Favorite Fralin Strat pickups ?

I've only tried / have a set of the Vintage Hots in a swamp ash maple/maple Strat.  Also have the bass plate under the bridge.  Overall, I'm diggin' them; but I'm not completely satisfied with the bridge tone, especially with overdrive.  Just haven't quite found the right combination for a distorted bridge sound that I like.  With the bass plate, it sounds a little "dry" and mid-rangy with a slight lack of chime.  I plug into a '69 Marshall JMP50 plexi.  Have 2 overdrive pedals...an original black-box Marshall Guv'nor and a Crowther Hotcake.  The Strat sounds best with the Hotcake with this setup.
 
How are you liking the vintage hots in the neck and middle position?
I have my pickup/guard assembly coming with vintage hots in middle and neck pos,
but ordered a fralin sp43 for bridge. (steel poles, 43 guage, 10k), reviews has it souding like a p90.
 
I'm lovin' the neck & middle.  It cleans up really nicely on this Marshall.  Spanky SRV-type stuff to Trower.
 
I have used Fralins in several Strat builds.  I have used Vintage Hot’s, Real 54’s, High Output and my personal favorite custom order made for Callaham that are cryogenically frozen.  All of them had the plate on the bridge pickup and all were wired with a blender pot.  

The 54’s are real clear with good scream when over driven.  The Vintage Hot’s loose some of the clear sparkle and have more midrange when over driven.  The High Output sounded like MUD anyway I heard them; clean amp, overdriven amp, it did not matter.

The Real 54’s were my favorite until I used the ones that Bill Callaham has Fralin make for him and then does his freeze Mojo thing.  The Fralins that Bill Callaham treats are in all of my personal Strats.  I also use them in customer builds unless the customer has a personal favorite that they like. They are real close to the 54’s except they seem to be clearer and the harmonics are way smoother.  That is where they have it over all other Strat pickups.  The harmonics are amazing!  They are real close to the tones that you hear from Eric Johnson’s rig.  
 
Hey Beast, why limit to fralins?

If you were close enough, i would bring you this guitar with VanZants to try, and the next day you would be ordering them

You close to Portland ?  Oregon
 
Hey Alfang, Yeah Im in Seattle, but Im hooked on the Fralin Idea for strats, It seems no matter what I read it always comes back to Fralins, .........heard way too much on the good side to not try em, but do appreciate that offer.

Thanks Tonar8353, that is some great info in a nutshell, my first instinct was to go for the overwinds and the high out put, but you have kept me grounded with what I feel Im looking for in Strat sounds,  Yes Im a Big Fan of Callaham, they just do it right over there, sounds to me like the 54's are the Real Deal Im looking for,....Callaham treated of course.

Thanks a bunch guys, always nice to get a little feedback when its time to try something new. :icon_smile:
 
Beast no problem, I get it. I have heard about the fralins too. And as I sit here and look at my rack of 12 guitars, I have room to try some fralins.

who can say what best is, it's a personal definition, but I'm sure I'd love the sound of fralins.

Keep us posted as you get them installed and tested.
 
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=758588

I recorded the Fralin VIntage Hots; this guitar is alder with Rosewood fingerboard. 
I recorded the Fralin Blues Pickups; this guitar is alder with Maple fingerboard.  These pickups are 5% overwound compared to the Vintage Hots. 

Sry I don't have time to get a better recording, it's just windows sound recorder from a tweed emulator on a one-pass take.  Hope it helps.
 
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