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What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:50 am
by Grateful Dad
I want to replace stock pickups in a stratocaster. I'm looking for opinions from the Jerry players out there who did this and what pickups they are happy with. Thank you!

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Thu Jul 11, 2019 2:42 pm
by Ebearius
I’ve have Custom Shop ‘69’s, d. allen 69 Voodoo’s, and Lollar Dirty Blonde pickups as replacements on Strats.
In my opinion, d. allen’s are the best for Jerry tone. Add an Alembic Blaster and a vintage Fender reverb-style amp, and you are pretty much there.

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Fri Jul 12, 2019 7:00 am
by bcresci
Scott Walker (of Scott Walker Guitars) was making single coil Dimarzio Super IIs some time back by chopping the humbucker in half. Not sure if he still is, but I picked one up and have been very happy with it.

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:17 am
by Pointclear
I’d look at dimarzio sds-1 pickups as well. They were in wolf fall 77-mid78, along with a stratoblaster. That era of tones has some of my absolute favorite characteristics.
They are hot single coils, and quite a bit different than normal alnico Strat pu’s.

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Sun Jul 14, 2019 5:50 pm
by tntawney
bcresci wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 7:00 am Scott Walker (of Scott Walker Guitars) was making single coil Dimarzio Super IIs some time back by chopping the humbucker in half. Not sure if he still is, but I picked one up and have been very happy with it.
I can split one for you. It is pretty easy and I have extra magnets. I like them in the bridge and middle position. IMOP think a sd1 is better in the neck. I also have a guitar with the voodoo 69's. Either combo with a blaster is pretty killer.

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Mon Jul 15, 2019 7:14 pm
by Searing75
D. Allen Voodoo 69’s are amazing! I plan on trying Dimarzio SDS-1’s again. The first time I did, I wasn’t impressed, but that was long ago, and I did not have the blaster installed.

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Sat Aug 31, 2019 8:50 am
by Grateful Dad
OK!! After lots of research and advice I ordered the Dave Allen Voodoo 69's. I'll post a review after I install them and gig with them. :-) :-)

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Sat Aug 31, 2019 7:57 pm
by brbadg
It goes without saying you should probably tell us how long it took for you to get them,
and whether it was a hassle or a smooth experience.There have been some negative reviews about dealing with this guy.

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Tue Sep 03, 2019 12:34 pm
by sw72
I recently purchased a set of D. Allen Voodoo 69's and put them in my 76' maple neck strat. I cut a brass nut and already had an Alembic Stratoblaster. I believe this combo does a great job in recreating the early 70's Jerry tone. Guitar is run through and SMS CTP JG > Mc50 > 2 JBL D120f's. No issues purchasing or receiving the D. Allen Voodoo 69's. Hope others have the same experience.

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Tue Oct 05, 2021 2:05 pm
by IRangASilentBell
It looks like this discussion hasn't been updated in a while.

I am looking to switch out the pickups in an early 2000's strat and my guitar guy recommended Lollar strat Sixty-Fours. Does anyone have thoughts on those?

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Thu Oct 07, 2021 11:41 pm
by Cumtax
First thing first, if you are aiming for Jerry's tone IMHO anything vintage-voiced pup will get you pretty much there, Fender good quality ones or boutique make no difference.
If you want to get into the nitty-gritty however A5 60s style pickups are "not going to take you there".

The two kinds of 60s pups, early and late "grey bottom", sound much more HD and aggressive than A3 50s pups. The 50s voiced pickups will get you closer to Jerry's tone, which, in the grand continuum of Stratocaster typical soundscape, is a bit rounder and lo-fi (probably he was cool with it coming from years of humbuckers or hollow guitars).

I had experimented a bit with pickups in the last months and tried different combinations of 60s and 50s voiced pups. To my ears, the "muffled" strat sound of Veneta's Birdsong was impossible to achieve with A5 pups. We still have to keep in mind that tapes and consequential mixing made the sound warmer but still you can hear a roundness on the edge of breakup that A5s don't have, as the 60s have more clarity.
John Mayer lately with D&C is using his Silver Sky, which early 60s voices pups. He's a good reference point on how they sound compared to 50s alnico pups.


