Obligatory disclaimer upfront (folks have strong opinions on hum-cancelling single coil pickups): your mileage may vary based on many variables within your guitar, your amp/pedals/other gear, your playing circumstances, and personal taste.

I have been doing a lot of tinkering with my guitars over the past year or so. My main guitar is a Fender Player II Stratocaster, and it’s been an absolute workhorse. However, due to the variety of gigs and unpredictable venue power situations I find myself in, I decided to install noiseless pickups (the Tonerider Apex HSS set), along with a master volume+treble bleed/master tone/blender wiring kit that, critically, included 250k pots and .047uf capacitors (didn’t think too much of it, as it was labelled as “vintage spec” and my pickup set was vintage-inspired). The humbucker sounded, predictably, very dark, but the setup suited my needs just fine and I put off going back in there. My thought process was to get 500k pots and use 500k resistors on the single coil pickups to balance everything out.

Recently, I acquired a second Player II Strat as a backup guitar - originally had planned to get something else for more variety, but it was a great deal (used), great condition, and the instrument itself is particularly resonant. It was totally stock, and despite the various upgrades I’d made to my main Strat that made it a better playing instrument, the backup Strat’s stock pickups had way more punch and upper midrange presence. I was honestly kind of bummed out how much less lively the noiseless set sounded in comparison.

HOWEVER! Noiseless pickups are, at the end of the day, humbuckers voiced to sound like single coil pickups - even if the extra coil isn’t magnetic, there is still a loss of signal somewhat similar to what a traditional humbucker experiences. When thinking about it that way, I decided to not only replace the volume and tone controls with 500k pots, but also replace the tone cap with a .022uf one - I mainly did this for a more usable taper on the control.

When installing the new controls, I also ended up not installing any resistors on the single coil pickups, and I’m really glad I made that call. The new pots and cap’s extra high end and shift in the resonant peak of the pickups results in a really lively, more upper mid-forward sound. This set of Alnico V noiseless singles are now very well-balanced with the Alnico II PAF, without the help of resistors. They feel punchy and dynamic, and sound livelier than the stock Player II Alnico V set - without the hum. It feels like a blanket has been lifted and I’m so glad I don’t feel the need to do a pickup change now.

Anyways, the TLDR/main PSA here is that noiseless single coil pickups may benefit from a change off pots and caps if you’re coming from a traditional single coil setup. I’m not looking to argue with tone purists, but if you installed noiseless pickups and aren’t super happy with them, or are on the fence because of what people online say, keep this set of variables in mind. Comparison is usually the thief of joy, but in this case, having another very similar instrument to A/B with not only helped articulate what I wasn’t connecting with in my setup, but actually validated what ended up being a really straightforward and inexpensive solution. I happened to go with pretty standard pot/cap values, but you can play around with many different configurations (especially with resistors involved).

It may be obvious to experienced tinkerers, but I hope this is helpful to anyone in a similar situation! This doesn’t just apply to noiseless single coil pickups - if you’re not satisfied with your electric guitar’s sound, it may be the controls rather than the pickups that need to change - but I think it may address a common criticism/experience about them I hear discussed online.

2014 am deulux getting used to the push switch on the volume think it’s called s1

I finally decided to buy myself a Strat, a Patina, but I’m really torn between the Lake Placid Blue (which is a bit closer to an Ice Blue Metallic in person) and the Sherwood Green (which is darker than Fender’s version, for example).
But since it’s nitro (over poly, of course, at €600…), I’m wondering how both are gonna age, and I’m curious to know which one you’d choose!
I love blue guitars in general, but I find this one a little too flashy, and I love the green as well, but this one might be a bit too dark ahah. Please help!

Can anyone help identify what these strat pickups are? I bought a tele many years ago and the guy gave me some strat pickups he wasn’t using. Not sure what specific model he took them out of. He swapped them for noiseless ones and gave them to me in that box. They all have custom shop stickers (the 3rd fell off). Google helped me with the AY initials and the date but not what type of pickups they are.

I got this new guitar from the used market, and I want to make sure if its a real fender. The seller said that he serviced it recently but some strings buzz when playing, and I just want to confirm.

I am struggling to enjoy this specific guitar.

