Fender Custom Shop '54

Custom Shop 54 Strat Set. Brand new. One of our local Guitar Center's was blowing three sets out for $129. Usual price was $189.

If you are reading reviews, you know the spec's on these. Mine tested out right to levels.

I have numerous Strats of different vintage for various reasons. These went into a 1994 Jap Strat, which was based on a mix-match of late's 60's type. Not sure of model, but it is maple-cap neck, big headstock, no bullet truss rod end, ash body (heavier), 66 style "Fender" logo, double string tree, smallish "D" neck shape.....great palyer, just orginal pickups were weak and flat.

Readin reviews of any pickup is tough and subjective, to say the least. Acme soundclips are somewhat helpful, but limited.

The pickups sound great. Very close to Lollar Blondes, in my opinion. I have those in a parts-o-caster. Smooth output, not harsh or brittle in any way. Spanky and tight in that 50's Strat sort of way. They do not drive the amp so much as they work with it-whether you go into distortion naturally with output tubes, or preamp distortion or a OD pedal. Very musical.

I was actually more impressed wiht these than I thought I would be. I really bought them becasue they were such a good deal.

I would highly recommend these pickups, especially if you can find them for under $130 like I did. I have tried CS '69's and own two CS Strats with other pickups in them from Fender CS, I cannot believe Fender does not use these in more models.

Another helpful tidbit....if you never played in that middle position on your Strat, you will now. It sounds killer. I took out my 5-way and had a 3-way put in when I had these pickups installed....also kept old-school Fender volume and tone control set up alone with 250k pots, etc.

Blues, funk, R&B, RCHP-all authentic tones are obtainable with these pickups. do not pay extra $50-80 for Fralins, Lollars or Bill Lawrence..these are what you are looking for.

I am reviewing a set of three single coil pickups for the Fender Strat.

DC Resistance is:

5.9k - neck
5.9k - middle
6.5k - bridge

These pickups feature hand beveled alnico 5 magnets, formvar wire. They are wax potted. The set I am reviewing is without the RW/RP for the middle pickup.

The pickups were installed in a 1999 Mexican Stratocaster in all positions. A pickup change was long overdue, I had looked into the Seymour Duncan Antiquities at first as a friend had tried one for his telecaster with amazing results. After listening to sound samples for hours on end, I decided to go with these Fender pickups.

The output level on these babies is true vintage. I mainly play these pickups through a Fender Blues Jr and sometimes through a '66 Bassman. The Blues Jr used to break up with the volume set over 5, now I find myself teetering into overdrive a bit later... around 7 or 8. The best part is that even at 12, the tone is clear and articulate... the ceramic pickups that came in the strat were lifeless and abrasive under distortion, the Custom Shops however remain balanced and fluid. These pickups are very well balanced and can conjure up just about any strat sound it seems. It feels like I pilled a blanket from over my stock pickups... I am thrilled.

I play the blues as well as 50s/60s rock and roll. These pickups are well suited for this and more...

If these were lost or stolen I may try something else, but I am very happy with these and would not hesitate to buy them again. The Fender Custom shop knows what they are doing... it is nice to see that even with some of their other products not being so great, the CS still gets the job done.

I've been playing for about ten years or so now and these are the best strat pickups I have played yet... hands down.

I dont love the price paid for these pickups, but it is at the very least competitive with comparable pickups... a bit cheaper than the boutique stuff.

I wouldn't mind a RW/RP center pickup, but I don't really miss it much.

2008 ... Fender pickup shop is still cranking out high quality pickups like nobody's business.

Single coil, hand-beveled alnico 5 staggered magnets.
These measured roughly 5.6 neck, 5.7 to 5.9 at the bridge
Cloth pushback wire
White covers
little chromey sticker on bottoms saying CS or something.

A damned fine job of reverse engineering the pickups that made the original strats worth a boatload of bucks right now.... for good reason

I've had mine for the summer now, and I've had a chance to compare them with other strats. I love these p/ups.

Partscaster: Fender Highway 1 nitro alder body with Classic 60's vintage neck.
I chose these from sound clips, and the only others I was considering were CS '69's, which I might try in my next one, but ain't no big thing to go back to the '54's.

Artists using them ? who knows ? haha.. I like them, my friends like them, the college girls next door like them, that's all that matters to me about that.. :)

I'm running into a pretty hot hand wired tube amp based on a Super Reverb, and they're plenty loud.

I have mine adjusted only about 1/8" above the pickguard, these magnets are very strong it appears. But the tone is un-freaking-believable. Well, I guess since I actually hear it, it IS believable, but you know what I mean.

I also made a steel bassplate for the bridge p/up. easy task there. tiny bit more punch, and a bit less annoying bitey icepick stuff.

Ever in search of THE tone, when I first fired these up, I thought they were very nice, better than I'd had so far....
Then I let my friends a/b it with theirs, and it was listening to THEM play it that I realized I finally found something I can live with.
Awesome, in a word. I think sometimes we miss what we're looking for by looking too hard.

5 definite sounds from the switch positions, not a lot of hum, but I shield stuff.
I also added a simple switch to add the bridge pickup in with the neck and neck/middle . It's in parallel, so it gets a little quieter, but a different sound.

The lowends thump, (not quite as much as some nice original '65's and '72's that a friend has, but close), and the bells and ringing chime is there.
If you're looking for vintage, this is it.
I can't understand why people are paying up to twice as much for p/ups that are wound with the same materials, and the kicker is, they're trying to emulate a Strat sound to begin with.

Although I don't play overdrive very much, we ran it through a Tube Zone and some crunch pedal today, and it sounds really good with a Fender amp overdriven. Kinda muddy on a Mesa Boogie, but then again, different styles of music.

Mine cost me about $140 new on the 'bay.
You can not beat them for Fender sound.. how could you, they're Genuine Fender :)

I'm always in search of new things, and I like trying out p/ups, strings, woods, etc. Like an alchemist.
These p/ups are now in my magic pantry of stuff that works, so if I couldn't find anything else I liked better, these are fine, I know where to go, they're on the top shelf.

Only thing is they're a little fatter covers than some p/ups and they only come in white. nitnoy little *****, I know, but it'd be nice if they could match my black knobs and tips

Single coil set, neck and middle 5.9; bridge 6.3. All have henries of 3.0. That may be a better measure. Staggered poles, hand beveled.

Fender American Strat HSS. Stock pu's 2 Tex-Mex and Diamondback humbucker. All excellent. Just looking for a more vintage sound. Found it.

Output is comparable to stock, maybe slightly less. Use a Peavy tube amp and a J-Station modeler for minimal effects. I play almost everything. Sound is balanced, clear and articulate. You can hear every little thing you do, almost acoustic guitar quality. Beautiful sounding. Neck pickup is very similar to Tex-Mex it replaced, slightly clearer. Bridge of course is very different from DH-1 HB it replaced. Clear, bright, & punchy like a single coil should sound.The middle pickup is where the most improvement occured. The Tex- Mex is good but the '54 in the middle is just outstanding. Clear, articulate, bassy, punchy...Stratolicious. Combined with the neck or bridge in 2 and 4 just perfect. Many Strats seem to lose volume in the 2 and 4 positions, not these. Maybe even a little louder. That may be due to the (lack of) RWRP. Everybody talks about hum, use a noise gate and don't stand right next to the amp! It does help. Suits almost any music. If you play metal you're gonna use humbuckers i.e. EMGs, but these do almost anything else.

