Mustang Pickups

[spauldingrules]

Howdy - I just got a Mustang body for cheap on ebay.  I know Mustang pickups are different from strat ones, but how so?  Are they just like weakly wound strats?  I don't care about having the pure Mustang look with the covered pole pieces, but I would like the sound.  Any suggestions?  Places to purchase?

 

[RLW]

Original Mustang pickups were hotter than blazes, MUCH more output than Strat pickups. I have no idea where to buy replacements, but I'll start looking. I'm a big fan of Mustang pickups.

Edit: Well, that was easy...

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

 

[spauldingrules]

Yeah, I did see that and thanks for the link, but I really don't want to spend that much, although I might end up doing so.  So are they just hot strat pickups?  Or is there more of a difference than that?

 

[RLW]

Strats and Mustangs are so physically different, I don't know how I would compare them. Here's some cheaper ones...

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/pickups_fendermustang.htm

 

[TroubledTreble]

Early Fender Bullets from the early 80's had Mustang pickups that were left over from original Mustangs in them. If you find one of those you could get originals and not many people are aware whats in them.

 

[spauldingrules]

So what is the huge physical difference?

 

[RLW]

I meant the construction differences between Strats and Mustangs, not the differences in pickups. Just the differences in scale length and vibratos make it pretty much impossible (for me, at least) to compare the two.

 

[-CB-]

Duncan Custom shop makes Mustang pickups - and they're to die for, of course, since all the DC pickups are pretty much that way.

 

[Graffiti62]

If I remember right, ol' Seymour has made an antiquity Mustang pickup as well--won't be uber cheap, but may be worth a look.

 

[tfarny]

I'm curious now, too - are they just overwound, flat polepiece strat pups? Because that's what they seem like.