Best Pickups for Stratocasters (our Top Pick)
Seymour Duncan California '50s Strat
Though the Fishman Fluence Strat sets are hard to beat in terms of pure tone quality, the California '50s set by Seymour Duncan is a better value hovering around $150 from most major retailers. It's a crisp, vintage tone that matches the Stratocaster profile perfectly.
Parent article: Best Guitar Pickups
Stratocasters, especially the Squier and even Fender Standard versions, have a lot to gain from a pickup upgrade.
Unless you're dealing with the upper-tier of Fender American Strats (the American, Deluxe, Pro, and Custom Shop models), most Stratocasters ship with stock Fender pickups (which aren't the same ones that I'll highlight here from the Fender custom shop).
Stock pickups on a Stratocaster can and should be swapped out. In this article, we're making suggestions for what to swap them with.
Read more: Best Fender Stratocasters
Why We Don't Like Stock Strat Pickups
It's not that stock pickups necessarily sound bad, but they're just meant to encompass a broad spectrum of Stratocaster tone, whereas a custom pickup upgrade gives your sound a lot more specificity and character.
Strat Pickup Configuration
Most Stratocasters use a pickup configuration consisting of three single coil pickups, which is abbreviated SSS. This can even lead to a mixture of pickups at all three positions, as in the following graphic:
Most Stratocasters use three single coil pickups, which can include a set of three or mixture of individual single coils.
Is it worth the investment?
What determines whether it's worth putting money into a Stratocaster? As a general rule the Strat you upgrade shouldn't be too cheap or too expensive. On the cheap side, some guitars just aren't worth upgrading because they don't have a good foundation to work with.
Pickup upgrade? Nah. Not even worth it.
On the expensive side, nicer Stratocaster - perhaps from those Fender series we mentioned earlier - already have really nice pickups and parts and don't really need anything.
For example, this American Stratocaster ships with Fender V Mod II pickups, which are already an extremely nice pickup set:
For the nicer Stratocasters, a pickup upgrade isn't always going to be necessary.
For most pickup upgrades, we'd want to focus on Stratocasters between $300 and $800, roughly.
In this article I'll highlight six different single coil pickup sets that I would recommend for a Stratocaster electric guitar upgrade.
Best Pickups for Stratocasters (top 6 picks)
In this section we've linked to Strat pickups we recommend, each with their own Sweetwater or Amazon entry. We partner with Sweetwater to offer you easy access to guitar gear at no extra cost, and as a simple way to support Guitar Chalk. Please consider shopping for your guitar gear via these links as a way to help keep our content going. Thank you.
PICKUPS | DETAILS | RATING | SHOP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seymour Duncan California '50s
| n/a | |
 | Seymour Duncan Antiquity Surfer Strat
| n/a | |
 | Seymour Duncan Hot Rails Strat
| n/a | |
 | Fender Custom Shop Texas Special
| n/a | |
 | Fishman Fluence Single Width Strat
| n/a | |
 | Fender Original '57/'62 Strat Pickups
| n/a |
Seymour Duncan California'50s (SSL-1)
The California '50s single coil set by Seymour Duncan produces some of the sweetest, most true-to-the-original Stratocaster tones I've ever heard.
It's definitely a more crisp response, with lots of high-end sparkle that gives you a glassy, blues-friendly tone. I like it particularly for lead guitar work or any kind of vintage styles where you frequently need to cut through the mix and have the guitar as the melodic focus.
They're less ideal for heavy gain settings, and seem far more "at home" with a smaller amount of amp breakup.
This demo gives you plenty of great audio from a variety of settings. The player - Ivan Deva - is also incredibly good.
This type of playing is what suits the '50s set most. It's all about lead, technique, and touch in your playing. For those more interested in a thicker, heavier sound, the Cali '50s aren't your best bet.
Note that Deva lists a Boss Blues Driver and Peavey Envoy tube amp as part of his setup.
Pricing and Value
Most retailers price the California '50s Strat set at about $160.
TONE PROFILE
The EQ bend of this set leans high, giving preference to treble frequencies with scooped midrange.
Wiring Resources
IDEAL FOR: Vintage Stratocaster tone and lead guitar
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Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Surfer Strat
While the Antiquity II Surfer set has some similarities to the '50s single coils, the Surfers are a little brighter, with a higher DCR rating on the bridge pickup.
They have more "pluck" and "twang", giving them almost a country, finger-picking feel.
Some describe it as a higher degree of "quack" in the picking response.
You can really hear it in this demo:
Clean, sparkling lead is the best home for this set, similar to the tone you'd expect from a John Frusciante Stratocaster.
Even on higher gain settings the response isn't bad, especially if we're still talking about high-register lead. Tremolo picking, bends, hammer-ons, and vibrato all have a really nice sound and feel with these pickups. All of those movements sound clear, bluesy, and are a bit more addictive to play.