Been playing 30+ years, lots of different guitars. I thought about '69s but a friend has a custom shop '54 strat and it rocks so on that I chose these. Right choice. There are more expensive pickups out there, but if you want a vintage strat sound the original version has these pickups, ash body and maple neck. To me that combo is it.

measured 6.0 neck, 5.7 mid, 6.2 bridge with my multimeter

american stratocaster

phew! I have two strats, one 2001 american series with 1998 am. std. pickups/rosewood board, and this one, a 1998 american standard with maple board. I really love those american standard (deltatone?) pickups, they sound great in both guitars. a nice even, modern, not too soft not to hard sound, with some nice cut. these 54s are more on the sweet side. like a cream puff, or a latte. they are so dimensional, it's like the guitar is painting clouds in the air. if you listen to the sound samples on the acmeguitarworks.com website, you can hear it clearly. these pickups do something a little different than any of the others... a bit more detail and texture in the high end. maybe a bit vague in the bass. texas specials were ok but a bit too "strangled", lace sensor gold good, but too "compressed" when you dig in. I like a little spank from a strat. these give just enough, and just as sweet as the lace to boot. (a bit less aggressive than the am. stds or tx specials). this review based on only one day of playing time...so maybe not quite fully informed

good value, cheaper than bill lawrences! (another one I bought and sold). between these and the american standard pickup set, I am, uhhh...set

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs: neck and middle 5.9k, bridge 6.5k

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Custom Shop one off Classic Player strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: na
Other pickups on guitar: na
Artists using this pickup: na
You musical style(s): Mostley blues based rock, some jazz and straight blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Guitar has clapton midboost so pickups kinda hot
Tone: very balanced leaning slightly on the bright side, in a good way
Sonic evaluation: Ordered stock on a 04 Fender custom shop classic player strat. Hardtail bridge, maple neck and board, and clapton midboost.I play straight into either a victoria tweed champ, or Clark tweed deluxe. I had previousley owned a set of these in a clapton sig strat with the boost so I knew what to expect. Pickups handle all styles that I play with ease. Have owned Frailins, Van Zandts, Kinmans, and vintage noiseless. I have to say that the custom 54's cover it all. A little noisey, but manageable.Good sustain, very quackable in the inbetween positions, handles the midboost prfectley.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great all around pickup for just about any style

Comments: Only other pickup that comes close are the kinman avn traditionals. Only because they do get rid of the hum.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: DC Resistance 5.9K, Inductance 2.4 Henries, slightly hotter bridge

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Highway 1 Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock, Seymour Duncan little '59 Bridge
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: ME!
You musical style(s): Blues, classic rock; Hound Dog Taylor, Johnny Hooker, Pink Floyd
Reason for pickup change: Bought into negative hype about Highway 1 pups, bought into positive hype about CS '54 pups. Also, why not? I was putting the SD little '59 into the neck of a project guitar, needed a bridge pickup for the strat and figured I'd get a complete set.

Perceived output level: Perhaps a little less output than stock pickups. The bridge, although wired to be louder, still seems a bit underpowered compared to the Middle and Neck.
Tone: The tone is very sweet and glassy. My wife heard me putting them through their paces and said the sound "sharper" than the old ones. This may be because of a cap change when I put the new ones in, though.
Sonic evaluation: I play exclusively through a Line6 Guitar Port. My virtual setup is a Bassman with Celestion t-75 speakers. I also use the Small Tweed and Blackface models as well. So, I'm mainly a Fender amp man.
These pickups sound extremely bright and clear. My wife was dead-on with her evaluation, saying they are a bit piercing if left alone without any tone control. I completely re-wired my strat when I installed these. The Highway 1's come with 250k tone and volume pots, with a .1 uf capacitor. My wiring scheme has a master tone and volume (both 250k). The tone control now has a .022 uf capacitor which does not roll off nearly as much treble, so you get more range from the tone control without getting too muddy at the low numbers. I have found the sweet spot to be around 3 and 5 on the tone for soloing.
I also added a treble bleed to the volume so as not to lose any high end when using the volume control. This works really well for going from soling to chording without getting "muddy."
My final change was installing a bridge bypass switch which allows me to turn on the bridge pickup at any time, giving me 7 pickup combinations.
I find that I really didn't need to change the stock pickups on the Highway 1. The guitar came with stock ALnico pickups, unlike the mexican strats. I do notice some cleaner, glassier sound, and an improved range of tonal options, but this is most likely the result of the lower capacitor. They are very nice pickups, especially for replacing those on a mexican strat. I'd leave the Highway 1's alone, though, given the choice.
The real strength of this set is the neck pickup. I don't use the neck position all that often myself, preferring to do most everything with the middle position. But the neck is a huge improvement over the stock neck of the Highway 1. I am able to realize Jimmy Hendrix's style much better with this new neck pickup. The sound is a drastic improvement, but as I said, I don't use the neck position all that often. Maybe I'll start now that I have something to work with.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: These are great for Pink Floyd music, also for classic rock and blues. They are sweet and have a lot of snap and sparkle. Neck is a huge improvement, not much difference in the other two.

Comments: I have several problems with these pickups which I will address here.
First, these came in a box that had them appearing to be in order, from top to bottom. I went and installed them the way they came packaged. When I noticed that the neck pickup was much, much louder than the middle, and the bridge was severely underpowered, I realized I had made a mistake. Only when I went back to change them did I notice that the "neck" pickup had a red dot on the back, indicating (I guess) it was for the bridge position. I suppose it's my fault for installing them so recklessly, but one would think they were packaged the way they were meant to be installed.
Second, the sound output of the bridge (the proper bridge pickup, now that I have fixed the mistake) is still underpowered compared to the other two. I hardly use the bridge pickup unless it's in conjuction with the other two, but this is annoying when there is a noticeable volume drop when switching to the bridge pickup.
The most annoying problem was the bobbins. I quickly realized that the pre-drilled holes were not nearly big enough for the supplied screws for mounting to the pickguard. Even after removing the potting wax from the holes, they were far too small. So, I had to break out my drill and VERY carefully expand the screw holes, praying I wouldn't damage the exposed coils. There really is no excuse for this. Fender ought to supply pickups that one can actually install without resorting to drilling holes just to get the mounting screws in. MAJOR points off for that. This is not some minor problem. This alone will probably send me elsewhere for single coils in the future.
One thing I did like about these pickups is the old-fashioned cloth wire covers. These are a joy to work with, since you don't have to do any tedious wire stripping. Just push the cloth back, and you can solder that baby with ease.
Overall, I am satisfied with these pickups, since they provide what I want, and didn't give me any problems I couldn't overcome. I would warn buyers to be very wary of the problems, though, before one buys these.
Bridge output, incorrect order in the packaging, and the inexcusably small holes all combine for a less-than optimal experience. Wonderful single coil sound, but that can be found from other places too.

Pickup features: single coil passive
Impedence or other specs: neck and middle 6.13k, bridge 6.33k

Model of guitar or bass: strat parts guitar
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Mighty Mite Alnico's
Other pickups on guitar: all '54's
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): rock, blues, a little jazz
Reason for pickup change: cheap harsh tone

Perceived output level: a little more than squier standards and Mighty Mite alnico's
Tone: very balanced
Sonic evaluation: Parts Strat, alder body, maple/rosewood neck. I use a Peavey Classic 20 amp, sometimes with a DOD compressor pedal and a Danelectro reverb pedal. These pickups give full, rich tone and eliminate the harshness. Smooth attack with clarity. In-between positions balance well with neck and middle position volume levels. Bridge pickup alone is too trebly (common in strats.) These pickups really make the guitar sound like a really nice strat. Volume knob does not bleed off treble as much when you turn down. The guitar "feels" different to play. I play with my fingers (no pick), and use my index finger for alternate piking. Picking noise from fingers is reduced somewhat and attack is free of too much popping sound. Fingerboard noise (fret noise) is reduced. A really sweet pickup with nice round tone.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play rock, blues and a little jazz. All positions good except treble alone.

Comments: I'd buy buy these again and may do so for another strat I own. Been playing 35 years or so. I've tried Squier standards (harsh and cheap)and Mighty Mite Alnicos (cold, weak), going for a good regular and sweet strat tone. These fit the bill. Good clean and good distorted; just a nice, full, complex sound. Sounds much more musical. Amp tone controls respond much better now and give greater useable variety of tones.

Pickup features: single coil with no reverse wound middle (they did not do that in 54!)
Impedence or other specs: whatever....

Model of guitar or bass: Fender '68 strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Fender stock '68 pups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: me
You musical style(s): blues, rock, country, boing boing
Reason for pickup change: looking for a different sound

Perceived output level: pretty high output, higher than i expected
Tone: balanced, a little noisy but toneful, very toneful
Sonic evaluation: Using a '68 Hendrix strat and various amps, or direct into a console or thru a pre or thru a POD. These pups sounds very good. Very wide response, very accurate, beautiful overtones too. Very articulate. Only had them for a few days, but i put them thru their paces, and they came thru with flying colors.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great match, i find myself using all positions on the 5 way. tone control the bridge pup for better tone control.

Comments: I would buy again, or maybe try something else. I am not married to the stuff. Been playing for a long time and own alot of gear. I am not a gear head, i am a musician. I like to try different things when i can. But change for the sake of change is sometimes a sign that you are bored!! so get back to playing and remember why you started this in the first place....chicks...!!!

Pickup features: Single Coil (Passive)
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Stratocaster Plus
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gold Lace Sensors
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Blues, jazz, country - cleaner style of playing
Reason for pickup change: I had Gold Lace sensors which I like (and have kept) but wanted a more vintage, "sproingier" tone for my strat. I got it with these pickups.

Perceived output level: They seem louder than most strat pickups - easily as loud as my lace sensors (surprisingly to me)
Tone: Very full and rich - bright yet with substantial bass and midrange - almost acoustic sounding - ina good way. Warmer than many strat pickups yet full of sonic detail.
Sonic evaluation: I play these through a Fender Vibro-King or a Twin Reverb reissue. They favor the Vibro-King.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Cleaner blues, jazz, rock n' roll, some hipper country.

Comments: Absolutlely love these - best strat pickups I've heard. They are clear and clean but also 3-dimensional - warm but not muddy, with lots of "depth of field" and chimey sparkle. They excel at crisp clean playing but also sound good with the amp cranked.

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs: Neck and Middle 6.01 ohms - Bridge 6.34 ohms

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Deluxe-Plus Strat, ash body with maple neck
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: The original blue, silver and red Lace Sensors - neck, mid and bridge
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Myself and many, many others!
You musical style(s): Old Surf, Jazz, Rockabilly, Classic Rock
Reason for pickup change: Tone! Have out-grown the Les Paul-ish, sterile humbucker sounds of the Lace
Sensors. Wanted the traditional, early Strat sounds out of
this, otherwise, fine guitar. These pickups give that.

Perceived output level: Standard Strat output. Slightly less than the Lace Sensors.
Tone: This is where these pickups REALLY SHINE! Very balanced, clear and smooth.
Sonic evaluation: Amps used - Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue, Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue, Fender Blues Junior and Fender 8 channel powered mixer PA system.
The sparkling clarity and full bodied sound of the early Strat is there. These pickups really made this guitar 'Come Alive'!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The Strat sound has proven to be good for any and all styles of music. These pickups give that sound.

Comments: I was pleasantly surprised at just how good this guitar now sounds! It's like having a brand new guitar, that feels like an old friend. This pickup swap has turned out much better than I had hoped for.
Would I buy them again? Yes! I've been playing since the early sixty's and have tried many pickups, in many guitars, over the years. These pickups have made this guitar a great sounding instrument, where it was just mediocre, at best, before.
These pickups DESERVE a rating of 10! (Higher, if it were possible!)

Pickup features: Passive Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Strat Plus ('95)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Lace Sensors (Gold)
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock, Country
Reason for pickup change: Wasn't satisfied with the lace sensors anymore. Tried something different - and what a difference!!! Lace sensors sound scratchy, have no sustain and don't sound like single coils should...

Perceived output level: It's quite odd - but these pups have more output than the lace sensors which are considered to be rather powerful (at least Fender claims it...)
Tone: very clear, very balanced sound! not too much treble and lots of sustain!!!
Sonic evaluation: I'm using my 95' Strat Plus through the Yamaha DG Stomp (amp simulation) into a 90's Fender Princeton Reverb 60W.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Mainly Blues, Rock, Country. Pickups suit very well. Even overdriven Leadsounds (Gilmour...) sound very smooth and balanced

Comments: Next time I would buy the 57/62's - just to compare. Definitely I wouldn't buy the lace sensors again!!! The '54s are a good buy and fit perfectly if you play mostly blues and clean solos (Knopfler...). But as stated above it matches even harder styles quite well.

