For the most part, stock pickups are like stock tires on a new car, pretty good, but there are better ones out there.

I know RWZ is considering upgrading the bridge pickup on his Strat and now that my Variax seems to have gone kaput, I am also looking to upgrade the pickups on my G&L S-500. I figure I can always move the pickups to a new, custom Warmoth guitar if and when I sell the G&L.

Here are some well known companies that people seem to have good results with...

http://www.kinman.com/html/myProducts.htm

http://www.fralinpickups.com/stratstyle.asp

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/strats.shtml

http://www.dimarzio.com/

For $200 here is a 3 pickup set of Seymour Duncans that includes the:

SJBJ-1b JB Jr. for the bridge
SDBR-1n Duckbucker in the middle
SL59-1n Little '59 for the neck

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Accessories?sku=300068

I wanted to get new ones, but its so expensive.... :(

And it tough also because there are a lot to choose from for Strat purposes. Seymour Duncan has tried to simplify the issue by making sets of three available that sound good as set.

There is a cool video here on installing a new set of Strat pickups.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/how_to_install_a_pu.shtml

im in the process of re-wiring my whole guitar.
:|

Dude, what is cool about the little video above is it is Seymour Duncan himself doing the install. He does a nice neat and clean job. I am going to take a look at the factory wires are on my G&L and see how they did.

that's apretty cool vid..i;m pretty sure mine has had some custom wiring work since it isn't nearly as sloppy lookin as the one he took off. i've also got the 5-way pick switch...i either have a bad 5-way or a messed up cord...eh..i'm not going to worry about it at this point.

besides...i found a Gibson i want:p

I hate that stupid 5 way selector thing. I always get distracted when heavy strumming and picking causing my hand to accidently hit it, changing the tone unintentially.

What Gibson model ya lookin' at?

the 5-way really doesn't get in my way on the Strat..i found this Les Paul Jr remake..i'll have to come back..i downloaded a pic at work..it's got dual pickups.e definete plus compared to the originals...about $800:nice:

How does it compare to the stripped down, all mahogany LP currently offered new for $900 at Musiciansfriend?

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/1/1/5/274115.jpg

that ones pretty sweet..i'm kinda lookin at this one..

http://www.sweetwater.com/images/guitars/LPFDWCCH/028450556/028450556-front-l.jpg

So I pulled all the stock electronics out of my elite and put them in a box.

I bought some new 250k pots, another pickup (i need one more) and a 5-way selector.
also picked up a new pickguard..

sadly my new pickguard does not fit my elite.
This guitar is a bit unique. Im gonna have to figure out how to wire everything with these pushbutton selectors.
I actually like the push button selectors but I can't find any schematics that tell me exactly what these things are doing on the inside..
I guess I just need to puzzle it out with a multimeter.

Dude, did you try printing this thing out to see if it helps with the wiring?

http://www.guitarnucleus.com/gitschems/Elite_wir.jpg

I like this one except for the 24 frets.

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/0/8/3/275083.jpg

Here is a good discussion board for that may provide more help for ya RWZ.

http://seymourduncan.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=4

yep, im already discussing it on that board. :)

and yeah, I have been studying that schematic quite a bit.
I dont really know a lot about electronics, so im also going thru the learning curve of trying to figure out how to read schematics and such.

It woulda been easier if the dang pickguard was standard.
If I wanted to use the standard 5-way switch I'd have to get a custom pickguard made.

I dont wanna mangle the stuff I have now, because wel.. it is a fender elite..
it is kinda a unique guitar.

I guess what I need to do is figure out how to do an otherwise typical fender electronics install but with the 3 toggle switches instead of the 5-way.

The more time passes, the more I appreciate Dimarzio Virtual Vintage's.

Past that, I can't help you with your electronics issues, unfortunately.

.. it is a fender elite..
it is kinda a unique guitar.

i found a pic of one on a german site..dude..it had little switches instead of the selector:eek3: ..and the pick guard looked alot larger...and it was really expensive:nice:

The more time passes, the more I appreciate Dimarzio Virtual Vintage's.

Past that, I can't help you with your electronics issues, unfortunately.

my Strat's an '88...don't know how old the Dimarzio's on it are..but they are about as close to my old Gibson sound that i can get:D

Most DiMarzio's suck, but VV are the shit! :nice: :nice:

i don't know what the VV's look like..i'm pretty sure mine are the Humbucker style (duals).:|

lookin at their website i think mine are Vintage Super Distortion DP100...er yea!

i.e., the "Tony Iommi's" :D

yeah, the elite was a weird guitar.
some people love it and some people hated it.. it was the precursor to eric claptons strat, with the mdx control on it.
it also had a kinda crappy tremolo system on it, but since I dont use it it's not much of an issue for me.
they only made it for two years.
I have seen them sell for between 500 and 900 bucks.
I dont think I'd sell mine for that though, so I'll just keep it till I die.
:)

dude..i think that site i found the pic on wanted 1700 euros! maybe you should connect with oki:p

well, just because he wanted it doesnt mean he got it..
look on ebay.
:)


I just plugged my guitar in to see what sort of noise it makes..
IT WORKS! :)

On Ebay the target prices seem to be $900-1000. Current bids are indicating a market value of $500 or so.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-1983-Elite-Stratocaster-USA-Rare-Olympic-White_W0QQitemZ7392861140QQcategoryZ118987QQrdZ1QQ cmdZViewItem

There is someone selling just the body of a Strat Elite and it is currently like a dollar fifty or something. Might make for a good Frankenstrat if the neck pocket is standard Strat size.

