Vintage Vibe Guitars Standard-S

Pickup features: single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender MIM Standard Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fender ceramic at neck and mid, SD Little '59 at bridge
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jangle, indie, noise rock
Reason for pickup change: Both the ceramic Fender singles and the SD Little '59 sounded bland and undetailed to me. I wanted a rich single-coil tone.

Perceived output level: Lower output than the stock ceramics.
Tone: Extremely well balanced, rich tone.
Sonic evaluation: My setup:
MIM Strat -> ProCo Rat 2 -> some other pedals -> homemade champ clone -> homemade 1x12
These pickups are everything I was looking for in a strat set.
First off, they're quiet for singles. There is still some hum at 1-3-5, but it is much reduced from stock pickups. The in-between positions are dead silent.
I need my strat to go from jangle and chime to fuzz sounds and this set does both surprisingly well. Clean, the neck is woody and smooth, the middle has a nice, crisp chime, and the bridge is bright and sparkly.
Distorted, this set sounds very classic rock n roll, especially in the position 2 and 4. I can get a huge, fuzzy sound out of these pickups without any squeels or microphonics.
Either clean or dirty, these pickups have a richness of character. They are punchy, but there is this wonderful bloom followed by a smooth roll-off that leaves a smile on my face. They are dynamic and sensitive to pick attack too.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Jangley, fuzzy, space rock. Think Dinosaur Jr on valium.

Comments: These pickups are a real winner. Tone is subjective, but I haven't heard a strat set I like better than Peter Biltoft's pickups. I feel like they transformed my MIM Strat from a toy to a real musical instrument.
A note about customer service: I damaged my middle pup about a week after I first installed it when I decided to change my pickguard. I wrote an email asking Pete how much a replacement would be and went to bed.
When I checked my email the next morning, I had a response. Pete had put a pup in the mail. No charge. Heck of a nice gesture. Great customer service. Fantastic product, and a CHEAP PRICE! I can't recommend VVG pickups enough.

Pickup features: single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: standard fender pickup
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Whale Bone Bill
You musical style(s): Blues
Reason for pickup change: sound, tone, power!

Perceived output level: out put is very punchy, and clear yet soft..
Tone: over all balance could not be better!
Sonic evaluation: Custom fender Strat & Peavey 2x12 VTX Classic

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues/Right on over all!

Comments: I would recommend Pete Biltoft pickups to any one. These pickups are superior to any thing I have used in 49 years of playing guitar. The workman ship is excellent, and very professional. These pickups will be a featured part of my cuatom made guitars.
Bill Carper (aka)Whalebone Bill...

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs: N-5.38 k, CW, north up/ M-5.36k, CCW south up/ B-6.04k, CW north up

Model of guitar or bass: 2002 American Standard Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Original equipment Delta Tone set
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Blues, rock
Reason for pickup change: I wanted a more classic tone

Perceived output level: These pickups seem to be about the same output level as the stock Delta tone pickups
Tone: Very faithful reproduction of the classic strat tone. Very balanced and articulate.
Sonic evaluation: I play through a Fender Vibroking - 93 model with Electroharmonix 12ax7's, Svetalana 6L6GC's, and Tesla JJ EL84 reverb driver. Speakers are Weber VST 10A100, 10A125, and 10F150. I was recently in a shop playing a one of a kind Fender Custom Ship strat with Abigail Ybarra pickups. The tone was impressive. The pickups from Pete at Vintage Vibe Guitars compare well with the AY pickups from the Custom Shop. I would love to do a side by side comparison. I bet you couldn't tell them apart. In fact a blindfold test with many guitarists might have some surprising results. These pickups are that good. You can try to find some Abigail Ybarra Masterwounds (only 300 sets made in 2000) for $450 or you can get a set of these for less than $100 if you can win an E-Bay auction. You can also buy direct from Pete for $100. This is a fantastic bargain.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'm an intermediate level player trying to learn the blues and find that elusive tone.

Comments: I would buy these again. In fact, I am thinking about building a Tele thinline. I will go to Pete first for the pickups. The workmanship on these pickups is unurpassed. The windings are wrapped with electrical tape, then shielded with thin copper foil, then wrapped with more tape and then potted in wax. This will presumably make the pickups a little quiter. As a result the pickups were a little to big to fit into my stock pickup covers from Fender. No problem, Pete is sending me a set free that will fit. what service!

Pickup features: three single coils - complete replacement set
Impedence or other specs: 5.5k - 6.6k

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Standard Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock "Delta-Tone'" set
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: n/a
You musical style(s): bloozey pop, country-rock....
Reason for pickup change: I wanted to get a more CHARACTER, and a more vintage tone out of this otherwise fine instrument.

Perceived output level: These pups, in spite of the lower impedance numbers, actually seem a tad hotter than stock.
Tone: The tone is sweeeeeeet. Neck is warm, mid is chimey, bridge is BRIGHT!
Sonic evaluation: Played though my old Peavey Solo 130, or through a newer Supreme head on a 412 slant cabinet, these pickups did EXACTLTY what they were supposed to do: get da good vintage Strat tone. Not as middy/muddy as the stock set, it's a more delicate tone. The neck pup does not quite have the bottom end of the stock pup, but it's still warm and articulate. The bridge pup is practically "Rickenbacker bright" - just like I remember a '63 Strat I once had. The mid pup, which I never used much with the other set, has a nice chime and jangle all by itself, and gives the "2" and "4" spots on the five-way the expected "quack" BIGTIME.
Through my antique Silvertone 1482 all-tube 112, YEOWWWW!
Now that's what I call TONE!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: If you are playing anything that works with a STRAT sound, these pups will work for you, with the except ion of metal or thrash...they simply sound "too nice" for that!

Comments: A good value for the money. In about the same price range as the Tex-Mex set from Fender (which I have also tried, but didn't find as "dramatic" an improvement over the stock pups).
If I build another "vintage" Strat, it'll get loaded with another set of these.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: Impedance bridge to neck, 6.11ohm, 5.44 ohm, 5.43ohm

Model of guitar or bass: Strat project guitar Fender alder body might mite maple neck
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: N/a
Artists using this pickup: ME
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock original material
Reason for pickup change: Looking for a pickup to give me a variation on my other Strats.

Perceived output level: Medium output type pickup
Tone: Very balanced good definition
Sonic evaluation: My rig is an ADA MP-1, ART SGX 2000 express, BBE 462, Hush IIC, into a Velocity 120 with a pair of 2x12 cabs, one open back with Madison's, one ported with Celestions. This rig is setup to give me everything from quiet crystal clear to total thrash. I bought these pickups to go with a Maple neck strat project for a variation on my Strat sounds for mostly a cleaner blues type sound. But I have found that Hendrix, SRV type stuff comes out really nice from these pickups also. My other strats are an 85 MIJ and another custom build that has Fender 57/62 re-issue pickups. The MIJ has a little more honk, the 57's are more glassy. These pickups were almost a perfect fit in between that. Great highs, well defined bottom just the right mid for a very late 60's clasic strat type sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Any style using strat sounds. Even got some interesting thrash sounds.

Comments: Out of the box I was impressed with the workmanship. They not only sound good but there is abvious care put into producing a quality pickup. I would definitely buy another set. Peter will custom wind to your specifications too.