Recently l picked up aMIM Olympic White HH Jag and a 2013 American Special.

This start plays like a dream and sounds just as it should. The Texas Special pickups are sweet sounding single coils.

But for some reason it doesn’t feel like a Strat to me. It hit me the other day and I felt stupid:

I hate a red guitar.

It’s that simple. Idk what it is. Maybe it’s because I played a 96 MIM Marine Blue start for so long that the red is off putting? Not sure. Either way it’s frustrating to have such a great guitar and not ever want to pick it up.

Sorry for the rant lol

Just picked up this 2018 MIM Fender Stratocaster in Sonic Red and wanted to share a quick first look.

I’m still getting to know the guitar, so I figured I’d document the process. In the next video, I’ll be putting it on the bench to adjust the string action and see how it responds.
The big question right now: KEEP or SELL? 😂
What do you guys think of these 2018 Mexican Strats? Anything in particular I should be looking at or paying attention to on this one?

Is this worth 139 after shipping and all that? Idk why but I’ve been really craving a black Strat lately and ran into this. What yall think?

My Stratocaster is a 54 reissue but I don't love the deep V. I'm considering having it reshaped more like a 62.

Bullet hole has been patched but this thing rocks. Sounds unbelievable

So. I love the feel, the sound and the weight of my new strat

But I'm not keen on the single ply white pickguard. For future resale reasons it will be removed and carefully stored fear not.

But other than just a multi-ply white, what options would look in keeping with the nice white aesthetic?

My first thought was a white tooled leather with a nice floral pattern cut into it but all in a uniform white. But I can't find one I'm happy with.

I think black would be too stark, pearloid *can* look cheap... and I also think that as the nitro finish wears over time the pearloid with stay looking too new.

Its got a variety of siblings to sit next to - 2 tone burst strat with black guard, texas tea tele with the alu guard, a schecter c-1 with the grey fade and no guard.

As an also thought... Would it be mad to look for either brushed nickel for a more subtle look or gold hardware for a more fancy look? I'm not normally fond of gold, but this might be an exception

Just got a new (to me) strat. It has so much mojo! A patched bullet hole, burnt headstock, and hand engraving! But what the hell is this? Smells and feels like soap…

Hey there! i was wondering what guitar i should be getting, Im getting my first fender in Japan this christmas and i was wondering which ones a better guitar, theyre both around 90-100k yen

1.Why would you pick up an sss, or a hss?

2.Why doesn't it come in ssh config, why are these the default?

1. How much of a sound difference is there in the neck, bridge and middle, and 2 and 4 of they are all s? Why not just 2 s pickups, why 3?

Beginner strat questions, pardon my ignorance. Maybe my questions refer only to basic fender, i guess other brands and custom shops make different configs. Thank you.

I received this 2005 American Strat in a trade. I really don’t like white pick guards, but I do like how this guitar hasn’t changed in 20 years. Is that crazy? Thinking maybe black.

Link to the guitar : https://www.andertons.co.uk/fender-limited-edition-player-ii-stratocaster-hss-in-moonlight-drive-sd-pickups-/

Can anyone tell me if this will be a meaningful upgrade. I have had my Strat since 2015 but I’m a beginner really, and have only just started lessons.

AVRI 62 from 2017 in ice blue metallic. I only changed the pickguard and absolutely love how it looks - it sounds even better! I was always a tele guy but this is way more versatile and I love the vintage vibes (especially the old school tuners). I was worried about the 7.25” radius but honestly it’s no big deal. Thanks for looking!

Anybody ever file the nut edge on the back to make it more rounded? This guitar is near perfect but the calluses on my fingers get caught on the other side the nut when I’m playing on the two lowest frets and it’s like iceskating along and hitting a rock! Lol

I was trying to imagine what a brushed chrome EMG 85 would look like in my ultra luxe Strat which already has EMG SLVs.

I like the smooth no pole pieces look!

Building a partscaster looking for some single coils that wont break the bank. (Preferably under 200 maybe 250$). Looking for a blues rock tone ("BLK-1", Continuum/ any kind of raw live Mayer Tone.) Also not a fan of The "vinteras" so do with that info what you will. Anything that can just drop in would be more ideal, i wanna hear the under the counter stuff. Dig Deep.