Upgrading my PICKUPS!

This is my Fender Stratocaster American Deluxe. I love it, but I don't like the sound anymore. We're exploring if chaning the pickups in my will help me save this guitar!
0:00 What's wrong with the guitar
2:06 Trying to swap the pickups
5:30 Placing the pickups back
6:45 First notes
7:20 Comparison!
9:11 Conclusion

▶MY NEW COURSE◀

▶FOLLOW ME◀

▶SUPPORT ME◀

▶PICKUPS◀
Lollar Dirty Blondes

▶GUITAR◀
Fender Stratocaster American Deluxe 2005

▶MY TONE◀
Kemper Profiling Amp

Hi, my name is Paul Davids! I am a guitar player, teacher, producer, and overall music enthusiast from the Netherlands! I try to inspire people from all over the world with my videos, here on YouTube.

Thank you for watching!
Paul

Below is the gear I use to make these videos. They redirect to Amazon and provide me with a small kickback should purchase any of these things.

▶GEAR LIST◀

▶MICS◀

▶SOUND◀

▶CAMERAS◀

[JesseNorellMusic]

And I thought swapping my laptop hard drive was intimidating. It's like he's diffusing a bomb. 🤯

[DoodlesHD]

The old ones really weren't that bad, imo. I liked the natural fuzz they had, but I enjoy that type of tone.

[christophersuggs]

Over the years I've learned I prefer my pickups as low as I can set them. Drop them to the pickguard if necessary. When they start to sound too thin, raise them back up just a bit... this allows the notes to bloom with a more vintage clarity that's impossible to achieve when they're set high. Use the amp to get your volume back. - I think I learned that from Dan Petlanski IIRC....but it was truly a "light bulb" moment for me.

[schnken]

I would recommend one thing if you solder something again: Always add some fresh solder to the joints, to avoid cold connections. Fresh solder contains "flux" (colophony/rosin) which makes the solder flow better. Second: Heat your connections more. Good connections have both parts heated up a bit. So just stay there for 2-3 seconds and then remove heat.

But nevertheless: Great work!

[Aethalops]

yes, the new ones sound better. But it seems there's more energy / excitement in your playing after the switch too. Spirit impacts tone! Worthy project.

[GabesHacks]

5:12 - "There will probably be guys in the comments saying that I do everything wrong. ... Probably. Gotta learn it. Gotta do it."
I've seen too many people who seem only capable of replying "hire a professional" when you ask how to do something, as if "professionals" are somehow different beings than the rest of us. I still remember a quote from the movie The Edge that I watched when I was a kid: "What one man can do, another can do."

If someone else learned it, you can learn it too. It might be harder for you, or take more time for you to learn it, but you can learn it.

[dsholt]

Got to be honest, I don't hear a ton of difference between the two. But that can have a lot to do with the recording, and the computer and headphones delivering the sound.

[robdownes]

That lollar neck pickup sound is almost all the guitar sound I could ever need, really does sound lovely.

[coastercook]

What I have found when swapping pickups and soldering wires to tiny components is that it's easier and cleaner to cut and strip the old wires instead of trying to solder to the tiny junctions. As long as there is still wire on the old pickups, you can reuse them. By doing it this way, you avoid grounding issues. Like when your solder bleeds over and touches another junction point.

[thebreakfastmenu]

Interesting! I actually really loved the way the old ones sounded, but then heard the new ones and I'm blown away because I didn't think it'd be THAT much better. Definitely an improvement. Lollar doesn't disappoint in my experience

[p_mouse]

As an electronics engineer super fun to watch. Compliments for the can do mentality! Great job 👍🏻
(Yes there are things but why be nitpicky about it?)

[ZacCostilla]

Next Strat upgrade: I don’t normally go for relic guitars because those battle scars weren’t earned. In this case though, I’d peel off the chipped portion, and sand the edges between pain and wood, and live with a guitar you’ve owned for so long. (Edited to correct spelling)

[scottdebruyn]

Paul, you're a great guitarist and a novice electronics guy. I'm a great electronics guy (so I'm told :) ) and a novice guitarist... who takes lessons from you! Allow me to return the favor and eliminate the 'string buzz', as it were, from your playing of my instrument... the soldering iron. You'll need a wet sponge, a spool of no-clean rosin core solder, some solder wick, and a decent soldering iron (the one you have will do). Others have mentioned flux here in the comments, that's in the aforementioned solder & is the rosin. Flux cleans oxides off the metals being soldered and 'no-clean' means leaving the flux won't corrode the metals if left on once soldered. 'Tin the iron', this means wipe the tip on the wet sponge (with a twist to clean it all the way around) apply some solder to the tip, and if clean, it should melt quickly & flow evenly around the tip. If not, repeat the wipe/apply. Being careful with the 450-550F drop of molten solder, tap or shake off the excess (don't leave a glob on the tip is the point here). Apply heat with the tip to the joint (heat rises, so under or on the side of the joint is best) and apply a little solder to the opposite side of the joint. The solder will flow toward the heat of the iron. Add only enough solder to fill the gaps of the joint, don't make globs. Cleanliness is key. With a decent iron, good solder and a little practice a solder joint should only take 5-8 seconds. Look for shiny solder throughout the joint, if dull, it's dirty or wasn't made hot enough and will fail eventually. If, like in your case, there is old solder on the joints, use the wick (it's a copper braid impregnated with flux). Push the braid against the joint with the tip of the iron to 'sop' up the old or excess solder. And as you always seem to tell me... "Good Luck!" :) Oh, you ever like to ask about anything electronics wise, shoot me a line.

[bm]

Ok, I'm listening on my phone whilst researching some replacement pickups and, truthfully, they sound the same to me. You've a great channel and I appreciate you sharing your skills and knowledge.

[jsalmons]

The old pickups sound like the Lollars if you were using a 50 foot cable and capacitance was robbing your tone.

[rgb]

When rewiring a guitar, especially when you get into sophisticated wiring like the S-1, I like to use an ohmmeter to check the resistance of the pickups in the various switch positions. It's not 100% conclusive but can give you a decent idea if things are as they should be. It's a little easier than semi reassembling the guitar. If you haven't done it before it's probably not as informative but it can still be useful.

Props for getting into it without being sure of what you are doing.

[jjmatashi]

Prefer the old ones. I think they're mellower. Just got one of these actually, and I absolutely love it just the way it is!

[theDubleD]

The new ones are a lot brighter, i do like the dirtier sound on the old ones, but everything pops more and has a better resonance with the new pickups!

[jasonkurth]

Yes they definitely sound better and they "breath" more, however, I was also expecting a larger difference. You should put a nitro finish on it in a color you don't already have! Personally, white strats have always been my favorite

[raceface_m]

The old ones sounded a bit muffled and compressed.