Pickup features: passive single coil
Impedence or other specs: dunno (low)

Model of guitar or bass: Strat project
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar: all '54s
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): A bit of everything. Blues, country, rock, whatever...
Reason for pickup change: n/a

Perceived output level: standard vintage low (normal) output
Tone: very balanced, clear, chiming and woody in all positions
Sonic evaluation: This is a strat that I made out of good quality replacement parts. Alder body and an ebony board neck. Vintage style Fender bridge. I had an American Series strat 2 years ago but I sold it. I didn't like the stock delta tones and a set of Kinman AVn Blues noiseless pups I tried I liked even less (odd frequency response). I ended up selling the guitar and I played telecasters ever since....happily. I decided to put a strat together just for fun, and also to give the breed another chance. Teles are my favorite but too many guitarists who I like to listen to use strats. I researched strat specs and with regards pups I decided that a pair of Custom Shop '54 neck and middle pups with a Van Zandt Blue bridge pup would be the best option for me. I had to buy a set of 3 CS '54s and I planned to sell the bridge pup. However, I found the Van Zandt Blues pup too trebly and brash so I decided to give the '54 bridge pup a go. I figured I'd end up getting a mini-humbucker, or even give up on strats again, but I was pleasantly surprised by having the full set of '54s in. All 7 pup combinations are usable onstage (I have a push/push pot switch to get neck/bridge or all 3). With the Delta tones the bridge pup alone and positions 2 and 4 were useless to me, and the sound of all 3 was a joke. With the '54s each single pup setting is wonderful. Full, clear, chiming, woody.....all the classic strat sound descriptions. The bridge pup is similar to a good tele bridge pup in that it will be clear and trebly or fat and rich depending on your pick attack and overdrive. Like a good tele bridge pup you could actually get away with using it on its own right thru a gig if you had to. The sound of the middle pup on it's own is very similar to the sound of having the neck/bridge combination on. With the Delta tones on my old strat those 2 settings were totally different, and the middle alone wasn't great. The '54 middle pup is excellent. The neck pup sounds absolutely gorgeous. The classic full, rich, woody sound. Positions 2 and 4 are 'quacky' but still full sounding. Great for Mark Knoffler impressions. The sound of all 3 on is like another version of positions 2 and 4.
I have a .047mfd cap on the tone, for those who are interested. Apparently the cap value makes a difference.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a variety of music styles in a wedding/function band using a Fender Blues Junior amp with few effects (chorus, echo, overdrive/boost pedals) and along with my tele this strat seems to suit very well. I don't think it would suit high-gain shenanigans, but for clean to slightly overdriven they are wonderful.

Comments: Perfectly happy with them. I've played since 1969 and I've had loads of gear over the years. I've come to the conclusion that for me the ideal setup is a 1950s style small tube amp (the Blues Junior fits the bill) and a tele or a strat with pre-CBS spec single coil pups. Low output with good clean sounds that you don't need to effect unless you want to, and which beef up nicely with a bit of natural amp overdrive. I would definitely get another set of CS'54s if something happened to this guitar and I needed another strat.

Pickup features: Passive single coil
Impedence or other specs: Neck/Middle: 2.4H, 5.9kOhm; Bridge: 2.75H, 6.5kOhm

Model of guitar or bass: 1957 Vintage Stratocaster Reissue
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock 57/62 single coil pickups
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: myself, others submitting reviews for this pickup
You musical style(s): rock and roll, blues, rockabilly
Reason for pickup change: I was looking for a pickup with a little more "fatness" in the midrange and a little less treble harshness.

Perceived output level: The output is just a bit less than the stock pickups
Tone: The tone is very well balanced; the bridge pickup is naturally a bit more trebly than the other two
Sonic evaluation: I am running this '57 Stratocaster into a Fender Concert Reverb 4x10 amplifier with absolutely zero stompboxes or tone-alterting devices in the signal path. I did play these pickups dry and then with the spring reverb just to see what they would sound like. Pretty sweet...

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is a great match for clean or slightly overdriven blues; these would probably not work well for heavy metal (low output)

Comments: I would definitely get these pickups again if they were stolen. I've only been playing for about six years - I taught myself. This Stratocaster rounds out my collection of 1952 Reissue Telecaster, Les Paul Goldtop Standard, and ES-295 (hail Scotty Moore). I like these pickups because they further distinguish the guitar from my telecaster sound and they have more midrange, which is what I was searching for.
One other thing that I learning with these pickups is that the magnets are incredibly strong. During the setup, I started the height at the Fender recommendation height but I ended up with a lot of false harmonics and stuff. I ended up backing them off quite a bit further and they sound just beautiful (and seem to have higher output as well).

Pickup features: Passive Single Coil matched set
Impedence or other specs: n - 5.73 m - 5.81 b - 6.42

Model of guitar or bass: American '62 reissue in 3 color burst w/rosewood fretboard
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: American Vintage '57/'62
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Funky fusion folk with an air of bluegrass, rock and blues. Throw some psychedelic substances in for good measure and stir over 98.6 degree heat
Reason for pickup change: a truly dissatisfying shrillness in the stock pickups, not to mention my hatred for anything that claims to be both a 57 and a 62 at the same time...

Perceived output level: cool... less output than the 57/62...
Tone: like tapping on fine crystal with a delicate gold mallet... or maybe... sweet, subtle, juicy, tempermental, savory
Sonic evaluation: First of all... I have decided that the good people at fender missed the mark on the strat from the beginning... I have rewired my strat with these pickups so they go to the 5 way switch and then to a master volume and master tone pot... the third hole on the pickguard now is home to an on off switch for the bridge pu, that way I can use all three pickups at once... why they didn't make the strat this way to begin with is beyond me... it seems so intuitive... anyhow... far be it from me to critisize the beloved stratocaster... signal goes from the guitar into a Furman pedalboard-->EH Q tron-->Big Muff pi-->boss SD-2 -->Crybaby wah-->Boss GEQ-7 -->Ampeg vt120 modded to use EL34s @30 watts-->TC Electronics G major(for delay, flange, chorus, and other time based effects) then back into the amp and thru the reverb.
The guitar now sings... plain and simple... I auditioned it against American Std strats and other such nonsense and they were all shrill comparitively.... BTW... if you plan on buying a vintage style pu, please don't be a moron... set up the pickup correctly, go with the vintage value cap, .1 or .01 I can't remember now which...set the pickups far away from the strings and you will enjoy these pups... if you decide to take a modern approach and try to milk more output out of the pickup your ears will suffer... I tell you from experience... also... you are getting a vintage voiced pickup... that means that in 1954 you wouldn't expect to slam the hell out of the front end of a Marshall, don't expect to get that here either... and most of all make BEAUTIFUL music that makes people want to get together and groove... hatred and violence begets only more hatred and violence

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: this pickup is great for anything requiring good tone... Metal thrashers and punk posers can go get their sound out of any high output pickup on the market... don't overspend... just grab some $30 cheapies out of a catalog and bang about on your guitar like an idiot... you will not like these pickups

Comments: I like these pickups a great deal... I have listened to the Fralins and the Van Zandts and the rio grandes and others, but these have the right sound... the right vibe... if you set them up correctly and know what you are getting... I waited until after the "honeymoon period" to write this review and after a year and a half they are still everything I need from a strat pickup... I started absolutely loving playing when I decided that the eternal quest for that perfect strat tone was like a search for nothing... there are so many things on here that I read that go on and on about it not sounding quite the same as the pickups on some mythical 56 strat that someone just happened to play for 3 minutes and then put down... get over it... most of it is in your hands... if you don't like your tone, adjust the way you're playing and quit blaing your pickups, its not their fault... if you want something that sounds identical to that '56 strat, go buy a '56 strat, it is the only thing that will sound like a '56 strat... in short... get over it... find a good tone and learn to make it a great tone through your hands, through your technique, and through your soul......... these pickups sound great... I would replace them if they were stolen or broken, and I would love to turn you on... now go play something...

Pickup features: passive single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender 57' reissue....also purchased from daves guitar shop a few years back
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: set of stock 57/62's
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: dick dale is the only one i know of
You musical style(s): blues, country, jazz, rock
Reason for pickup change: just wast happy with the ones i had....tweaked the amp and played and just couldnt get the sound i was going for...dont get me wrong...the 57/62's are very good pups...but these things are alittle bit better

Perceived output level: seemed a little less powerful than the stock pickups
Tone: incredibly vintage clear...and extrememly balanced....every things chimes...no dead notes......if i were to tell a person from another planet on what a vintage strat sounded like....this would be it!!!!!
Sonic evaluation: Im currently using a marshall TSL 100 head but will probably trade it in soon...these pickups are so damn good.....im gonna buy another set for my next strat

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play everything....with distortion you can get that "clash" type sound.....with clean i can get kenny burrel or albert lee......or SRV for that matter

Comments: i have been playing for about 5 years...i would definitley purchase another set of these...ive done some other mods to my strat with graphtech saddles and modded pots.....every tone imaginable i can coax from my strat.......some might say these dont work for metal....but they will to an extent...not bone crunching...but with a high gain marshall can get pete townshend type sounds and some cool tones...SRV is in these too....just buy a set and youll know what i mean....i have played a number of different pickups....but for the price this is the best vintage strat/blues pickups i think you can buy..

Pickup features: Passive single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender MIJ 1950's RI (2-tone sunburst, maple neck)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock MIJ pickups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, rock, some jazz and country-ish stuff
Reason for pickup change: The MIJ pickups stunk. Sounded TOTALLY metallic. Like a Strat, and then magnify the sound till you hear all the negative aspects of Strat tone. Ugh!

Perceived output level: Not to loud. Probably the same roughly as the stock pickups, but I wasn't measuring.
Tone: These are very sweet pickups. I think they have less bass response than other models ('69, etc.) but enough for what I want. Overall the pickups are mellow and sweet. None of the frequencies are over-emphasized. I see this as a good thing if you read on...
Sonic evaluation: When I bought my all original tweed Champ a few years ago I checked it out with a '63 3-tone sunburst Strat. Beauty! So even though I didn't have a Strat for years, my ears remember those sweet sounds. When I got the MIJ Strat off ebay I knew I was gonna replace the pickups and the tremolo and nut (all to great improvement) but I was still disappointed at how it sounded with the Champ. There wasn't enough of anything other than sucky tone. Well I got the pickups put in, new electronics, a Callaham tremolo and base plate, and WOW! My ears remembered the feeling when I plugged this into my Champ. I'm not saying it's identical. But what this guitar has regained is the variety of character and the warmth and clear voice that was being muffled by those junky pickups. I've mostly played it through my Champ to very pleasant results. I also have got some nice overdriven sounds using the 1st or 2nd positions with a Smokey Deluxe and 2x12 cab. The Smokey is overdriven by nature but otherwise if you REALLY want to push an amp you'll need a pedal (like Hendrix, SRV etc.). Since Strat bridge pickups are notoriously weak I think the base plate helps add some grit. Maybe it helps output a little. But definitely there is some bite in the bridge position when suitably cranked.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I got these pickups for a good, sweet blues lead tone. They hit the spot. I think these pickups do a good job of bringing out Strat tone from the guitar without the output of the Fat pickups, or the bass output of the '69's.

Comments: I LOVE these pickups. I would put them in any Fender MIJ if I needed to replace this one. I would be tempted to try Harmonic Designs, but from the stock Fender description of these pickups I get what I want. What I was looking for was lower output (as opposed to boosted) output pickups first of all. This is partly on some stuff I read theorizing that Hendrix's tone was partly achieved through the limits of his time and that the lower fidelity equipment he used contributed to his tone. For one thing lower output pickups would force the use of pedals for Hendrix type tones. The thing I was looking for was pickups designed for the voice of the Strat and focusing on a sweetness. That's what the description for these said. I'm wary of pickups designed for higher output in this case, more bass response, or anything else because I don't know where that leaves the basic clean tone. To me that comes first. After I get a clean sound is when I worry about distortion and overdrive. These pickups deliver and they don't have tons of output but I get a really nice sweet voice that is well tailored in my mind to blues lead lines. Starting with clean ones So I'm not talking about Hendrix/SRV blues. I'm talking Otis Rush and the fifties.
Anyway ultimately I think they deliver exactly what they're supposed to as described by Fender's literature. If that's what YOU want then by all means get these. Just be aware that you really are getting exactly what they say and not anything more.

Pickup features: Passive single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '68' Fender Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Dimarzio HS-2 bridge, stock in middle and neck.
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: boop
You musical style(s): Blues, vintage rock,
Reason for pickup change: Tone

Perceived output level: Clean deep bass, and crystal trebles
Tone: balanced, totally clean
Sonic evaluation: '68' Strat re-issue into a Boss compressor, re-issue Ibanez tubescreamer, Crybaby wah into a Crate 6210 Vintage Club amp

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play around with a lot of different styles, but I always come back to the blues.

Comments: If these pickups were lost or stolen I would be bummed, and slightly Homicidal, but I would replace them with the same type and hope I got another good set of pickups.

Pickup features: Passive single coil
Impedence or other specs: 5.9 on neck/middle and a bit higher on bridge pickup

Model of guitar or bass: Warmoth Strat Copy
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Emg DG-120 (SA Pro Series)
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: No idea, Dick Dale?
You musical style(s): Rock
Reason for pickup change: I tried the EMG SA series active single coils that come with the Dave Gilmour setup...The EMG's were nice but lacked personality, vibe. I wanted a more "transparent" "jangly" tone.

Perceived output level: much lower than EMGs and a bit lower than American Standard Strat stock pickups.
Tone: Great bass and smooth treble, scooped mids. The treble is not "shrill"or earbleeders
Sonic evaluation: Strat into '72 silverface Bassman 50. These pickups are very jangly, and expressive sounding in terms of letting all the sound get to your amp. It really picks up fret buzzing, string noises, and other things besides the string ringing and I think this is why they are realistic sounding...They sound like Clapton and Live. Now, the bridge position pickup still lacked volume even though it is supposed to be louder...I tried reversing the hot and ground and that didn't do much so I swapped in a passive Select EMG in place. Of course the Fender p/u's are more "livelier" than the inexpensive Selects, but I am much more satisfied with the sound and higher volume of the Select over the bridge position '54...But the neck and middle positon '54's are just plain beautiful...I played for about 3 hours non-stop without any effects, just clean, and yes, these pickups make me want to play..I am satisfied...They sound good (except the bridge position) for clean or slightly overdriven music.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: good for rock, not good for heavily distorted music...

