Replacing only the neck pickup in a Strat

[alexreinhold]

I've been wondering - why do people tend to never mix mid and neck pickup models? Bridge pickups are replaced individually frequently.

Are there any reasons why it's so uncommon?

 

[ChrisMC]

That’s a great question. I bought 7 pickups for my 3 pickup Strat, and mixed and swapped until I found what I liked best. That was a lot of soldering and many sets of strings in short succession, but worth it.

I think people pay more attention to the bridge pickup because they use it more, but what about poor old neck and middle? They’re pickups, too.

 

[stratamania]

It probably is more common for people to replace bridge pickups for a hotter lead pickup for example. However it is not unheard of for people to have different neck pickups compared to the middle and there are sets available such as SDs Everything Axe set with different pickups.

Although if someone is wanting to get a quack in the position where neck and middle is used together that is better achieved with similar or the same pickups.