Best Stratocaster Pickups – Fender, Squire and Others (2021 Reviews)

When purchasing pickups for a Fender Stratocaster, there some key things to consider. Firstly, it’s imperative that you establish what your desired outcome is in terms of tone, appearance and capabilities. These attributes are greatly affected by the materials and techniques used by manufacturers to produce the pickup.

Many people think that the tone and sound produced by guitarists is mainly down to their choice of amp, effects and guitar. While these three obviously play a huge part, pickups are often overlooked despite their massive importance. You could have a powerful tube amp and a beautiful vintage guitar, but with the wrong pickups, your whole sound would be negatively affected. In the following paragraphs we will go into detail on why pickups are so important, the characteristics that affect tone and the different components that are worth looking out for.

Firstly, let’s look at tone. The sound produced by the pickup comes down to a few factors, which we will explore below.

Magnets

The magnet that is used will largely determine whether the sound is bright, gritty, or well balanced. Alnico 5 magnets are commonly used because they are great at honing in on the high end of a Strat, and reproduce the bass with reliable accuracy.

Sometimes, these magnets are combined with Alnico II’s which are better known for their ability to sound warmer in the mid tones, but have less overall output than the former. Blending the two gives you the best of both worlds. Another popular choice of magnet is ceramic. These are identified by a large black magnet at the bottom of the pickup, and produce a stronger field then the Alnico’s, resulting in a hotter tone with more treble response.

Coil Type

Another impacting contributor to the overall output of Strat pickups is the type of coil used. The number of coils used will greatly impact the sound. A humbucker is commonly used on other guitars but not so much on a Strat. This is because single coils generally enhance the hot tone of the guitar more effectively.

Humbuckers became the popular choice for many guitarists in the late 60’s because they were so tired of having to contend with the unwanted noise that single coils produced. The production of double-coil pickups really revolutionized the electric guitar because they allowed musicians to crank their amps up high without the fear of hum overpowering their playing. Thankfully, modern technology has made single-coils much less prone to noise than they were back then. Now the choice is made purely out of preference, rather than necessity.

Some guitarists prefer humbuckers due to their noise-cancelling properties, but in truth, single coil pickups produce more power and accurate output. Dual-coils are unique in that they are fitted with two single coils and so provide the benefits of humbuckers in the compact size of single coils.

Winding

The third factor that greatly impacts the sound of a Fender Stratocaster is the winding technique used within the pickup. To put it simply, the more windings the wire has, the higher the output it will produce. Another side-effect of this tight winding is that it deadens some of the treble frequencies and produces less dynamic range, which is undesirable to some guitarists.

On the other hand, the less windings the copper wire has the sharper the tone will be. Many vintage styled pickups are wound by hand in an uneven manner, as this is thought to produce a more unique tone. Ultimately it depends on what sound you want from your guitar.

Poles

The pole-pieces are the pieces of metal that the strings are placed above. These are usually composed of either steel or Alnico magnets. On most Stratocaster pickups, you’ll find Alnico pole pieces because they brighten up the overall tone and produce a response that is tighter than their steel counterparts.

Potting

Last but not least, potting is also a factor that influences the sound of your Strat. Many pickups feature potting nowadays as a method of protection the coils from being moved around and feedback occurring as a result. This process usually involves hosing the coil in a wax substance to shield them from damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, we’ll take a look at some of the frequently asked questions regarding the best Stratocaster pickups.

1.) What are the best noiseless Strat pickups?

As previously mentioned in the above section, the type of coil used in the pickup is the greatest factor when it comes to limiting or producing unwanted noise. Most of the options on our list are single-coil as these are really great for producing the hot noiseless tone we all love from a Strat. However, when talking specifically about hot noiseless pickups, the Seymour Duncan SSJBJ-1B set win hands down. These pickups provide a great balance between the sharp articulation of single coils and the noise-limiting capacity of a double coil, or humbucker pickup.

2.) What is the best pickup for a Mexican Fender Strat?

The difference between American made and Mexican made Stratocasters isn’t as vast as it used to be, in fact, many guitarists now prefer the Mexican models. To get the best out of a Mexican Strat, it’s a good idea to go with the Fender Tex Mex Strat pickup set. These pickups feature Alnico 5 magnets and really bring out the mid range and treble of the guitar. And, because they are made by Fender, you can guarantee that the Tex Mex Strat pickups will be well suited to the Stratocaster. Another option worth considering is the Fender Custom pickup set.

3) How high should pickups be on a Strat?

There’s no right or wrong answer to this question, but a good general rule to obey when installing your Strat pickups is to measure the exact distance between the bottom of the first string to the top of the pole piece, then repeat this with the bottom of the sixth string. Generally speaking, the space should be at its longest at the position of the sixth string by the neck pickup, and it its closest at the first string position by the bridge.

Conclusion

Hopefully this extensive list of the top Stratocaster pickups on the market will point you in the direction of the best suited choice for your desires. Essentially, it all comes down to what tone you want to produce from your guitar. Establishing this before you purchase your Strat pickups will save you lots of time and effort. Many guitarists overlook the impact that a pickup can have on their overall sound, but in truth, there a few factors that impact it more. The only thing that’s left to do now, is go and enjoy the sweet tones that one of these pickups will provide you with!

Expert Tip:

If you’re a fan of effects pedals, try positioning your reverb pedal before distortion in the chain. This is a rare technique that few guitarists use because they think it makes the sound muddy, but it can produce some really interesting results, especially with a Stratocaster!

Did you know?

In 1968, Seymour W. Duncan gifted Jimi Hendrix, who was known for playing a single coil-pickups strat, with a bag of Strat pickups that he had personally rewound. The pickups were installed that night, and Jimi used them on stage. He was so impressed with the pickups that he used them in his guitar from that day onward.