Comments: I like to try different gear, so I might try the Custom Fat 50s...Been playing 10 years...I own way too much stuff...I love the neck and middle and hate the bridge...I reasearched the reviews and Fender to see exactly what I wanted, but i didn't get to hear them first so...I am very satisfied with the top 2 positions but the bridge p'u had to go...

Pickup features: Single Coil , Passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Standard Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Rio Grande - Muy Grande's
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: ??
You musical style(s): Beatles to Blues (everything)
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a more classic sweet Strat pickup

Perceived output level: normal - but less than the Muy Grande's
Tone: BALANCED!
Sonic evaluation: American Standard Strat with Maple Neck into Fuzz Face, Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe, Boss EQ, Boss Acoustic Simulator > POD v 2.0

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for just about any purpose but high gain thrashy stuff (obviously)

Comments: If stolen> they would have to get the whole guitar> I would get them again, no question. Have been playing for 22 years. My pickup search is over for now(until something better comes out!!!) Have tried EMG-SA's which are ok but synthetic sounding and Muy Grandes which are big Texas Tone pup's( highs and mids are a little harsh)
These alnicos are so sweet and have tons of character! Lovely sutain since they are not overwound with big magnets. Every sound and pickup has great clarity and warmth at the same time, even on the POD's Marshall settings

Pickup features: Single coil passive
Impedence or other specs: Alnico 5 rods, vintage stagger, convenient push-back cloth-covered wire

Model of guitar or bass: 1995 Mexican-made poplar-body Stratocaster
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock neck and middle pickups
Other pickups on guitar: Stock bridge pickup, temporarily
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): One Four Five stuff
Reason for pickup change: I?ve got an idea? why doesn?t Fender just sell their low-price guitar line without pickups? That way, buyers don?t have to de-solder them and throw them away.

Perceived output level: Low
Tone: Beatific Strat
Sonic evaluation: The tone of this pickup is gorgeous; liquid, shimmering, crystalline. Even a little delicate. Full of lovely overtones. This pickup is terrific for expressive chording, and it?ll melt your heart when you lean on the tremolo bar. But there?s a slight down side: the ?54s sound a lot better clean than they do dirty. Sure, they'll do vintage R&B, 'cause this is the pickup they had back then. But for contemporary blues or hot country, you'll need something with a little more guts...something like a 60s Strat pickup, maybe. However, if you have more than one Strat, and you have been seeking the ultimate in a clean Strat sound, I doubt that youll be able to top this pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: If you play clean, you'll love it. If you play dirty, it'll come close. If you want major crunch, look elsewhere. If you are stuck in a overdrive rut, this pickup might make your playing a little more reflective.

Comments: I'd rate it 10 for what it is, a superior vintage Strat pickup.

Pickup features: PASSIVE SINGLE COIL
Impedence or other specs: DON'T KNOW

Model of guitar or bass: JAPANESE 50'S REISSUE
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: STOCK
Other pickups on guitar: NO
Artists using this pickup: ME
You musical style(s): BLUES-ROCK
Reason for pickup change: The sound was thin,was the vintage sound but without life.

Perceived output level: slightly more than stock
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a laney vc 30 and a tubescreamer and, man, seems like the stock pickups were a cartoon of this ones. I?ve never played the texas specials but of course the 54's are more powerful than stock.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The 54's are a blues-rock pickup don't try to play metal or trash.

Comments: I have got the sound I was looking for. This is the autentic vintage sound. Great pickups!

Pickup features: Single Coils Strat's what can I say
Impedence or other specs: 1st and 2nd PU's 5.9K Lead Pu 6.5K I beleive

Model of guitar or bass: Stew Mac Strat kit giutar
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: All three Stew Mac PU's(some cheap Schallers I believe)
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Me!
You musical style(s): Original Rock influence by 60's rock plus RnR/Blues/Hillbilly/Jazz Melange
Reason for pickup change: The stock kit PU's were pretty "Cheesy"

Perceived output level: Typical Vintage Strat Style on the low side. Which is the way they should be.None of this big hat Texas over wound baloney.
Tone: Classic old strat chime sound, perfect Inbetween settings. Trebly but not overkill and off course noisey but hey that's the old Strat sound so accept it!Very soulful PU in my opinion.
Sonic evaluation: 1965 Fender BF Deluxe Reverb w/NOS American Tubes. Real 6v6 's not fake Russky 6v6's. Eminence 12" Vintage Celestion 30w Copy Speaker.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Play original Pop/Rock 60's influenced(Beatles/Kinks/Stones/Who) plus modern influences(XTC/Velvets/Costello/Crenshaw/Bigstar ect.) These PU's are a great match.Very Straty in fact they're "Stratastic"! Probably not good for skinhead thrashers or Shredheads but they probably wouldn't be interested anyway.

Comments: I would replace these but then they's probably take the whole guitar
so I's be a Sq1 I suppose. I've been playing on and off for 29 yrs(yikes!). Other Guitars include a StewMac/Fender/Seymour D. Franken
Tele and a Martin 00016 acoustic. The sound off these 54's live up to the buzz I'd heard about them. I think I know Strat tone as I've owned
a 64 and 66(don't ask why I sold them it causes me pain)and US 57 reissh(pretty blah guitar IMO) and played lots of good and bad ones
over the years. I think Fender did a great job on these and I like the idea of a matched set w/ a slightly hotter Lead PU.As we all know the
Lead PU can often sound restrained and give less volume compared to the Front PU which is often honking in comparison. I'd imagine some of the boutique PU's might be a tad better but at the price differentisl these CUS 54's are the buy in comparison to Fralins/Van Zandt/SD Antiquity ect. These will do for me..besides despite all the gear fetishism these days the tone is still in the hands. I think alot of
players these days would be advised to do more playing and listening
and little less gear shopping. I'm off my soapbox now.

Pickup features: Passive single coils. Middle pup is not reverse wound. Formvar, wax potted, cloth lead wire.
Impedence or other specs: Neck and Middle are 5.9K, and the Bridge is 6.5K.

Model of guitar or bass: MIJ '60's Collectible Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Original MIJ pups
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): All Styles
Reason for pickup change: Electronics in MIJ Fenders are mediocre at best. Not real soulful or diverse.

Perceived output level: Definitely hotter than MIJ's, but still lower compared to most of Fenders other replacement pups.
Tone: Really brings out the characteristice and nuances of your guitar. Mine is very balanced throughout the pup selections.
Sonic evaluation: Played through a Pro Jr., Twin Reverb, Bassman and Ampeg JT2. Real nice grind on a dimed Pro Jr. and Bassman!!! Don't need the distortion pedal too much anymore.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Because of the non-reverse middle pup, some folks may not like the hum. However, all my guitars are shielded, and I do not experience the hum at all. Positions 2&4 are percieved as less output, but man, what quack!!! The bridge pup is real trebely. Some may like it, others? I personally am rerouting the middle tone control to the bridge control for more tone variations on the bridge pup. As I never use the middle pup by itself, this is a perfect mod to incorporate. I knew full well that I was going to replace the pups in this guitar before I purchased it. I thought I was going to get Lindy Fralins until I played a very nice '98 '60's Relic. I knew that the pups in that guitar would be perfect in my MIJ Strat. So I found out what pups were in the '98 and before Relics, and bought them. I am not disappointed. Great clarity, definition, chime, bell like, and can growl very satisfyingly. It is a great match for not only this guitar, but also the styles of music that I play.

