Irongear Pig Iron Pickup set

Single-coil Alnico V strat-pickups 6K impedance. Set of 3 for Stratocaster-type guitar.

I installed these pickup in a 'home-grown' strat-type guitar. Instrument body is alder, neck and fretboard are Maple. I used them to replace the original cheapies which came with one of the 'donor' guitars which made up my project. The original pickups sounded as cheap as they undoubtedly were with a broken-glass, steely and harsh sound.

The output from these is higher than the 6K impedance would suggest. They are not the hottest that money can buy but are in the upper-middle output range. The magnets are extremely powerful and you have to be careful you don't get too near the strings as the pull is strong and will go 'wolf-toned' very suddenly. Correctly adjusted they have a lovely tone. Cleans are very clear with bass 4, middle 6, treble 6 kind of balance. Dirty sound is lively with great attack and sustain. Driven hard into the clean channel they will produce some overdrive effect with the bell-like tone starting to 'quack' in a most satisfying way. I play in all styles purely for my own amusement. Overdriven these will play metal well. In clean mode they are classic rock/blues style.

I would replace these pickups and would buy them again for another instrument. I have been a player of various instruments since childhood but have only recently taken up guitar. I have Ibanez and Yamaha electrics and a Babicz acoustic. These pickups have given me the best single-coil tone I have heard and are extraordinary value for money.

I changed because the original pickups were bad and I wanted to try a home-grown (UK) product at a very good price. Glad I did.