With staggered and aged Alnico 5 magnets, everything about this pickup set is distinctly '60s and perfect for any and all playing styles that lean into vintage blues or classic rock.
PRICING AND VALUE
The Antiquity sets are often more expensive, hovering around $270 in most markets. This makes them the most expensive set on this list, which is partly why we don't like them as much as the California set.
TONE PROFILE
Though similar to the California set, the Antiquity single coil pickups have a little more midrange and less treble.
IDEAL FOR: Vintage lead styles, blues, and jazz
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Seymour Duncan Hot Rails Strat
Seymour Duncan's Hot Rails Stratocaster set is a great option if you want to make your Strat more versatile.
It uses a high output ceramic magnet which let you get heavier with higher gain levels or quieter when you dial back into softer, more subtle playing. Ceramic magnets in a Stratocaster give off a tone that's very similar to what you heard out of the Seattle grunge scene in the early '90s.
Ceramic magnets are smooth and warm, but with some extra grit and bite.
You can hear it all in this demo by Dave Devlin:
Most of this demo is recorded with a fairly high amount of gain, which is a strength of the Hot Rails design. You can still get that twang and "quack" that we've noticed in other sets, but it's a little smoother and adds some thickness that works well with the higher gain.
It's a great compromise for those wanting a heavier tone, but like the vintage appeal of the Stratocaster.
Think sounds similar to the following players:
- Billy Corgan (early Smashing Pumpkins albums)
- Tom Morello ("Soul Power" Stratocaster with Audioslave)
Billy Corgan with Hot Rails in a Fender Stratocaster. Flickr Commons image via Slowdawn
In other words, they're both heavy and bluesy, ideal for lead and heavier rhythm playing. For fans of the Strat that want the option to get a little heavier, this is a great mod.
PRICING AND VALUE
The full set of Seymour Duncan Strat Hot Rails runs at about $240. Buying each pickup individually will cost about $90 each.
TONE PROFILE
Compared to the vintage sets we covered earlier, the Hot Rails are a much heavier set, providing more output and warmth. From an EQ perspective they emphasize more low-end and midrange.
IDEAL FOR: Sustain, distortion, and making a Stratocaster heavier
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Fender Custom Shop Texas Special
Fender's Texas Special pickup set does an amazing job of bringing out the snap and bluesy draw of your pick or finger-picking technique.
In that regard it's similar to the Antiquity set, but a little smoother and less glassy. It has some dirt to it and some really subtle aggression that tips its hat to Stevie Ray Vaughan's playing style and tone.
The Texas Special set is modeled by Fender after Stevie Ray Vaughan's signature sound. Image via Wikimedia Commons
They're a great set for blues or country fans and have some added appeal if you're more of a lead guitar player.
PRICING AND VALUE
Though pricing varies depending on the retailer, Fender Custom Shop pickups are usually a lot less than the Seymour Duncan Strat sets. Expect to pay around $75 to $100 for Texas Special sets and then closer to $200 for anything with "Noiseless" in the title.
TONE PROFILE
The Texas Special set in particular has a lot more "quack" in the response, similar to the California set. Again, think Stevie Ray Vaughan's guitar tone. It's smoother and warmer than other vintage sets, but still has plenty of "snap" and puts a lot of emphasis on the right-hand movements.
IDEAL FOR: Heavy blues styles, smoother vintage tones, and country
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Fishman Fluence Strat Pickup Set
Like the Fishman humbuckers we recommend for Les Paul electrics, their Stratocaster single coil set uses the same stacked coil technology.
It sounds like a cross between the smooth, full-bodied tone of an active pickup and the bell-like sparkling tone of a passive single coil. While the single coils are voiced a little higher for Stratocaster playing styles, they sound fantastic in just about all circumstances, even with heavy gain.
You're getting the sparkling high-end of a single coil set without sacrificing the smoothness and low-end strength of humbuckers.
If you want the ultimate in Stratocaster versatility, this is probably the set I'd recommend above all the others.
They're one of the single best Stratocaster upgrades we can recommend.
PRICING AND VALUE
The Fluence Strat set retails at about $225, which is surprisingly cheap given a comparison to some of the Seymour Duncan sets. They're arguably the best Strat pickups available, so we don't mind this price at all. Buying them individually will run you about $110 each, so a set is definitely advisable.
TONE PROFILE
Fishman's technology gives you a blend of tones that's both bright and sparkling, as well as warm and heavy. It's a strange blend of passive and active pickup tones that is completely unique, giving your Stratocaster a lot of versatility.