About products, I can't stress enough to check Radioshop Pickups https://www.radioshoppickups.com/.

They are two Welsh teachers that have a small shop and are getting slowly bigger and bigger in Europe. They found out a way to make pickups more dynamics by tinkering with potting during the production of every pickup, done by them by hands; they are called ID on their website but you can ask for custom builds and ID everything you see or wish from them.
They are providing pickups for young acts like Chris Buck (who is a fantastic player). Since they are quite small still, they offer pickups at good prices compared to other boutique makers but they are on par with the best out there and give you even more with this new "technology".
ID pups cannot be described easily but they are one of the best things I've ever played especially if part of your playing is meddling with dynamics.
It's like every pickup has a set of fixated volumes and tones you can achieve by the way you pick the strings. For example volume 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10. With IDs it feels like you are capable, if you wish, to get tones infinitely more complex, like having the possibility to play 1.1 - 1.2 - 1.3 - 1.4 - 1.5 - (...) 2 - 2.1 - 2.2 (...) . 3 - 3.1 and so on. This is especially evident If you use your fingers while playing.

On my strat I have their ID:57 in Middle and Bridge positions (with a 60s pickup from them on the neck) and I don't see how and why I would swap them for the rest of my life.

Fender also sells Pure Vintage 59 pickups which are stellar but under-rated because well they are not boutique and guitar players are cork-sniffers. They were part of one of their best lines of guitars ever and voiced and produced with extreme attention to detail.

TL;DR Yes, Lollars are fantastic but Radioshops are better

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:49 am
by IRangASilentBell
thanks for the info. I'm laughing at 'cork-sniffers'. I am checking out the radio shop site now they look very cool. Not that cheap at about $400 US.

I'm not really trying to capture the '72-'73 Jerry Tone. I actually prefer the late 70's and 80's tone but I'm working with a strat

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Fri Oct 15, 2021 12:57 pm
by caspersvapors
IRangASilentBell wrote: Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:49 am thanks for the info. I'm laughing at 'cork-sniffers'. I am checking out the radio shop site now they look very cool. Not that cheap at about $400 US.

I'm not really trying to capture the '72-'73 Jerry Tone. I actually prefer the late 70's and 80's tone but I'm working with a strat
Yea in general the boutique stuff across the pond is pretty pricey and I find it hard to believe they would be better than stuff made in the US for a better price

But if late 70s/80s stuff is what youre after Id check out this, Im pretty interested in this one myself. This guy seems like a Jerry nut himself:

https://www.dgncustomguitars.com/products/pickups/
https://reverb.com/item/43381745-dgn-cu ... arcia-tone

Ive considered buying one of these as a middle pickup for one of my strats.


Re: Lollar 64s, Id bet these would so more similar to the Voodoo 69s and therefore more like Alligator tones. I think Lollar uses poly sol and A5s on that pickup which is pretty similar to enamel in terms of tone, which is basically what the voodoo is albeit a lower wind. If youre looking for Jerrys more powerful late 70s/80s tones look elsewhere.

Alligator was a 54 which had A3/formvar pickups. I can definitely hear that. Theres a bit more midrange and a softer treble response to that guitar then the stuff Fender made in the late 50s/early 60s.

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Fri Oct 15, 2021 1:05 pm
by caspersvapors
btw if someone knows of a pickup that can nail 8/6/71 tones Im all ears. I know that was the TV Yellow Special with P90s but Ive never heard P90s that sounded like THAT

Re: What pickups are best to modify a stratocaster for Jerry tone?

PostPosted:Tue Oct 19, 2021 2:55 pm
by IRangASilentBell
the DGN stuff looks pretty interesting. I have been interested in a blaster. I've never thought about a buffer but that sounds cool too.

does anyone have advice on a blaster?