Most DiMarzio's suck, but VV are the shit!

Dude, for argument's sake, I'll assume you play guitar. But when is the last time you played a guitar with DiMarzios? They aren't bad. After all, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Steve Morse, and John Petrucci use DiMarzio pickups and those guys are among the best electric guitarists in the world.

Dude, for argument's sake, I'll assume you play guitar.

:lol: :rofl: :p Snouter, I'm afraid CowPunk might be better than many of your guitar heros, and definately much more innovative than most of them;) .

I'd go into details and song names as usual, but I can't due respect for his privacy. Without giving away too much information, I must say that few people can cover Chuck Berry nearly as great as he does:nice: .


After all, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Steve Morse, and John Petrucci use DiMarzio pickups and those guys are among the best electric guitarists in the world.

:bowrofl: :bowrofl: :bowrofl: :bowrofl:

Steve Vai is the only one on this list who could be POSSIBLY described as "among the best electric guitarists in the world", and even that is mostly for his technical abilities and unique style. Frank Zappa did teach him a thing or two;) .

Joe Satriani is basically like Steve Vai with slightly inferior technical ablities, and MUCH inferior tone and taste for melody, not enough feelings in his playing and it gets borring after awhile. The pickups and the guitars he uses fit his style though because he couldn't probably get decent sounds out of a Les Paul or SG, so he needs the kind of set up where he could just worry about his technique and speed and sound good enough without so much REAL musicianship:p .

Morse has excellent technical abilities and a good musician, but can't get a great sound and tone out of his guitar to save his life, and definately is no Clapton when it comes to improvising a GREAT melody that moves people.

Petrucci is very overrated, and not even CLOSE to being one of the best. Melody, soul, feelings, tone, taste, diversity of styles, ability to move people with solos...are definately not amazing when it comes to his style, and his poor attempts at playing Hendrix especially show it.

Snouter, I'm afraid CowPunk might be better than many of your guitar heros, and definately much more innovative than most of them.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'd go into details and song names as usual, but I can't due respect for his privacy.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I can prove CP is not who you think he is you stupid brown noser.

Without giving away too much information, I must say that few people can cover Chuck Berry nearly as great as he does.

http://www.smiliesftw.com/!/orly.gif

Steve Vai is the only one on this list who could be POSSIBLY described as "among the best electric guitarists in the world", and even that is mostly for his technical abilities and unique style.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Frank Zappa did teach him a thing or two.

http://www.smiliesftw.com/!/orly.gif

Joe Satriani is basically like Steve Vai with slightly inferior technical ablities, and MUCH inferior tone and taste for melody, not enough feelings in his playing and it gets borring after awhile. The pickups and the guitars he uses fit his style though because he couldn't probably get decent sounds out of a Les Paul or SG, so he needs the kind of set up where he could just worry about his technique and speed and sound good enough without so much REAL musicianship.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: http://www.smiliesftw.com/!/rofldancev2.gif

Morse has excellent technical abilities and a good musician, but can't get a great sound and tone out of his guitar to save his life, and definately is no Clapton when it comes to improvising a GREAT melody that moves people.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Petrucci is very overrated, and not even CLOSE to being one of the best. Melody, soul, feelings, tone, taste, diversity of styles, ability to move people with solos...are definately not amazing when it comes to his style, and his poor attempts at playing Hendrix especially show it.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


Thanks for the laughs Ganja, you friggin' retard. :p :p :p :p :p

Of course Snouter's music knowledge is so "great" that he doesn't even know half of the things I talk about, therefore, I would like to ask everybody not to think he's acting like an idiot...he's just in the second grade of School of Rock, and just like little kids, sometimes he can only laugh at what the teacher says because he has nothing more intelligent to contribute...he would have been in better shape if his parents would buy him CD's by Miles Davis, Freddy King, Robert Johnson and Chuck Berry, instead of 1980's metal and overproduced AOR sh!t...but oh well, at least he's trying now:p .

I can prove CP is not who you think he is

PROVE IT!! If there's any more truth to this claim then to your claims about a list of "LOTS of great famous musicians who think that Dylan sucks" and yourself being as good or better than Hendrix on guitar...I'd be very surprised:p .

you stupid brown noser.


WHAT?? Yeah, I have lots of respect for CowPunk and (unless you are actually right, which I REALLY doubt) I admire a lot of his music and influenced by his guitar work, therefore, I respect his privacy by not saying much more...from a first hand experience I believe that a great guitarist needs a break from people who are obssessed over him.

Thanks for the laughs Ganja, you friggin' retard.


I have one question...how is that most educated music fans and profesional musicians usually agree more with me than with you? Can you explain why Hendirx, King, Berry, Clapton, Beck and Harrison are usually ranked WAYY above "your heros" by most of them? I'm not even talking about music fans in general:p . Even CowPunk admited he agrees more with me thant with you when it comes to music and guitarists:nice: .

I mean, could THAT many people be so retarted?:confused: