnico 2 rod magnets with a traditional staggered pattern and a special coil wind using heavy Formvar mag wire to produce a unique flavor of that classic 50s Strat tone. The treble attack is soft and sweet, the mids feel just slightly scooped, while the low end has a vintage sponginess. Chords have a nice smoothness and single notes have a singing, musical character.

 

Hot Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V

hot Strat with eq chart

Deliver a hot, punchy midrange that will give your chords rich harmonics, and will cut through the mix more easily than any traditional Strat pickup. These high output coils built with taller Alnico 5 rod magnets make an aggressive tone that will give any humbucker a run for its money.

 

Quarter Pound™ Flat Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V

quarter pound flat Stratocaster pickups with eq chart

These high output pickups will give you big, beefy chords, and single notes will jump out in a way that no other pickup can deliver. The individually hand-polished ¼” diameter Alnico 5 magnets provide plenty of the high-end sparkle and upper midrange harmonics that make this pickup so special. Maybe that’s why they’re a favorite of Ritchie Blackmore’s.

 

Custom Staggered™

Magnet Type: Alnico V

custom staggered Stratocaster pickups with eq chart

Our classic overwound single-coils that strike the perfect balance between increased output and bouncy Strat tonal character. They will deliver bigger, fatter chords, and will cut through the mix more clearly than any traditional single-coil pickups, but without losing the sparkle that makes a Strat sound so unique. Single notes will be bold and loud, and your solos will really sing. Switch to position 2 or 4 for noiseless operation and classic quack. The bridge pickup is a favorite of David Gilmour’s.

 

Five-Two™ Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V/Alnico II Hybrid

Five two Stratocaster pickups with eq chart

Originally designed for Nashville studio players who wanted to soften the treble attack on their highest strings while retaining all of the articulate snap on the low strings–the result was a mixture of Alnico 2 and Alnico 5 rod magnets that delivers the best of both worlds. The Alnico 2 rods under the G, B, & E strings provide a sweetened treble response while the Alnico 5’s under the low E, A, & D strings keep them sounding clear and crisp. These pickups have become favorites of Lari Basilio’s and Yvette Young’s.

 

Antiquity™ Texas Hot Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico II

Antiquity Texas Hot Stratocaster pickups with eq chart

Provides the warm bell-like chime normally reserved for priceless vintage 50s Strats. The neck pickup produces that familiar, spanky Strat tone, but with a sweet tonal character that only a decades-old pickup can produce. Its treble attack is softened by the specially degaussed Alnico 2 rod poles. The middle pickup is RW/RP for the perfect hum-free cluck in the 2 and 4 positions, while the bridge is wound hotter than the neck & middle versions to give your Stratocaster better overall balance and increased versatility without losing the vintage vibe.

 

Antiquity II Surfer™ Strat

Magnet Type: Alnico V

Antiquity 2 Surfer Stratocaster pickups with eq chart

Bright, punchy, and aged to perfection, this pickup captures all the classic single-coil tones from the ’60s. The neck provides a smooth and chime-y bounciness. Specially calibrated Alnico 5 rod magnets and scatter wound coil give the treble attack a subtle sweetness without losing any of the harmonic sparkle. The middle pickup is RW/RP for hum-free cluck in positions 2 and 4. We wind the bridge 50% hotter for more mids, and then slightly soften the treble attack by degaussing the Alnico 5 rod magnets.

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