Blues Special Strat
Versatile, Thick Tone for Strat®
$99 – $297
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.
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All Strat Tone, Only Thicker.
Want to learn more about our Blues Special Strat? Here's all the information you'll need:
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.
Sound Samples for Blues Special Strat:
About this Sound Clip:
All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.
Tonal Graph For Blues Special Strat:
The tonal graph below for our Blues Special Strat features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Videos for Blues Special Strat:
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 1 |
| Middle Ohm Reading: | 6.3K 1 |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 7.1K 1 |
| 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 2 |
More Information:
1 Ohm Readings can vary due to a multitude of factors, including ambient temperature, multimeter calibration, different wire batches, and other factors. Due to this, ohm readings are approximate. Learn more about Ohm Readings here.
2 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.
Polarity Information:
Here's how we wind and magnetize our pickups:
Note: All of our coil directions are depicted from Ground (Black Wire, or Start Wire) to Hot (White Wire, or Finish Wire).
Blues Special Strat Dimensions:
Blues Special Strat FAQ's
General FAQs
Here are quick answers to common questions we get:
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What Ohm Readings does your Blues Special Strat have?
Navigate to our Tech Specs Tab for complete Ohm Readings and more useful information.
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Will this pickup fit my instrument?
Check our "Sizing" tab for the size of the pickup. No Sizing tab? Check under the product image gallery for dimensions.
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Is your Lead Time of 2-3 Weeks accurate?
It really depends on the shop capacity at the moment, and the size of your order. Feel free to give us a call for an accurate lead time. We always try to underpromise and overdeliver.
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What pickup height do you recommend setting your Blues Special Strats to?
Our recommended Pickup Height is 1/8" (3.175mm) on the Bass Side and 1/16"( 1.5875mm) on the Treble Side. Measure by holding the corresponding side down at its highest fret and measure from the bottom of the string to the top of the pole piece.
Pickup Pairing
Our Blues Special Strat pairs well with the following models:
Blues Special Tele - Set
Starting At: $ 110
Pair a middle with a Blues Special Tele Set for a versatile and punchy Telecaster Tone
View ProductGet It Prewired
Get our Blues Special Strat prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
114 Genuine Reviews for Blues Special Strat
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I installed these in a 2007 Fender MIM strat that always sounded “ok,” but never had enough body and bottom end, and the highs were a bit thin. This set of pickups was the PERFECT solution. Nothing but pure, full, strat tones coming from my old friend. I also installed with a freeway switch because I like to be overwhelmed with too many tone choices. This guitar has amazing range now. I’m considering buying another MIM to experiment with different Fralin pickups in the future. I’ve purchased 5 different sets of Fralin pickups (mostly Telecaster) and EVERY SINGLE ONE of them has been the best pickup in its class. Without question, the finest tones I’ve heard in my 40 years of playing.
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What a pleasure these things are!!! There’s the chime if you want it. The mid-range growl, and the oompf to push any amp into overdrive glory! I love these pups. The have a fuller body than many stock single coils that I’ve worked with and are a breeze to install. I paired them in an HSS style strat with a big single and it has become a fan favorite in my playing circle. I work a side gig at a guitar shop and any client that wants a little more body to their strat but dont want to sacrifice too much in the iconic quack…i point them to these.
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I’ve had numerous repairs done of several makes and models of pickups by Lindy and the staff. All the work has been top notch! I enjoy talking to Lindy when i have had the opportunity to call about something and he has always been very friendly and helpful. You guys are great! Lindy also helped me design a custom set of pickups for a customer/friend of mine and the results were so good I bought set for myself and may buy another set, they sound incredible. Thank you guys for being professional, true experts in your field, and extremely easy to do business with. I recommend you to all my customers.
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Install the set of Blues special on my strat. Its the sound a was looking for dont think i will never change them. Thank you for a great product.
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Lowell George would approve. I built my take on a Lowellcaster using two Strat Blues Specials and a Tele Blues Special in the bridge. Couple that with a Craftsman socket wrench and a Tweed Deluxe. Fralin Pickups nailed it.
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Killer blues sound, I have a custom warmoth strat build that I’ve tried every pickup style and brand you can think of. I put these lindy fralin blue’s specials in and they haven’t left. I put a Seymour Duncan red devil in the bridge with a blender switch. I cannot describe the clarity, response and just over all tone of these pickups. I liked them so much I put the blue’s specials in my telecaster as well.
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Absolutely stellar pickups! Tone for days, clarity and single note definition are unreal. If you were thinking of adding the baseplate to the bridge, stop thinking about it and do it! The baseplate on the bridge pickup makes up for everything that a traditional strat bridge pickup lacks. Gives it the perfect amount of girth.