Comments: Great match for this basswood MIJ Strat. And this Strat is now my #1 axe. Very versatile.
Think it is a good value. Fralin makes killer pups, but for the difference in price, I think I got the better end of the deal, as these are very close IMHO.
If you are installing these yourself,(very easy by the way) make sure you thread the screws into the pups mounting screw holes before you do anything else. This way you will ream out the wax that has seeped into the mounting holes, making for less hassle during final installation. Live and learn!!!

Pickup features: Passive Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Custom Shop '54 Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: None. Came stock on guitar.
Other pickups on guitar: All Fender CS '54s
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, rock.
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Low - as true Strat pickups should be.
Tone: Clear and round with that classic Fender sound. Good bass response (for a Strat pickup). Sound is well balanced in all positions.
Sonic evaluation: These pickups came standard in my Custom Shop '54 reissue. This guitar is slightly different from "standard" Strats in that the body is swamp ash (not alder) and gives the guitar a slightly "poppier" tone. Also, the capacitor on the volume pot is a .1mfd and not the .22mfd which is now standard on just about all Strats. If you've ever complained about your Strat sounding too thin, or the bridge pickup sounding too shrill, try replacing the capacitor. Amps are non-master volume Marshall plexi reissues and a pre-CBS Fender. Pickups sound worlds better than the American Standards, which are very bland, thin, and lifeless to my ears. These sound alive and harmonically active; more three dimensional. Of course, they have less volume and midrange than the Texas Specials, but they retain that classic bell-like tone that the Specials sacrifice for increased output. With a healthy twist of the amp's volume knob, they overdrive nicely and retain their clarity and individual note definition, especially with the neck pickup. Not as capable of higher output screaming a la SRV, but you can get close if you use the right distortion/overdrive unit. The pickups sound so good and complex clean, though, that I find myself leaving the effects out entirely and going straight into the amp to get that pure tone.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Mostly blues and classic rock, but sometimes the heavier stuff, for which I set aside the Fender and go with humbuckers. I recommend these in all positions for a matched sound. If you think it sounds too trebly in the bridge position, try swapping out the volume cap as stated above. This will make any Strat bridge pickup tolerable again.

Comments: Never did a side by side comparison with the Seymour Duncan vintage replicas, I only listened to the demo CD. But Fender seems to have done well enough with their Custom Shop '54s that I feel no need to replace them with anything "more authentic" sounding. The beveled pole pieces and cloth braided wire are nice vintage touches. Even if they hadn't come standard on this guitar, I would consider them as replacements on any Fender when you want that true, original Fender Strat sound.

Pickup features: single coil
Impedence or other specs: ????????????????

Model of guitar or bass: 1988 Fender Eric Clapton sig series stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Lace sensors
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: ???????
You musical style(s): Classic rock , blues , r&b , blues , jazz , and blues
Reason for pickup change: Wanted more authentic strat single coil sound. Bought the E.C. strat for the feel and playability more than the stock sound.Didnt like sounding so much like clapton."Tone wise,not skill".

Perceived output level: Slightly more output than the Lace Sensors
Tone: Very clean clear sweet balanced , but also have nice growl when pushed
Sonic evaluation: As stated I'm using the E.C. strat.For those who dont know,this guitar has a 25db mid boost,maple neck,alder body,22 frets,blocked trem,5 way switching.I kept the mid boost engaged when I changed the pickups,so I'm getting some really amazing sounds that alot cant get without this feature.But I dont use this all the time and without it the pickups still rock.I run through a crybaby wah straight into a peavey cassic 20 all tube 15 watt amp that i just purchased recently.I use the volume control and boost and can go from clean to bluesy overdrive without any help from pedles.I did retube the amp with sovteks and that has really brought the sound of the pickups out to a new level.Chords ring big and full.Lots of definition,even when distorted.Can finally play some fast lead lines without all the notes getting mushed together.Of course the neck/middle position is pure strat heaven.But I find myself in the middle/bridge pos more than anywhere else.For once I have a guitar pickup amp configuration that sounds like me, not like any or every one else.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I guess metal is out of the question but who knows,anythings possible.great blues rock jazz pickup

Comments: I dont know if I would buy again,because I know not all pickups of the same brand model and year will sound the same.I would be sad if I lost these.I do have to say the hum takes some getting use to after having the ultra silent lace sensors,but the sound improvement is way worth it.As far as THAT sound goes the few people who have found itare either dead too young or copied more than Pamela Lees honeymoon tape and i dont want to end up in either category.

Pickup features: single coil, passive
Impedence or other specs: don't know

Model of guitar or bass: Formerly a made in mexico strat special (see below)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: MId 80s japanese strat pickups
Other pickups on guitar: see below
Artists using this pickup: I hope so
You musical style(s): jazz, blues, R+B
Reason for pickup change: Wanted more traditional type fender sound, originals were too muddy

Perceived output level: modest--on the quieter end, both in output and in hum
Tone: bright, round, on the thin side played clean, but lots of that single coil fascination
Sonic evaluation: I'm mostly a bass player. I play generally very clean or somewhat overdriven, with sometimes a TS 808, and I usually use a Princeton reverb--it's plenty loud enough. This guitar is a poplar body with ash veneer, rosewood board strat special which I got used for cheap. It had a bucker in the bridge when I got it, and I swapped out the whole pickguard assembly, replacing it with three single coils from a mid 80s japanese strat I'd sold last year. Then I played it for a while, and bought the custom shop 54s
Both the original pickups and the japanese single coils were ceramic magnet pickups--a bar magnet underneath the polepieces. These can be great, but in this guitar, which is very dark to begin with, they were very muddy and overdrove the amp too soon for my tastes. They had a lot of strat character along SRV lines, but I wanted something different. The custom shop 54s are alnico V magnets--the polepieces themselves ARE the magents, instead of just conducting the magnetic field as they do in ceramic magnet pickups.
I'm writing this having just changed the pickups, so my reactions are fresh rather than road tested. These are much brighter and more sensitive--they right away picked up some fret buzz I wasn't hearing before. They have a much cleaner and prettier sound. They are much more sensitive to changes in pickup height--one turn of the screw made a huge difference in tone--they "quack" more set lower. The sound is overall much more "transparent" and breathes more. It's like the old pickups were a cartoon version of a strat--all pumped up and exagerrated, and these are the real thing. They get nasty when you bear down like a strat should. The neck pickup is very smooth, with a lot of highs but they aren't at all shrill or piercing, but it's got that bluesy bottom t it. The bridge pup is twangy and picks up lots of variation in pick attack. I like it a lot, and normally I don't bother with the bridge pickup on a strat. I did notice they're more prone to "stratitis" than the ceramic pickups were, which I think is completely mormal with alnico magnets, and they have to be set lower. In all I think they sound great--exactly what I was hoping for, which was a more traditional strat vibe and that chimey, bell quality, which these have all over the place.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is an excellent match for what I play, which is basically R+B and blues