IDEAL FOR: All Strat upgrades and high-quality clean tones
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Fender Original'57/'62 Strat Pickups
This is one of Fender's most classically-voiced Stratocaster pickup sets, producing a lot of brightness on the high end with an almost glassy resonance.
Middle and neck pickup positions get warmer and sound great over lead picking notes.
We like these for Stratocaster purists who want a really high quality tone that is distinctly Fender and reminiscent of '60s rock and roll.
PRICING AND VALUE
This set typically runs a little higher, around $150. Though that's still a great deal considering we typically see Strat pickup sets from non-Fender companies go over $200.
TONE PROFILE
The '57/'62 single coil set is one of the seminal Strat pickup configurations, giving you a classic tone that's fairly bright with some added midrange. It's not punchy, but you do get some warmth that comes out pretty clearly on the neck pickup.
IDEAL FOR: Budgets and basic Strat upgrades
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What is a Stratocaster pickup?
Most conventional Stratocaster pickups are made up of single coil magnetic polls, usually in groups of three; one for the bridge, middle and neck positions. They produce a brighter and more bluesy tone, though come in a lot of different variations that can handle higher (or lower) gain levels.
Difference between Strat and Tele pickups?
Telecaster pickups are similar in that they use a single coil design, though are a bit warmer and shaped differently to fit the Telecaster bridge and body type.
Sound and Tone
Stratocaster pickups, especially some of the original designs, are voiced with a vintage tone that's more often used by lead guitar players who want to cut through a mix. Even the Stratocaster single coil pickups with a heavier tone are still going to have a crispness and bluesy quality to them.
While some Strat pickups are designed for deeper tones and heavier gain levels, they aren't known for those tone qualities.
Players who prefer a lighter, more vintage-leaning tone will find Stratocaster pickups to be best suited to their style.
Best for Blues
For blues playing styles, we'd recommend the Texas Special set from the Fender Custom Shop. Most of the Fender brand Stratocaster pickups are going to be good for blues tones, though the same could be said of the Seymour Duncan sets.
Fender sets are just far cheaper, which is certainly a factor worth considering if you're trying to keep upgrade costs down. Those Fender sets are all going to get you a strong blues tone, which isn't necessarily Seymour Duncan's specialty.
Best for Rock
If you're wanting a heavier, more rock-focused Strat tone, I'd recommend either the Seymour Duncan Hot Rails or the Fishman Fluence set. They'll both give you that extra warmth and low-end that's like a humbucker response.
What kind did Hendrix use?
During his career, Hendrix used the stock pickups that came on his right-handed Fender Stratocaster. Since then, there have been signature pickups developed for him, but they're simply made to reflect the way pickups were made back in the '60s when Hendrix was active. You can read more here about the pickups Hendrix used and his tone.
Best for a Clean Tone
For clean tones, it's extremely difficult to beat the quality you get from the Fishman Fluence Strat set. If that's your priority, we'd recommend them without hesitation.
Best for the Money (best value)
The best value Strat pickup set would have to be the Texas Specials from the Fender Custom Shop. In the $70 to $100 range, you won't be able to do much better, plus that's already more than 50 percent less than most other specialty Strat pickup sets.
What about humbuckers?
Most Stratocasters are built with three single coil pickups slots, both in the guitar's body and the pickguard. However, there are some that have a dual pickup configuration like this one:
This Stratocaster uses a dual humbucker pickup configuration, abbreviated HH.
You'll also see Stratocasters with HSS pickup configurations, which is a humbucker placed at the bridge and paired with two single coil pickups at the middle and neck position:
One humbucker in the bridge position with two single coils.
If you have a Stratocaster with one of these configurations, you can start to explore humbuckers as an option for your pickup upgrade. Here are a couple roundups of brands we trust:
Conclusion
There are a lot of different stylistic lanes you could pursue with a Stratocaster pickup upgrade. You could go heavy and modernize your Strat or you could embellish the vintage appeal with a '50s pickup set. I think the biggest factor you need to consider is what kind of style you want to target for your Stratocaster.
Before you upgrade, what sound are you looking for? What style of music are you trying to fit into?
Decide that ahead of time instead of just saying you want to sound better.
With so many options, it's not quite enough to just say you want your Strat to sound generally better, because that's a given if you're upgrading pickups.
Try this: What do you want your Strat to sound like?
David Gilmour? Eric Johnson? Billy Corgan? Tom Morello?
How you answer that question will say a lot about which pickup set will work best for your Stratocaster.
Your Questions
Do you have questions about our Strat pickup roundup?
Maybe you have questions about one of the pickups in this list or something I left out entirely.
If that's the case, leave those questions in the comments section below and I'll take a look.
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Written by GC Editorial on Guitars and Roundups
Written by GC Editorial on Pickups and Roundups
I’ve used it and seen it so I’ll honestly say it’s the most useful tip I’ve read so far.