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A review of a Lindy Fralin pickup is easy::::: Tone, Tone, Tone, Sustain, Sustain, Tone, Tone, Tone. I’ve been playing Strats and Teles for decades and love Lindy Fralin pickups!
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Thanks again Lindy. They did exactly what you said they would, except you always forget to explain that these pickups are some kind of fourth dimension shit.
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I’ve been wanting to put Fralins in one of my strats for a while now and finally had the right setup for them. Put the Blues Deluxe’s in the neck and middle and couldn’t be happier with them. Added the SP43 in the bridge and it’s the perfect combo for what I was wanting. Love ‘em. Won’t ever change ‘em. I will definitely be recommending them for upcoming custom builds for clients.
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i purchased an E series 1986/87 ex clapton strat updated with lindy frallin blues pickups in early jan 2021 i had covid blues and had to have it.got it for a steal of a price never even tried it until weeks later.i have had strats most of my life and am no pro but these pickups had such a wonderful warm tone ,bright and punchy when you want.i have never heard anything like these and they make a strat sound like it should be.i am older now and no dought in my mind i will never stray away from these pickups absolutely love them!
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I started playing guitar as a hobby while I was a student at Virginia Tech. My first guitar was a Mexican-made black Strat with a rosewood fingerboard. Since about 2001—and despite having numerous other guitars now—I’ve been tinkering with that first guitar, trying to get it just right. The original Fender pickups weren’t right. The set of EMG SAs wasn’t either. Even a set of Fender Texas Specials didn’t get the right sound. As my first guitar, I didn’t want to give up on it, so I bought a set of your Blues Specials second-hand. The Blues Specials are the magic ingredient! They’ve saved my guitar from a life of hanging on the wall never getting played. I just wanted to share this story with you. Well done!
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I bought a set of stock Blues Specials for a customer with a 1976 Fender Strat which had two of it’s original pickups still installed. The customer plays mostly bottleneck and was frustrated with his lack of punch and “quack”. We tried everything in the setup to get it to sound better which helped a little but still not enough. The guitar sounded lifeless. He was thinking of selling the guitar. After replacing his pickups with the Blues Specials the guitar jumped into action and sprang to life. It was really an amazing transformation. It it went from sounding thin and lifeless to big and three dimensional with lots definition, clarity, and just the right harmonic content. I highly recommend these pickups!
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I recently put the Blues Specials in my G&L S-500 . Although the G&L pickups are very good , the Blues Specials are extremely clean but can be dirtied up to achieve any sound I need to accomplish. The output is effortless in these pickups and the sound that my G&L , is now producing , is on the next level . I highly recommend Fralin pickups , I also have a set in my Les Paul that are incredible
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Bought a set of Blues Specials with Base Plate on Bridge for my 62 Hot Rod Strat in 2008, these pickups have gotten so sweet over the years I just had to order another set for my EJ Signature Rosewood Strat,
I can’t say enough about these pickups anyone wishing to get the best out of their Strat should try them, you won’t be disappointed. -
The Blues Specials have really woken my new strat up. Much improvement over what came stock on my new Fender American Pro 2. Excellent job Fralin. I highly recommend. I’ve also put one in neck position on my Fender American Pro 1 Tele. Just as amazing improvement. These really spank with a beautiful blend of punchy lows and mids. Very dynamic and responsive to what comes out of your hands. I love them!!!
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I have eight electric guitars that I like to play. The warmoth strat with Fralin blues specials might be my favorite. Played through a Marshall DSL40 or Fender supersonic 22 it just sounds fantastic. I should mention I have the mojotone electronics with the blender knob which I do like. Anyway, the blues specials are so good, I’m pretty sure I’m going to try the ones for tele too.
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My strat was 100% but now is 200% better, I really love my new tone
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I was hesitant on buying these pickups because they are expensive. But…. they are worth the money imho. The articulation and clarity on the bridge pickup is significant, not a subtle improvement, but an improvement that has made me smile every time I have played this guitar since this install. I have a very nice Fender Telecaster that costed me plenty and it is a sweet professional grade guitar. I can honestly say that these Blues Special pickups sound better. I am very pleased and impressed with the Lindy Fralin Blues Special. I would buy them again in a heartbeat and I would highly recommend them to a friend.
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Unbelievable thick tone, touch sensitivity and presence. You will see the difference in the build and materials quality when you compare the stock pickups to these. The cooper is a darker richer colour and thicker strand. It is both visually and sonically thicker and more solidly built. The magnets are fatter and have differnt magnet heights than the stock giving it a nice balance on every setting. Good for every genre of music but they do seem to shine playing blues/rock.
You cant go wrong these you will not be disappointed .
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