Comments: I've been playing over twenty years--lots of different guitars. I'm a single coil guy though. I love the way these sound--very much the vintage vibe. I may eventually try out high end stuff, like Bardens or fralins, but first I have to decide I like the guitar enoungh to spend the money. I'd want to replace these if they were stolen, but the great thing about these pickups is that they give you a great vintage sound at a reasonable price.Comparing these to the Texas Specials, these are SO MUCH better. They aren't muddy like the texas specials, which to my ears sacrificed the strat chimey-ness for more output and darker tone. I've played Fralins, and I thnk they are better pickups, but probably it takes a better guitar (and guitarist) to hear the difference, and these are about half as much.

Pickup features: single coil passive
Impedence or other specs: Huh?

Model of guitar or bass: 1987 Japanese standard Stratocaster
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Jap standard, emg, Dimazio, Seymour Duncan, Kinman, Texas Special
Other pickups on guitar: Long story, read below.
Artists using this pickup: I guess so.
You musical style(s): weally weally good
Reason for pickup change: Need more tone

Perceived output level: average
Tone: very warm
Sonic evaluation: Strat with 1997 Fender twin.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Not suitable for Bridge position

Comments: I will take these to my grave. I've been playing for 33 years. I'm still proffessional.
My journey for tone:
In my sunburst Fender Stratocaster I have tried the following pickup configurations:
It came with Japanese standard pickups.
I wanted more tone.
A set of EMGs.
I enjoyed these in the beginning, especially the low noise factor, but eventually couldn't face playing them again. The tone, apart from being a little on the thin side, turned out to be unvariable and bored me.
Set of Kinman pickups
Persevered for an hour on the gig. Yuck. Really weird and unacceptable dynamic response. Tonally lacking as well. Absolutely no noise though.
Fender Texas specials
These sustain really beautifully and record well, but lack full strat tone. They sound a little compressed. They would be great for slide (Bonnie Raitt uses them ) or clean power chords, but as I'm not a big user of those two sounds, they are not for me.
Seymour Duncan SSL1 (reverse wound)
In the neck position with the other two Texas Specials. Lasted an hour, sounded terrible.
Fender custom shop 54 re-issue
In the neck position, fell in love. This is a truly beautiful sound.
I then ordered the rest of the set. Unfortunately while the neck pickup is the greatest, the bridge pickup was the worst. Middle pickup is wonderful.
DiMarzio fat strat
Installed in the bridge position with the custom 54's in middle and neck positions.. This is a great pickup, I enjoyed playing it, however it didn't really match the 54's output. The tone wasn't a match either but was a great variation for a working muso trying to cover different sounds. Getting a warm old tone from the 54s and a rock sound from the bridge. This configuration seemed to soak some tone from the 54s. The Di Marzio humbugs with them, and my wiring has the first tone pot converted to fade in the neck pickup when not switched to the neck pick up, thus being able to have the neck and bridge pickup together, or all three. Somehow the 54s lost a little bottom end using the DiMarzio with this configuration.
VanZandt
Installed a VanZandt blues bridge pickup with the Custom 54s.
Perfect match. The bridge with middle position has real bite and character plus.
Makes me want to check out the other VanZandts, but I'm happy already.

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '50s Reissue Strat - Japan
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues
Reason for pickup change: Looking for better tone and had heard these or Texas specials would be a good replacement.

Perceived output level: Cleaner, more Fender bell like vintage tone with increased output over stock pickups.
Tone: Seem well balanced. Very clean and great for blues played through a Peavey Delta Blues. Nice overdriven tone when pushed and respond great to changes in attack.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a Peavey Delta Blues amp. This particular amp is 3o watts with one 15 inch speaker and works great for blues. The pickups really made a major difference and the strat came alive. I have had several strats over the years, Mexican, Japan, and a few American Standards. This particular strat has a great v-shape neck and plays great. The pickups turned it into a great sounding guitar that really rocks. Great for that Buddy Guy sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues - the '54 pickups are great for this!

Comments: I would buy them again in a heartbeat.

Pickup features: passive single coil
Impedence or other specs: Unknown

Model of guitar or bass: Strat - American Std
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Unknown
You musical style(s): rock and blues
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups were horrible. Toneless, tinny. I can't believe that fender would intentionally make pickups this bad and pass them off to the public as if they were good.

Perceived output level: Slightly more output than stock.
Tone: Great tone. Seems to have a sweet high end and a solid low end. Mids are very low.
Sonic evaluation: I play through a Mesa/Boogie Subway Rocket. These sound great. Very close to vintage pickups which I have been able to test through my set up. Cleaner than the '57/'62 re-issue pickups also - about the same output level. Turned a horrible guitar into a bargain at twice the price.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play rock and blues. Good for most types of music except metal - as with most single coils, you just can't get there.

Comments: These pickups give me that vintage tone without spending $9000 or more on a vintage guitar. I also compared these with Texas Specials. These have lower output but share the same tones as Texas Specials. Anyone seeking that vintage tone should try these.

Pickup features: Passive single coil
Impedence or other specs: Unknown

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Standard
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock American Standard single coils
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Unknown
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, jazz
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups were too vanilla and had no personality.

Perceived output level: Output level seems slightly hotter than stock, but not by much.
Tone: Trebly, clean, authentic Fender trademark tone.
Sonic evaluation: These are definitely the 50's rock 'n roll pickup. Fender uses this pickup in all three positions on their '54 Relic strats.The neck position was great for jazzy stuff and the 2 and 4 positions have a lot of character. The bridge pickup alone is too trebly to be of any real use by itself so you probably want to put either a single coil with less treble response (ie SD Alnico II Pro), a humbucker (SD Little '59), or modify the tone controls to take the edge off the bridge pickup. I put the Little '59 in and got some great new sounds from positions 4 and 5. A clean amp setting puts you into rockabilly heaven and overdriving the amp a little gets you a fantastic blues tone.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Distortion fanatics and shred heads won't like these.

Comments: I would buy them again but would like to hear how the SD Vintage Staggered sound in comparison. The neck position is "to die for." They come in a set of three, but I wish the the middle pickup was RWRP for hum cancelling in positions 2 and 4. Hum wasn't too bad; I play through a Fender Blues Jr. and didn't have a problem. They have the authentic cloth push-back braid insulation and Custom Shop logo on the bottom. The magnets are beveled and polished and look real nice in the guitar. The bridge pickup is marked with a red dot and a wiring diagram is included.