Tele bridge pickup rout and screw holes on a Strat pickguard

[MykeWright]

Like many players I find the Strat bridge pickup on its own to be too thin. I'd like to try a Tele bridge pickup in there, so how about that option on a Strat guard. And while you're at it, a Tele bridge pickup rout for Strat bodies - rather than having to go with a swimming pool?

 

[AutoBat]

There's a great chance it's already an off-menu option.  Call or email them about it.

 

[tfarny]

I agree, but there are definitely some strat bridge pickups that solve the problem nicely. Roadhouse pickups' 65 vintage set does not have a tinny shrill thin bridge, it's just right and somehow fits the rest of the set perfectly. In noiseless, the Dimarzio VV '54 has a slightly higher output and is much warmer and softer than a standard strat bridge, but output-wise fills the vintage bill nicely.
You can probably shoehorn a tele bridge pickup into a humbucker sized rout, and you can get the pickguard from pickguardian.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Seymour Duncan make the twang banger, which is specifically designed to sound like a tele bridge. And then there's stuff like the SSL-5, which is by no means thin, but sounds like a Strat.

 

[McBrain]

Bare Knuckle Pickups offers a zinc plated steel base as an option on all their strat pickups.

"Zinc plated steel baseplates for Strat coils add more bottom end definition, clarity and power to the coil. They work on the same principle as a Tele bridge baseplate with tapped mounting holes so height adjustment screws thread directly into the baseplate ensuring it will never fall off. The baseplates are waxpotted with the coil to provent microphonic feedback. Whilst it is most common to fit one to the bridge coil only, the zinc plated steel baseplates work well on middle and neck coils too."

 

[Tempest]

My Lollar Special S pickup in my strat is fat and awesome sounding.

 

[AprioriMark]

http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Brassbottom-Single-Strat-pickup-Big-FAT-Tone-Hot-Vintage-7K_p_4459.html

Comes in 3 flavors:  5.5k, 7k and 9k.  I've thrown these in about a dozen Strats for people, and it seems to satisfy the "I don't like a typical Strat bridge pickup" issue nicely.  You'll hear some trash talk from cork-sniffers, but in my experience, GFS pickups keep up with anyone else's offerings.  I'd also suggest Roadhouse's Strat-sized p-90 (if you're too cool for GFS, Ken makes the best stuff around).

-Mark

 

[stubhead]

Hardcore Telecaster zealots insist that it is both the steel bridge plate and the plate underneath the pickup that gives Telecasters their special zip, and there are some (pricy) aftermarket options to Telecize a Strat. Warmoth will drill any bridge option within reason, and there are a number of people making partial Telecaster bridge plates that let you use a standard middle position pickup.