How to fatten up a Strat?

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ricorico Frets: 1220
I've been playing my Strat a bit more recently and I have arrived at the conclusion that the bridge pickup is pants. I have tried all manner of adjusting but it sounds tinny and weak. The neck pickup sounds lovely and i've lowered the middle pickup all the way so my hamfisted picking hand stops hitting it with the plectrum.

Recommendations for a beefy bridge pickup please! Not looking to spend loads so Oil City etc would do nicely.
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Comments

  • poopotpoopot Frets: 9098
    Do this:


    Its free, if you don’t like it you can put it back to stock and change the pick up!...


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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    The Seymour Duncan Antiquity (1) Texas Hot is a nice balance of power and Strattiness. 

    I do not know which Alegree, BKP, Creamery, Mojo, OCP et cetera models are the nearest equivalents.

    If you do go for a high resistance pickup, consider getting its coil-tapped version. That way, you can have the extra power in selector switch position #1 and tap for a good level match with the middle pickup in switch position #2.
    Be seeing you.
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14030
    edited June 2018 tFB Trader
    Depends how much you like your existing tone, but just want more 'beef' as and when required - So how about a floor pedal - be it a touch of a boost pedal or even a tweak of EQ on a graphic - then turn on/off as required
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  • JerkMoansJerkMoans Frets: 8774
    Texas Special.
    Inactivist Lefty Lawyer
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  • gringopiggringopig Frets: 2648
    edited July 2020
    .
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  • timmypixtimmypix Frets: 2304
    If you're looking at Oil City, bear in mind Ash can put a baseplate on bridge pickups to fatten them up and tame the high end a bit.
    Tim
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  • NPPNPP Frets: 236
    I have an Oil City Tele PU in the bridge position of my Strat and wired in a switch that gives me the choice between the traditional Strat PU configurations, and N, N+B, B as with a Tele. 

    I can definitely recommend the Honky Tonk Angel for this application. 

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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26749
    Something with wider pole pieces will add fatness without increasing output - basically a bit closer to a Tele bridge pickup without losing the “stratness”. Rio Grande do it but iirc Oil City can too :)
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • AlegreeAlegree Frets: 665
    tFB Trader
    Something with wider pole pieces will add fatness without increasing output - basically a bit closer to a Tele bridge pickup without losing the “stratness”. Rio Grande do it but iirc Oil City can too :)
    Actually wider pole pieces do exactly the opposite, and certainly add output.
    Alegree pickups & guitar supplies - www.alegree.co.uk
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Do you have your tone control wired to your bridge. Pickup?  If not, an inch of wire and 5 minutes will make a whole lot of difference.  Or you could try an ep booster or a cheap clone (I have one in the classifieds) or slap a hot rails in there.
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  • JohnnysevenJohnnyseven Frets: 905
    Dimarzio FS1 - good enough for Johnny Ramone.
    My trading feedback can be seen here - http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58242/
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  • darthed1981darthed1981 Frets: 11670
    Give it a stressful job and a taste for pizza.

    Worked for me.
    We have to be so very careful, what we believe in...
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  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4158
    If it’s a Mexican Strat, change the bridge for a Wilkinson Vintage Trem and a stacked humbucker for the bridge from either Seymour Duncan or DiMarzio 
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  • Jimbro66Jimbro66 Frets: 2418
    rico said:
    I've been playing my Strat a bit more recently and I have arrived at the conclusion that the bridge pickup is pants. I have tried all manner of adjusting but it sounds tinny and weak. The neck pickup sounds lovely and i've lowered the middle pickup all the way so my hamfisted picking hand stops hitting it with the plectrum.

    Recommendations for a beefy bridge pickup please! Not looking to spend loads so Oil City etc would do nicely.

    Just as a matter of interest, what amp are you using and which Strat is it?

    There are plenty of recorded Strat bridge pickup tones that are rich and full even through a clean amp so I'm wondering why this one sounds tinny and weak?

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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    Thanks for all the comments guys. I’ll try and address a few things!

    They are custom shop 54 pickups and I love the neck pickup sound. 

    I have a collection of boosts/drives/EQ and they can’t get it there without colouring the tone and becoming noisy as shit. 

    I’ve been using it through a cranked Marshall and Matamp, it’s not the amps that’s for sure! 

    Bridge pickup is indeed wired to the tone, it tames the harshness but is still gutless. 

    Is it possible to put a tele bridge pickup in a strat? I don’t mind a bit of hacking. 
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  • Jimbro66Jimbro66 Frets: 2418
    Before doing any hacking would it pay to have a word with Ash at Oil City and/or Marc at Mojo to see what they suggest? Both have a wealth of knowledge and a keen ear for sounds. Both are also very willing to advise.
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  • BloodEagleBloodEagle Frets: 5320
    Bareknuckle Sinner 
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  • I have Custom Shop 69s in my Strat, and there’s no problem with the bridge pickup. It honks. Master tone, 50s wiring, plus a bass cut. The latter is probably the opposite of what you want, though. 
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  • Oil City Diamond Geezer tapped strat bridge pickup with baseplate would give you the choice of a slightly hotter and fatter but still classic strat tone, and a substantially fatter sound
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited June 2018
    For starters, if you like the character of your pickup, add a baseplate (under a tenner and available from Oil City) and that may help thicken things up a bit. Wire tge bridge pickup to the 2nd Tone Control for a little more variation.

    You could always use something like an Xotic EP. Ordinarily, I don't keep this on all the time with my humbucker/SSH/HSH guitars but I do with my Robert Cray Strat due to similar issues.

    I've done the above with the RC and it's made a difference.

    Fralin Blues are a good, hotter pickup but still retain their spank or add a stacked humbucker. I think the physicality of these means you still retain something of a Strat character but you now have that oomph.
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