OC Duff Special Stock Stratocaster Calibrated Set

3 single coils all in the "above 8k" range

The pickups are currently being played in an '04 American Stratocaster, stock with the .022mfd capacitor. However they will end up in the stratocaster I build this summer.

Output is nice and healthy, much snappier and meatier than the '61 calibrated set Owen wound for me a couple years back (which are currently in my #1...) In comparison to the '61 set, they seem to somehow handle the ts808 a bit easier. I usually run the TS-808 into a Fender '57 Twin RI as a boost, with the volume on the Twin set at about 4-5 and the hotplate output leading to a Randall 2x10 with reverb. The 808 has it's gain turned all the way down, with tone at about 3:00 and the volume at about 2:00. TS-808 has also been modded to include a fat switch for the tone circuit. Neck and 4th position seem to be my favorite for right now because the neck pickup is just so fat sounding and lucious. With the boost it's very SRV-like. The 4th position is a bit quieter as the middle pickup is RW/RP, but still very thick. The middle pickup is sparkly, and snappy with a good amount of pop which is very pleasing to the ear. 2nd position is perfect "quack", but not "traditional" quack. The bridge pickup scorches and it's something I'm still getting used to. I'm used to a 5.9k bridge pickup, so having one almost 3k ohms hotter feels a bit odd. But I like it. I like playing blues and rock, and I think these would be best suited for blues. SRV and Mayer tones out the wazoo.

If they were stolen...Well I think the mojo in them would bring them back to me somehow. If they never came, I'd get another set. I've been playing 11 years as a working musician. These pickups rock. Other gear: #1 homebuilt'61 relic Sonic Blue stratocaster "renee" (2-piece alder, 100% nitro, OC duff pickups, callaham bridge, allparts neck), Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Stratocaster, Fender '04 MIA Stratocaster 3-tone sunburst, homebuilt "'66" telecaster olympic white, homebuilt '53 NOS telecaster in Fender Blonde, 1995 Gibson Les Paul Junior Special. 1966 Martin D-35, 1994 Martin 000-16, '05 National Delphi Deluxe. Vox AD30VT.

I love everything about these pickups. I sent Owen sound clips of what I was after, and in 2 weeks I had the pickups at my door. I of course compared them to the pickups he wound for me previously as I wanted to compare great to great to understand the REAL difference in tone. These pickups gave me the tone I was searching for.