Blues Special Strat
Are you seeking a thicker Strat sound, that still sounds like a Strat? Look no further than our Blues Specials. One of our best-selling Stratocaster sets, Blues Specials provides more output and a thicker sound while retaining that Stratocaster tone we all know and love. Manufactured by hand in Richmond, VA with 100% USA-Made materials, instantly transform your Strat into a versatile powerhouse and discover what you’ve been missing with our Blues Specials.
Quick Links:
Jump to Sound Clips and Product Info:
All Strat Tone, Only Thicker.
Want to learn more about our Blues Special Strat? Here's all the information you'll need:
Blues Special Strat FEATURES:
Blues Specials are our second best-selling Stratocaster single coil set, and for a good reason: with a thicker, warmer tone, they are perfect for balancing out a bright guitar and pushing your amp hard, all while retaining “the” Strat tone! If you are looking for a thick, warm sound out of your Strat, you will love the sound of these pickups. With more turns per coil than our Vintage Hots, these slightly overwound pickups sound a bit thicker and hotter than vintage-voiced models.
Plugging in, you’ll immediately get inspired by the powerful, slightly compressed, and creamy Strat tone coming out of these pickups. You’ll notice the tight and warm midrange coupled with crystal-clear lows and round highs.
Features:
- 5% more coil than our Vintage Hots: 5% more output and mids, 5% less highs
- Modified Fender specifications, with more output and thicker tone
- High output, but still has Fender sparkle
- Compensated Bridge for even volume across all pickups
- RW / RP Middle pickup for Hum Cancelling in positions 2 & 4
- USA-made Alnico 5 Magnets and wire for optimal tonal balance and output
- Two magnet staggers available for different fingerboard radiuses
- Hand-wound with our “Sectioning” technique for unique, dynamic tone
- Hand-built, locally-sourced fiberboard Bobbins for unrivaled quality control
- Backed by our 10-Year Warranty on manufacturing defects
- Risk-free 30-day exchange policy
It starts here: Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control and tonal bliss. Blues Specials consist of locally-sourced fiberboard, USA-Made Alnico 5 Magnets, and USA-Made 42-Gauge Single Poly Nylon Wire.
We wind each pickup by hand using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique, one at a time in Richmond, VA. Winding this way is more labor-intensive, but it gives the pickup a sweet, clear tone. Finally, we wax-pot the pickup in a neutral wax to prevent microphonics and preserve the pickup for years to come.
Sound
Whether playing clean or dirty, Blues Specials feature a thicker midrange and rounder highs than vintage-voiced Strat models like our Real 54’s or Vintage Hots. Although they are an overwound Strat pickup, they are not too aggressive and feature a very open and dynamic tone. Blues Specials sound more like a traditional Strat pickup, unlike our Steel Pole 42’s, which lean closer to the sound of a P90.
Expect a thicker high-end and low-end growl, which will push your amp or pedals hard and provide a versatile and creamy breakup that is ideal for many music styles.
Are you looking for a Hum Cancelling Strat pickup that actually sounds like a Strat? Check out the Blues Output of our Split Blade Strat Pickups
Lastly, cut through in the mix when soloing with a thicker, rounder single note and a powerful attack. Chords sound warm with a great string-to-string definition. Blues Specials sound powerful and bold – a great way to take your guitar’s tone to the next level. You’ll wonder why you didn’t make the switch earlier.
Tech Specs
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Blues Special Strat.
Blues Specials are made with 100% USA-Made parts.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Neck Ohm Reading: | 6.3K |
| Middle Ohm Reading: | 6.3K |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 7.1K |
| Neck & Bridge Polarity: | Clockwise Coil Direction, South to Strings |
| Reverse Middle Polarity: | Counter-Clockwise Coil Direction, North to Strings |
| Recommended Pot Value: | 250K |
| Magnet: | USA-Made Alnico 5 |
| Wire: | USA-Made 42-Gauge Single Poly Nylon |
| Recommended Cap Value**: | 0.02mfd |
**We recommend a 0.02mfd Cap Value on most guitar and bass pickups. The exception is a Magic Cap, which Lindy prefers on the Bridge Pickup of Fender® guitars only. Learn More about Caps Here.
Sizing
Blues Special Strat Questions And Answers:
Notice:
Have a question about our Blues Special Strat? Ask it here. Your Question will be publically visible. If you want to ask a Private Question, please contact us through our Contact Us Form.
If you have multiple questions, please call us at (804) 358-2699.
-
What is the baseplate option for?
-
Q What is the baseplate option for?A
Hey Jesus, the Baseplate adds a touch of power and bass to the bridge pickup only.
How can I tell the difference between a Vintage Hot and a Blues Special Strat bridge pickup ? Are there any physical characteristics or do I need a meter to read the DC resistance?
-
Q How can I tell the difference between a Vintage Hot and a Blues Special Strat bridge pickup ? Are...... Read moreA
Hey Ken, the Blues Special has red magnet wire while the Vintage Hot has the gold Heavy Formvar wire.
Hello I read you blog about different pole widths to deal with the differences in string spacing between neck and bridge. I don't see that offered as an option?
-
Q Hello I read you blog about different pole widths to deal with the differences in string spacing ...... Read moreA
Hey Feargal, on our Strat Pickups, all pickups are 52mm, and we do not offer different string spacings.
I'm using a blues special Telecaster bridge pickup and want to use a Blues special strat pickup in my neck position. Would I use a middle or neck pickup for this? For hum canceling in switch position #2
-
Q I'm using a blues special Telecaster bridge pickup and want to use a Blues special strat pickup i...... Read moreA
Hey Phil, you would use a Reverse Middle to get hum-cancelling in the middle position. Use the "notes" field on the checkout screen to request "Long Leads".
I’m looking for a blues special bridge pick up. My compass points north on the current bridge pick up, so I’m assuming the pickup is south to string. When I order the blue special bridge pick up, is it typically south to string?
-
Q I’m looking for a blues special bridge pick up. My compass points north on the current bridge pic...... Read moreA
Hey Sujit, if the North points towards the pickup's magnets, it's safe to assume you have a South to String pickup, which our Blues Special Bridge is also.
Note:
Asking a question here will be public to all users of this siteHey!
Did you already ask a question on our Contact Us Form? Don't ask it again here. Please be patient while we get back to you.-
- 1
- 2
-
GET IT PREWIRED
Get our Blues Special Strat prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:
You may also like…
-
-
Prewired HSS Strat Split Blade Pickguard
Prewired, Customizable, Noiseless.
$430 – $450 Select options -
Featured Reviews
Reviews we worked hard for, and are proud of.
I recently got the okey-dokey from the little woman for a new axe, but limited budget. Checked out my favorite shop’s website and found a sharp looking 2011 MIM FSR Strat in Copperburst. After a bit more research, I went for it at $350 with gig bag. When I got the Strat, I started immediately noticing upgrades…the nut was bone, the saddles were Graphtech, and the sustain block was FU. Best of all, the pickups are Fralin Blues Specials! This thing sounds so amazing that I’ve been offered ttiple what I paid and passed on it! These are the best Strat pups I’ve ever heard! They have all voice you expect without being ice-picky, and are very expressive. Every position is VERY usable, and 100% musical.
I have been a stratocaster lover for years, but have had consistent issues with sound and tone. Then I tried Fralin Blues Specials. I can not overstate the satisfaction I felt when I started playing my stratocasters with these pickups in them. I have a new ’12 one and ’75 vintage and they have moved to front of my arsenal since switching to these pickups.
Beautiful warm tones, nice crispy clean sounds, incredibly cool decay (when using overdrive) and just such an awesome classic gutsy sound. I feel like I finally graduated to a pro set-up with these pickups and have to wonder why I never tried them sooner.
However many stars a review can have, add one!
I’ve owned a lot of Stratocaster’s over the years but never cared for the stock pickups or the custom shops I alway’s found them to be thin and tinny sounding until I tried a set of blue’s specials now that’s all I use in my Stratocaster’s much to my surprise I tried them in an early 90’s Plus they sounded more amazing with the swimming pool route.
I’d like to thank you guys for your helpful support and hard work. The Strat “Blues Special” are everything I was looking for.
The luthier working on my guitar after I asked what pickups to get for the rebuild , gave me 2 or 3 sites that make them. What I didn’t know was that the choices would be endless. It was your site that sold me on your pickups. I was able to by a set for my Tele instead of trying to pick a neck and bridge pickup from dozens of pick ups and I was able to hear them compared to baseline or stock pickups because you supplied a video all in one place on your site. I played the guitar live for the first time last night and couldn’t be happier. They went into this beautiful Tele that my eldest son told me he would build for me if I beat cancer. This is the first time in the 30 years I’ve been a musician that I have felt like I’ve finally found the sound I’ve been looking for.
I sent an old Strat pickup to Lindy to be rewound in 2009 at the suggestion of my guitar tech, David Petillo, from Petillo Guitars.
This pickup came from my ’65 Strat. It was dead when I got the guitar in 1990 when I immediately replaced it with a Seymour Duncan.
Lindy stayed true to my requests regarding the cosmetics of the pickup and he rewound it to spec. The pickup is still running solid.
I never miss a chance to recommend Fralin pickups to anyone that needs replacements or a rewind.
Fantastic pickups. Replaced a set of texas specials in an alder body strat. More bite, way more character. Love em. Great customer service as well. Much appreciated.
I have a MIM Strat, not a terribly expensive guitar, but nice. I had replaced the stock pickups with a set from another company – not what I would call “top-shelf” but decent, and it was definitely an improvement over the originals.
I wanted to further improve the sound, and someone recommended that I try a set of Lindy Fralin’s. I wondered if the increased cost could be justified since these pickups cost almost as much as the guitar! And would I hear much of an difference compared the pups they replaced, which were not bad.
To my amazement, the answer to both questions is yes! There is a musical quality to these pickups that is hard to explain. As soon as I plugged into my amp, it was obvious. My Strat sounded like many recordings we’ve all heard, as opposed to a cheap guitar off the rack at GC (no offense).
I think these pickups are worth every penny, it was money well spent, and I have no regrets.
I put these in my Am Std 2005 Strat and absolutely love them. They are super clear and full with no imbalance of frequencies anywhere. I would not call them super fat, just full with plenty of sparkle without being ice picky. They obviously play clean tones perfectly but the way they overdrive my Deluxe Reverb is super smooth and creamy. I got the base plate for the bridge pickup which does exactly what Lindy says it is supposed to do. That may be why my strat does not get too overly bright on that pickup like it did with the Fender pickups that came on it. I also have some Fender CS Fat 50’s on a similar axe and they are definitely fatter and a little louder but less articulate that these Blues Specials. You can really tell the quality difference in a boutique hand-wound Fralin and a mass produced Fender pickup, and the price difference is negligible. I highly recommend these pickups and the customer service you get when you call Lindy is second to none. Good luck calling up Leo Fender and chatting about your pickups :)). I also got the blender wiring kit and that is very useful as well and I ended up putting one in both my strats.
Just amazing and articulate. Crunchy when necessary.
I have a custom shop 57 relic w hand wound Josefina pickups that was just harsh. Put these in and really made the guitar sing. Only mellowed a bit, still surprisingly quacky and the treble is still there when I need it.
You can’t go wrong.