We might as well start with what would seem to be the most obvious solution , replacing the pickups . So-called “ noiseless ” Strat pickups have been around for awhile , but for much of that time they were pretty terrible , at least from the perspective of a player that wants to retain a convincing vintage single-coil chime , just minus the hum . Most of these kinds of pickups are stacked humbuckers that are designed to fit in a normal Strat-sized pickup cover , and earlier versions sounded a lot more like humbuckers than classic Strat pickups , with a more compressed response and darker , flatter tone . This is no longer the case , however , as pickup manufacturers get closer and closer to nailing classic Strat quack and chime with a vintagevoiced noiseless pickup .
Strat should sound like . Among the most widely loved are those from Kinman , a company with a wide array of what it calls “ Zero = Hum ” Stratocaster pickups to suit every preference . Around the PGS and Tone Report headquarters we have long enjoyed the sweet tones and dead silence of DiMarzio ’ s Area series pickups , which compare favorably to any handwound boutique or vintage pickups we have ever heard . Other excellent options include Seymour Duncan Stack Plus pickups , the very affordable Bill Lawrence Noisefree Singles , and for those that are not frightened by battery-powered active systems , the SA set from EMG .
Nearly every pickup manufacturer makes a noiseless Strat pickup set these days , and most of them are pretty good , but everyone has different preferences based on the particulars of what they think a
NOISELESS STRAT PICKUPS
We might as well start with what would seem to be the most obvious solution , replacing the pickups . So-called “ noiseless ” Strat pickups have been around for awhile , but for much of that time they were pretty terrible , at least from the perspective of a player that wants to retain a convincing vintage single-coil chime , just minus the hum . Most of these kinds of pickups are stacked humbuckers that are designed to fit in a normal Strat-sized pickup cover , and earlier versions sounded a lot more like humbuckers than classic Strat pickups , with a more compressed response and darker , flatter tone . This is no longer the case , however , as pickup manufacturers get closer and closer to nailing classic Strat quack and chime with a vintagevoiced noiseless pickup .
Strat should sound like . Among the most widely loved are those from Kinman , a company with a wide array of what it calls “ Zero = Hum ” Stratocaster pickups to suit every preference . Around the PGS and Tone Report headquarters we have long enjoyed the sweet tones and dead silence of DiMarzio ’ s Area series pickups , which compare favorably to any handwound boutique or vintage pickups we have ever heard . Other excellent options include Seymour Duncan Stack Plus pickups , the very affordable Bill Lawrence Noisefree Singles , and for those that are not frightened by battery-powered active systems , the SA set from EMG .
Nearly every pickup manufacturer makes a noiseless Strat pickup set these days , and most of them are pretty good , but everyone has different preferences based on the particulars of what they think a
34 TONE TALK // Shut Up , Strat : Hushing Your Strat Without Affecting the Tone