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strato funk pickups

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Mostaguen

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Hi!
I am new to this guitar building world and I am kind of lost in the pickups/tone choices
I am looking for good quality pickups for a vintage stratocaster body that sounds great for funk/disco/old pop
(Kind of like Nile Rodgers)
Mostly for rythm and chords.
Can anyone give me some advice on what to look for?
Thx!
 
There are a LOT of pickup choices out there these days, I suspect because with the proper automation they can be made for nearly nothing and sold for a lot. But, it's difficult to recommend a particular part because there are other variables that have real impact on your sound. The neck is a biggie, for instance.

But, generally speaking, for what you describe you probably want some "vintage" (read: underwound) parts with relatively low output compared to what many offer today. If it was me, I'd be looking at the True Coil Vintage Set from GFS. I've used other windings of that design, and they're very satisfying. Sound like a real single coil, with about 90% of the noise lopped off.

I have a zero-tolerance policy on noisy guitars, so I've used a lot of different humbucking/noiseless designs. In my opinion, the GFS parts are the best at sounding like vintage single coils without the tiring, teeth-grinding hum. They're not completely noiseless, but they're close enough for rock 'n' roll. And at $90 for a set of 3, it's not like you're taking a huge chance on them.
 
Hehe! Yeah, it's an embarrassing period in this country's musical history. Although, if you wanna bad-mouth that stuff, how do you describe rap/hip-hop? They don't even bother with instruments 98% of the time, let alone melodies. It's a special kind of punishment that I'm still perplexed about how it's enjoyed the longevity it has.

But, I know what he's asking for. If you listen to this compilation of 70's disco, the guitar is not exactly a featured instrument, even though it's almost always there. It just sounds like something from a porn movie. Lotsa clean high-end, no lows and only moderate midrange, and lotsa wah pedal action, all sorta hidden in the background behind the horns and synths.
 
Here is the type of stuff i'm talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXCtRnYDT7c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHr-47gACuk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43qB9FpfCR8
 
Yeah, that's what I thought. The pickups I mentioned earlier will do that nicely. It's more of what I'd call a "jazz" tone, if you'd like to avoid the embarrassment of asking for disco tones in the future. Back off the tone control just a smidge and use really light strings and a thinner pick to get that controlled springy sound.
 
ok thx. Didn't know about the disco being taboo in the us... i'm french and it's not like that here. I hope being french isn't taboo too hehe.
 
Mostaguen said:
ok thx. Didn't know about the disco being taboo in the us... i'm french and it's not like that here. I hope being french isn't taboo too hehe.
Click to expand...

The whole "Disco" thing is a complex subject that could be discussed for hours. But, where it gets its negative connotation is the social scene it created, more than the music. The music itself was simple enough to be easy to remember and dance to, and also lent itself well to physical performance due to its predictability, so it was very popular for a while.

But, that's all so 30 years ago. I'm surprised anybody's playing it these days, unless perhaps there's a renaissance coming on. Wouldn't surprise me. Much of what's been on offer for the last 20 years has been pretty pitiful.

As for being French, I don't know what to tell you. I don't think there's any active drive to dislike or disparage. But, when you elect guys like Hollande, we gotta wonder if there's something in the water <grin>
 
Yea well the lemaitre and daft punk tracks i listed earlier are pretty new stuff so yea I wouldn't be surprised to see a come back of the more soul and "jazzy" stuff with all the dubstep and rap crap that has been oversaturated.

And it's Canada's french part so I have nothing to do with the politics over there ;)
 
Leaving aside the function of the guitar in disco, you gotta give it to the bass-players of the era - those guys earned their bread (whether they got paid or not is another story).
 
yes they inspired a lot of basist in others genres you can think about Queen's another one bites the dust bassline!
 
Bagman67 said:
Leaving aside the function of the guitar in disco, you gotta give it to the bass-players of the era - those guys earned their bread (whether they got paid or not is another story).
Click to expand...

Well, they certainly paid for some big amplifiers, or paid the mixing guys more than beer.

Which brings up another subject - P.A. system efficiency. It's amazing how little you can get away with physically since those days. I remember when just being in a bar band meant you had to own a Step-Van to carry around all the monster cabinetry those big folded horns were made of. Then, they were expensive as hell to boot. Whoever owned the PA was the de facto leader of the band because if he took all his marbles and went home, you were out of business.

Now? Phbbbt. You can load one helluva PA system into a decent-sized car and it'll blow away most bars. That's if you need one at all. Most bars/clubs have their own setup and a guy to run it. Bring your Axe Fx and run a USB cable into the FOH board and you're good to go. Don't even need an amp.
 
I love disco music but not the social scene that came with it.

I also love '80s Metal but not the social scene that came with it..
 
That new Daft Punk single is VERY disco. And awesome.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2Foc5Q5nqNiosCNqttzHof

SD Alnico II Pro for Strat is my recommendation.
 
I second the SD Alnico II nomination! -Those with a SD twang-banger bridge P/U are coming (hopefully tomorrow) in my own inbound Warmoth shipment! Loved the Alnico II pro rhythm for tele, so I hope that tone translates to the strat model.  I can let y'all know how they sound here in a little while.
 
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